# Barcode Scanners vs M2Quared Retail

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Barcode Scanners at 811 against M2Quared Retail's 1. Barcode Scanners also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). M2Quared Retail's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

M2Quared Retail holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barcode Scanners has 811 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Barcode Scanners ships an update every 5 months, M2Quared Retail every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barcode Scanners | M2Quared Retail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (811 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m2quared-retail/id6747777661/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **811** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 35 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cognex Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/977274716) | [Steven Stuart](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464507689) |

## What reviewers say

### Barcode Scanners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315)

This app offers robust barcode scanning capabilities, supporting over 30 different types including QR, UPC, and Data Matrix. It provides powerful parsing for industry-standard formats like driver's licenses and GS1 codes, simplifying data extraction.

**Highlights:** Scan over 30 barcode types, QR code scanning, UPC scanning, Data Matrix scanning, GS1 code parsing, Driver's license data parsing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and accurate scanning
- 👍 Reliable and easy to use
- 🔒 No data collection
- 💡 Supports wide range of barcode types
- 👍 Excellent parsing and decoding capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezing issues
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Duplicate delay feature not working as expected
- 🐛 Export to CSV not functioning properly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing after iOS 12.3.1 update
- Unable to scan certain barcode types (e.g. GS1 DataMatrix)
- Frozen camera view after initial scan

**Requested features**

- Option to disable tips/tooltips on startup
- Batch export/logging of scan history
- Ability to display non-readable characters
- Deeper Shortcuts integration


### M2Quared Retail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m2quared-retail/id6747777661)

This mobile application monitors retail activations, ensuring compliance and facilitating the scanning and checking in of installations. It empowers business professionals to perform their job duties efficiently.

**Highlights:** Monitor retail activation compliance, Scan installations, Check in installations, Job execution for business people, Effective task performance

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barcode Scanners free?

Barcode Scanners is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is M2Quared Retail free?

M2Quared Retail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Barcode Scanners or M2Quared Retail?

M2Quared Retail is rated higher. Barcode Scanners averages 4.6 out of 5 from 811 ratings, while M2Quared Retail averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Barcode Scanners or M2Quared Retail have ads?

Neither Barcode Scanners nor M2Quared Retail shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Barcode Scanners or M2Quared Retail?

Barcode Scanners ships an update every 5 months, and M2Quared Retail every 4 months. Most recently, Barcode Scanners was updated on October 20, 2026 and M2Quared Retail on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*