Comparison

Barcode Essentials vs AirScan

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Barcode Essentials

Features
Read full description

Barcode Essentials for Symantec Management Platform gives you instant access to your favourite asset management workflows on your iPhone, iPad, iPad mini or iPod touch. Just login, sync and go. • All-in-one: The built-in camera is a fully integrated barcode scanner • Mobile: Sync wirelessly then create, view or update any asset in the field • Powerful: Design custom templates to let you work with data your way • Efficient: Set details once then scan, scan, scan in bulk • Intuitive: Work with assets by name, barcode, serial number or other properties • Error free: Save time and avoid errors by scanning barcodes directly into data fields • Integrated: Use your existing Symantec Management Console credentials QUICK START: Tap "Use Demo Server" when prompted to access a free, public server with data that helps you explore the app. For a tour of the main features of the app, you can use the following demo scenarios: • Receiving to Stock Room The moment new assets enter the organisation is the right time to scan and identify them, and mark their location and status before distributing them to stockroom or to users. This can be performed by using the Receiving flow. This can be seen in the following demo scenario. https://www.barcodeessentials.com/Portals/0/BCE-TSS-Demo-Scenario-2- Combined-120503.pdf • Checking out items and Assigning to Owners Assets are then checked out from Stock Room and made available for distribution within the organization simply by scanning and updating their location and status. Once an asset is delivered to its intended user, its owner property can be updated or confirmed for accurate reporting and cost center allocation. This can be performed by using the Quick Scan flow. This can be seen in the following demo scenario. https://www.barcodeessentials.com/Portals/0/BCE-TSS-Demo-Scenario-1-120503.pdf • Searching an Asset Get access to your asset inventory from the palm of your hand. This can be performed by using the Search flow. This can be seen in the following demo scenario. https://www.barcodeessentials.com/Portals/0/BCE-TSS-Demo-Scenario-3-120503.pdf REQUIREMENTS: Barcode Essentials Solution must be installed on your Symantec Management Platform server for the app to synchronize. Barcode Essentials Solution is available as a free down from our website. Contact us at support@barcodeessentials.com for more details.

About

AirScan

Easily digitize paper documents into high-quality PDFs using your mobile device. Recognize text in multiple languages, edit scans, and convert them to various file formats. Securely store important documents like IDs and licenses within the app.

Highlights
  • Scan documents to PDF
  • Text recognition (OCR) in 8 languages
  • Convert to DOCS, XLS, PPT
  • Edit and enhance scans
  • Add digital signatures
  • Email and print scans
  • Securely store IDs and licenses
Features
Read full description

Digitize paper documents from your mobile device with airScan, a free scanner app. From IDs and whiteboards to forms and receipts, scan anything to PDF, get text recognized in 8 languages, extract it, clean up your scans, or convert them into your preferred file format — all within a single app. For advanced options, move your scans to pdfFiller, an all-in-one PDF editor, to easily sign, edit, and manage PDFs online. ***Your most-used documents at your fingertips*** Digitize your most-used documents. Simply scan your ID, passport, or driver's license into a high-quality PDF and securely store it in the app. ***Save scans in your preferred file format*** Transform scans of your most-used documents like contracts, agreements, and business letters into shareable PDFs, DOCS XLS, or PPT file formats — all without having to switch between apps. ***Give your scans a facelift on the go*** With just a few taps, you can adjust the contrast and brightness of your scans or apply black or white filters to make them easier to read. Remove unwanted text and shadows while cropping out distracting backgrounds for a more polished look. ***Sign scanned documents in a flash*** No pens and paper! Draw your signature on a mobile phone screen and place it anywhere on your document with one tap. ***Email scanned documents*** Once you've finished editing your scan, send it via email right from the airScan app. Your recipient can view the crisp PDF file without hassle. ***Print from your phone*** Need a hard copy of a scanned document? With airScan, you can print out your scan from the convenience of your phone in seconds. Add your signature before printing to start the signature collection flow on the fly. ***Make your PDFs fillable and build signature workflows*** Move your PDFs to pdfFiller, an all-in-one document solution that lets you edit, annotate, and sign PDFs, make them fillable, and use them to capture data in minutes. pdfFiller is the only solution you need to get your documents done.

Screenshots

Barcode Essentials4 screens
AirScan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: AirScan at every 2 months against Barcode Essentials's every 6 months. Barcode Essentials's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barcode Essentials ships an update every 6 months, AirScan every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Barcode Essentials versus AirScan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarcode EssentialsAirScan
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.4 (455 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—73.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—455 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBARCODE ESSENTIALS PTY LTDairSlate, Inc.

Bugs and requests

Barcode Essentials

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AirScan

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Email validation errors preventing app access
  • Cursor placement issues when entering information
  • App freezing on iPhone 6s Plus
  • Incompatibility between app and PDF Filler after updates
  • Email sending failures
Show 2 more
  • Page upload limit of 7 pages maximum
  • Photos disappearing after data entry

Requested features

6 requests
  • Support for multiple document sizes
  • Android version availability
  • Advanced PDF editing features
  • Built-in printing capability
  • Improved photo persistence during editing
Show 1 more
  • Better focus and image quality enhancement

In-app purchases

None

Barcode Essentials

No in-app purchases

None

AirScan

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Barcode Essentials free?
Barcode Essentials is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AirScan free?
AirScan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Barcode Essentials or AirScan have ads?
Neither Barcode Essentials nor AirScan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Barcode Essentials or AirScan?
Barcode Essentials ships an update every 6 months, and AirScan every 2 months. Most recently, Barcode Essentials was updated on October 3, 2026 and AirScan on October 13, 2026.

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