QR Code Scanner vs Clean Links
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
QR Code Scanner
This utility app transforms your device into a powerful QR code and barcode scanner. It can also generate custom QR codes and barcodes, supporting a wide range of code types for efficient data access and sharing.
- Scan QR codes and barcodes
- Create QR codes and barcodes
- Supports various code types
- Direct app integration
- Haptic Touch and Control Center shortcuts
- 100% local processing for privacy
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QR Scanner: QR Code Reader – All-in-One Utility Transform your device into an efficient QR code reader and barcode scanner with QR Scanner: QR Code Reader. This versatile app not only scans but also lets you create QR codes and barcodes effortlessly, anytime, anywhere. Key Features: - Quickly scan QR codes and barcodes using your device’s camera. - Supports all types of QR codes including links, contacts, messages, emails, locations, Wi-Fi, social accounts, and many more. - Fast scanning for food & products. - Use Haptic Touch for quick actions and integrate with the Control Center for faster access to the scanner. - Easily create your own QR codes and barcodes. - Share several images simultaneously for scanning within the app. - Directly open corresponding apps for quick and seamless access. For example, scan a YouTube link and instantly launch the YouTube app to view the video. - Supported code types include QR Code, Barcode, Aztec, Codabar, Data Matrix, PDF417, ITF, Code128, Code93, Code39, EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, and UPC-E among others. QR Scanner: QR Code Reader is your go-to solution for all scanning needs. From organizing and accessing important data to sharing high-quality barcodes, our app ensures reliability and efficiency. Why Choose QR Scanner? - Fast and reliable scanning - 100% Local Processing for enhanced privacy - Intuitive user interface - Comprehensive support for various code types - Enhancements like Haptic Touch and Control Center shortcuts - Pay once, unlock features on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Elevate your scanning capabilities with QR Scanner: QR Code Reader. Download now and experience the ultimate convenience in QR code and barcode scanning! • Privacy Policy: https://shieldapps.notion.site/QR-Scanner-Privacy-Policy-4da59be76c8d43f29194ba63b1fdae0b • Terms of Use: https://shieldapps.notion.site/QR-Scanner-Terms-Conditions-1a04c9c74d2c45a3b551aa05316e19ce
Clean Links
This app scans QR codes and URLs to reveal hidden destinations and remove tracking parameters. It protects users from phishing and advertiser tracking, offering a private and free way to control digital privacy.
- QR code scanning
- URL link cleaning
- Phishing protection
- QR code generation
- iOS integration
- Cross-device link sharing
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That link a friend just sent you probably has a dozen tracking parameters glued to the end of it. Clean Links strips them off. It also opens up QR codes so you can read where they actually go before you commit to tapping. The app does a handful of things, and does them without an account, a subscription, or an ad: QR reader that shows you the destination URL first. Quishing scams work because nobody can read a QR code with their eyes, so you scan and hope. This one puts the real address on screen and waits. Link cleaner. Paste anything, get back the same link minus the utm tags, click IDs, and referral junk. Works on links from hundreds of shopping sites, social networks and search engines. Send to Mac. Push a cleaned link from your iPhone straight into the browser on your Mac. If the Mac is asleep or offline the link waits for it. Unshorten. Feed it a bit.ly or t.co address and it follows the chain to whatever sits at the end. Useful when a shortened link turns up from someone you don't know, which is how most phishing starts. Tracker blocker covering 71+ services, running as a parameter remover across everything you paste. QR generator for making your own codes out of links you trust. Safari extension that cleans every link on a page in one tap. Shortcuts, a Control Center widget, and a share sheet action, if you want the whole thing automated. Nothing leaves your device. There's no analytics SDK in here, no crash reporter phoning home, no account to create. Privacy isn't a feature we bolted on; there was never any data to collect. ■ Send Links to Your Mac Share a cleaned link from your iPhone or iPad and it lands in your Mac's browser. Links queue up if the Mac is offline. You can also fire Shortcuts on your Macs from an iOS device. You'll need Clean Links on both machines, iCloud turned on, and the same Apple account. ■ Coming from Hyperduck? Clean Links does the same handoff, adds tracker stripping on the way out, handles more than one Mac, and costs nothing. ■ Link Sharing FAQ ‣ Why not AirDrop? AirDrop needs both devices awake and nearby. This doesn't, and it drops the link straight into a background tab. ‣ Why not iCloud Tabs? Because iCloud Tabs only works in Safari, and the tabs are easy to lose. These open in whatever browser you actually use. ‣ Why not Reading List? Reading List is where links go to be forgotten. Yours open immediately. ‣ Why not Handoff? Handoff wants the devices in the same room. Clean Links supports Handoff anyway, for when they are. ‣ More than one Mac? Send to all of them. Any Mac signed into the same Apple account with the app installed will get it. ‣ Want to skip a particular Mac? Turn off receiving in that Mac's settings. ■ Spotted a tracker we don't catch yet? There's a link in Settings to tell us. We'll add them.
Screenshots
Verdict
QR Code Scanner and Clean Links both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Clean Links's written reviews are positive against 56% of QR Code Scanner's. Clean Links also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (68 vs 15). QR Code Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. QR Code Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Clean Links asks for nothing beyond the download.
Clean Links holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 68 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of QR Code Scanner's written reviews are positive against 94% of Clean Links's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | QR Code Scanner | Clean Links |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (15 ratings) | 4.9 (68 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | 94.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 68 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 满 李 | Numen Technologies Limited |
Customer experience
QR Code Scanner
Clean Links
In-app purchases
QR Code Scanner
- Upgrade to Pro - Monthly$4.991 Month
- Upgrade to Pro - Annual3 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Upgrade to Pro - Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- QR Scanner Pro - Lifetime$29.99
Clean Links
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is QR Code Scanner free?
Is Clean Links free?
Which has better reviews, QR Code Scanner or Clean Links?
Do QR Code Scanner or Clean Links have ads?
Which is updated more often, QR Code Scanner or Clean Links?
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