# Surgical Notes vs NBIR Barcode Scanner

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surgical Notes at 43% against NBIR Barcode Scanner's 0%. Surgical Notes also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (37 vs 3). NBIR Barcode Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Surgical Notes holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surgical Notes has 37 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Surgical Notes's written reviews are positive against 0% of NBIR Barcode Scanner's.

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, NBIR Barcode Scanner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surgical Notes | NBIR Barcode Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-notes/id666491850/reviews)** | [3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbir-barcode-scanner/id1245115377/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **42.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 36 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Surgical Notes, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/666491853) | [FIGMD Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/959461047) |

## What reviewers say

### Surgical Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-notes/id666491850)

This app streamlines surgical documentation for healthcare professionals. It allows for wireless digital dictation, real-time report management, and effortless coding, enhancing productivity and patient care. Seamlessly integrates with existing workflows for efficient RCM solutions.

**Highlights:** Wireless digital dictation, Real-time report management, Effortless coding, Streamlined transcription turnaround, User-centered design, Push notification reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### NBIR Barcode Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nbir-barcode-scanner/id1245115377)

This medical app facilitates data entry for breast implant device tracking. It scans and decodes barcodes to automatically populate patient and procedure details into a registry, streamlining the reporting process for participants.

**Highlights:** Scan and decode linear and 2D barcodes, Auto-populate device data, Enter patient and procedure details, HIPAA-compliant data entry, Streamline registry data submission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surgical Notes free?

Surgical Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NBIR Barcode Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surgical Notes or NBIR Barcode Scanner?

Surgical Notes is rated higher. Surgical Notes averages 3.7 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while NBIR Barcode Scanner averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Surgical Notes or NBIR Barcode Scanner have ads?

Neither Surgical Notes nor NBIR Barcode Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surgical Notes or NBIR Barcode Scanner?

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and NBIR Barcode Scanner every 3 months. Most recently, Surgical Notes was updated on October 3, 2026 and NBIR Barcode Scanner on September 20, 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.*