# Mr.BarCode vs Barnacle

The clearest difference is update cadence: Barnacle at every 2 days against Mr.BarCode's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mr.BarCode sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Barnacle sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mr.BarCode ships an update every 3 weeks, Barnacle every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mr.BarCode | Barnacle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 6 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Wu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118759317) | [Luke Wilkinson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634252909) |

## What reviewers say

### Mr.BarCode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mrbarcode/id6754281489)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Barcodes | $1.99 | one-time |


### Barnacle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnacle/id6811345581)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Barnacle Unlimited | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mr.BarCode free?

Mr.BarCode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Barnacle free?

Barnacle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Mr.BarCode or Barnacle have ads?

Neither Mr.BarCode nor Barnacle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mr.BarCode or Barnacle?

Mr.BarCode ships an update every 3 weeks, and Barnacle every 2 days. Most recently, Mr.BarCode was updated on September 24, 2026 and Barnacle on October 10, 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.*