# QR Code & Barcode vs Phone Guard

The clearest difference is monetization model: Phone Guard at free with in-app purchases against QR Code & Barcode's subscription. Phone Guard also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). QR Code & Barcode's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. QR Code & Barcode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Phone Guard sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for QR Code & Barcode against 5.0 for Phone Guard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: QR Code & Barcode has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

QR Code & Barcode ships an update every 3 weeks, Phone Guard every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | QR Code & Barcode | Phone Guard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-and-barcode-batch-read/id6759100009/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-guard-secure-cleaner/id6759633533/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 38 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrii Lupenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874572612) | [Xinqu Zhumeng](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854669752) |

## What reviewers say

### QR Code & Barcode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-and-barcode-batch-read/id6759100009)

Instantly scan and generate QR codes and barcodes with advanced features like batch scanning and automatic content recognition. Save and access your scan history, and create custom codes for various uses.

**Highlights:** Instant QR code and barcode scanning, Automatic content type detection, Batch scanning for multiple codes, QR code and barcode generation, Scan history with content and timestamps, Direct action for scanned content

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Features Year | $39.99 | per year |


### Phone Guard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phone-guard-secure-cleaner/id6759633533)

This utility app helps secure your device by checking for security risks, scanning URLs and Wi-Fi connections. It also offers tools to clean up storage by managing photos and videos, and converting files to PDF.

**Highlights:** Security risk checks, URL and Wi-Fi safety scanning, Smart photo cleanup, Video compression, PDF scanning and file conversion, Privacy-focused design

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QR Code & Barcode free?

QR Code & Barcode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Phone Guard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, QR Code & Barcode or Phone Guard?

QR Code & Barcode and Phone Guard are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do QR Code & Barcode or Phone Guard have ads?

Neither QR Code & Barcode nor Phone Guard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, QR Code & Barcode or Phone Guard?

QR Code & Barcode ships an update every 3 weeks, and Phone Guard every 9 days. Most recently, QR Code & Barcode was updated on October 2, 2026 and Phone Guard on September 22, 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.*