Comparison

Narraloud vs Barcoder

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

Head to head
About

Narraloud

This app transforms your documents, web pages, and even scanned images into natural-sounding audio. Enjoy offline listening with a wide range of voices and languages, all while keeping your data private on your device. Enhance your reading experience with features like word-by-word highlighting and adjustable playback speed.

Highlights
  • Reads PDFs, ebooks, web links, and scanned images
  • Natural-sounding voices generated on-device
  • Offline listening without internet connection
  • Word-by-word highlighting during playback
  • Adjustable playback speed and sleep timer
  • Background playback and screen lock support (Plus feature)
Features
Read full description

The article you saved, the contract from work, the book you’re halfway through. Narraloud reads them aloud for free, in natural voices made right on your device. No credits, no word limits, no account, no internet needed. LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU READ Ebooks. PDFs. Links. Even a picture of the page sitting in front of you. • Paste a link and hear the article or web page read aloud • Share straight from Safari and your other apps • Open PDFs, ebooks, Word documents, and dozens more file types • Scan printed pages with your camera • Paste text from anywhere • Open files from the Files app and your cloud drives NATURAL VOICES. RIGHT ON YOUR DEVICE. Every voice comes from an advanced neural speech model running on your device, so it sounds natural and works offline, on a plane, in a tunnel, anywhere. Dozens of voices in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese. With Narraloud Plus, every narrator also has a richer Plus Voice, prepared on your device and ready to play offline. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your reading is personal. Narraloud keeps everything on your device, so your documents are never uploaded to a server just to be spoken aloud. What you read stays yours. NO CREDITS. JUST LISTEN. No minute packs, no word limits, and no meter running while you listen. Press play on a twenty-hour book and hear all of it. FOLLOW ALONG AS YOU LISTEN • Word-by-word highlighting follows the narration • Change the speed anytime • Jump forward or back • Bookmark passages to come back to • Choose a voice that fits what you’re reading • Control playback from the Lock Screen and Control Center • Set a sleep timer and drift off to a chapter MADE FOR MORE WAYS OF READING For some people, listening is convenient. For others, it’s how reading becomes possible. Narraloud has full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type for the text size you need, and easy-to-read fonts. It’s made for readers with dyslexia or low vision, people who take in information better by ear, and anyone who’d simply rather listen. NARRALOUD PLUS Narraloud reads aloud for free, forever. Plus adds the power tools: • Plus Voices, an even richer version of every narrator • Listening in the background and with the screen locked, while you walk, cook, or commute • Export any document as an audiobook • Complex documents cleaned up for listening • Full voice catalog in VoiceOver • A pronunciation dictionary for names and jargon Plus Voices run on recent iPhones and iPads. Subscription plans include a 7-day free trial. You can also buy Lifetime Plus and own it for good, with every feature we ship next at no extra cost. Press play on your reading list. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://narraloud.com/privacy

About

Barcoder

Features
Read full description

Barcoder turns your iPhone into a fast, careful barcode and QR code scanner for retail, stock and deliveries. Scan one code after another, lock onto just the codes you need, keep log, count, checklist and find lists, catch invalid EAN/UPC codes as you scan, and export everything to CSV or TXT. It all works on your iPhone alone — no account, no sign-in. Scan One Code After Another • Continuous scanning adds each code as it's seen — or tap to capture on crowded shelves • Several codes in view? Take the one nearest the centre or all, in reading order • A red aim line reads only the 1D barcode it crosses • Four frame sizes up to full screen; codes outside it are never read • Reads EAN-13/8, UPC-A/E, Code 128, 39 and 93, ITF-14, Interleaved 2 of 5, Codabar, QR, Data Matrix, PDF417, Aztec, GS1 DataBar and more • Zoom, torch, tap to focus; pick codes from a photo or type them • A crisp scanner beep or softer sound, haptics and VoiceOver announcements Code Lock: Only the Codes You Want • Learn a lock from a scanned sample or the padlock on the last scan, or set its type, characters, length and start by hand • Then only matching codes are accepted; others on a busy label are ignored • Free; switch saved locks on the scanner Lists for Every Job • Log lists: one row per scan, with time and an optional note • Count lists: scanning a code again adds to its quantity • Checklists: paste the codes you expect or import a CSV or TXT file (Barcoder Pro), then scan: found, missing, over or not on the list • Find lists: paste or type the codes to find, each with a note like a model or size, or take them from another list, or from a file (Barcoder Pro). Other codes are ignored; the card shows the note, "Found 23 of 50" and the same-note count. Copy Missing copies the rest • Duplicate warnings, search, filters, sorting, edits and archiving Catch Mistakes as You Scan • Accept only EAN/UPC codes with a correct check digit, numbers only or your own pattern (Barcoder Pro), within a minimum and maximum length • Codes that fail are rejected with a reason and never reach your list Export and Share • Export any list as CSV or TXT with your choice of columns; CSV opens cleanly in spreadsheets • Share via AirDrop, Mail, Files and more, copy all codes, or export all as one CSV file Type into Your Computer — Optional Get the free Barcoder for Mac (macOS 14 or later) or the free Barcoder for Windows (Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11) at www.thearktech.com/barcoder and pair once with a QR code. Then every scan is typed into the app in use on your computer, such as a spreadsheet or order system, followed by Enter, Tab or nothing. • Count lists and checklists send each code with its quantity at the end • With your computer out of reach, scans wait on your iPhone and are typed once when you reconnect • Safety: no typing into password fields it detects, terminal apps blocked by default, a cancellable countdown before batches, a pause shortcut • Works with Chinese input methods (Barcoder pastes the text) Barcoder Pro (in-app purchase) Scanning, lists, checking and export on your iPhone are free and unlimited; typing up to 50 codes a day into one computer is free too. Barcoder Pro is available for 6 months, 1 year or lifetime, each a one-time purchase that never renews automatically. It adds: • Unlimited typing into your computer • More than one paired computer • Checklist and find list import from CSV or TXT files • Custom accept patterns Bought it already? Settings › Barcoder Pro › Restore Purchases. Private and Secure • No account, no ads, no analytics, no tracking; your lists stay on your iPhone • Scans go straight to your computer over your local network, end-to-end encrypted — no servers in between, nothing sent to us • A new iPhone connects only after you type the 6-digit code it shows into your computer; turn it off or remove it at any time Barcoder requires iOS 17 or later. Questions or ideas? Email info@thearktech.com

Screenshots

Narraloud4 screens
Barcoder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Barcoder at every 4 days against Narraloud's every 2 weeks. 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. Narraloud sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Barcoder sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Narraloud ships an update every 2 weeks, Barcoder every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Narraloud versus Barcoder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNarraloudBarcoder
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size142 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArgmaxThe Ark Technology Limited

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Narraloud

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plus$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Plus7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Plus7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Plus$79.99
3 purchases

Barcoder

One-time3
  • Barcoder Pro 6 Months$5.99
  • Barcoder Pro 1 Year$9.99
  • Barcoder Pro$19.99

Questions

Is Narraloud free?
Narraloud is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Barcoder free?
Barcoder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Narraloud or Barcoder have ads?
Neither Narraloud nor Barcoder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Narraloud or Barcoder?
Narraloud ships an update every 2 weeks, and Barcoder every 4 days. Most recently, Narraloud was updated on November 10, 2026 and Barcoder on November 6, 2026.

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