# Narraloud vs Barcoder

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Narraloud | Barcoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narraloud-read-pdfs-aloud/id6796101463/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **15** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Argmax](https://appshunter.io/developer/1726095998) | [The Ark Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/6816535193) |

## What reviewers say

### Narraloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/narraloud-read-pdfs-aloud/id6796101463)

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:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plus | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plus | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plus | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plus | $79.99 | one-time |


### Barcoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcoder-pro-barcode-scanner/id6820137091)

**Features:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Barcoder Pro 6 Months | $5.99 | one-time |
| Barcoder Pro 1 Year | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barcoder Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*