Comparison

Barcode Alarm Clock vs Alertcal

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

Head to head
About

Barcode Alarm Clock

This app is a loud alarm clock designed for heavy sleepers. It requires scanning a barcode to turn off, forcing you out of bed. Features include customizable loud ringtones, lockable alarms, and a 'don't wake my spouse' option.

Highlights
  • Barcode scan to stop alarm
  • Blaringly loud ringtones
  • Impossible to mute alarms
  • Lockable alarms to prevent cheating
  • Bedtime reminder and enforcer
  • Don't wake my spouse button
  • Customizable themes and clock faces
Read full description

Are you a heavy sleeper who just can’t manage to get out of bed on time? Do you need a LOUD alarm clock that WAKES you up? Are you late to meetings and calls? We have created an alarm clock that will get you out of bed. How? It requires you to scan a barcode. It’s impossible to miss. In fact, this alarm clock is so annoying, it will make you want it to stop immediately. You will HAVE to get up to turn it off. *** Blaringly Loud Ringtones *** Our alarm ringtones are procedurally generated and unpredictable to prevent auditory adaption. Every time one of them goes off, no matter how deep asleep you are, your brain is going to wake your body up instantly. *** Toothpaste Barcode Scan *** To turn off this alarm clock, you will need to scan the barcode of your toothpaste or any other predetermined barcode. That way, you will be forced to get out of bed to stop the alarm. Yes, you will have to look yourself in the mirror to make it stop. *** Multiple and Repeating Alarms with LOCK Feature *** We’ve made it impossible to cancel your alarm. There is no way to stop it from ringing once it’s set. How annoying is that? You can’t mute it either! *** Alarm Features *** - Interactive wake-up technology that works - Barcode scan required to stop annoying sound - Choose different objects with barcodes to stop alarm - Impossible to mute - Use it anywhere - Crazy loud ringtones for heavy sleepers and night owls - Procedural Ringtones¹ to never sleep through any alarm again - Multiple, repeating alarms - Lockable alarms to prevent yourself from cheating - Randomizable ringtone playlists - Mix in ringtones with your own music *** Motivational Features *** - Bedtime Reminder - Bedtime Enforcer - Morning Routine *** Bonus Don’t Wake My Spouse Button *** Do you want to allow your spouse to keep sleeping while your phone alert wakes YOU up? We’ve included a ‘don’t wake my spouse button,’ which comes with a super short time snooze. Trust us, your spouse will thank you later. *** Totally Customizable *** - Dark mode to help you power down at night - Bright alarms - Customizable color themes and alternative app icon colors - Bedside Clock with changeable clock face - Highly customizable with full-screen clock, analog clocks, digital clocks, hourglass clock, landscape and portrait, clock wallpaper, and more. *** Say Goodbye to Bad Sleeping Habits *** You deserve good sleep. But, you also deserve good habits. Our phone alarm clock will help you create a schedule that is productive and healthy for you. Whether you need our Bedtime Reminder or Bedtime Enforcer option, our app will ensure you are awake, alert, and enthusiastic whenever you need to be. *** Track Your Morning Routine *** Our heavy sleep alarm clock will help you create and track a morning routine that is right for you. Download our app today!

About

Alertcal

Features
Read full description

Never miss an important event again. Alertcal transforms your calendar notifications into real alarms that demand your attention. Instead of a quiet push notification that disappears, you get a powerful alarm before your event begins. Meetings. School pickups. Workouts. Flights. Deadlines. If it is on your calendar, you will be ready. How it works: Connect your existing calendar Choose how many minutes before an event you want to be alerted Receive a loud, persistent alarm that makes sure you act Features: Custom alarm timing for each event Strong alerts that stand out from normal notifications Snooze support Works with your current calendar setup Clean, simple interface Stop relying on notifications you ignore. Start using alarms that keep you accountable. Alertcal helps professionals, parents, students, and busy people stay prepared and on time. Be early. Be prepared. Be aware.

Screenshots

Barcode Alarm Clock3 screens
Alertcal2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Barcode Alarm Clock at Free against Alertcal's $1.99. Barcode Alarm Clock also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). Alertcal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On in-app purchases 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

Barcode Alarm Clock is free to download; Alertcal costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barcode Alarm Clock ships an update every 4 months, Alertcal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Barcode Alarm Clock versus Alertcal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarcode Alarm ClockAlertcal
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.4 (1.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJarig DuvalScott Foster

Bugs and requests

Barcode Alarm Clock

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Alarm doesn't go off sometimes
  • Barcode scanner not working properly
  • Constant background crash notifications

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to disable 'Plan B' feature
  • Allow importing custom ringtones
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Ensure alarm works even on silent mode

Alertcal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barcode Alarm Clock

No in-app purchases

None

Alertcal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Barcode Alarm Clock free?
Barcode Alarm Clock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Alertcal free?
Alertcal costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Barcode Alarm Clock or Alertcal have ads?
Barcode Alarm Clock shows ads; Alertcal does not.
Which is updated more often, Barcode Alarm Clock or Alertcal?
Barcode Alarm Clock ships an update every 4 months, and Alertcal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Barcode Alarm Clock was updated on October 14, 2026 and Alertcal on October 10, 2026.

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