Comparison

Barcode Alarm Clock vs BarLock

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

BarLock

This app helps you wake up by requiring you to scan a unique barcode or QR code from an item across the room to turn off your alarm. It prevents snoozing and ensures you physically get out of bed.

Highlights
  • Barcode and QR code alarm missions
  • Exact-code matching
  • Full-screen Scan to Stop
  • Wrong-item protection
  • Wake-up check after dismissal
  • No ads or tracking
Read full description

You don't have a waking-up problem. You have a turning-off-the-alarm problem. BarLock keeps ringing until you get up and scan a barcode across the room. No snooze. No negotiating. Pick an alarm time, scan a barcode or QR code on something that lives away from your bed, and that exact code becomes the only way to stop the alarm. Toothpaste, coffee, medication, a notebook. Anything that forces you to stand up. HOW IT WORKS 1. Create an alarm. 2. Scan a barcode or QR code on an item away from bed. 3. Name the item. 4. When the alarm fires, walk to the item and scan it. 5. Wrong item, wrong code, or no scan? The alarm keeps ringing. WHY IT WORKS Most alarms die from one tap while you are still half asleep. BarLock moves the off switch across the room. By the time you have scanned, you are on your feet, and getting on your feet is the whole battle. BUILT FOR • Heavy sleepers • Students with early classes • Shift workers • Serial snoozers • Anyone who turns off alarms without remembering it WHAT YOU GET • An alarm only your chosen barcode or QR code can stop • A full-screen Scan to Stop screen the moment it rings • Wake-Up Check. BarLock rings again a little later to make sure you stayed up. • Backup Alerts. Opened the alarm but never finished the scan? It comes back. • Lock Window. In the minutes before it rings, the alarm can't be edited, paused, or deleted without a scan. 2 a.m. you can't sabotage 7 a.m. you. • Tiptoe Mode. A few quiet seconds after you press Stop, enough to reach your item without waking the house. Miss the scan and the volume comes back. • Stickers. Keep getting up and you'll earn them, in holographic foil. • Alarm sounds built to cut through deep sleep • Everything stays on your phone. No account, no ads, no tracking. WHAT'S INCLUDED One barcode alarm, one sound, and the standard wake-up rules. Enough to fix tomorrow morning. BARLOCK PRO Pro is a one-time purchase. No subscription. • Unlimited alarms for weekdays, naps, travel, and backups • Tiptoe Mode • Your own settings for Lock Window, Backup Alerts, and Wake-Up Check • Your sticker collection, revealed in full holographic color • Every alarm sound in the app PRIVACY Your alarms and scanned codes never leave your device. No account, no advertising, no tracking. Stop snoozing. Scan to stop.

Screenshots

Barcode Alarm Clock3 screens
BarLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Barcode Alarm Clock at 4.4 against BarLock's 3.0. Barcode Alarm Clock also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 2). BarLock's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). On price and monetization model 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. BarLock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Barcode Alarm Clock asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Barcode Alarm Clock holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barcode Alarm Clock has 1.3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barcode Alarm Clock ships an update every 4 months, BarLock every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Barcode Alarm Clock versus BarLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarcode Alarm ClockBarLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.3K ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews49.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJarig DuvalCODE IN MOTION SRL

Customer experience

Barcode Alarm Clock

All ratings1,287 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews262 reviews
Positive49.6%
Neutral13.0%
Negative37.4%

BarLock

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

BarLock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Barcode Alarm Clock

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

BarLock

One-time1
  • BarLock PRO Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is Barcode Alarm Clock free?
Barcode Alarm Clock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BarLock free?
BarLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Barcode Alarm Clock or BarLock?
Barcode Alarm Clock is rated higher. Barcode Alarm Clock averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while BarLock averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Barcode Alarm Clock or BarLock have ads?
Barcode Alarm Clock shows ads; BarLock does not.
Which is updated more often, Barcode Alarm Clock or BarLock?
Barcode Alarm Clock ships an update every 4 months, and BarLock every 3 days. Most recently, Barcode Alarm Clock was updated on October 20, 2026 and BarLock on October 7, 2026.

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