Comparison

Price Scanner Barcode vs Universal Code Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Price Scanner Barcode

Scan barcodes and QR codes to find the best prices and coupons online. Compare prices from major retailers, read reviews, and save items to a synchronized shopping list. Access deals based on your location.

Highlights
  • Scan any barcode or QR code
  • Find best prices online
  • Access coupons and deals
  • Compare prices from major stores
  • Read product reviews
  • Save to synchronized shopping list
  • Location-based deals
Read full description

Free App! Easily Scan ANY Barcode / QR Code or search to quickly find the BEST price. Download NOW. Scans like a red laser! Not designed to scan items under $10, groceries, alcohol, or tobacco. “Wow, this app quick scanned and found lower prices, saving me a bundle.” – Jamie R. “An easy to use App that really helps my shopping.” – Tom H. BuyVia was founded by Professional Shopper Norman Fong. Creator of the first deal site, Techbargains. How To Scan Barcodes To scan a Barcode or QR code simply open the app, point the camera, and it will be quickly scanned. It will automatically recognize any Barcode or QR code. When scanning a QR code, if the code contains a website, you will see it and optionally launch it securely. If the QR code contains text, email addresses, etc, you'll see it. Coupons and Deals You will have access to a selection of the latest discounts, deals, coupons, and special promo codes from thousands of well known national and local stores that change based on your location. • Find and compare prices on items from your favorite stores like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and more • Price match items when shopping • Turn on your light for scanning in low-light How is the Price Scanner better than other Scanning Apps? • Price Scanner Supports many barcode formats including UPC, EAN, EAN-13, Code 128, Code 93, Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, CODABAR Other ways Scan and Shop can help: •Save all your scanning history to your Shopping List, which is synchronized across multiple devices and the Web •Connect with Facebook, Twitter, Text, or Email to share your favorite products with others •Supports the latest iPhones, iPads, and iOS; and on the web at BuyVia.com We value feedback! If you have an issue with the app, do not leave a review, immediately contact us at BuyVia.com === How is Price Scanner different than the Apple Camera App? Price Scanner can scan many types of barcodes including UPCs and also QR Codes. Camera App only scans QR Codes. How is Price Scanner better at scanning QR Codes than the Apple Camera App? Price Scanner can scan QR Codes and show you the entire link and either go to the link or cancel. You can look for spammy links and abort going to them. Camera App only shows a small part of the link. Is Price Scanner a Free app? Yes, Price Scanner is free. You do not need to create an account. It is an ad supported app with an in-app purchase option to remove ads. What happens when a UPC isn't found? Price Scanner matches UPC's to products from its database of millions of items that is updated daily. If the UPC is not found, you will be show its number and given options to search Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and Google for it. Privacy. Do you keep user scan data? We do not retain user data that connects a person to scanning particular products. === AD FREE SUBSCRIPTION - You will receive access to an Ad Free version of this app for the duration of the subscription. - Subscription length: Monthly or Annually - Payments will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - All prices are subject to change without notification. We occasionally run promotion prices as incentives or limited time opportunities for qualifying purchases made during the promotional time period. Due to the time sensitive and promotional nature of these events, we are unable to offer price protection or retroactive discounts or refunds for previous purchases in the event of a price reduction or promotional offering. If you want to cancel a subscription: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 Privacy Policy: https://www.buyvia.com/mobile/app-privacy.php Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Universal Code Scanner

This app quickly scans and decodes various 2D barcodes and QR codes. It offers enhanced security by checking URLs for phishing and can convert specific payment codes into usable links. The application prioritizes user privacy with no tracking or ads.

Highlights
  • Scans QR, EAN, Aztec, DataMatrix, and more
  • Checks URLs against phishing (Quishing)
  • Converts EPC QR codes to bank/payto URLs
  • Shares decoded data via Airdrop
  • No user tracking or analytics
  • Ad-free and no in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

Universal Scanner is a privacy focused, simple and lightweight application for verifying the content of a wide range of 2d codes. The main features are: - Displays code type and raw content - Option to check scanned URLs against phishing (Quishing) - Converts EPC QR codes (SEPA transfers) to 'bank://' or 'payto://' URL (useful if your banking app does not support EPC codes) - Share raw data or converted data with Airdrop - No user tracking - No analytics - No ads - No in-app purchases (voluntary donations only) - No automatic opening of links (could be enabled in settings) - Scan history optional and disabled by default - Small download size Supported code types: QR, EAN8, UPCE, Aztec, EAN13, ITF14, Code39, Code93, PDF417, Code128, DataMatrix, Code39Mod43, Interleaved2of5, Codabar, MicroQR, MicroPDF417, GS1DataBar, GS1DataBarLimited, GS1DataBarExtended

Screenshots

Price Scanner Barcode4 screens
Universal Code Scanner3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Universal Code Scanner at none against Price Scanner Barcode's shown. Universal Code Scanner also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Price Scanner Barcode's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 1). On price, 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. Price Scanner Barcode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Universal Code Scanner sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universal Code Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Price Scanner Barcode has 18K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Price Scanner Barcode's written reviews are positive against 71% of Universal Code Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Price Scanner Barcode ships an update every 2 months, Universal Code Scanner every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Price Scanner Barcode versus Universal Code Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrice Scanner BarcodeUniversal Code Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (18K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB3 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBuyVia, LLCMarcus Pleintinger

Customer experience

Price Scanner Barcode

All ratings17,503 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral4.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral4.9%
Negative34.1%

Universal Code Scanner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

Price Scanner Barcode

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes on some devices
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Incorrect product information displayed

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for more countries
  • Reduce ads and improve user experience
  • Improve barcode scanning reliability
  • Provide more detailed price comparisons

Universal Code Scanner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Price Scanner Barcode

Subscriptions2
  • Ad Free Access$1.991 Month
  • Ad Free Access$12.991 Year
3 purchases

Universal Code Scanner

One-time3
  • Small Donation$0.99
  • Mid Donation$2.99
  • Big Donation$5.99

Questions

Is Price Scanner Barcode free?
Price Scanner Barcode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Universal Code Scanner free?
Universal Code Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Price Scanner Barcode or Universal Code Scanner?
Universal Code Scanner is rated higher. Price Scanner Barcode averages 4.6 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Universal Code Scanner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Price Scanner Barcode or Universal Code Scanner have ads?
Price Scanner Barcode shows ads; Universal Code Scanner does not.
Which is updated more often, Price Scanner Barcode or Universal Code Scanner?
Price Scanner Barcode ships an update every 2 months, and Universal Code Scanner every 3 weeks. Most recently, Price Scanner Barcode was updated on October 1, 2026 and Universal Code Scanner on September 25, 2026.

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