# QR Code Scanner vs Barcode

The clearest difference is update cadence: Barcode at every 3 weeks against QR Code Scanner's every 3 months. Barcode also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for QR Code Scanner against 4.2 for Barcode. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 788 and 535 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of QR Code Scanner's written reviews are positive against 65% of Barcode's.

QR Code Scanner ships an update every 3 months, Barcode every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | QR Code Scanner | Barcode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (788 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-scanner-fast-scan/id911060973/reviews)** | [4.2 (535 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-qr-code-scanner/id1468426442/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **788** | 535 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **65.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 13 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sabrina Holzer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450658703) | [Huy Nguyen Dang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447842064) |

## What reviewers say

### QR Code Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-scanner-fast-scan/id911060973)

Quickly scan QR codes with your device's camera. Open web links, copy text, or save contact information directly from scanned codes. Features a built-in flashlight for low-light scanning.

**Highlights:** Fast QR code scanning, Open URLs in browser, Copy text content, Save VCards to contacts, Built-in flashlight

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lightning-fast scanning speed
- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- ✅ Reliable and consistent performance
- 💾 Lightweight app with minimal storage
- 🎯 Accurate QR code recognition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Intrusive and deceptive advertising
- 🐛 Inconsistent functionality across devices
- ❌ Fails to scan certain barcode types
- 🔍 No zoom feature available
- 📱 Compatibility issues with iOS updates

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to recognize scanned QR codes despite camera detection
- App crashes or freezes after opening camera
- Installation failures on some devices
- Non-functional on specific iOS versions
- Intermittent scanning failures

**Requested features**

- Zoom functionality for better scanning
- Scan history/saved results feature
- Barcode scanning capability
- Better compatibility with technical barcodes


### Barcode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-qr-code-scanner/id1468426442)

Easily scan and generate QR codes and barcodes. This app decodes various types of information, including text, URLs, contacts, and Wi-Fi credentials. It also allows you to create custom QR codes for sharing and saving.

**Highlights:** Scan QR codes and barcodes, Generate QR codes, Decode text, URLs, contacts, Wi-Fi, Save and share generated codes, View product information, Offline scanning support, Scan history management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works beautifully
- 👍 Best Christian source for information
- 👍 Brilliant and easy to use
- 👍 Great scanner
- 👍 Simple to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 This is horrible and does nothing
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🐛 Didn't open safari
- 🐛 Poor for creating
- 🐛 Not taking me too the online websites

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is QR Code Scanner free?

QR Code Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Barcode free?

Barcode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, QR Code Scanner or Barcode?

QR Code Scanner is rated higher. QR Code Scanner averages 4.3 out of 5 from 788 ratings, while Barcode averages 4.2 from 535 ratings.

### Do QR Code Scanner or Barcode have ads?

Both QR Code Scanner and Barcode show ads.

### Which is updated more often, QR Code Scanner or Barcode?

QR Code Scanner ships an update every 3 months, and Barcode every 3 weeks. Most recently, QR Code Scanner was updated on September 29, 2026 and Barcode on September 21, 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.*