The best barcode scanner app depends on what you want to learn from the barcode, because the barcode itself is just a number. For food and cosmetic ratings, Yuka and Open Food Facts are the strongest free picks. For finding a product and where to buy it, Google Lens is already on most phones. For simply reading any barcode or QR code and seeing the number and format, a general scanner does the job. No single app does all of it well.
A barcode is only a number #
The stripes on a cereal box encode a product number, usually a 12-digit UPC-A in North America or a 13-digit EAN-13 elsewhere. The barcode doesn’t contain the product’s name, price or ingredients. An app reads the number, then looks it up in a database.
So what you’re really choosing is the database:
- Food and cosmetics databases add ingredients, additives and scores.
- Search and shopping databases identify the product and find sellers.
- Store databases show that retailer’s price and stock.
- No database at all means you get the number and format, which is what inventory and logistics users often want.
Best barcode scanner apps by what you need #
| Need | Good pick | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and cosmetic ratings | Yuka | Free, with a paid premium tier | A score out of 100 and flagged ingredients |
| Open food data | Open Food Facts | Free, nonprofit | Ingredients, allergens, nutrition grades |
| Identify a product or shop | Google Lens | Free | Product info and where to buy |
| A store’s own prices | That retailer’s app | Free | Price and stock at that store |
| Read any code, see the number | QR Handler | Free with ads | Number, format, web search button |
Yuka: food and cosmetics scores #
Yuka scans food and cosmetic barcodes and gives each product a score out of 100, flagging ingredients such as additives, allergens and endocrine disruptors. It describes itself as independent, with no advertising and no brand influence over scores. There’s a free version and a paid premium version.
Good for: shoppers who want a quick health read at the shelf. Keep in mind that any single score simplifies nutrition, and your own dietary needs may differ from what the score rewards.
Open Food Facts: the open database #
Open Food Facts is a nonprofit, volunteer-run open database of food products, with more than 4 million products from 150 countries according to the project. Its app scans barcodes to show ingredients, allergens, additives and nutrition grades, and if a product is missing you can add it by photographing the label. The data is published under an open license anyone can reuse.
Good for: people who want transparent, free data and don’t mind that coverage depends on contributors in their country.
Google Lens: identify and shop #
Google Lens reads barcodes as well as QR codes and images. Google’s help pages say Lens can use a barcode to find product information and places to buy it. It’s available in the Google app, Google Photos and Chrome, so it’s likely already on your phone.
Good for: “What is this, and who sells it?” questions. It isn’t a nutrition tool.
Retailer apps #
Many big retailers put a barcode scanner in their own app for price checks, reviews and stock. They only know their own catalog and prices, which is exactly right if you’re standing in that store.
QR Handler: read any code and see the number #
QR Handler is a general scanner, and our own app. It reads QR codes plus EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, ITF-14, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, Codabar, Aztec, Data Matrix and PDF417. For a product barcode, the result screen shows the number and its format, and a Search product button runs a web search for that number. It also recognizes a bare 12 to 14 digit product number with a valid check digit, even when it’s inside a QR code or pasted in.
What it doesn’t do: it has no product database, no prices, no nutrition scores and no reviews. If that’s what you want, Yuka, Open Food Facts or Lens will serve you better. QR Handler is the pick if you scan a mix of codes, like QR codes on posters, Wi-Fi codes, event tickets and parcel labels, and want one app that reads all of them with the full contents shown before anything opens. Scans are kept in a searchable history on your phone, which is handy for keeping a list of product numbers.
What barcode types will you run into? #
- UPC-A and UPC-E: retail products in the US and Canada.
- EAN-13 and EAN-8: retail products in most other countries. EAN-13 is also used for books, via the ISBN.
- ITF-14: shipping cartons.
- Code 128 and Code 39: shipping labels, inventory, some IDs.
- PDF417 and Aztec: boarding passes, tickets, driver’s licenses in some places.
- Data Matrix: small parts, electronics, pharmaceuticals.
- QR codes: links, Wi-Fi, contacts and more.
Our explainer on QR code vs barcode covers how the two families differ.
Do you need a barcode app at all? #
Maybe not. Google Lens reads barcodes on Android and in the Google app on iPhone. The iPhone Camera is built around QR codes, so iPhone users who scan product barcodes regularly are the ones who benefit most from an app.
When choosing, the same checks apply as for any scanner: look at the permissions, the privacy label and whether an account is required. We go through those in best QR code scanner app.
Frequently asked questions #
What is the best free barcode scanner app? #
For food and cosmetics, Yuka and Open Food Facts. For identifying products and shops, Google Lens. For reading any barcode or QR code and seeing the number and format, a general scanner such as QR Handler.
Can a barcode scanner app tell me the price? #
Only if it’s connected to price data. Retailer apps show their own prices, and Google Lens can show places to buy. A general scanner shows the number and can search for it.
Can I scan a barcode with my phone camera? #
Google Lens reads barcodes on Android and through the Google app on iPhone. Some Android camera apps read them directly. The iPhone Camera focuses on QR codes, so an app or Lens is more reliable for product barcodes there.
Why does a barcode scan show only numbers? #
Because that’s all the barcode contains. The product name and details come from a database the app looks the number up in. A general scanner with no database shows the raw number.