It’s never been easier to turn smart mobile devices into reliable, versatile barcode scanners. With their cameras and computing power, they can leverage modern image processing technology to scan both simple 1D and complex 2D barcodes in an instant.
Mobile devices also have other advantages: Above all, they’re simple to use and already familiar to most, meaning employees need far less instruction than with dedicated scanner devices. And all you need to turn a smart device into a streamlined barcode scanner is special software integrated into a mobile or web application.
When it comes to that software, the choice is a tough one. Today, there is an abundance of tools you can use to implement a barcode scanner. But which is the best match for your use case? Testing as many options as possible is important, but… all of them?
We put together this article to help you narrow down the field of candidates. In the following, we’ll cover the must-haves of a barcode scanning SDK – and what else you need to look for to make an informed choice.
SDK or library?
When you search for barcode scanners online, you’ll find that the software comes in many forms. Broadly, there are barcode scanner libraries on the one hand – notably the open-source ZXing – and SDKs on the other.
Both terms describe tools for software development, with the main difference being just how much is included.
A library contains reusable pieces of code that enable a specific functionality, such as the scanning or processing of barcodes. Libraries let you easily add that functionality to your own code, saving you the effort of writing those parts from scratch.
An SDK, or software development kit, is a more comprehensive package that contains all the tools needed to create an application, or add a whole feature to an existing one. It includes multiple components, among them libraries, APIs, and software documentation with sample code.
To sum up: Standalone libraries and SDKs are both suitable for building a barcode scanner application. However, an SDK gives you an all-in-one package that can be used to build the entire application, whereas libraries only provide code components.
Essential considerations for choosing barcode scanner SDKs
As already mentioned, testing as many barcode scanner SDKs as possible is crucial. Ultimately, experiencing the scanner’s performance before deciding will get you the best results.
In the following section, we’ll go into the factors you need to consider while testing barcode scanner software. Here are the key questions you should ask yourself:
- Does the SDK provide broad platform compatibility?
- How many barcode types are supported?
- How do the SDKs compare in scanning speed?
- How reliably does the barcode scanner perform?
- Is the user interface customizable?
- Does the SDK come with reliable support?
- Is the software updated consistently?
Let’s now explore these questions in more detail.
Does the SDK provide broad platform compatibility?
First and foremost, consider the operating system – or systems – your app’s target audience will use. Can you say for sure that your barcode scanner app will run solely on iPhones?
With cross-platform development frameworks such as Flutter, React Native, Xamarin, and Ionic, you can re-use a single codebase to create apps compatible with multiple operating systems, saving time and resources. Choosing an SDK that is available for one of these frameworks will allow you to reach the largest possible audience.
When evaluating cross-platform solutions, be aware that many simple barcode scanning libraries for frameworks like React Native or Flutter are actually open-source wrappers built around native scanning libraries. These wrappers are often maintained by individual developers or small teams as side projects. This can lead to significant risks: When mobile operating systems update or cross-platform frameworks release new versions, you’ll depend on these maintainers to update their wrappers promptly. For business-critical applications, it’s safer to choose SDKs that officially support cross-platform frameworks with dedicated maintenance teams.
How many barcode types are supported?
There are dozens of barcode symbologies in common use today. They come in a few different types – most notably, there are 1D and 2D symbologies – and few barcode scanners support them all. Therefore, when you evaluate barcode scanner SDKs, it’s crucial to match the barcodes it supports against those it will have to read in your use case.
To be on the safe side, a barcode scanner should be able to read at the least the most common barcode symbologies. These are:
- UPC and EAN
- QR Code
- Data Matrix
- PDF417
Let’s take a closer look at each of these and their major applications.
Universal Product Codes (UPC) and European Article Numbers (EAN) are used in retail product labeling.


These 1D barcodes encode a product’s Global Trade Item number, which enables product identification and facilitates efficient inventory and supply chain management.
The QR Code is the best-known 2D barcode symbology. It became widespread with the rising popularity of smartphones.

Its versatility, familiarity, and its ability to encode URLs and text make it a prime choice in industries such as hospitality, public transport, and logistics.
Data Matrix is used for tracking and identification in manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

What makes it especially suitable for these use cases is its high data density and its error correction capabilities.
Thanks to its customizable size and high data capacity, the PDF417 code is a popular choice for industries such as ticketing, logistics, or healthcare. It also sees usage on official government and ID documents.

There are a myriad of other barcodes out there, each with its own use cases.
What you should consider before choosing a scanner is that you may have to add support for other symbologies to your application later on. With open-source solutions especially, this can prove troublesome and result in additional workload – if the library covers them at all.
Commercial barcode scanner SDKs typically offer more barcode coverage to begin with, and their developers will add more on request.
How do the SDKs compare in scanning speed?
Time is money, and the speed of a barcode scanner makes a difference. It impacts the profitability of warehouse operations, inventory management, or operations at the point of sale. It’s also important for the customer experience – faster scanning means shorter queues, for instance.
The speed of a barcode scanner is affected by various issues. Some are related to user hardware, others to software problems. While hardware obstacles are out of immediate reach for software developers, they can anticipate them during app development, which helps save you headaches. For instance, the user’s mobile device camera plays an essential role in scanning speed.
This makes it vital to choose a barcode scanner SDK that is proven to perform fast and reliably in challenging scanning environments, making up for other potential impacts on scanning speed.
How reliably does the barcode scanner perform?
A barcode scanner SDK might work well in an ideal testing environment. However, real-life work conditions are seldom perfect.
Lighting in warehouses or truck cabins is often dim, hampering accurate barcode scanning. The rough handling of pallets and packages damages barcodes, and poorly working printers leave smudges or blurry lines. All of this can render barcodes unreadable for some SDKs.

In commercial use cases, robust scanning performance is crucial. To prevent operational disruptions, a barcode scanner SDK has to read barcodes even in difficult conditions – without failing or, worse, producing false results.
Is the user interface customizable?
Good user interface design is vital. For a commercial app to succeed, its users must be able to navigate its functions without encountering hurdles. The crux of the matter is that the UI design has to guarantee the same good looks and functionalities on a variety of devices, even across platforms.
Some SDKs ship with pre-made, customizable UI elements. If these are well-designed and address user needs from the start, they save app developers a lot of work. Not only do they spare themselves the hassle of building UI components – with all the considerations that go into it – the app will also be easier to maintain and need fewer updates.

Does the SDK come with reliable support?
Good support is just as important as scanning speed and reliability. If there is ever any issue, you’ll want timely help in tracking down the source of the problem and solving it.
Paid commercial solutions often offer personal assistance. This professional developer support helps ensure a smooth implementation not only of the software itself, but also of bug fixes and updates. This guarantees a seamless scanning experience.
Open-source software and non-commercial solutions cannot provide that level of support. You’d have to make sure there is an active developer community that updates the SDK and promptly answers requests in support forums. This might be sufficient for projects that are not time-critical or have many users – but not for a commercial barcode scanner app.
Is the software updated consistently?
Regular updates are crucial for app longevity. They enhance security, improve performance, fix bugs, and introduce new features. With barcode standards and usage continually evolving, a barcode scanner app should be anticipating changes in the kind of barcodes it will be expected to read.
Compulsory automatic updates are not an ideal solution either. While updates can solve app issues, they can also make them worse, or cause breakage in other places. To avoid introducing bugs and stability issues, it’s better to test updates before deploying them, especially if your application has a large user base.
Choosing between free and commercial barcode scanner SDKs
To sum up: A good SDK should enable fast and accurate scanning of most major barcodes, even under challenging conditions, work on all common operating systems, and ensuring broad mobile device compatibility. It should also adapt to the ever-evolving industry standards. A variety of barcode scanner SDKs today do fulfill these basic criteria, though to differing degrees.
Among these alternatives, a key difference is, naturally, the price. With open-source and non-commercial solutions, the code itself is usually provided for free, while technical support and other services are paid.
Commercial software always comes at a fee, usually either subscription- or usage-based.
Initially, choosing between these options seems easy – who wouldn’t choose the free option? However, there are cases where a commercial solution is the better choice.
To see why that is, let’s take a brief look at a few popular options.
Non-commercial and open-source solutions
ML Kit and ZXing are two of the most popular free barcode scanning libraries. ML Kit is a free solution backed by Google, while ZXing is a community-based open-source library.
Both are available for Android and iOS and support the most commonly used barcode symbologies. They’re also generally solid. However, both libraries have been reported to have issues with device compatibility and reliability while scanning certain barcode formats – and to struggle in less-than-ideal conditions.
ML Kit receives regular updates from Google, which requires maintenance effort. ZXing is currently in maintenance mode without any active development. Bug fixes and improvements are occasionally contributed by community volunteers.
For cross-platform frameworks like React Native or .NET MAUI, only community-maintained wrappers are available for these libraries. This means that compatibility with the latest framework versions depends entirely on volunteer contributors, which can lead to significant delays or breaking changes.
You can learn more about how ML Kit and ZXing compare here.
Commercial solutions
In comparison, commercial barcode scanning SDKs offer better support and regular improvements.
As providers of enterprise-grade barcode scanning software, we’re naturally biased. But we also speak from experience.
Many of our customers had tried free and open-source implementations before they settled on our Barcode Scanner SDK, citing its performance in adverse conditions, its extensive documentation, and our helpful support as key reasons for their decision.
Our Barcode Scanner SDK comes at a flat annual fee – compared to other solutions, this means the cost doesn’t increase with rising usage. At the same time, data privacy is ensured by zero usage tracking or connection to third-party servers: The SDK runs fully offline.
It supports all common barcode formats, offering high scan speeds without compromising on accuracy. Our customizable ready-to-use UI components cover all barcode use cases and save time and effort. The Scanbot Barcode Scanner SDK is available for Android, iOS, Web, Windows, and Linux and supports various cross-platform frameworks, including React Native, Flutter, and .NET MAUI.
We constantly update the SDK to improve speed and reliability and keep up with changing industry standards. Our team of technical support developers and a dedicated customer success manager are happy to help if you ever encounter any trouble.
We highly recommend testing and comparing as many solutions as possible to find the best match. You can integrate the Scanbot SDK into your app with a free trial license and test it without restrictions for seven days. To explore its various features, you can also try our free demo app.