Why Scandit Beats Open-Source Barcode Scanning

Many companies start with free barcode scanning libraries such as ML Kit or ZXing. Here's why they switch to Scandit when it matters.

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In simple conditions scanning a barcode is easy. But will ML Kit or ZXing perform in challenging real-world enterprise environments?

Features	Scandit	ML Kit and ZXing
User interface components Integrate fast and efficiently	Range of UI controls, feedback mechanisms, and other components with customization options	Do not appear to include user interface components
Long-range scanning Improve UX and reduce fatigue by giving users better ergonomics	Scan range c. 300-900mm (varies by code)	Scan range c. 100-500mm for ML Kit (varies by code)
Tiny, damaged, curved or shrinkwrapped barcodes Reliably scan barcodes in challenging real-world conditions	Scanned 11 out of 11 "tough codes"	ZXing scanned 2 out of 11 "tough codes"
Low false positive rate Reduce time spent rescanning and increase confidence in your app	0% false positive rate for all major barcodes	5% or more false positive rate
Wide symbology support Scan the barcodes you need for your workflow	40+ barcode types supported	<20 barcode types supported
Enterprise support and SLAs Get any problems in your production app fixed fast	Dedicated support team, regular software updates and fast bug fixes	Appear to rely on community forums only, no guaranteed response time
Context-based barcode scanning using AI Eliminate the need for manual settings, adjustments, or workarounds	Scanner adapts dynamically to environmental conditions and user behavior,	Does not appear to be included

ML Kit: Results derived from side-by-side feature comparison in April 2025, and tests conducted in February 2023. The most recent versions of the Scandit SDK and ML Kit libraries as of February 2023 were used. For more information see our Scandit and ML Kit blog. ZXing: Results derived from a side-by-side feature comparison in December 2025, and tests conducted in May 2022. The most recent versions of the Scandit SDK and ZXing libraries as of May 2022 were used. For more information see our Scandit and ZXing blog.

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The most accurate and reliable barcode scanning software

Nine of the top fifteen global brands, eight of the top ten US grocers, and five of the top ten European retailers trust Scandit.

Scan smarter, not harder

AI-powered barcode scanning: Always scan the barcode you need with context-aware scanning. Decode any barcode, any condition, any environment.
Batch scanning and AR: Batch scan multiple barcodes and get real-time insights with augmented reality (AR) overlays.
Fully automated label scanning: Automate extraction of barcode and text data from labels or product packaging.

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Trusted data capture expertise

Proven choice: Scandit powers over 50 billion annual scans. Our support team has an NPS score of over 98% and 15+ years of experience to share.
Runs on any smart device: Smartphones, tablets, handheld computers, wearables, and more. Top performance even on low-end models.
On-device processing: No data collection unless you request it. All image processing performed on the device. Scandit is ISO 27001 certified.

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Support for all major barcode types

What Scandit customers say

We immediately saw greater speed and performance when we replaced open-source software with the Scandit SDK.

Yannick Rodermund, Team Coordinator, Software Development

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faster product ordering

The Scandit context-aware AI engine helps eliminate unintentional scans, a result of the environments Yuka users usually scan products in, such as the store, pantry, or fridge, where barcodes are heavily prevalent.

François Martin, CTO and co-founder

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76 million

global users

8.3 billion

scans to date