Introduction

Let’s be real, barcode scanning shouldn’t be the thing that slows your app down.
But for a lot of devs, it is.

Maybe you're building for logistics. Maybe it's a retail app, a fleet management tool, or an inventory system. Either way, you need a barcode scanner that’s fast, works offline, and doesn’t fall apart in the real world (you know, low light, scratched labels, shaky hands... the usual).

So I dug into four SDKs that keep coming up: Scandit, Scanbot SDK (now part of Apryse), Dynamsoft, and Anyline.
If you're comparing them for your next project, here’s what matters and what sets them apart.

Barcode formats: does it scan what you need?

Pretty much every SDK here handles the basics: QR, EAN, Code 128, etc.

Quick take: If you’re scanning driver’s licenses, VINs, shipping labels, or anything printed under stress, Anyline and Scandit tend to handle the mess better.

Here’s where things get interesting: Real-world performance

Paper specs are one thing. Scanning in the back of a delivery van with cracked glass and no signal? Totally different.

This is where Anyline shines.

Real talk: Only Anyline runs computer vision locally on the device to fix lighting, angles, or even shredded barcodes. That’s a big deal if you’re scanning in warehouses, garages, or out in the field with bad signal.

Dev experience: is it a pain to integrate?

Nobody wants to dig through 90 pages of XML just to get a scanner running. Here’s what the integration experience actually looks like.

Quick take: Anyline and Scanbot are fast to get started with.

Pricing: is it gonna break your budget?

Let’s be honest: nobody gives real pricing upfront. But based on our research I found that Scandit can get expensive at scale. Scanbot offers predictable yearly pricing. Anyline does too, with flexible plans that scale based on usage, platform, and what you’re actually building.

So what’s the move?

All of these SDKs can scan a barcode. But they’re not all built the same, and if you're a developer, you know the little things matter:

• Will it actually work in the real world?
• Can I integrate it in a few hours, not days?
• Am I going to regret the pricing model six months in?

Here’s how it shakes out:

Why devs are giving Anyline a serious look

If you haven’t checked out Anyline yet, you’re not alone. I only discovered they had a barcode SDK because they recently launched a product combining barcode and AI. It’s built for real-world scanning, the SDK runs on-device and offline and handles barcodes others can’t. Plus, it’s fast to get started, well-documented, and dev-friendly. Might be worth a test run.