Free Online Barcode Scanner
Scan barcodes with your phone or laptop camera, or from images. Reads QR codes, UPC, EAN, Code 128, Data Matrix and more, and collects every scan into a list you can export as CSV. It runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
Scan with your camera
Point your camera at a barcode or QR code. Each new code is added to the list.
Your browser asks for camera access first. The video is read on your device and never uploaded.
Results
Scanned codes appear here. Use your camera, or add one or more images.
Supported barcode formats
One scanner for almost every barcode you'll encounter — from grocery UPC labels to QR codes on asset tags.
2D barcodes
- QR Code (Model 1 & 2)
- Data Matrix
- Aztec
- PDF417
1D barcodes
- UPC-A, UPC-E
- EAN-8, EAN-13
- Code 39, Code 93, Code 128
- ITF, Codabar, RSS-14
Mostly scanning QR codes? The free QR code scanner lays out links, Wi-Fi details and contact cards so you can check them before opening anything.
How this scanner works
Camera or image
Scan live with your phone's rear camera or a laptop webcam, or drop in one or more photos and screenshots. The camera only turns on when you tap Start camera.
Decoded on your device
The decoder runs in your browser. Camera video, images and the codes you scan are never uploaded to our servers or stored anywhere.
A list you can export
Every new code joins a list with its format and time. Skip duplicates, copy one or all, or download a CSV that opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
Keeps going offline
Once the page and the decoder have loaded (after your first scan), scanning keeps working if your connection drops, as long as the page stays open.
Common uses for barcode scanning
- Verifying asset tag QR codes during audits
- Reading UPC/EAN codes from receipts and packaging
- Decoding Code 128 labels on warehouse shelving
- Validating product batch numbers via Data Matrix
- Collecting a list of serial-number barcodes into a spreadsheet
- Reconciling inventory faster than manual lookup
FAQ
What barcode formats does this scanner support?
It decodes both 2D barcodes (QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, PDF417) and 1D barcodes (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Code 39, Code 93, Code 128, ITF, Codabar, RSS-14). One tool for almost every barcode you'll encounter.
Can I scan with my phone or webcam?
Yes. Tap Start camera and allow camera access when your browser asks. On a phone the rear camera is used by default, and you can switch cameras if your device has more than one. It uses the browser's standard camera access, available in current versions of Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox. The camera only turns on when you tap the button, and it stops when you switch to images, leave the tab or close the page.
Can I scan many barcodes and export them?
Yes. Point the camera at one code after another: each new code is added to a list with its format and the time it was scanned. Skip duplicates (on by default) ignores codes already in the list. You can also drop several images at once. Download CSV saves the list with code, format and scanned_at columns, ready for Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
Does this upload my images or camera video?
No. Decoding happens in your browser. Images, camera video and the scanned values stay on your device, and the list is gone when you close the page unless you download or copy it.
Does it work offline?
Partly. The page and the decoder need a connection to load, and the decoder loads the first time you start the camera or decode an image. After that, scanning keeps working without a connection as long as you keep the page open.
Why can't it read my barcode?
Make sure the code is well lit, in focus and not damaged or covered. With a phone, move back a little if the picture is blurry: phone cameras can't focus very close. Hold the code flat and fill most of the frame. For images, the bars of a 1D barcode need to be clearly resolved, so very small or low-resolution photos may not work. Each image is read for one code.
What's the difference between a barcode and a QR code?
A QR code is a type of barcode. 'Barcode' is the umbrella term covering both 1D barcodes (the parallel-line patterns on grocery items, like UPC and EAN) and 2D barcodes (square patterns that store data in two dimensions, like QR Code and Data Matrix). This tool reads all of them.
Can I use this for asset tracking?
For a quick check, yes. To track equipment over time, Shelf gives every asset its own QR code. Scanning it in the Shelf web app or the free Shelf Companion app for iPhone and Android opens the asset, where you can see and update who has it, where it is and its history. You can start with a free Shelf account.
Related free tools
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Out in the field? Shelf Companion is free on iPhone & Android.