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Top 12 Scanners and OCR SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 3 Oct 2023 CET
App Store

Top 12 Scanners and OCR SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 12 most popular Scanners and OCR SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

Scanner and OCR SDKs enable apps to scan and process texts and QR codes from images and documents. While Scanner SDKs provide apps with the ability to scan, crop, rotate, and color correct documents and QRs, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) SDKs recognize text in scanned images and documents and convert them into machine-readable texts. These SDKs may also provide tools for language detection, spell checking, and formatting.

This list is based on our analysis of the millions of mobile applications – and the 2,300+ SDKs they use – that constitute the vast inventory of the Apple App Store. The accompanying data provides readers with a glimpse into the rich mobile application insights generated by the 42matters technology. This data is also available via our APIs, file dumps, Explorer, and SDK Explorer.

The intended purpose of this article is to assist app builders in their search for the perfect Scanners and OCR SDK to leverage in their app, as well as to give SDK developers insight into their biggest competitors and potential customers. This data collected by our technology may also serve as a useful tool for folks researching the wider mobile app market.

The 12 most widely-integrated scanners and ocr SDKs:

1st

ZXing

Check “ZXing” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, 84.86% have integrated ZXing. This accounts for 72.60% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

ZXing ("zebra crossing") is an open-source, multi-format 1D/2D barcode image processing SDK implemented in Java, with ports to other languages.

Total Apps
76.86k
App Store
App Share
84.86%
App Store
Apps
76.42k
Games
433
Total Downloads
11.16b
App Store
Download Share
72.60%
App Store
App Downloads
9.05b
Game Downloads
2.12b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ZXing.

2nd

ZBar

Check “ZBar” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, 9.40% have integrated ZBar. This accounts for 14.99% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

ZBar is an open source software suite for reading bar codes from various sources, such as video streams, image files, and raw intensity sensors.

Total Apps
8.52k
App Store
App Share
9.40%
App Store
Apps
8.47k
Games
47
Total Downloads
2.30b
App Store
Download Share
14.99%
App Store
App Downloads
2.09b
Game Downloads
218.82m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ZBar.

3rd

QRCodeReaderViewController

Check “QRCodeReaderViewController” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, 3.65% have integrated QRCodeReaderViewController. This accounts for 6.75% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

QRCodeReaderViewController was initially a simple QRCode reader SDK. But it now lets you specify the format type you want to decode.

Total Apps
3.31k
App Store
App Share
3.65%
App Store
Apps
3.29k
Games
17
Total Downloads
1.04b
App Store
Download Share
6.75%
App Store
App Downloads
794.39m
Game Downloads
242.79m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use QRCodeReaderViewController.

4th

Tesseract OCR

Check “Tesseract OCR” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, 1.58% have integrated Tesseract OCR. This accounts for 1.75% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

The Tesseract OCR SDK contains an OCR engine — libtesseract and a command line program — tesseract. Tesseract 4 adds a new neural net (LSTM) based OCR engine which is focused on line recognition, but also still supports the legacy Tesseract OCR engine of Tesseract 3 which works by recognizing character patterns.

Total Apps
1.43k
App Store
App Share
1.58%
App Store
Apps
1.40k
Games
29
Total Downloads
269.56m
App Store
Download Share
1.75%
App Store
App Downloads
256.10m
Game Downloads
13.46m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Tesseract OCR.

5th

Scandit

Check “Scandit” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, 1.22% have integrated Scandit. This accounts for 6.39% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Scandit develops software for mobile enterprise apps with the highest quality barcode scanning, text and objects recognition, and augmented reality solutions.

Total Apps
1.11k
App Store
App Share
1.22%
App Store
Apps
1.11k
Games
1
Total Downloads
982.00m
App Store
Download Share
6.39%
App Store
App Downloads
981.99m
Game Downloads
799

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Scandit.

6th

Genius Scan

Check “Genius Scan” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Genius Scan. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Total Apps
437
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
437
Games
0
Total Downloads
104.36m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
104.36m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Genius Scan.

7th

Scanbot

Check “Scanbot” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Scanbot. This accounts for 2.54% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Total Apps
200
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
200
Games
0
Total Downloads
391.15m
App Store
Download Share
2.54%
App Store
App Downloads
391.15m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Scanbot.

8th

Cortex Decoder

Check “Cortex Decoder” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Cortex Decoder. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Total Apps
171
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
171
Games
0
Total Downloads
393.70k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
393.70k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Cortex Decoder.

9th

ABBYY

Check “ABBYY” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated ABBYY. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Mobile document capture and on-device text recognition. Create smooth self-service experiences for customers.

Total Apps
59
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
59
Games
0
Total Downloads
27.81m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
27.81m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ABBYY.

10th

Dynamsoft Barcode Reader

Check “Dynamsoft Barcode Reader” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Dynamsoft Barcode Reader. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Total Apps
54
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
53
Games
1
Total Downloads
768.15k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
751.00k
Game Downloads
17.15k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Dynamsoft Barcode Reader.

11th

Pixolus

Check “Pixolus” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Pixolus. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Pixolus is an SDK that automates data acquisition. Users only need a smartphone and Pixolus's image recognition software to acquire content and data.

Total Apps
42
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
42
Games
0
Total Downloads
1.32m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.32m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Pixolus.

12th

Anyline SDK

Check “Anyline SDK” SDK Insights

Among all apps utilizing scanners and ocr SDKs, <1% have integrated Anyline SDK. This accounts for <1% of app downloads within the scanners and ocr SDK category.

Anyline is a mobile OCR SDK that enables you to scan numbers and short text within your application.

Total Apps
31
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
31
Games
0
Total Downloads
3.64m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
3.64m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Anyline SDK.

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • SDK IntelligenceSDK Intelligence

    See how many apps integrate specific SDKs, how many times these SDKs have been downloaded, developer details, similar SDKs, and more.

  • New Installations and Removals HistoryNew Installations and Removals History

    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

  • Market Share per Google Play and Apple App Store CategoryMarket Share per Google Play and Apple App Store Category

    See which app categories or genres are most likely to use specific SDKs. Detect SDK market share per category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does 42matters collect this data?'

We’ve developed a number of machine learning algorithms that scan millions of mobile and connected TV (CTV) applications on a regular basis. In addition, we collect ground truth app performance intelligence and use this data to build statistical models that estimate the performance of apps for which we do not have ground truth data.

What SDK data does 42matters collect?'

We track over 2,300 of the most popular SDKs integrated in iOS and Android apps. We collect a variety of SDK insights (title, platform, ID, category, and developer website); performance metrics (the number of apps that have installed each SDK, installation and removal trends, and app downloads); market share statistics (including market share per app category); and more!

How can I access 42matters’ SDK data?'

The most direct way is to use our SDK Explorer, which is a visual, web-based research platform that enables you to peruse all 2,300+ SDKs that we track. It’s great for market research, lead generation, competitor analysis, etc. However, more technically-inclined folks might prefer our APIs and File Dumps, which enable you to query info for specific apps or SDKs. You can also use our other research platforms (the Explorer and App Watchlist) to view integrated SDKs by app.

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to generate app publisher leads?'

Absolutely! We actually wrote about this on our blog. We focused on ad network SDKs, but the examples are applicable to most SDK types. To summarize, you can use the Explorer’s advanced filtering capabilities to home in on best-fit app publishers, leverage the SDK Explorer to see which apps use your competitors’ SDKs, and use our APIs and file dumps to build custom lead generation processes.

What data does 42matters provide on mobile apps?'

A ton! We track 17+ million apps across Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent MyApp, and Huawei AppGallery. Our solutions provide access to app details (developer insights, metadata, ASO keywords, contact information, etc.); performance metrics (downloads, MAUs, ratings, reviews, top chart rankings, etc.); technical insights (integrated SDKs, permissions, required capabilities, etc.); content details (categories, genres, IAB categories, content ratings, etc.); compliance information (app-ads.txt, privacy policies, store status, etc.) and much, much more!

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to find SDKs for my app?'

Definitely. The SDK Explorer enables you to sort SDKs by category, identify similar SDKs, analyze SDK reliability, and more. In addition, you can use the App Watchlist and Explorer to monitor your competitors, including which SDKs they add and remove, their current tech stacks, and SDK changelogs. This means you use our solutions not only to find the right SDK for a particular purpose, but also which SDKs you might need to keep up with your rivals.

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