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Dynamsoft DBR vs Open Source Barcode Reader SDK
There are a lot of different barcode reader solutions on the market, including some free open source options, which begs the question – Why choose Dynamsoft Barcode Reader?
While ‘free’ sounds good, there are some factors you may want to consider.
Hidden Cost
First, let’s address the obvious – cost. While our solution has a higher upfront cost compared with the free version, there are a lot of costs that add up along the way. The research and development time, troubleshooting, not to mention the downtime and loss of revenue you will suffer from delaying the launch of your application. In the long run, the ‘free’ solution isn’t all that free.
Features and Functionalities
You know the saying, ‘you get what you pay for?’ With a free open source solution, the scanning capabilities aren’t comparable. They don’t recognize all barcode types and often perform poorly under various usage scenarios such as barcodes that are damaged or distorted.
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader is a powerful barcode scanner designed to deal with the most problematic barcodes. It offers exceptional performance with all major 1D and 2D barcodes, especially in problematic scenarios where the barcode is out of focus, damaged, skewed, wrinkled, on a curved or reflective surface, has poor contrast, and so on
Problematic Barcodes
- Skewed
- Curved
- Speckled
- Glare
- Shadow
- Poor contrast
- Multiple
- Wrinkled
A test is run on the Muenster BarcodeDB dataset using this performance test tool. The dataset contains 1055 EAN13 and UPC-A barcode images. We can see from the result that Dynamsoft Barcode Reader has the highest accuracy, higher than its open-source counterparts.
Here is an example which the open-source SDKs cannot read but the Dynamsoft Barcode Reader can. Even if the barcode is blurry and the background is not white, the Dynamsoft Barcode Reader can read it without a problem.
Time to Market
Also, our solution is ready today. We’ve spent years researching and developing, we’ve run into the issues already, we’ve ironed out the bugs, we’ve worked with countless users to refine and expand our SDK’s functionality. In essence, we’ve done all the leg work so you don’t have to. If you use open source or build your own from scratch, your journey has just begun.
Technical Support
Open source is a lot like buying an open box at a store without the instruction manual, you don’t know what you’re going to get. This often leads to more hassle and headaches than it’s worth. If and when you encounter a problem… you’ll need to put the entire project on hold, find a solution, test, and work through the issue.
Dynamsoft offers friendly and knowledgeable technical support staff available to answer your questions and troubleshoot any issues. We’re available in every time zone via phone, email, and live chat. If you encounter any issues with your application, we’ll work with you to resolve them. With open-source solutions, you’re on your own.
Product Upgrades
Dynamsoft Barcode Reader also offers regular feature enhancements and upgrades. This is our business, it’s what we do well, and we want to offer the best possible solution. That is why we have dedicated teams of software engineers working diligently to ensure our code is bug-free, high performing, and easy to use.
We’re also constantly looking at how to make our solution even better whether it’s to improve recognition speed and accuracy, add new barcode types, and enhance functionalities.
Our SDK offers advanced features such as:
- Panorama® — reads objects in fast-moving video stream for inventory tracking
- Data Matrix DPM — support for static or moving parts on a conveyor belt
- Text recognition — shipping and delivery of goods as well as retail packaging
- Intermediate Results — image processing results, which enables developers the ability to access a number of data points throughout the decoding process
Why Choose Dynamsoft Barcode Reader
Here are the highlights of why you should choose Dynamsoft Barcode Reader:
- Enterprise grade SDKs trusted by industry-leading companies
- Powerful barcode decoding can scan over 50 barcodes at once
- Exceptional performance in various usage scenarios
- Decodes problematic barcodes from out-of-focus, skewed, wrinkled, curved, glare, distorted, grainy, poor contrast and more
- Detects barcodes at any orientation and rotation angle
- Multi-thread barcode processing
- 100+ APIs to enable advanced customization
- Supports multiple platforms — iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Web, Raspberry Pi
Try Dynamsoft Barcode Reader
If you’re at the stage where you’re testing different options, try Dynamsoft Barcode Reader online demo or download a 30-day free trial. There’s no commitment necessary.
Dynamsoft was founded in 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, we have earned the trust of many Fortune 500 companies, including Lockheed Martin, HP, IBM, Intel, Disney, the US Government, NASA, Siemens, and many more.