Holiday shopping can be quite nerve-racking. You have to deal with crowds (and some shoving and pushing), wait in long lines, and, of course, there’s the inevitable fight over that last special something. And that’s just the start of it. Perhaps the biggest annoyance is that nagging “what if” that lingers in the back of your mind as you’re deciding whether or not to make your purchase: "What if I can get this for less somewhere else?"
Five years ago, the only way you were able to compare prices while out shopping was to start up your phone and browse sites like Google and Amazon. Ten years ago the only way to do this was to write down the product name, drive home, and look the product up online. Twenty years ago, we were driving from store to store to compare prices. Thankfully, as we close in on 2012, things are much easier. Shoppers can simply scan a product's barcode using a smartphone app that pinpoints the lowest prices and shares ratings and reviews from other shoppers. Now there's no doubt that the blender on sale for $29.99 will make pitcher after pitcher of margaritas.
Our Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge signify one thing: The busiest shopping time of the year is here. With Black Friday upon us, it's time to get serious about holiday shopping. To help you avoid the “what ifs,” we rounded up ten price-comparison apps for both Android and iOS phones, which should make your shopping experience a little easier. So, charge up those smartphones, hit the stores, and start scanning.
Amazon Price Check
Available On: iPhone, and Android (free)Amazon's Price Check app can look up products by scanning a barcode; snapping a photo of a book, DVD, CD, or video game cover; or by a product name search. Users will only get Amazon's prices with this app. That being said, Amazon does have over 2 million online merchants, so there's a good chance they'll find a great deal. Once the product is scanned, users can read Amazon reviews, buy the product, and add it to their wish list. Price Check also features Amazon's Deal of the Day, as well as its Lightning Deals offers, which change multiple times a day. Amazon customers can sign in with their account info and view personal recommendations for each department. Note: One-Click purchasing is automatically turned on, so make sure to disable it to avoid accidentally clicking the "Buy Now" button and instantly purchasing the product.
Barcode Hero
Available On: iPhone (free)Barcode Hero is a community-oriented app based on a point system. Users scan a product they own and share their opinion with other Barcode Hero users. The more users share, the more points they earn and Barcode Hero encourages users to share their reviews with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers. This can elevate a user's status, making him or her more or less as an expert in certain fields. For example, a user that constantly rates and reviews wine might be seen as the go-to person to follow for wine recommendations. When users are shopping, they simply scan a barcode and, if any other members have rated it, they can see if the product is worth buying. Besides checking the product with other users, Barcode Hero also checks prices at online retailers like Amazon, Buy.com, and Nordstrom. The app lets users create wish lists and share them with friends and family members, as well as keep track of items to buy later.
Barcode Scanner
Available On: Android (free)Barcode Scanner allows users to scan UPCs and QR codes and search for the results using Google's product search. The app is very straightforward and doesn't feature any bells and whistles. In addition to scanning QR codes, Barcode Scanner lets users generate their own QR codes. This is helpful for those who want to share content with a friend, such as contacts, bookmarks, applications, calendar events, geographic coordinates, or the contents of the clipboard.
Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper 2012
Available On: iPhone and Android ($4.99)Consumer Reports Mobile Shopper 2012 is more than just another barcode scanner app; the $4.99 price gives users the inside scoop to Consumer Reports-rated products. The app provides users with one year of ad-free access to "expert and unbiased Consumer Reports' ratings, brand reliability, buying advice, videos, and more on thousands of products." Shoppers can make sure they're getting the best product while out shopping. Gone are the days of buying a product and bringing it home, only to read disappointing online reviews. In addition to Consumer Reports recommendations and ratings, the app also features user reviews, perfect for the shopper who's always fretting about buying the right product.
Goodzer
Available On: iPhone (free)Sure, having the option to buy a product for less online is great, but what about when you need a product right away? If you're looking for a particular product but don't know where to buy it, Goodzer can help. For example, if a recipe calls for a vanilla bean and you're unsure where to buy one—as most grocery stores don't have them on hand—you can search for vanilla bean and Goodzer will map out the closest stores with vanilla beans. If you are able to wait for a product to be delivered, Goodzer can also show you where you can buy it online. If you don't have an iPhone, you can check out Goodzer.com. The nice thing about Goodzer is that it does more than just list the products sold at major retailers; it also lists small stores and boutiques that you otherwise might overlook. After doing a few test searches, we have to admit that it's not perfect, but Goodzer is definitely worth checking out. Our search for vanilla beans showed a lot more results than our search for bundt pans did, so it may be more helpful for some products more than others. It's also recommended to call the store to make sure they have the product Goodzer claims it does before making a special trip out for it.
Google Shopper
Available On: iPhone and Android (free)Google Shopper is one of the most comprehensive comparison shopping apps around. Sure, it scans the barcode of almost any product, but it also lets you scan the covers of books, CDs, DVD, or video games just by pointing your phone's camera at the product. For hands-free search, users can simply say the name of a product and Google's voice search will find it in Shopper. Once users have found an item within the app, they can find the product at various sellers online, complete with seller ratings. Users can also locate the item at nearby stores, read reviews of the product, and read details about the product, including a description, related products, specifications, and videos. Google Shopper is also connected to Google Offers—daily local deals available in select cities—so users can purchase a Google Offer right within Google Shopper. The app can also keep a list of products scanned and be used to create a shopping list.
RedLaser
The technology used in RedLaser was made specifically for non-autofocus cameras—a helpful feature for those of us with phones that don't have auto-focusing cameras, making it impossible to use barcode scanner apps that need auto-focus to work. In fact, RedLaser's technology is so advanced that many other barcode scanning mobile apps are using the RedLaser SDK. With RedLaser, users can check for the best prices by scanning a product's barcode or QR code. The app searches thousands of online and local retailers and provides results from shopping sites such as Google, TheFind, eBay, Milo, Half.com, and more. With RedLaser's list feature, users can create shopping or wish lists and then share them through Facebook, SMS, or email. The app also features comprehensive reviews, courtesy of alaTest, which is built right into the app. If the user enables location tracking, RedLaser can also recommend local stores where the scanned product can be purchased.
For those bookworms that would rather check out a book from the library than purchase it, RedLaser will inform users of any libraries nearby that have a copy of the book. The app also lets users scan an item and save it for later. Perhaps there's a pair of boots you can't afford at the moment but want to remember. RedLaser can email you the items that you want to check out at a later date. Unrelated to pricing but still a neat feature, RedLaser can provide allergen information and nutritional facts powered by FoodEssentials and DailyBurn for almost every brand-name packaged food in the United States. We tried it on our Kashi cereal and immediately got results. This feature could be helpful if you're looking to buy your lactose-intolerant friend a holiday treat and want to check for dairy.
ShopSavvy
Available On: iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone (free)One of the oldest barcode scanner apps, ShopSavvy not only searches for products using barcodes, it also allows users to input keywords. The app is community-powered, so if ShopSavvy is missing a barcode, users can add it into the system. If users find a better price listed on the app than the product they scanned in the store, they can buy it directly from ShopSavvy Wallet, ShopSavvy's merchant ecommerce site that stores users' credit card info for quick and easy purchasing. Users can also save the product's info to buy it online later. ShopSavvy lets users know if the product is available at local merchants and if they offer price matching. If there's a blue dot by the merchant, it means the product is in stock.
Looking for an extra good deal? ShopSavyy has an entire deals section, with shipping promos, coupon codes, rebates, weekend sales, and more. It also shows users the local Groupon offer of the day. The ShopSavvy homepage is constantly updated with local searches from other users nearby, so the screen is always moving as more deals are scanned around you, a feature that some may find annoying.
Smoopa
Available On: Android (free)Smoopa works similarly to other barcode scanner apps. The user scans a product barcode while at a store, enters the price of the item, and selects the store. The app then compares it with other prices in its database from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Sears, Kmart, Office Depot, OfficeMax, CompUSA, TigerDirect, Buy.com, and more. Once compared, Smoopa shows a green or yellow button, signifying whether the user can save money by price matching (yellow), or whether it's a good price and the user should buy it (green). Users will need to sign up for a free account to use the app.
Smoopa can also track a product and send alerts to the user if the price drops below a specified amount. For example, if a user wants a new iPod touch but wants to wait until it's $100, he or she can set Smoopa up to track the prices and receive alerts when, if ever, it hits that price. Smoopa also rewards people for using the app with giftcards, rebate checks, and donations to charity. The more people use Smoopa, the more rewards they'll earn.
SnapTell
Available On: iPhone and AndroidWith SnapTell, users can snap a photo of any book, DVD, CD, or video game and immediately get a rating, a description, and links to Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Barnes & Noble, and more. The IMBD and Rotten Tomatoes integration is especially neat, since shoppers can find ratings about movies before they buy them. The app also allows users to scan UPC and EAN barcodes. Our only qualm is that the ratings and descriptions aren't shown within the app; SnapTell takes you to the respective sites to view the information. There's also no way to see a full list of comparison prices; users must click into each site separately to see the prices. If users need a product in a hurry, SnapTell can tell them where to find it locally.
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