You may also be interested in these review sites...

Basic, Professional or Enterprise?


Basic barcode generating software will only get you so far. If you simply need a few linear or 2D barcodes and print a low volume per day, a basic barcode generating program may work for you. But if you need to design compliance labels and have to satisfy numerous industry-standard barcode requirements, a pro version may be more suitable.

If you are not sure which version will work best for you, here are the general differences:

Basic Barcoding Software

Basic programs are for small companies. They work well if you only need a few barcodes, like for a small retail or if you sell product to only a few vendors. Generally they either create simple labels or just generate barcodes that are then pasted into other programs, like Word, for printing. Price range: $40-$200. 

Professional Barcoding Software

Professional versions also create labels but offer more advanced barcodes, industry-standard barcodes and compliance symbols. In addition, they communicate in native printer languages and provide database support. This type of software is good for small to mid-size operations that print quite a few barcodes and have strict compliance needs to satisfy. Price range: $200-$500. If this is the type of barcoding software that seems applicable to your company, see the side-by-side comparison above to compare products.

Enterprise Barcoding Software

This type of software is for large operations. Enterprise editions work with databases, native printer languages and multiple printers. Price range: $500-1000. If you are looking for a barcode solution for a large-scale facility with demanding barcode requirements, contact NiceLabel, BarTender, Loftware or TEKLYNX to discuss their enterprise solutions.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to Barcode Software , as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which barcode software is right for your barcode and compliance labeling needs. At TopTenREVIEWS — We do the research so you don’t have to.™


What to Look for in Barcode Software Pro Versions

Before purchasing barcode software, define your barcode needs. Prior to contacting a barcode consultant know what barcodes you need, what compliance requirements you have to satisfy and what printers you want to use. In addition, take advantage of the free demo. See if the demo can work with your database and print sample barcodes to make sure that they are readable by your scanners. We also recommend that you set high standards for customer support. If you have any bad experiences during the trial or presale process you should consider another company.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate Barcode Software Professional:

  • Barcodes: We considered what category of barcode fonts the program includes. We also estimated the number of fonts provided. Some software providers list only the core type and others relate all variations of a type, accordingly the total number is a bit subjective.
  • Connectivity/ Communication: This rating criterion relates how barcodes can be exported or printed as well as how data can be imported or linked into the program. The best barcode software can print to any kind of printer, supports native printer languages and Unicode, can work with popular databases and more.
  • Label Designer: The label designer is the tool that creates labels. We evaluated the barcode label designers’ basic features such as font choices, image options and alignment tools. We also evaluated its more complex capabilities such as date stamping, check digit creation, serialization and templates.
  • Label Design Ease of Use: We think all software should be easy to use and users should be able to produce a simple barcode label without having to confer with the help section.

  • Help/ Support: Since most barcode software is complex, exceptional customer support is vital. We evaluated all levels of customer support from product training to the support terms. The best barcode software providers give free support through a variety of methods including email, telephone and chat support. Some also go beyond basic support and offer paid services like onsite training, priority care and web training.

To read the reviewers comments on the best professional barcode software, see NiceLabel Pro .

Software web-services hardware Movies Music Games
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
ARTICLES
Barcode Software Professional Definitions
Barcode Software Buyers Guide
Microsoft's New High Capacity Color Barcode


More News: Read about new site updates via our XML/RSS news feed



Barcode Professional BOOKS
Barcode Software Professional Books

Barcode Professional NEWS

May 17, 2007
USPS to publish Move Update notice
DM News
The U.S. Postal Service has published a notice for comment on its Web site today proposing new standards for address quality.


May 16, 2007
2-D Bar Code: Smart Card Alliance Says 2D Bar code In Proposed REAL ID Driver's License Would Be Inadequate For Security, Privacy
Data Collection Online
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should not rely on static 2D barcode technology to store citizens' personal information on REAL ID driver's licenses or identification cards due to its inherent security drawbacks, according to the Smart Card Alli


May 15, 2007
Barcode smartens up for new global standard
The National Business Review
The end is in sight for the old UPC standard barcode that has gradually conquered the retail world, from supermarkets down to corner dairies.


Barcode Software Professional News Articles




Barcode Software Professional Review - A Review of the top Barcode Software Professional products

Go Pro

Create and print industry-standard barcodes and compliance labels. With Barcode Software Professional versions, you can design perfectly scannable barcode labels at express lane speeds.

Click to read   "Basic, Professional or Enterprise?"

 eMAIL TO A FRIEND
   
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Rank 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reviewer Comments
Price*
$495.00


$495.00


$599.00


$499.00


$432.73


$289.99


$195.00


$399.99


$249.00


$395.00

Overall Rating
Ratings
Barcodes
Connectivity/ Communication
Label Designer
Label Design Ease of Use
Help/ Support
Barcodes
Linear                    
Standard 2D                    
GS1 Databar (RSS)      
     
   
RFID  
   
 



# of Barcodes 75+ 40+ 20+ 15+ 30+ 55+ 30+ 20+ 20+ 25+
Connectivity/ Communication
Prints to Thermal Printers                  
Prints to Standard Printers                    
Supports Native Printer Languages                

Database Support                  
Unicode        





Can Import from ASCII, CSV and Excel                  
API Programming Interface        





Interface Languages 26 20+ 4 1 18 21 4 1 1
Label Designer
Design Tools









Text Box                  
Rich Text Support    
           
Font Choices                    
Rectangle/ Square                  
Ellipse/ Circle    

         
Lines                  
Grouping Options    
 
 

 
Rotate                    
Images/ Objects                  
Align Objects Tool                    
Text Adjusts to Text Box Size            
 

Data/ Compliance Tools









Date/Time Fields            
 

Check Digit Support            
 
 
Revision History  
   





Label Locking/ Password Protection                

Serialization        
 
 

Predefined Stock Label Formats            
   
Compliance Label Templates              


Compliance Symbol Library          

 

Print Preview/ Test Print            
   
Help/ Support
Free Support Duration Unlimited Unlimited 1 YR 6 Mo Up to 1 YR Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 30 Days Unlimited
Telephone Support
Free    

     
Email Support                    
Chat/ IM Support



 
 


24/7 Support
 







Tutorials/ How To's  
     
     
Web Training    

 




Onsite Training        





Embedded Help                    
FAQs/ Knowledgebase  
 
     
   
User Forums  








Supported Configurations
Vista    


 

 
Windows XP                    
Product Details Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail Detail
 
Rank 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
TOP TEN PRODUCTS NiceLabe BarTende Loftware Label Manager LabelVis 20/20 TEKLYNX LABELVIE Smartcod WaspLabe + 2D Print Studio 2E IDAutoma B-Coder

* Price varies per reseller.


 
 
Home    Resources    About Us    Contact us    Advertising    Sitemap    TopTenREVIEWS.com    hhgregg   
Privacy Policy


Copyright ©2008 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. is prohibited.


NiceLabel Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional BarTender Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional Loftware Label Manager Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional LabelVision 20/20 Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional TEKLYNX LABELVIEW Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional SmartcodeStudio Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional WaspLabeler + 2D Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional Print Studio 2E Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional IDAutomation Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional B-Coder Review 2008 - Top Barcode Software Professional