Best sneaker barcode API for each job: lookup, sizes, prices

Job 1: identify a scanned shoe box down to the size

Each size of a sneaker colourway has its own barcode. So the barcode on a box tells you the model and the size, if the database stores the size with the barcode.

Barcodes.gg stores the size with each barcode. GET /api/v2/barcode/lookup/{barcode} returns the product, the style code, an image and the size in US, UK and EU sizing. On 15 November 2026 the catalogue held 2,922,090 barcodes across 1,617,336 products, centred on sneakers and streetwear. A barcode that is not in the catalogue does not use a request.

KicksDB lists lookups by SKU, UPC or name. Its sample response shows a UPC on a product variant. KicksDB takes no new sign-ups (see below). Retailed.io pricing on 8 November 2026 described an inventory app. That page did not describe a sneaker barcode lookup.

The general databases (UPCitemdb, Go-UPC, Barcode Lookup) are not built around footwear sizes. We did not measure their match rate on sneaker barcodes. Test them with your own boxes.

Job 2: find every barcode of a style code

Listing tools, label printers and stock systems often start from a style code and need the barcode of each size.

Barcodes.gg does this with a reverse lookup: GET /api/v2/barcode/lookup/sku/{style_code} returns the barcodes held for a style code, one per size. It is on the Plus plans and Enterprise. GET /api/v2/product/details/{style_code} also lists the sizes with the EAN and UPC of each size.

KicksDB documents the UPC of each size for paying users. New users cannot buy KicksDB now. For the other four APIs we found no documented style code to barcode lookup.

Job 3: get a resale price from a barcode

A scan-in or stock-take tool needs the price of the pair in the box, so it needs the price of one size.

Barcodes.gg does this in one call. GET /api/v2/prices/barcode/{barcode} finds the style code and size of the barcode, then returns the StockX and Alias prices for that size. Prices are on Standard Plus (€79 per month, 10,000 calls) and higher plans. The free trial does not include prices.

KicksDB has a separate GTIN lookup and price endpoints, with no documented single call. Packet, the KicksDB successor, returns barcodes in its output but takes none as input. The sneaker price API comparison covers price APIs in detail. If you came for StockX data, read the StockX API alternative page.

Job 4: identify general products

For groceries, electronics, books or toys, a general database is the better fit. UPCitemdb states over 744 million unique UPC and EAN numbers. Its free Explorer plan allows 100 requests per day without sign-up. Go-UPC states over 500 million products, and trial API keys are available on request. Barcode Lookup is a general product database with an API. On 8 November 2026 its API page did not publish a price or a database size, so we quote no figure for it.

The Barcodes.gg catalogue holds sneakers, streetwear, clothing, accessories and collectibles. It does not hold electronics or books. The UPCitemdb alternative and Barcode Lookup alternative pages compare these databases with a footwear database.

KicksDB: closed to new sign-ups

A Packet blog post of 21 October 2026 says that KicksDB no longer accepts new sign-ups. It names Packet (pckt.sh), from the same team, as the successor, and gives no end date for the KicksDB API. On 26 October 2026 kicks.dev answered again after it timed out on 25 October. It shows its old price table and a banner for pckt.sh, and its documentation still says that sign-ups moved to Packet. We did not verify whether a new sign-up works.

If you have a KicksDB key, plan a move. The KicksDB alternative page maps KicksDB features to Barcodes.gg endpoints.

How to choose: test your own barcodes

Published database sizes say little about whether your items are covered. A short test does:

1. Collect 50 barcodes from the stock you handle, across brands and sizes. Check them first with the barcode validation tool so typing errors do not skew the result.
2. Run the same list through each candidate on its free tier or trial.
3. Count the matches. Then check whether each match gives the fields you need for your job: size, style code, image or price.
4. Work out the monthly cost at your real volume, with the plan you would need.

For Barcodes.gg, the trial covers a 50-barcode test with requests to spare, and misses are not counted.

How this comparison was made

We read the Go-UPC and UPCitemdb sites on 2 October 2026 and again on 8 November 2026. The figures that matched were left on the 2 October date. Retailed.io pricing and the Barcode Lookup API page were read on 8 November 2026, and those rows use that date. KicksDB and Packet facts come from their sites, documentation and blog, read on 25 and 26 October 2026. The Checked column gives the date of each row. "Not verified" means that we found no public source, not that the feature is missing. Prices are in the currency of each vendor and are not converted. Plans change, so check the vendor site before you buy. This page shows no match rates, speed figures or review scores, because we did not measure them.

For a general list of UPC database APIs with their free tiers, read our guide Best barcode and UPC database APIs compared.