RFID

Barcode

Line of Site

Not required (in most cases)

Required

Read Range

Passive RFID: Up to 25 feet
Active RFID: Up to 100's of feet or more

Several inches up to several feet

Read Rate

10's, 100's or 1000's simultaneously

Only one at a time

Identification

Can uniquely identify each item/asset tagged

Can typically only identify the type of item (UPC Code) but not uniquely

Read/Write

Many RFID tags are Read/Write

Read only

Technology

RF (Radio Frequency)

Optical (Laser)

Interference

Like the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), some RFID frequencies don't like Metal and Liquids. They can cause interfere with certain RF Frequencies. There is alternative tag stock for this.

Obstructed barcodes cannot be read (dirt covering barcode, torn barcode, etc.)

Automation

Most "fixed" readers don't require human involvement to collect data (automated)

Most barcode scanners require a human to operate (labor intensive)