📚ISBN & EAN Barcode Validator

Validate ISBN-10/13 and EAN-13 barcode checksums

What Are ISBN and EAN Barcodes?

ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique numeric identifier for books, standardized as ISO 2108 in 1970. Since 2007, the 13-digit ISBN-13 has been the global standard. EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the international barcode standard for retail products, and ISBN-13 is a subset of the EAN-13 system.

ISBN-10 vs. ISBN-13

FeatureISBN-10ISBN-13
Digits1013
Introduced19702007
Last digit0–9 or X (=10)0–9
PrefixNone978 or 979

Checksum Algorithms

ISBN-13/EAN-13: Alternately multiply the first 12 digits by 1 and 3. The check digit = (10 - sum mod 10) mod 10.

ISBN-10: Multiply each digit by its position (1–10). The total sum must be divisible by 11. The last digit can be 'X' to represent 10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13?

ISBN-10 is the older 10-digit format for books before 2007. ISBN-13 is the current 13-digit standard, prefixed with 978 or 979, compatible with EAN-13.

Are EAN-13 and ISBN-13 the same code?

ISBN-13 is a subset of EAN-13. Both use 13 digits and the same checksum algorithm. Book barcodes always start with 978 or 979.

How is the ISBN check digit calculated?

For ISBN-13: alternate digits multiplied by 1 and 3, check digit = (10 - sum mod 10) mod 10. For ISBN-10: multiply digits by positions 1–10, the sum must be divisible by 11.