I like using QR codes to link physical notes to online resources, but I want something that’s secure and doesn’t feel spammy. Tried ME-QR in the past and had no major issues, but I’m curious what else people here trust.

Any favorites?

I googled "QR code generator" and tried the website at the top of the list, which is "www.qr-code-generator.com". On the title it says "Create Your Free QR Codes".

They have a QR code generator on the landing page and you can generate a QR code just by writing the url of the website. When i tried "https://www.reddit.com/", everything was normal. It gave me a preview of the QR code and when i checked, it was directly connecting me to "https://www.reddit.com/" with no redirected links in the middle.

There are buttons for downloading the QR code you've created and it requires you to login to their web app. I clicked the download button and logged in with my google account. The QR Code i had created was gone and I needed to create it again. This time however I realized it didn't generate a direct link to reddit.com, but a redirected link to it.

It was still writing "https://www.reddit.com/" with a big font size on the top but at the right side of it, redirected link was written as a small and grayed out text and there was another text "Active for 13 Days" which indicates it won't be active after that.

in summary, they say "Free" on the title, which you see on google but it's not free. if you print that QR Code on something, it won't work after 13 days and there are 2 options you have:

1. reprint the materials with a proper QR Code which is not redirected and can't be taken hostage.

2. Pay the monthly bill for QR code, which is actually something you can create for free from another QR code generator app.

You can generate safe QR codes by using Indesign, https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/ or Canva.

I’m putting together QR codes for a few things and I’m realizing there’s a huge difference between the free ones and the ones that don’t break later.

What I need is pretty simple but I want it done right. Static and dynamic options would be nice, custom colors and maybe a logo in the middle, and ideally something that lets me download a clean SVG so it doesn’t look blurry on print. Bonus points if it can do bulk codes or at least save my projects so I’m not remaking the same stuff over and over.

I’ve tried a couple random sites and half of them either slap a watermark on it, limit downloads, or lock dynamic behind a subscription that feels overpriced. Also I’m a little paranoid about services that make your code stop working if you cancel.

If you’ve used one that’s actually solid for real use cases like menus, flyers, product labels, business cards, what did you go with and why? Any that you’d avoid?

Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions, really helpful. I tested a few and the main thing I realized is that static codes are the safest if you don’t want anything breaking later. I’ve been using QRCodeGecko recently and it checks most of the boxes for me, clean exports, customization, and no weird surprises after generating the code.

See headline

I have a patron looking to create a QR code for an invitation. Would you say Canva is a good safe tool for this? Or anything else that doesn't require setting up an account and is free? Thanks!

Does anyone know of a legit free QR code generator that doesn't just last for a week trial? Made the mistake of buying 500 business cards and now I can't use any of them unless I pay $15/month to keep the code up and running and I'd rather not do that. Please let me know!

I'm trying to encrypt some text on a QR code (more reliable than a USB drive, long-term) but I'm not sure how to go about it. Can anyone recommend some software that locally generates QR codes? I'm highly wary of the "free" QR code generators you can find online. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to generate a QR code that never expires and allows for unlimited scans. I’ve read that on some platforms, the QR codes stop working after a while or have scan limits, which is something I want to avoid.

Does anyone have recommendations for a free service that provides permanent QR codes with unlimited scans?

Thanks in advance!

Every ‘free’ QR code generator Ive tried eventually hits you with paywalls (analytics, custom branding, dynamic links). Is there really no open-source or SaaS that lets you fully customize design, download SVG/PNG, and track scans for real—without surprise fees? Or am I just expecting too much from free tools?

I'm trying to generate a QR code to connect people to wi-fi. Every purportedly free generator I've tried so far pulls some sneaky trick. Either it won't let me download the code without signing up or it tries to direct me to paid services, or something else like that.

Can folks recommend some truly free sites?

I urgently need a good QR code generator, but preferably one that doesn't cost money, and it shouldn't expire, as I need to give a QR code to clients that hasn't expired when they want to use it. It's for a school business, thanks! oh, and available in The Netherlands :) edit: need to be able to inset a PDF file!

Do not use this site!!!!!! They claim you have a free trial so you go ahead and create a QR code FOR A BUSINESS. Then they deactivate your QR code once trial ends and they also don't specify that they'll charge you $121 instead of $15 monthly. They'll have you use their stupid trial and once that's over and you've already printed your business card u won't be able to use that QR code again unless you pay that $121 or more! So freaking mad right now. That's stealing if you ask me!! Garbage companies are the ones that have fine print because they are money hungry for cash!!

Hi everyone

I had created my business cards and I had also added a QR code (using QR STUFF) allowing the recipients to scan and download all my contact info into their phone without typing.

The link has now expired, and i can reactivate the code by acquiring a subscription plan.

Obviously i need to understand what is cheaper between printing again the cards with a different code or buying the annual membership for the QR generator.

is there any real effective FREE QR Code generator that works?

thanks in advance

I need a QR code generator for a simple use case linking to a website for business cards and flyers. I already got burned once by a service that looked free, then a month later the code stopped working unless I paid a subscription. I’m trying to avoid that happening again.

What I’m looking for is pretty basic but non negotiable.

• The QR code should be permanent and not expire.

• Unlimited scans.

• No surprise paywall after I’ve already printed stuff.

• Ideally lets me download a decent quality PNG or SVG so it doesn’t look blurry.

• Bonus if it supports dynamic codes later, but only if it’s still actually usable without paying forever.

If you’ve used one long enough to trust it, what do you recommend and why. I’m open to either truly free tools or a one time payment, I just don’t want another monthly fee trap.

Edit: I ended up testing a few options and realized the key thing is sticking with static QR codes since those don’t expire and don’t rely on a subscription. I’ve been using QRCodeGecko lately and it’s been solid so far, just generates the code and that’s it, no weird paywalls popping up later.

Hi,

I'm looking for a QR-code generator for our company. The purpose with it, is to make it easy for our employees to see internal training-videos placed on cloud-services, protected by Entra ID. It's only a bonus if it supports branding of some kind.

Where can I find a service, that doesn't add trackers, sniffers or redirects to the link? I don't care if it comes with a price. I just want to make sure that the service is safe.

Looking for recommendations for an inexpensive/reputable QR provider. I only need 2 codes( one for sms and one for “add contact). I don’t really need any of the other bells and whistles.

Right now I have looked at:

1. https://www.qr-code-generator.com/pricing/

Which offers 2 codes and 10,000 scans for $9.99 a month.

Unless there is a better answer offered here this fits my budget/needs. I’m only using this code for personal reasons and I can’t imaging using 10,000 scans anytime soon. I would like if it’s cheaper but it’s still doable.

2. https://qr-code-styling.com/

I found this one here in this group but it appears to be only a generator and not a host.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

EDIT: I should add some more information.

One of the QR codes is to insert my name and phone number into somebody else’s contacts.

The other QR code is to start the process of sending a pre-written text message to myself.

That’s all I’m trying to accomplish.

I am unclear whether I need somebody to host this for me or is all of that information just in the QR code and needs no extra hosting

I am about to do some network maintenance today and wanted to try out a QR code WiFi password for my Unifi APs. When I first read about it I assumed it was a built in feature in Unifi, but when looking it up more I found that I have to feed my SSID and password into a website to generate the code now I'm not sure if I should trust it. This site does say that it generates the code in browser and never leaves the machine making it secure, but I don't know enough about JS to know if there are still security risks from the code itself. I'm thinking malware, trackers, stuff like that embedded into the code that gets downloaded on the device? And I sound like a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

Bottom line, have you used QiFi.org before and do you consider it to be safe to use? (Home and small home office that client devices link to semi-frequently)