Technology & Developers
Free QR Code Generator
Create a QR code for a link, Wi-Fi network or contact card and download it as PNG or SVG.
Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser
This free QR code generator makes codes for six kinds of content: a website link, plain text, an email address, a phone number, a Wi-Fi network or a contact card. Choose a type, fill in the fields, and the code appears immediately.
The codes are static and permanent. They encode your content directly rather than pointing at a redirect on our servers, so they never expire, they are not tracked, and they will keep working even if this site does not. There is no watermark and no sign-up.
How this tool works
Choose what the code should contain
URL, text, email, phone, Wi-Fi or contact card. The fields change to match the type you pick.
Fill in the details
For a link, include https:// so every scanner opens it properly. For Wi-Fi, enter the network name, security type and password.
Adjust size and error correction
Higher error correction survives damage and partial obstruction at the cost of a denser pattern. Larger sizes are better for print.
Download as PNG or SVG
PNG for screens and documents; SVG for print or anywhere the code needs to scale without losing sharpness.
How it works
A QR code is a grid of black and white modules encoding your text, plus redundancy so it still scans when part of it is dirty, creased or covered. The generator builds the payload in the format scanners expect, then renders the pattern.
Different content types use different payload conventions. A phone number becomes a tel: URI, an email becomes mailto:, Wi-Fi uses a WIFI: string that phones recognise as network credentials, and a contact card is a vCard.
Error correction comes in four levels. L adds about 7% redundancy and produces the simplest pattern; H adds around 30% and produces the densest. M is the usual compromise and is the default here.
Everything is generated in your browser, including the encoding library, which is loaded only when you first need it. Wi-Fi passwords and contact details never leave your device.
Which QR code type to use
- URL: for a website, menu, form or booking page. The most common use by far.
- Text: for anything that should just be read - a serial number, a short note, a code.
- Email: opens the mail app with the address, and optionally a subject and body, pre-filled.
- Phone: opens the dialler with the number ready. Include the country code so it works internationally.
- Wi-Fi: lets a guest join your network by scanning, without you reading out the password.
- Contact card: shares a name, organisation, phone, email and website as a vCard that saves straight to contacts.
Printing QR codes so they actually scan
- Keep the code at least 2 cm square for close-range scanning. Bigger is needed the further away the reader will be.
- A rough rule for distance: the code should be about a tenth of the scanning distance. To scan from 2 m, print it around 20 cm across.
- Leave the quiet zone - the clear margin around the pattern. Cropping to the edge is the most common reason a printed code fails.
- Keep strong contrast. Dark pattern on a light background works; light on dark and low-contrast colour pairs often do not.
- Use SVG for print so the edges stay crisp at any size.
- Always test the printed code with a couple of real phones before committing to a large print run.
Static codes and why it matters
The codes here are static: the content is encoded in the pattern itself. That means the code cannot be changed after printing, but it also means nothing can break it, nobody is counting your scans, and there is no account that can lapse.
Dynamic QR codes, which most paid services sell, encode a short link that redirects. They can be edited later and they report analytics, but they stop working if the provider shuts the link down or the subscription ends.
Worked examples
A link on a business card
Use the URL type with your full https:// address, error correction M, and download the SVG for print.
Guest Wi-Fi for a café
Wi-Fi type with the network name, WPA security and the password. Guests scan and join without typing anything.
A restaurant menu
A URL code at high error correction, printed large enough to scan from across a table, laminated to survive handling.
Contact details at an event
The contact card type produces a vCard, so a scan saves your name, number and email straight into the other person's phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is this QR code generator really free?
Yes. No sign-up, no watermark, no limit on how many codes you create, and no subscription that can lapse and break them later.
Do the QR codes expire?
No. They are static codes that encode your content directly rather than redirecting through our servers, so they keep working indefinitely.
Can I use these QR codes commercially?
Yes. A QR code is just an encoding of the content you provided, and there is no licence or attribution attached to it.
Is my Wi-Fi password safe?
It is encoded into the image on your own device and never sent to us. Bear in mind that anyone who can see or scan the finished code can read the password from it.
What size should I print a QR code?
At least 2 cm square for close scanning, and roughly a tenth of the intended scanning distance for anything further away. Always keep the clear margin around the pattern.
Should I download PNG or SVG?
PNG for screens, slides and documents. SVG for print, signage or anywhere it needs to be resized without losing sharpness.
Can I track how many people scan it?
No, and that is deliberate. These are static codes with no redirect, so there is nothing to track. If you need scan analytics you need a dynamic QR service.
Guides for this tool
How to scan a QR code from a photo or screenshot
Got a QR code as a photo or screenshot, not something to point your camera at? Decode it in your browser with VSThiran - upload the image and get the value instantly.
How to scan a barcode online
Need to read a product barcode without a dedicated scanner app? Decode EAN, UPC, Code 128 and more from a photo, in your browser with VSThiran. Free, no app to install.
Need to read a QR code from a screenshot? Do it in your browser
Can't point a camera at a QR code that's already a screenshot? Decode it directly in your browser with VSThiran - upload the screenshot and get the value instantly.
QR code won't scan? Here's how to read it anyway
Camera app won't recognize a QR code? It's usually image quality, not the code itself - decode it directly from a photo in your browser with VSThiran instead.