You need a QR code for a menu, a business card, a WiFi network at the office, or a link on a flyer — and you want it to still work in a year, not quietly stop redirecting because a "free" generator's trial period ran out. That's the trap with a lot of QR tools: the code itself is free, but it points to their redirect service, which can expire, get paywalled, or vanish.
Here's how to generate a QR code that's actually yours, permanently, for free.
How to Create a QR Code
- Open QR Code Generator.
- Paste in whatever you want the code to open or display — a URL, a line of text, or one of the special formats below.
- Pick a format (PNG or SVG), size, colors, and error correction level if you want to customize it.
- Click Generate QR, then download.
That's it — the QR code encodes your data directly. There's no account, no redirect link that can expire, and no limit on how many you create.
What You Can Put Into a QR Code
The tool encodes whatever text you give it, which means it isn't limited to plain URLs:
A website link — just paste the URL (e.g. https://example.com). This is the most common use and works on every phone camera by default.
A WiFi network — paste a string in this exact format and most phones will offer to auto-join the network when scanned:
WIFI:T:WPA;S:YourNetworkName;P:YourPassword;;
Swap WPA for WEP or nopass if your network uses a different security type or none at all.
A contact card (vCard) — paste this format to create a QR code that adds a contact directly to the scanner's phone:
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Doe;Jane
TEL:+15551234567
EMAIL:jane@example.com
END:VCARD
Plain text — anything else, like a short message or a code, gets encoded and displayed as-is when scanned.
Understanding the Settings
Format (PNG vs SVG). PNG is the safe default for anything you're printing at a fixed size — flyers, packaging, business cards. SVG is a vector format, so it scales to any size (like a banner or storefront sign) without going blurry or pixelated.
Error correction level. This controls how much of the code can be damaged, dirty, or partially covered (like by a logo) and still scan correctly:
- Low (7%) — fine for a code displayed on a clean screen
- Medium (15%) — good general-purpose default
- Quartile (25%) — better for printed materials that'll get handled
- High (30%) — best if you're placing a logo over the center of the code, or printing somewhere that'll get scuffed (packaging, outdoor signage)
Colors. You can set both the foreground and background color to match your branding — just keep strong contrast between them (see below).
Things That Trip People Up
Low contrast breaks scanning. A QR code needs strong contrast between the foreground and background color. Light gray on white, or two similar mid-tones, will fail to scan reliably even though it looks fine on screen. Stick to dark-on-light or light-on-dark with a clear difference.
Too small to scan at the intended distance. A code on a poster viewed from across a room needs to be considerably bigger than one on a business card viewed up close. If you're printing large, use the SVG export so it stays sharp.
Not testing before printing hundreds of copies. Always scan the code yourself with two or three different phones before committing to a print run — a rendering issue that's invisible on your screen can still fail to scan.
Quiet expiration on some free generators. Some "free" QR tools generate a code that points to a shortened redirect link on their own domain — and when their free trial or business model changes, every code you ever printed silently breaks. A code from QR Code Generator encodes your content directly, so there's nothing to expire.
Quick FAQ
Does this QR code ever expire? No. The QR code encodes your text or URL directly rather than pointing to a shortened redirect link, so there's nothing on our end that can expire or go offline.
Can I make a QR code for a WiFi network?
Yes — paste the WIFI:T:...;S:...;P:...;; format shown above into the text field and most phone cameras will recognize it and offer to join the network automatically.
What's the difference between PNG and SVG here? PNG is a fixed-resolution image, good for a known print or screen size. SVG is a vector image that scales to any size without losing quality — better for banners or anything printed very large.
Will a logo in the middle of my QR code stop it from scanning? It can, if error correction is too low. Set error correction to High (30%) before adding a logo overlay, and always test-scan the final result.
Is there a limit on how many QR codes I can create? No — generate as many as you need, with no signup and no rate limit.
Related Free Tools
- QR Code Generator — create your QR code
- Password Generator — generate a strong WiFi password before turning it into a QR code
- Color Picker — match your QR code's colors to your brand
- URL Encoder — clean up a link before encoding it