If you run a business and want to incorporate Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) into your marketing or operations workflows, plenty of high-quality QR Code makers can get you started for free.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that not all free QR Code creators are created equal. With some free tools, you often get what you pay for—but some free gems stand out from the rest! Below, we’ll highlight eight of them to give you a great starting point.
What to look for in a free QR Code generator
Once you understand how QR Codes work, it’s easy to see their many applications and business use cases. In fact, QR Code images have become such a mainstay of digital marketing that the global QR Code market is estimated to reach a little over $1.2 billion by 2026.
But before you can put custom QR Codes to work for your business, you need to choose a QR Code generator with the right features and functionality. Here’s what to look for:
The ability to generate both Static and Dynamic QR Codes
Different QR Codes have different features and applications, and in the battle of Static vs. Dynamic QR Codes, it’s always better to choose a tool that lets you generate both.
Static QR Codes encode fixed information and are best suited for situations where the data (such as a website URL or contact information) remains constant. On the other hand, Dynamic QR Codes allow for real-time editing of the encoded data. They’re ideal for scenarios where information may change (like updating product details or event information).
A wide range of customization options
A good QR Code generator should offer plenty of customization options to align the QR Code design with your business’s brand. Look for generators that allow you to customize the QR Code’s color, add a company logo or image, and adjust the design and design.
Given that many companies will spend anywhere from $10,000 to $500,000 on brand development programs, choosing a free QR Code generator that lets you turn your QR Codes into brand awareness materials is a cheap and easy way to make your marketing more cohesive.
Real-time analytics and tracking
Understanding how your QR Codes perform is key to optimizing your QR Code campaigns. With a free generator that offers QR Code analytics and tracking, you can monitor important metrics such as scan rates, geographical locations, and the devices used for scanning. These insights from trackable QR Codes are invaluable when assessing and refining your campaigns.
Bulk QR Code creation
For businesses generating hundreds or even thousands of different QR Codes at a time, creating them manually one by one can be tedious, repetitive, and unrealistic for small teams. Manual creation also increases the chances of human error.
Instead, choose a tool that allows you to create custom QR Codes in bulk so you can do in one step what would otherwise take hours.
Collaboration and access management features
In collaborative environments or team settings, it’s important to choose a QR Code generator that offers collaboration and access management features that allow multiple users to work together seamlessly. This includes shared project folders, user permissions, and collaborative editing capabilities.
The 8 best free QR Code generators
Today, there are several high-quality QR Code generators that offer an abundance of advanced features completely free of charge. If you would like to generate high-resolution, custom QR Codes without having to spend a dime, here are eight of the top options to consider:
1. Bitly
Bitly customers get access to not one, but three powerful business tools: a URL shortener, a tool for creating Link-in-bio pages, and a QR Code generator.
Bitly’s QR Code generator offers easy-to-use customization options, advanced tracking features, and plenty of helpful integrations. With Bitly’s Free plan, you can use this tool to create two Dynamic QR Codes per month, plus access to Bitly’s URL shortener and Link-in-bio tool.
Key features:
- Real-time engagement tracking and analytics
- QR Code customization options to adjust color, pattern, and branding elements
- Central Dashboard to manage all of your QR Codes in one platform
Integrations:
Bitly offers a library of 800+ integrations and app connectors via API, including Canva, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Buffer.
Get started with Bitly for free today for a powerful, three-pronged approach to your QR Code initiatives!
2. Beaconstac
Beaconstac is a free QR Code platform best known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Along with its widely-praised user interface (UI), Beaconstac also offers key features like QR Code tracking and custom branding elements.
Key features:
- Bulk QR Code generation
- In-depth QR Code tracking and analytics
- Dynamic and Static QR Code creation
Integrations:
Beaconstac can integrate with numerous third-party tools, including Google Analytics, Zapier, and Microsoft Azure.
3. QR Code Monkey
QR Code Monkey is a Dynamic QR Code generator that allows you to create both digital and print QR Codes for free.
Its customization options are a little more basic than some of the other tools on our list, but QR Code Monkey does offer in-depth analytics and bulk QR Code generation in a platform that has a simple interface and a free-forever business model.
Key features:
- Bulk QR Code generation and editing
- Reusable design templates
- Campaign folders for structuring and organizing QR Codes
Integrations:
QR Code Monkey offers a QR Code API that makes it quick and easy to integrate your QR Codes into other systems or workflows.
4. Scanova
Scanova makes it simple to create custom, personalized QR Codes. With intuitive customization tools, detailed tracking and analytics reports, and a tool for creating custom mobile landing pages for your QR Codes, Scanova provides everything business owners need to kick off successful QR Code marketing campaigns.
Key features:
- Lead generation from QR Codes
- Provides scan tracking and analytics features that provide real-time engagement insights
- vCards and Google Maps QR Codes
Integrations:
Scanova’s QR Code API allows you to integrate Scanova QR Codes into a wide range of third-party applications, including email and SMS.
5. GoQR
GoQR is a free online QR Code generator that you can use without signing up for an account!
While GoQR does offer customization options and QR Code analytics, these features are a little more limited than those offered by more advanced platforms such as Bitly’s QR Code generator. Nevertheless, GoQR is a solid option if you’re looking for a free online QR Code Maker that you can use right away.
Key features:
- Allows you to add your company logo to your QR Code design
- Includes basic QR Code analytics and tracking
- Lets you create and download custom QR Code for free without requiring registration
Integrations:
Currently, GoQR doesn’t list any integration options. However, they do provide a QR Code API that lets you build QR Codes into your systems and workflows.
6. QR Stuff
QR Stuff is an all-in-one platform for creating, managing, and tracking custom QR Codes. With over 26 QR Code data types to choose from, QR Stuff lets you create QR Codes for just about any application imaginable—from SMS QR Codes to print QR Codes for business cards and product packaging. Along with a feature-rich QR Code maker that is free to use, QR Stuff also provides a free QR Code scanner for scanning QR Codes online.
Key features:
- Basic customization options
- Generate PNG, JPG, or TIF raster QR Code images
- QR Code tracking and analytics
Integrations:
QR Stuff can integrate with a range of third-party tools, including Slack, monday.com, Gmail, and Shopify.
7. QR Code Tiger
For a free-to-use tool, QR Code Tiger offers impressive customization options and tracking features. With QR Code Tiger, you can edit your code’s pattern, color, frame, and eyes, or add your company logo to the code. While QR Tiger does impose some rather restrictive scan limits on Dynamic QR Codes with its free plan, it’s still a good option for creating quality QR Codes cheaply.
Key features:
- Advanced customization options and pre-built QR Code templates
- Bulk QR Code creation
- Comprehensive scan analytics
Integrations:
QR Code Tiger’s custom QR Code API makes integrating your QR Codes into other systems such as your business’s CRM easy.
8. Shopify’s QR Code generator
Shopify’s free QR Code generator is primarily designed for Shopify store owners, but you can use it to create QR Codes for other applications as well. It’s certainly one of the more basic tools on our list, offering few options to customize your code’s design and no tools for tracking its performance. However, it is a free and straightforward tool—you don’t even have to sign up for a Shopify account to download the codes you generate.
Key features:
- Supports website URL, phone number, SMS, and plain text data types
- Provides a preview of what your code will look like
- Delivers QR Codes to your email address without requiring registration
Integrations:
There are currently no integrations listed for Shopify’s QR Code generator.
Looking for a free QR Code generator? Try Bitly!
It’s a lot easier to achieve a fantastic ROI on your marketing campaigns when you use affordable tools to create and manage them. If you want to get started leveraging high-quality QR Codes in your marketing without spending a penny, Bitly is the perfect tool for you!
Bitly’s QR Code generator lets you create fully customized QR Codes, manage them via a user-friendly, collaborative Dashboard, and track their engagement in real time. It’s the ideal option for businesses of all sizes, with plenty of additional features available with premium plans.
Find the perfect Bitly plan today and get started for free to see what powerful QR Codes can do for your business!