Processed locally
Your input stays in this browser.
Match the QR code type to the action you want
Start from what should happen after the scan, not from the data you have. If the phone should open something, you want a URL code for a web page, a WhatsApp code for a chat, or a location code for a point on the map.
If the phone should start a message, pick the channel: an email code opens a pre-addressed draft, an SMS code opens a text draft, and a phone code puts a number in the dialler. All three leave the final send or call to the person scanning — nothing fires automatically.
If the phone should receive data, encode the data itself: plain text for notes and serial numbers, WiFi for network access, a vCard for a saveable contact, or a calendar event the scanner can add after confirming it.
What all ten generators share
The same engine sits behind every page: encoding happens in your browser, the exact payload string is shown before you download, and each design must pass a local decode check or the download stays disabled.
Every export is static — PNG or true-vector SVG with no account, redirect, expiry date, or watermark. What differs between the pages is only the payload format and the fields it needs.
Payload size differs, and you can see it
A phone number is a dozen characters; a filled vCard can be three hundred. More characters mean more modules squeezed into the same square, so a tel: code stays coarse and scans from across a room while a dense contact card wants to be printed larger.
As a rule of thumb: phone, SMS, WiFi and short links produce robust, low-density codes. vCards, calendar events, and long text are the dense ones — give them more physical size and skip the logo if the preview check starts to complain.
Static codes: the trade you are making
Everything here is static. You gain permanence and privacy: no third party sits between the scanner and your content, and no subscription keeps the code alive. You give up post-print editing and scan statistics — if the destination must change, you reprint, or you encode a URL you control and change what it serves.
That trade is right for menus, business cards, equipment labels, posters and guest WiFi. It is wrong for campaigns that need per-scan analytics; be honest with yourself about which one you are printing.
Test before you print
Download the file, then feed it back through the QR reader to confirm the payload says what you think it says — wrong field contents survive a visual check but not a decode. Scan a printed proof at real size and distance before a large run.
The guides cover the physical side: minimum size for a given scanning distance, contrast, quiet zone, and what error correction actually buys you when you add a logo.
Frequently asked questions
Which QR code type is best for a business card?
A vCard code, because the contact saves without retyping. Keep the fields minimal so the code stays scannable at card size, or pair a phone code with printed details if space is tight.
What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?
A static code stores the data in the image; a dynamic code stores a redirect link and keeps the data on a provider's server. Static codes never expire and cannot be tracked; dynamic ones are editable but die with the subscription. This site makes only static codes.
Can I change the code's type or content after printing?
No. The payload is fixed in the printed image. Generate and print a new code — there is no cost or limit here.
Do all phones read all ten types?
The formats used here are the widely recognised de-facto standards, and recent iOS and Android cameras handle them. Behaviour still varies by type and app, so each generator page describes what phones really do — and testing on both platforms remains the honest answer.