Free QR Code Generators Compared (2026): Which Codes Expire, Show Ads, or Need an Account
Twelve free QR code generators side by side: static or dynamic codes, what happens after the trial, sign-up, branding on the code, free formats, logo, API, and the cheapest paid plan. Every fact checked on the vendor's own pages on November 5, 2026.
The safest free QR code generators make static codes: your link is in the pattern, so the code cannot expire. Of the twelve tools below, Pretty QR, QR Code Monkey, goqr.me, and Adobe Express make static codes with no trial behind them. Several others offer a free trial of dynamic codes, and those codes stop working when the trial ends: 14 days on QR Code Generator and Uniqode, 7 days on QR.io. Before you print anything, check which kind your tool made.
Disclosure: Pretty QR is our product. I have kept its row to the same facts as everyone else's and listed what it does not do. Every competitor fact comes from the vendor's own website, checked on November 5, 2026. Where a vendor page did not say something clearly, the table says "not stated" instead of guessing. Prices change; check the vendor's page before you buy.
Which free QR code generators expire, and which do not?
| Generator | Free codes are | Do free codes stop working? | Account to download | Branding seen by the person scanning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretty QR | Static | No | No | None |
| QR Code Monkey | Static | No ("will work forever") | No | None stated |
| goqr.me | Static | No | No | None stated |
| Adobe Express | Static | No ("never expire") | Not stated | None stated |
| QR Code Generator (Bitly) | Static free; dynamic on 14-day trial | Dynamic: yes, after the trial | JPG no; PNG, SVG, EPS yes | Not stated |
| Uniqode | Static free; dynamic on 14-day trial | Dynamic: yes, "will become inactive" | Not stated | Not stated |
| QR.io | 7-day trial (static and dynamic) | Static: no. Dynamic: not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| QRCodeChimp | Unlimited static, 10 dynamic | Static: no. Dynamic: scans pause past 1,000 a month | Static: no. Dynamic: yes | Not stated |
| Canva | Static and dynamic | No expiry by default | Canva account | Dynamic codes show the Canva logo on Free and Pro plans |
| Flowcode | Dynamic only (up to 2) | Not stated | Yes | Not stated |
| ME-QR | Dynamic | No ("unlimited lifetime") | No (yes to edit the link) | Ads after the first 10 scans |
| QR TIGER | Dynamic (3 codes, 500 scans each) | Not stated | Not stated | "QR TIGER logo popup" |
The last column matters more than people expect. With ME-QR's free plan, the person who scans may see an ad before your page. With QR TIGER's free plan, they see a QR TIGER popup. That is your customer's first second with your brand.
Which ones export SVG, allow a logo, and have an API?
| Generator | Free export formats | Logo on the free plan | API | Cheapest paid plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pretty QR | PNG, JPG, SVG | Yes | Free: 100 codes a month, plus MCP for AI assistants | Pro, one-time payment (waitlist) |
| QR Code Monkey | PNG, SVG, PDF, EPS (PDF and EPS without design or logo) | Yes (PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG up to 2 MB) | Through RapidAPI | No paid plan on the site |
| goqr.me | PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, EPS, PDF | No upload tool | Free, no key | Not stated |
| Adobe Express | PNG, JPEG, PDF | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| QR Code Generator (Bitly) | JPG without account; PNG, SVG, EPS with one | Needs an account | Advanced and Professional plans, billed yearly | Subscription, renews until you cancel, 30 days' notice |
| Uniqode | Not stated | Not stated | Yes, on a paid plan | From $9 a month, yearly billing only |
| QR.io | PNG, SVG | Not stated | Included in paid plans | $39.99 a month or $350 a year |
| QRCodeChimp | PNG and vector (which are free: not stated) | Offered | Paid plan | $6.99 a month yearly, $9.99 monthly |
| Canva | PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF | Paid plans (Canva's help pages say Business in one region, Pro in another) | Not stated | Not stated |
| Flowcode | PNG, JPG, SVG | Not stated | Growth plan, $250, yearly | Pro Plus, $25 a month yearly |
| ME-QR | Not stated | Not stated | Premium, $15.08 a month yearly | Lite, $10.50 a month yearly |
| QR TIGER | Not stated | Not stated | From the Regular plan (500 requests a month) | Regular, $7 a month |
What does each generator do well?
Pretty QR makes styled static codes in the browser with no account: custom colors and gradients, square, circle, rounded, or dot modules, styled corner squares, frames with a call-to-action label, a logo, and silhouettes such as a heart, circle, shield, house, or map pin. Six content types: URL, text, Wi-Fi, vCard, email, and phone. A free account adds saved designs and an API key for the QR API and the MCP server, which lets Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, or Claude Desktop make the same styled file. What it does not do: no dynamic codes, no scan statistics, no PDF or EPS on the free plan. If you need those, use a dynamic tool below.
QR Code Monkey is the long-standing free choice for a quick code with a logo. Static only, no account, and the most vector formats of the static group. Note that its PDF and EPS files drop the design and logo, so use its SVG if you need the styled version in vector.
goqr.me is the plainest tool here: colors only, no logo upload. But it exports six formats with no account, and its API needs no key. It allows commercial and print use. Good for developers and for bulk plain codes.
Adobe Express and Canva make sense if you are already designing the flyer there. Adobe Express codes are static and "never expire". Canva has both kinds; its dynamic codes on the Free and Pro plans carry the Canva logo.
QR Code Generator (Bitly), Uniqode, and QR.io are dynamic-code businesses. Their static codes are free and keep working, but the product they lead you to is a dynamic code on a trial. QR Code Generator's own support page says dynamic codes "are deactivated and point to a service page" after the trial. That is fine if you plan to pay. It is a problem if you printed during the trial and thought the code was free.
QRCodeChimp has the most generous free dynamic allowance here: 10 dynamic codes and unlimited static codes. Past 1,000 scans a month across the dynamic codes, scans pause until the next month.
Flowcode is built around dynamic codes and analytics. The free plan has up to 2 codes with analytics for up to 500 scans, and you need an account to download.
ME-QR and QR TIGER give free dynamic codes, but the person scanning may see an ad (ME-QR, after the first 10 scans) or a QR TIGER popup.
Which free QR code generator should I use?
| You need | Use |
|---|---|
| A plain code in 10 seconds, no account | QR Code Monkey or goqr.me |
| A branded code (colors, logo, frame, heart or circle shape), no account, no watermark | Pretty QR |
| Plain codes from your own code, free, no key | goqr.me API |
| Styled codes from your own code or an AI assistant | Pretty QR API or MCP (free account, 100 codes a month) |
| Vector PDF or EPS for a print shop | goqr.me, or QR Code Monkey for a classic code |
| A code inside a design you are already making | Canva or Adobe Express |
| Scan statistics and a link you can edit after printing | A paid dynamic tool: Flowcode, Uniqode, or QR Code Generator PRO. Budget for it as long as the codes are in print |
How did I check these facts?
On November 5, 2026, I read each vendor's home page, pricing page, FAQ, and help pages. Each fact in the tables quotes or closely follows what the vendor says about its own product. Canva's and QR Code Generator's help pages blocked automated reading, so their facts come from the text of those pages as search engines show it. I did not use third-party review sites for any number in the tables.
"Not stated" means the vendor's pages did not say it clearly. It does not mean the feature is missing.
If a vendor changes a plan, or you find a fact here that is out of date, email [email protected] and I will correct it and change the date.
How can I check a QR code before I print it?
Whatever tool you use, three checks take a minute:
- Scan it with your phone camera and read the link before you open it. If it shows your own website, the code is static. If it shows a short link on the generator's domain, it is dynamic and depends on that company. More in how to make a QR code that never expires.
- Scan it with a second, older phone, at the distance people will use.
- Check the design basics: dark modules on a light background (at least 4.5:1 contrast), 4 modules of empty margin, and at least 2 cm wide. Our QR code design rules explain why.
For a static, styled code with no account and nothing to renew, open the Pretty QR editor. For anything that needs scan statistics, pick a dynamic tool from the table above and read its trial terms first.
Questions or corrections? [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free QR code generator?
It depends on what you need. For a plain code with no account: QR Code Monkey or goqr.me. For a styled code with a logo, frame, or heart or circle shape, no account, no watermark, and a free API: Pretty QR. For scan statistics and links you can edit: a paid dynamic tool such as Flowcode, Uniqode, or QR Code Generator PRO. All three free picks make static codes, which do not expire.
Which free QR code generators do not expire?
Generators that make static codes: Pretty QR, QR Code Monkey, goqr.me, Adobe Express, and the static codes of QR Code Generator, Uniqode, and QRCodeChimp. Dynamic codes made during a free trial can stop working when the trial ends, for example after 14 days on QR Code Generator and Uniqode.
Is QR Code Monkey really free?
Yes. QR Code Monkey says its codes are static, free for any use, and "will work forever". It exports PNG, SVG, PDF, and EPS, but its PDF and EPS files are classic codes without the design and logo options. Its sign-up links lead to a separate paid product, QR Code Generator PRO.
Why do some free QR codes stop working?
Because they were dynamic codes on a trial. A dynamic code holds a short link on the vendor's server. When the trial or subscription ends, the vendor deactivates that link, and scans land on a service page. QR Code Generator's support page says this directly.
Which free QR code generator has an API?
goqr.me has a free API with no key. Pretty QR has a free API with 100 codes a month on a free account, and an MCP server for AI assistants on the same key. QR Code Monkey offers an API through RapidAPI. Most others put the API on a paid plan.
Do I need a dynamic QR code?
Only if you need scan statistics in the QR tool, or you must change the destination after printing and cannot add a redirect on your own website. For a menu, flyer, business card, or Wi-Fi code, a static code is enough and has nothing to renew.
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