How to Choose a QR Code Generator: 8 Things to Check

Generating a QR code is easy; any tool can do it. The differences show up later: when a printed code stops working, when you need a high-resolution file for a print shop, or when you want to change where a code points. Here are eight things to check before you commit, roughly in order of how much pain they can cause.

A properly made static QR code can't expire: the content is in the pattern itself. If a tool says its "free QR codes" expire, they're not static codes. They're dynamic codes on a trial. Check by scanning: a static URL code previews your own address, not the tool's.

For dynamic codes, find the answer to this before you print anything. Some providers deactivate codes when a trial or subscription ends; others keep them redirecting. Since a deactivated code means reprinting, this single policy can matter more than the monthly price. (We wrote a whole post on avoiding the dynamic QR subscription trap.)

PNG is fine for screens and small prints. For large signs, packaging or anything going to a professional printer, you want a vector format such as SVG (or PDF/EPS), which scales without blurring. Check which formats are available on the plan you'll actually use.

Custom colours, frames and a logo make codes more recognisable, but they eat into the code's error correction. A good generator keeps the corner markers clear, uses enough error correction for the logo, and shows a live preview you can scan. Always test a styled code with a couple of phones before printing.

WiFi, contact cards (vCard), calendar events, email, SMS and phone codes use standard formats that phone cameras understand natively. Be wary of tools that offer exotic types (for example "several links in one code") without a hosted landing page. If the content isn't in a standard format, phones will just show raw text.

Dynamic codes can report scan counts and timing, and often device type. Check what's actually collected, whether you can see it per code, and the provider's privacy policy, especially if your customers are in regions with strict privacy laws.

Look for: what's free forever versus on trial, monthly versus yearly price, limits on codes or scans, and how to cancel. If you can't work out what you'll pay in a year, keep looking.

Make a code, download it, print it at the real size, and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone in the place it'll be used. That ten-minute test catches most problems before they're on 1,000 flyers.

• Static codes never expire
• Dynamic codes keep working if you stop paying (get it in writing)
• Vector downloads for print
• Safe logo and styling with a live, scannable preview
• Standard formats for WiFi, vCard, events and contacts
• Clear data and privacy policy
• Pricing you can understand in one read

QRCraft was built to tick those boxes: static codes are free with no limits, and our dynamic codes keep redirecting even after a subscription ends. Try the generator and test a code before you print.