QR Codes have been around for two decades, but they never became mainstream. 2020–21 changed that. As the pandemic hit in 2020, QR Codes took the center stage. Brand owners and marketers felt inclined to use QR Codes as a contactless solution driver. From adding them on product packaging to replacing physical menus with QR Codes, these scan codes are everywhere. What started as a contactless way to deliver information, evolved into a direct-to-consumer communication channel for most brands.

But QR Codes are often associated with security threats. To help you choose the safest and best QR Code generator for your use case, I tested and put together a comprehensive comparison sheet.

Table of contents

Why did the search volumes for “Best QR Code generator” shoot up by 350% in 2022?

Like you, hundreds of thousands of other business owners, brand managers, restaurant owners, and marketers searched for the “Best QR Code generator” in 2021–22. The answer is simple — The technology is now mainstream, and here’s what led to it:

1. Scanning QR Codes do not need an app. Thanks to the iOS 11 update and Google Lens, both iOS and Android smartphones can scan a QR Code using the camera app.
2. QR Codes as menus in restaurants worldwide, broke the myth — “QR Codes are only for millennials.” This encouraged other industries to join the bandwagon.
3. QR Codes deliver positive ROI. With little or no initial investment, QR Codes provide a rich and dynamic consumer experience.

The best QR Code generator: How to choose the best solution

With the kind of exposure consumers have today, they can easily differentiate a spammy QR Code from a brand-owned QR Code. Where the former witnesses low conversions, the latter enjoy conversions as high as 70%!

What differentiates a QR Code generator from a QR Code solution?

Choosing the right QR Code generator can have a significant impact on the success of the campaign. And I understand that choosing one out of 2,38,00,000 results on Google can be daunting. To help you, I’ve separated the wheat from the chaff and eliminated the dated QR Code platforms from your decision process. And here you are left with 15 top QR generators for 2023 —

In my evaluation process, I scored them on seven core and advanced factors -

1. Customize the look of the QR Codes — logo, frames, color, QR Code shapes [1 — YES, 0 — NO]
2. Can I update campaigns linked to it based on the season, day, or time [1 — YES, 0 — NO]
3. Ability to create a basic mobile landing page [1 — YES, 0 — NO]
4. Ability to track its performance [1 — YES, 0 — NO]
5. Ease of use [Rate on a scale of 10]
6. How accessible the customer support team is [1 — Replies in 24 hours, 0 — No reply or delayed reply]
7. [BONUS] Does the QR Code generator have a framework to support enterprise needs, such as SSO login, uptime SLA of 99.9%, multi-user support, and custom domain? [5 — YES, 0 — NO]

The next step was to list down the top 8 QR Code generators appearing on a Google search!

[Free and paid QR Code generator options]

1. Beaconstac’s QR Code solution [9.8/10]
2. QR-Code-generator.com [8.2/10]
3. QR Code Monkey [8/10]
4. Scanova [7.4/10]
5. the-qrcode-generator [6/10]
6. GoQR [5/10]
7. Shopify’s QR Code generator [5/10]
8. QR Stuff [4/10]

I picked the top 8 QR Code generators according to a Google search and tried them for the following use case —

Scenario — I am looking to create a QR Code that goes on a product packaging.

My top 8 QR Code generators [in the same order] —

1. Beaconstac’s QR Code generator [9.8/10]

Beaconstac offers a free option on its website that allows you to create a custom QR Code. The website also has informative material to help you get started. However, if you are evaluating it for a project/campaign and for one-time use, I’d encourage you to sign up for a free trial to experience its potential.

QR Codes created using this solution are flexible, which means it supports multiple languages and you can change the content linked to it as and when required [dynamic].

While the dashboard provides comprehensive analytics about the QR Codes, its Google Analytics integration gives a deeper sense of the users that scanned them.

Beaconstac’s QR Code generator has great reviews on G2 [4.94/5] and most of these reviews repeatedly talk about its ease of use and super-responsive customer support.

Developed on the basis of customer reviews and product capabilities, the as a leader in the ‘QR Code Generator’ category:

The QR Code platform supports enterprise brand needs with SSO login, age-gated redirects, password protection, and custom domains. The solution also allows adding multiple users, and teams and managing their access.

Since the use case is downloading a QR Code for product packaging, I found I was able to download high-quality QR Codes in SVG and EPS format.

Free-QR-code.net, another free QR Code generator is now acquired by Beaconstac.

Paid Plans: Beaconstac’s QR Code solution starts at $5/month billed annually and also has enterprise-ready options. To learn about the Enterprise plan, you can schedule a call with a live expert or call the sales line.

2. QR Code Generator [8.2/10]

First off, the website is easy to navigate and use. It answers almost all questions a first-time QR Code might have. Just like the previous solution, it offers customization options on the website. You can add a logo and download a static QR Code. However, the advanced features are available on a free trial. Do sign up for it.

The dashboard allows you to create dynamic QR Codes and add them to folders. The platform also displays QR Code scans and dissects data based on cities and devices.

However, QR Code Generator’s reviews are not encouraging as it is rated , and most reviews complain about uninformed upgrades and the lack of overall support.

Paid Plan: QR Code Generator has self-serve plans that start at $6.08/month billed annually. To know more about enterprise options, you have to email their support.

3. QR Code Monkey [8/10] —

[Now acquired by the former generator]

QR Code Monkey is free to use. You can create and download the desired QR Code instantly from the website. Just like qr-code-generator.com, with paid plans, you can also create dynamic QR Codes, add them under folders, and visualize their performance on the dashboard.

QR Code Monkey however has been acquired by Egoditor. It’s the company that runs qr-code-generator.com. This means signing up for a trial or using a paid version of the tool redirects you to qr-code-generator.

QR Code Monkey also has a QR Code API hosted on RapidAPI.

Paid Plan: The paid options are the same as qr-code-generator. This means self-serve plans that start at $6.08/month are billed annually.

Comprehensive — that’s the first word that comes to mind upon visiting the Scanova website. The ease of navigation and use makes it a tool for everyone. But again, to download and use the code, you need to create a Scanova account.

To push things a little more from a comparison point of view, I tried creating a Geolocation QR Code here as well, and it worked with pinpoint precision, accurately taking me to the location on the map.

However, Scanova’s QR Code platform does not allow you to create a satisfactory mobile landing page. Apart from that, it works well.

It boils down to who your target audience is. For a one-off campaign, it may not matter much but for brands that strive for consistency, it may be a point of contention. Apart from that, it works well.

Paid Plans: Scanova’s plans start off at $9/month billed annually. This is the most expensive solution. And there’s no enterprise plan available.

5. The QR Code generator [6/10]

It is a basic solution that gets the job done, creating a black and white QR Code. It supports the humble QR Code types, such as text, URL, contact, or vCard QR Code, call, and SMS. The tool does have an option to create dynamic QR Codes upon sign-up, but the options are limited.

If you are looking for a customized QR Code, this should not be your preferred choice.

The website has a Sign-In option but no way to understand what you’re signing up for or what you would get once you do sign up.

Paid Plans: None as far as I can tell from the website

6. GoQR [5/10]

For a website that Google says is not secure, GoQR certainly isn’t the best of the lot. Any website that doesn’t have an SSL certificate should be avoided since the data you provide is not encrypted.

Anyway, the website is lackluster and pretty challenging to navigate. Although it offers variety, both in creating QR Codes and printing them on merchandise, the result does not inspire confidence. You can create business cards, T-shirts, and such but again, refrain unless you have no other choice from a privacy standpoint.

Paid Plans: GoQR’s plans are not instantly visible on the website. I had to scroll and click on 3 different links to get to the pricing page. They have quarterly and annual plans which are difficult to understand instantly. It starts at 5 euros/month billed annually which is $6.09/month at the time of writing this. Again, no enterprise-focused plan.

7. Shopify [5/10]

Now, Shopify is a very diverse website and offers various solutions. While I’m a fan of many of their services, making a QR Code is not one of them. It is relatively easy to create but static to a fault, only filling in the type of QR and point of redirection. The resulting QR Code is sent to an email address filled in.

This is obviously not Shopify’s core product so if it’s a quick QR Code you’re trying to make, you can give it a go but don’t consider this if you’re looking to run QR Code campaigns.

Paid Plans: None. This is a quick free tool intended for one-time use.

8. QR Stuff [4/10]

The website isn’t easy to navigate; apart from that, the QR Codes can only be customized after signing up, and even the free QR Code has a limit on the number of scans, i.e., 50. When I tried to switch to the dynamic QR, it failed to load. It looked like another QR Code platform we can afford to skip.

Paid Plans: QR Stuff also doesn’t make it easy to view their pricing. It has plans for a month starting at $11.95/month all the way up to a 12-month plan billed annually which is $7.50/month — easily the 2nd most expensive solution.

A safe QR Code generator

QR Codes have often been termed unsafe. However, phishing emails don’t imply email as a communication channel is unsafe. Therefore, it’s important to first understand what makes a QR Code unsafe and take steps to ensure a safe QR Code experience.

Scanning through the reviews on G2, Beaconstac stands out as the safest QR Code solution. Based on information available on the website, Beaconstac takes the following measures to ensure a safe and secure QR Code experience.

1. An anomaly detection shield — This is a framework that identifies inconsistencies in user scan behavior, notifies the account owner, and filters such traffic. This maintains data sanity.
2. Phishing URL detection — This is a URL-based phishing detection to protect end-users from malicious links attached to QR Codes.
3. Custom domain & URL — Similar to company-owned email ids, users verify the ownership of the QR Code by looking at the domain it redirects to. Beaconstac’s QR Code platform allows brands to customize the URL to a branded one.
4. SOC-2 Type 2 compliant — This is the only QR Code solution in 2023 that is SOC-2 compliant. This is an assurance by security experts that the company is well-equipped to handle security attacks and is committed to rigorous security measures.

If you’re looking for the best free QR Code generators for single-time use, consider tools based on ease-of-use

Based on online reviews, reputation, and my personal experience, here’s how the free QR Code generators fare in that list.

1. Beaconstac — 10/10

2. QR Code Generator — 9/10

3. QR Code Monkey — 8.5/10

4. Scanova — 8/10

5. The QR Code generator — 5/10

6. Shopify — 6/10

7. GoQR — 3/10

8. QR Stuff — 6/10

9. Unitag — 5/10

Although I tested out 15 QR Code generators, the remaining ones on the list can be thought of as honorable mentions; they all lost points on some parameter or the other, but you should check them out as well. The scores are on the same parameters:

The other QR Code generators on my list are:

10. Kaywa’s QR Code generator : [4/10]

11. QRTiger: [5/10]

12. QRExplore: [3/10]

13. QRD: [4/10]

14. uQR: [5/10]

15. Visualead: [4/10]

Additionally, here’s how Beaconstac, QR Code Generator, and some other QR Code platforms compare when it comes to ease of use and other crucial parameters:

Source

What about circular QR Codes? Which are the best circular QR Code generators?

A lot of businesses today prefer different shapes of QR Codes, circular being the most popular one. However, technology for these doesn’t change drastically. Imagine a square QR Code with ornamental dots and dashes around it.

However, if the shape IS a preference, you can try the following options — Beaconstac’s QR Code platform, QR Code chimp, Flowcode, or Unitag’s QR Code solution.

Choose the best QR Code generator based on your requirements. However, if you are struggling to put down your needs and are not sure how soon these campaigns might scale, pick one from the top three QR Code generators. Let me know your experience of using one of these QR Code generators.

How do I know if my QR code generator is safe?

Safe QR Code scanning practices: Quick guide for user safety.

Check the Domain name. When scanning the QR Code, a notification describing the content of the URL pops up. ... .

Stay away from 3rd party QR Code scanners. Be wary of third-party QR Code scanner apps. ... .

Check the source of the QR Code. ... .

Update to the latest OS..

Is QR code generator website safe?

The short answer is yes, QR Codes are secure. Static QR Codes are machine-readable and the content inside them cannot be changed once generated.

Is QR code generator app free?

All of our Static QR Codes are free. This includes URL, vCard, Plain text, Email, SMS, Twitter, WiFi, and Bitcoin. Once created, they are yours forever. The only drawback with these types is that you won't be able to edit the content, so be sure to always test and make sure they work before printing.

What is a reliable QR code generator?

Unitag. Unitag's free advanced QR code generator is trusted by 10,000+ companies that include names like Unilever, Chanel, and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. It offers easy customization and lifetime validity. This means that codes created with their tool won't expire and there's also no limit on the number of scans.