QR Code Generators
Free QR code generators for every use case.
Pick the type that fits your project. Each generator is free, runs in your browser, and produces a print-ready QR code with custom colors and patterns. Free QR Chameleon account gives you scan analytics and dynamic destinations on top.
WiFi QR Code Generator
Guests connect to your network in one scan — no typing the password.
Try it freevCard QR Code Generator
Save your contact details to anyone’s phone with one tap.
Try it freeLink QR Code Generator
Turn any URL into a scannable QR code for flyers, packaging, or signs.
Try it freeNeed a different type?
Sign up free and create any QR type from your dashboard. Start in 10 seconds.
How many types of QR codes are there?
Technically, there's only one QR code format. The "type" people refer to is the kind of data encoded inside it.
A QR code is a 2D barcode that holds up to 4,296 characters of any data. The type you pick at generation time tells the scanning phone what to do with that data: open a URL, join a WiFi network, save a contact card, drop a pin in a map. The black-and-white pattern looks identical from the outside. Only the handling changes.
Ten common types you'll see in the wild:
- Link / URL — open a website
- WiFi — connect to a network
- vCard / contact — save name, phone, email to contacts
- Email — pre-fill a new email
- SMS — pre-fill a text message
- Plain text — display a literal string
- Geolocation — open a pin in Maps
- Calendar event — add a date to the calendar
- App store — route to App Store or Google Play
- Cryptocurrency address — pre-fill a wallet send
The main types of QR codes
Link / URL QR codes
Encode a URL. The most common type by a wide margin. Used on flyers, packaging, product labels, signage, and anywhere you want to send a phone from physical space to a webpage.
Make a free Link QR code →WiFi QR codes
Encode a network name and password. Guests join your network in one scan, no typing. Common in cafes, vacation rentals, salons, and conference rooms.
Make a free WiFi QR code →vCard QR codes
Encode contact info in the vCard format. One scan saves name, phone, email, and company directly to the recipient's contacts. Common on business cards, real estate signs, and conference badges.
Make a free vCard QR code →Email QR codes
Pre-fill a new email to a specific address, optionally with a subject line and body. Useful on yard signs, in-store kiosks, or printed materials when you want people to start a conversation by email.
SMS QR codes
Pre-fill an outgoing text message. Common for "Text START to opt in" campaigns and customer service shortcuts.
Plain text QR codes
Encode a literal string. Niche but useful for serial numbers, codes, or short messages that don't need to link anywhere.
Geolocation QR codes
Drop a pin in the user's default maps app. Restaurants, event venues, real estate listings, and trailheads benefit.
Calendar event QR codes
Add an event directly to the calendar with start time, end time, location, and description. Great for save-the-dates and event flyers.
App store QR codes
Send users to the App Store or Google Play. The QR code can detect the user's operating system and route accordingly.
PDF QR codes
Open a hosted PDF. Useful for manuals, menus, training docs, and brochures. Host the PDF anywhere on the web, then point a Link QR code at it.
Static vs dynamic QR codes
The other axis people mean by "type" is static vs dynamic.
Static QR codes encode the actual data inside the pattern. The URL or WiFi credentials live in the dots. Once printed, you can't change what they do without printing a new code.
Dynamic QR codes encode a short redirect URL (like qrch.am/abc123). The pattern stays the same forever; what it points to lives on a server and can be updated anytime. Dynamic codes also let you track scans: how many, when, where, what device.
Every QR Chameleon code is dynamic by default. Read more about the difference.
Which QR code generators are really free?
Most "free" QR code generators are free until you want something useful. Common gates: no logo upload until you pay, no analytics so you have no idea if anyone scanned, codes that expire after a trial period, or low-resolution PNG downloads stamped with the generator's watermark.
QR Chameleon's free plan includes 2 QR codes per month, full color and pattern customization, print-ready PNG and SVG downloads, and unlimited scan analytics on every code you make. That covers device, geographic, and referrer data. Codes don't expire. The only common feature gated by an upgrade is logo upload, available on plans starting at $8/mo.
For a side-by-side test of seven popular free generators with the gates and limits called out, see our comparison of 7 free QR code generators.
Is a QR code a type of barcode?
Yes. A QR code is a 2D matrix barcode, invented in 1994 by a Japanese company called Denso Wave. Traditional 1D barcodes (the parallel-line kind on grocery products) hold around 12 characters. QR codes hold up to 4,296. Both are barcodes; QR codes just pack data in two dimensions instead of one.
Frequently asked questions
Do different QR code types need different generators?
No. Every QR code uses the same underlying format. The "type" is just the formatting convention for the data inside (a URL string, a WiFi credential string, a vCard string, etc.). One generator that supports multiple types is enough.
Can I change a QR code's type after I make it?
Only if it's dynamic. Static QR codes have the data baked into the pattern, so once printed, the type is locked. Dynamic QR codes route through a server, so you can swap a Link QR code's destination, edit a vCard, or change WiFi credentials without reprinting the code.
What's the most common type of QR code?
Link / URL QR codes by a wide margin. They're the default on marketing materials, packaging, product labels, signage, and almost every QR code you scan in public.
Do QR codes expire?
The pattern itself never expires. But codes from some "free" generators get disabled after a trial period. Codes made on QR Chameleon don't expire, regardless of plan.
