Free · in-browser · never expires
QR Code Generator
Make a QR code for a link, text, WiFi network, email, or phone number — generated on your device, downloadable as PNG or SVG, with no watermark and no expiry. The codes are yours: nothing is uploaded, tracked, or hosted on our servers.
Short answer
This generator encodes your content directly into the code — no shortener, no redirect, no account — which is why the codes never expire and carry no watermark. Everything runs in your browser (WiFi passwords included, never uploaded), and downloads come as PNG for screens or SVG for print at any size.
Your QR code
Generated on your device — nothing is uploaded, the code never expires, and there is no hidden redirect through our servers.
QR codes by purpose
QR error-correction levels
| Level | Name | Damage it survives | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| L | Low | ~7% | Screens only, maximum capacity |
| M | Medium | ~15% | The sensible default |
| Q | Quartile | ~25% | Printed materials |
| H | High | ~30% | Outdoor stickers, small prints, logos overlaid |
Higher correction = denser code at the same content. Capacity tops out at 2,953 bytes (version 40, level L).
Why "free" QR generators expire — and this one can't
The expiring-QR business model works like this: the service encodes a redirect through its own domain, waits for you to print a thousand menus, then charges to keep the redirect alive. A directly-encoded code has no such leash — the pattern IS your content, scannable offline, forever. The honest tradeoff is that direct codes can't be edited after printing and can't count scans; the FAQ shows the UTM-parameter trick that gets you tracking without surrendering the code to a middleman.
How we calculate this
What actually gets encoded, and why our codes can't expire:
- Payload. your content becomes a standard string — a URL as-is, WIFI:T:…;S:…;P:…;; for networks, mailto:/tel:/sms: URIs — with special characters escaped per each format's rules.
- Encoding. the open-source qrcode library builds the ISO/IEC 18004 matrix in your browser (Reed-Solomon error correction included) and renders it to canvas (PNG) and SVG.
- No middleman. the content is encoded directly — no shortener, no redirect through our domain, no analytics. That's why the code never expires and scans offline forever.
Assumptions
- Everything runs client-side: your links, passwords, and messages are never transmitted to any server.
- Scanability depends on print size and contrast: dark-on-light, at least 3–4 cm wide for arm's-length scanning.
- Directly-encoded codes cannot be edited after printing — the flip side of never expiring.
Sources
Last reviewed: July 29, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is this QR code generator really free, with no expiry?+
Yes, structurally: the code encodes your content directly — no shortener, no redirect through our servers, no account. 'Free' generators that later expire your codes do it by encoding a redirect through their domain and charging to keep it alive. Ours can't expire because there's nothing between the scanner and your content. The tradeoff: a directly-encoded code can't be edited after printing.
Do QR codes expire?+
The code itself never does — it's just a pattern encoding text, as permanent as ink. What expires is whatever the code points to: a dead URL, a changed WiFi password, a service's redirect link. Codes from this generator contain your content directly, so they work exactly as long as the content does.
PNG or SVG — which should I download?+
SVG for anything printed: it's vector, so it stays razor-sharp at any size from business card to billboard. PNG for screens, documents, and anywhere raster images are required — choose a generous pixel size (640+) if it might be enlarged. Both downloads carry identical codes; only the file format differs.
How do WiFi QR codes work?+
They encode the standard join string WIFI:T:WPA;S:NetworkName;P:password;; — both iPhone (iOS 11+) and Android cameras recognize it natively and offer to join the network with one tap. Special characters in your password are backslash-escaped per the spec (the classic bug in naive generators). Your credentials are encoded in your browser and never uploaded.
What size should a printed QR code be?+
Rule of thumb: scanning distance ÷ 10. A code scanned at arm's length (40 cm) should be at least 4 cm wide; a poster scanned from 3 m needs ~30 cm. Add error-correction level Q or H for print — up to 30% of the code can be damaged, dirty, or covered and still scan — and keep strong contrast with a quiet margin around the code.
Can I track scans of my QR code?+
Not with a directly-encoded code — and that's a privacy feature, not a gap. Trackable codes work by routing every scan through an analytics redirect, which is also what makes them expirable and slower. If you need scan counts, encode a URL you control with a UTM parameter (yoursite.com/?utm_source=poster) and read it in your own analytics — tracking without the middleman.
Codes are generated with the open-source qrcode library on your device — nothing you enter is transmitted, stored, or tracked.