QR Code Generator – free and permanent
Enter your content, pick a color, download: this QR code generator makes the code right in your browser and contains your data itself – no redirect through someone else’s server, so it never expires.
Source: DENSO WAVE – QR Code: Error correction feature. Updated: .
How it is calculated
A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode made of black and white squares (“modules”). Your phone camera reads it and offers to open the link, join the Wi-Fi network or save the contact. This generator writes your details directly into the code – there is no intermediate server, no redirect and no account.
Static, not dynamic: why these QR codes never expire
Many online generators create “dynamic” QR codes: the code only holds a short link to the provider’s server, which then redirects. Cancel the subscription or the provider shuts down, and every printed code leads nowhere. The codes made here are static: the content is fully stored in the pattern. They work permanently, nobody counts your scans, and you can print them as often as you like. The only trade-off: if the address changes later, you need a new code.
How to create a Wi-Fi QR code
- Choose Wi-Fi and enter the network name (SSID) exactly as shown on your router.
- Pick the security type – almost all routers use WPA2 or WPA3 – and enter the password.
- Download the PNG and print it. Guests scan it with the camera app (iPhone from iOS 11) or with the camera, Google Lens or the QR scanner in the Wi-Fi settings (Android 10 and later) and connect without typing the password.
Technically the code contains text such as WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetwork;P:secret;; – the format of the open-source ZXing library, understood by Android and iOS.
Error correction: which level?
| Level | Recoverable | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| L | approx. 7% | lots of content, clean surfaces (screens) |
| M | approx. 15% | standard for print, flyers, business cards |
| Q | approx. 25% | stickers, packaging, rough environments |
| H | approx. 30% | outdoors, dirty or curved surfaces |
The higher the level, the more modules the code needs – it gets finer and has to be printed larger. The percentages come from DENSO WAVE, the inventor of the QR code, which names level M as the most frequently selected.
How big should a printed QR code be?
Rule of thumb: side length ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10. A business card scanned from 20–30 cm (8–12 in) needs 2–3 cm (about 1 in); a poster read from 3 m (10 ft) should carry a code of around 30 cm (12 in). Keep the light quiet zone of four modules around the code – without it, scanners struggle to find it. For print, SVG is ideal because the vector file stays sharp at any size. PNG works well for Word, PowerPoint, Canva, emails and social media.
Colors and contrast
Colored QR codes work as long as the code is clearly darker than the background. The generator warns you if the contrast drops below 3:1 or if the code is light on a dark background – older scanner apps can’t read such inverted codes. Test every code with two or three different phones before printing.
Logo in the center
Under “Colors, logo, size and error correction” you can place your own image in the middle of the code. It covers about 5% of the modules; to keep the code readable the generator switches error correction to level H automatically (SEPA payment codes keep the required level M, so the logo is smaller there). The image is read only in your browser and is then embedded directly in the PNG or SVG file. A logo on a light, calm background disturbs scanners least – still, test the code before printing.
SEPA payment QR code (EPC QR)
The EPC QR code of the European Payments Council – known in Germany and Austria as “GiroCode” – holds the beneficiary, IBAN, amount and reference of a SEPA credit transfer. Printed on an invoice, banking apps pick up all details with one scan, so IBAN typos are impossible. The generator validates the IBAN check digits before creating the code.
Privacy
Everything you enter – including Wi-Fi passwords and contact details – is processed only in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server or stored; close the tab and it’s gone. “QR Code” is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.
Related tools: print contact details with the business card maker, check an IBAN before creating a payment code with the IBAN validator, shrink the PNG with the image compressor, or put several codes on one printable page with images to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is this QR code generator really free with no sign-up?
Yes. No account, no subscription and no watermark. You may use the codes commercially too, for example on flyers, menus or packaging.
Will my QR code ever expire?
No. The codes are static: your content sits directly in the pattern, with no redirect server that could be switched off. The code keeps working as long as its target (e.g. your website) exists.
Can I change the content later?
Not in the same code – that would require a dynamic code with a redirect. Tip: link to a page on your own website whose content you can change at any time.
PNG or SVG – which format should I use?
SVG for print (print shops, posters, signage): the vector file is sharp at any size. PNG for Word, PowerPoint, Canva, emails and websites. Set the PNG size under “Colors, logo, size and error correction”.
Why won’t my QR code scan?
Common causes: low contrast, no light margin, printed too small, or too much content (a very fine pattern). Use a dark color on a light background, keep the 4-module quiet zone and print the code larger – at least 2 × 2 cm (0.8 in).
How much text fits into a QR code?
Up to about 2,900 bytes at error correction L and about 1,270 bytes at H (version 40). Accented letters and emojis take several bytes each. Shorter content gives a coarser pattern that scans more easily.
Does the Wi-Fi QR code work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. iPhones from iOS 11 connect straight from the camera app; Android phones from version 10 via the camera, Google Lens or the QR scanner in the Wi-Fi settings. Older devices can use a scanner app.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. The code is generated with JavaScript in your browser. Neither content nor passwords are transmitted or saved in the address bar.
Sources and legal basis
- DENSO WAVE – QR Code: Error correction feature
- ZXing – Barcode Contents (WIFI, SMSTO)
- RFC 2426 – vCard MIME Directory Profile (vCard 3.0)
- RFC 6068 – The mailto URI Scheme
- RFC 3966 – The tel URI for Telephone Numbers
- European Payments Council – Quick Response Code Guidelines (EPC069-12)
- qrcode-generator – Kazuhiko Arase (MIT)
- Open-source licenses of the libraries used (MIT, LGPL-3.0)
As of: · Editorial policy
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