Free QR Code Creator
Create QR codes free during our 14-day trial. Download static codes and they're yours forever—no strings attached.
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Let's Be Honest About "Free" QR Codes
Search for "free QR code" and you'll find dozens of sites promising unlimited free codes forever. Most of them are lying—or at least hiding the catch until it's too late.
We're not going to do that. Here's exactly what QR Code Better offers for free:
- 14-day free trial — Full access to create QR codes
- Static QR codes you download are yours — They work forever, even after your trial ends
- No credit card required to start — We don't collect payment info until you decide to upgrade
That's it. No hidden fees, no codes that suddenly stop working, no bait-and-switch.
Why "Free Forever" QR Codes Are Often a Trap
Here's a scenario that happens every day: A restaurant owner finds a "free QR code generator" online. They create a code for their menu, print it on 500 table tents, and distribute them across their restaurant. Three months later, customers start complaining—the QR code leads to an error page or, worse, a "upgrade to continue" message.
What happened? The "free" QR code wasn't actually encoding the menu URL directly. Instead, it was a redirect through the QR company's servers. And those servers just put up a paywall.
Now the restaurant owner has two choices: pay whatever the company demands, or reprint all 500 table tents with a new code.
The Three Most Common "Free" QR Code Traps
1. The Redirect Hostage
Your "free" code actually points to their server, which redirects to your URL. They can break this redirect anytime—and they will, once you're dependent on it. Suddenly your code stops working unless you pay.
2. The Scan Limit Surprise
Some services let you create codes for free but limit how many times they can be scanned. Hit 100 scans and your code dies. Hope you didn't print it on anything permanent.
3. The Expiration Date
"Free" codes that work for 30, 60, or 90 days—then stop. By the time they expire, you've already printed them everywhere.
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes: What You Need to Know
Understanding this difference is the key to never getting trapped by a "free" QR code service.
Static QR Codes
A static QR code encodes your URL directly into the pattern of black and white squares. When someone scans it, their phone reads the URL straight from the image—no internet connection to a third party required.
- ✓ Works forever once downloaded
- ✓ No dependency on any company's servers
- ✓ Cannot be held hostage
- ✓ Cannot be edited after creation
- ✓ No scan tracking or analytics
Best for: Permanent links that won't change—your website homepage, a contact page, WiFi passwords, business card info.
Dynamic QR Codes
A dynamic QR code encodes a short redirect URL. When scanned, it hits a server that redirects to your actual destination. This means the destination can be changed anytime without reprinting the code.
- ✓ Edit destination URL anytime
- ✓ Track scans, locations, devices
- ✓ A/B test different destinations
- ✗ Requires active subscription
- ✗ Depends on the service staying online
Best for: Marketing campaigns, menus that change seasonally, promotions, anything where you need flexibility or tracking.
The key insight: If a "free" QR code service is giving you dynamic codes, they control the redirect. That's how they trap you. True static codes can't be held hostage because there's no middleman.
How Our 14-Day Free Trial Works
When you sign up for QR Code Better, you get 14 days of full access. During that time:
What You Can Create
- • URL QR codes (links to any website)
- • vCard QR codes (contact information)
- • WiFi QR codes (network credentials)
- • Plain text QR codes
- • Email QR codes
- • PDF QR codes
What You Get to Keep
- • Any static QR code you download
- • PNG, SVG, and PDF files
- • Custom colored codes
- • These work forever—no expiration
What Happens After 14 Days?
If you don't upgrade to a paid plan:
- Static codes you downloaded keep working. They're image files on your computer. We can't touch them even if we wanted to.
- Dynamic codes stop redirecting. These require our servers, so they need an active subscription.
- You lose access to the dashboard. No more creating new codes or viewing analytics.
That's the honest trade-off. If you just need a few static QR codes for permanent use, you can create them during the trial, download them, and never pay us a cent. We're fine with that.
When Free Isn't Enough (And You Should Pay)
Static QR codes are perfect for many use cases. But here's when you actually need a paid plan with dynamic codes:
You Need Dynamic Codes If...
- • Your destination URL might change
- • You're printing codes on expensive materials
- • You need to track how many people scan
- • You want to see where scans come from
- • You're running marketing campaigns
- • You need to A/B test destinations
Static Codes Are Fine If...
- • Your URL will never change
- • You don't need scan analytics
- • You're linking to your main website
- • You're sharing WiFi credentials
- • You're encoding contact info (vCard)
- • You're creating a one-time code
Try It Free for 14 Days
Create static QR codes and download them—they're yours to keep forever.
No credit card required. No codes held hostage.
Start Free TrialLearn More About QR Codes
Editable codes with scan tracking.
How scan tracking works.
Full guide to creating codes.
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