Paid vs. Free QR Code Generators: Which is better?

There are so many free QR code generators available online; do you really need a paid one?

The short answer is yes.

Free QR code generators only have a single purpose–to generate QR codes.

But when it comes to business and marketing campaigns, you need more than just quickly generated QR codes. You need QR codes that are dynamic, fully customizable, and secure. That’s exactly where paid QR code generators can help.

Paid QR code generators offer more features for businesses looking to take their marketing efforts to the next level.

Let’s take a look at the main differences between paid and free QR code generators.

Are free QR code generators truly free?

Free QR code generators allow you to generate QR codes for free, but there can be restrictions:

There may only be basic customization options available, making it difficult for you to generate a QR code that completely aligns with your branding guidelines
There may be no options to download high-resolution images
There may be no support for dynamic QR codes, making it impossible to edit information in already-generated QR codes
There may be a limit on the number of scans for every QR code. So, if you run over the limit, you would have to regenerate and redistribute the QR code
There may be no data security or technical support

Free vs paid QR code generators: The main differences

Features	Free QR code generators	Paid QR code generators
Editable QR codes	No	Yes. Supports dynamic QR codes
High-resolution images	No	Yes
Ads	Displays ads	No adds
Customization	Basic features	More advanced customization options
Tracking analytics	No	Yes
Technical support	No	Yes
Multi-URL landing pages	No	Yes
Data security	Basic	Complies with international regulations like GDPR

Free QR code generators display ads for revenue since they don’t charge users. The ads may appear on websites, mobile apps, or within the QR code content. That means there is a chance your end customers will be bombarded by ads when scanning QR codes.

Paid QR code generators like Mobiqode charge a fixed subscription fee and are 100% ad-free. Your users get uninterrupted access to the content without any annoying ads.

High-resolution images

Most free QR code generators only allow you to download QR code images in PNG or JPG formats. You’ll need vector or PDF formats for high-resolution QR code images that don’t pixelate, available only with paid generators.

Tracking analytics

QR code analytics can help assess marketing campaign performance. While many paid QR code generators allow you to track scan analytics, free QR code generators do not offer these advanced features.

Dynamic QR codes

When you create dynamic QR codes, you can edit the target URL or encoded information even after generating the code. So, you can continue using the same QR code design even after changing the target content. It saves printing costs and time while giving you more control over your QR codes.

Many free QR code generators only support static QR codes, so you can’t edit them once generated. The only way to make changes is by regenerating and redistributing the QR code again.

Mobiqode’s QR code generator allows you to create dynamic QR codes that can be edited even after generation.

Advanced customization options

Free QR code generators only offer basic customization options, allowing you to change the color or add text.

Paid QR code generators offer advanced customization with the option to add your brand’s unique colors, logos, and images. You can create QR codes in different shapes and patterns that align with your personal or brand style.

Support

Free QR code generators usually lack reliable and timely technical support. Most don’t provide any support at all.

Most paid QR code generators offer prompt support to their customers as part of their subscription services. They understand that ensuring uninterrupted service and optimum performance is the only way to retain existing customers.

Multi-URL landing pages

Free QR code generators offer basic features, such as linking one URL per QR code. You need to generate multiple QR codes to share multiple URLs or content assets.

Paid generators, on the other hand, allow users to build multi-URL landing pages to share different types of content together including, vCards, PDFs, URLs, event invitations, and more.

You can embed multiple links in a single QR code. When users scan the QR code, they get a list of links to click on.

For instance, if you want your customers to follow you on different social media platforms, you can create one QR code to share links to all of your social media pages. Customers can scan the QR code to access and follow different social media channels. You can customize these landing pages to match your brand’s visual identity and share content without a dedicated website.

Data security

When you create a QR code with a free generator, how does it keep your and your customers’ data secure? Are there any security measures to protect the content you upload and share through the QR code?

Since most free QR code generators earn revenue through ads, they access your data identifiers and share that information with advertisers to display relevant ads. These tools may also not encrypt data according to global compliance standards.

Paid QR code generators take extra steps to protect and secure data. For instance, Mobiqode is GDPR compliant and follows global regulations to ensure customer data is always protected.

Limit on the number of scans

Free QR code generators can limit the number of times you can scan the QR code. They can also put a time limit on how long the QR code will stay active. After the QR code has expired, your only choice is to regenerate the QR code.

Most paid QR code generators support QR codes indefinitely. The generated QR codes have no time or scan limits.

Paid vs free QR code generators: Choosing the right one

The major difference between paid and free QR code generators isn’t cost but the features and benefits you get. Paid QR code generators have more advanced features and are perfect for businesses, professionals, and marketers looking to incorporate QR codes as part of their marketing strategy.

Sign up with Mobiqode to get access to all the advanced features and create winning QR codes that are bound to impress your audience.

FAQs

Are QR codes free or paid?

QR codes can be free or paid, depending on which QR code generator you use. Paid QR code generators usually offer features like advanced customization, fully editable QR codes, high data security, and an ad-free experience.

Is there a free QR code generator that is actually free?

Free QR code generators can help you create QR codes, but they can also have major limitations. There can be a limit on the number of times you can scan the QR codes, or your QR code could expire after a specific period of time.

What are the risks of free QR code generator?

Data security is one of the biggest risks with free QR code generators. You sign up with the tool for free, and there is no agreement between parties on how your data will be handled. Free QR code generators are not liable to encrypt and protect your data. They could also share your data with advertising partners