The QR code generator with real design control
19 content types, 6 module shapes, gradients, custom corner styling and a logo in the middle — exported as vector so it stays sharp from a business card to a billboard.
- No sign-up
- No expiry
- No scan tracking
- Commercial use included
Open a website when the code is scanned. The most common QR code by far.
Design
Leave the corner colours empty to inherit the foreground.
Your QR code
Static · never expiresPreparing the renderer…
Raster downloads use this resolution. SVG and PDF are vector and stay sharp at any size.
Encoded content
https://upfrog.online
Everything in the free version
There is no paid tier hiding the useful features. This is the whole product, including8 ready-made templates and a free HTTP API.
Full colour control
Single colours, linear and radial gradients, and independent colours for the corner frames and dots.
6 module shapes
Square, dots, rounded, extra-rounded and classy — with 6 corner frame and 6 corner dot styles to match.
Logo in the middle
Drop in your logo and error correction is raised automatically so the code still decodes.
Static and permanent
Content is encoded in the pattern itself. Nothing to renew, nothing that can be switched off.
Nothing leaves your device
Encoding, rendering and logo embedding all happen in your browser. Scans are never tracked.
Developer API
One endpoint, the same design options, SVG or PNG out. Free to use for any volume.
19 kinds of QR code
Each type encodes a different payload format, so the scanning device knows exactly what to do — dial, connect, save a contact or open a map.
URL
Open a website when the code is scanned. The most common QR code by far.
Text
Show plain text on the scanning device. Nothing is opened or downloaded.
Open a pre-filled email draft addressed to you.
Phone
Start a phone call to the number below.
SMS
Open the messaging app with your number and text already filled in.
Open a WhatsApp chat with a prepared message.
vCard
A full digital business card that saves straight into the phone's contacts.
MeCard
A shorter contact format. Produces a smaller, easier-to-scan code than vCard.
Location
Drop a pin on a map. Use a search term or exact coordinates.
Wi-Fi
Join a wireless network without typing the password. Ideal for cafés and offices.
Event
Add an appointment to the calendar app on the scanning device.
Crypto
A payment request wallets can read directly, with an optional amount.
Send people to a Facebook page or profile.
X / Twitter
Open a profile, or pre-fill a post for people to share.
YouTube
Play a video or open a channel.
Open an Instagram profile.
Open a LinkedIn profile or company page.
App
Link to your app. Enter the store link you want scanners to land on.
PayPal
A PayPal.Me payment link, optionally with a fixed amount.
Common questions
Everything else is answered on the full FAQ page.
Is it really free, and do I need an account?
Yes and no, in that order. Every content type, every design option and every export format is free, and there is no sign-up step. Codes are generated in your browser.
Do the codes expire or stop working?
No. Every code produced here is static: the content is encoded directly in the pattern. Nothing is stored on a server and there is no redirect that could be switched off later.
How many QR codes can I create?
There is no limit. Generation happens on your device, so there is nothing to meter.
Can I use the codes commercially?
Yes — on packaging, in print, in advertising, in products you sell. No attribution is required.
Which format should I download?
SVG or PDF for anything that gets printed, because they are vector and stay sharp at any size. PNG for screens and social media. JPG only when a file-size limit forces your hand — it has no transparency and can introduce compression artefacts around module edges.
Why did the error correction level change when I added a logo?
A logo covers data modules, so the code needs more redundancy to survive. Adding a logo raises the level to H, which lets roughly 30% of the code be obscured and still decode.
Latest guides
Every claim about whether a design scans comes from rendering a code and decoding it back.
GuidesQR code security: what a code can and cannot tell you
A QR code hides its destination until scanned, which is exactly what makes malicious codes effective. As a publisher, use your own domain so people can recognise it. As a scanner, always read the URL your phone shows before tapping, and be suspicious of stickers placed over existing codes.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesQR codes on product packaging
Packaging codes face curved surfaces, gloss varnish and absorbent substrates, and they often outlive the campaign that created them. Point them at a stable path on your own domain, size generously, and ask for a matte finish over the code area.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesGenerating QR codes in bulk
Generate programmatically through an API, keep payloads short and consistent, and verify by decoding every generated image back to text and comparing it byte-for-byte against the intended value. Visual spot-checking does not scale and misses systematic errors.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesQR codes for events, tickets and badges
Event codes are scanned in the worst conditions a code ever faces: dim venues, moving queues, phone screens at low brightness. Prioritise contrast and module size over design, keep payloads short, and test scanning from a phone screen as well as from paper.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesQR codes on business cards that people actually scan
Keep the payload as short as possible, because a business card code is typically only 2cm square. MeCard beats vCard on density, and a short URL to a contact page beats both. Around 2cm with a proper quiet zone is the practical minimum.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team6 min read
GuidesPNG, SVG, PDF or JPG: which QR code file to download
Use SVG or PDF for anything printed, because they are vector and stay sharp at any size. Use PNG for screens. Avoid JPG for QR codes entirely — its compression creates artefacts around the hard edges of modules, which is exactly the detail a scanner needs.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team6 min read
GuidesWhich QR code type should you use?
The content type sets the payload format, and the format tells the phone what to offer — dial, connect, save a contact, add an event. Pick the most specific type that matches your intent, because a plain URL makes the user do work the code could have done.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesWi-Fi QR codes: the one most venues never print
A Wi-Fi QR code encodes the network name, security type and password so a phone can join without typing. The common failure is punctuation: semicolons, commas, colons and backslashes in a password must be escaped, or everything after them is silently discarded.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
GuidesQR codes or NFC tags?
QR codes cost nothing to produce, work on every phone with a camera, and can be read from a distance. NFC tags need no aiming and feel more premium, but cost money per unit and are unreliable on some devices. For most printed use, QR wins on cost and reach.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team7 min read
DesignTransparent backgrounds and where they go wrong
Transparency removes the background fill, so whatever sits behind the code becomes its light half. That is fine on a white page and fatal on a photo or a dark panel. Only PNG, WEBP and SVG keep transparency — JPG and PDF fill it with white.
By The Upgfrog Editorial Team6 min read
Browse everything
All 25 guides, newest first.
- Guides7 min read
QR code security: what a code can and cannot tell you
- Guides7 min read
QR codes on product packaging
- Guides7 min read
Generating QR codes in bulk
- Guides7 min read
QR codes for events, tickets and badges
- Guides6 min read
QR codes on business cards that people actually scan
- Guides6 min read
PNG, SVG, PDF or JPG: which QR code file to download
- Guides7 min read
Which QR code type should you use?
- Guides7 min read
Wi-Fi QR codes: the one most venues never print
- Guides7 min read
QR codes or NFC tags?
- Design6 min read
Transparent backgrounds and where they go wrong
Design7 min readCustom corner shapes: the restyling that breaks codes
Guides7 min readvCard or MeCard for a contact QR code?
Guides6 min readWhy shortening the URL is usually the best fix for a QR code
Design6 min readGradients in QR codes: what works and what quietly fails
Design8 min readPutting a logo in a QR code without breaking it
Design7 min readChoosing QR code colours that actually scan
Troubleshooting8 min readQR code error correction levels, explained
Troubleshooting6 min readThe quiet zone: the margin that breaks more codes than anything else
Troubleshooting7 min readHow big should a QR code be?
Troubleshooting8 min readSix reasons your QR code is not working
Troubleshooting7 min readQR codes on curved, glossy and awkward surfaces
Troubleshooting7 min readHow to test a QR code before you print a thousand of them
Guides7 min readStatic vs dynamic QR codes: which one do you actually need?
Design9 min readDesigning QR codes that still scan
Guides6 min readQR codes for restaurants and retail that people actually scan