Do free QR codes expire?

What is the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?

A static QR code stores its content directly in the pattern of dark and light squares: the full web address, the Wi-Fi name and password, or the contact details. A phone reads that content straight from the image, so nothing has to be hosted anywhere and there is nothing to renew. The trade-off is that the content is fixed. To change it, you make and print a new code.

A dynamic QR code stores only a short link to the provider’s server. When someone scans it, the server looks up where that link should go and redirects the phone there. That is what lets dynamic codes be edited after printing and count their scans, but it also means every printed copy depends on that server, and on the account behind it, staying active.

Why do some "free" QR codes stop working?

Many QR code generators offer dynamic codes on a free trial or a limited free plan. The code works perfectly while the trial runs, so it gets printed on menus, flyers and packaging. When the trial ends, or the plan’s limits are reached, the provider can stop the redirect or send scans to a page asking the owner to upgrade.

Nothing about the printed code has changed, yet every copy fails at once, because the code never contained your link in the first place. The same can happen if a provider shuts down, changes its terms or deletes inactive accounts. Before printing a link code from any generator, scan it and look at the address in the preview: a dynamic code usually shows a short address on the provider’s own domain instead of yours.

Can a static QR code still stop working?

Yes, but only for reasons you can see and control. A link code stops working if the page it points to goes offline or moves to a new address, so point it at a page you own. A Wi-Fi code stops connecting when you change the network password, and a contact code goes out of date when your number or job changes. In each case the code itself is fine; what it encodes is not.

The print can also make a code hard to read. Scratches, folds and very small prints lose squares; a higher error correction level, such as Q or H, lets the code survive more damage. Low contrast, or light squares on a dark background, confuses many scanners, which is why this generator warns you about both. Cropping the empty margin around the code causes trouble too, so keep a margin of at least four modules.

How can you check a QR code will keep working?

Scan the downloaded file with two different phones before you print, ideally an iPhone and an Android phone, and check that the result is exactly what you expect. For a link code, the address in the scan preview should be your own address, not a short link on someone else’s domain. Download the SVG for print so the squares keep sharp edges at any size, and print a test copy at the final size. Keep the original file somewhere safe, so you can reprint the same code later without making a new one.

Does this site need to stay online for my codes to work?

No. QR Free Forever generates every code in your browser, and the result is a plain image file with your content inside it. Scanning that image never contacts this site or any server we run. If this site changed or disappeared tomorrow, every code you have already downloaded would keep working exactly as before, for as long as the content it points to does. There is no account to cancel, no plan to renew and no scan limit, so you can print the same code on as many menus, signs or cards as you like.