How to Make a QR Code for Free (No Account, No Watermark)

QR codes are everywhere — restaurant menus, business cards, product packaging, event tickets, WiFi sharing, and payment systems. Creating one takes about 5 seconds and costs nothing.

This guide shows you how to create QR codes for any purpose, what to put in them, and best practices for printing and sharing.

Create a QR Code Now

Use our free QR Code Generator:

1. Type or paste your content (URL, text, WiFi password, etc.)
2. Adjust size and margin
3. Download as PNG

No signup, no watermark, no tracking. Generated entirely in your browser.

What Can You Put in a QR Code?

Website URL (Most Common)

https://www.samnet.dev

When scanned, opens the website directly. Perfect for:

• Business cards
• Flyers and posters
• Product packaging
• Social media profiles

WiFi Password

Share your WiFi without typing the password:

WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetworkName;P:MyPassword;;

When scanned, the phone automatically connects to the WiFi network. Great for:

• Guest WiFi at home
• Restaurants and cafes
• Office visitor WiFi
• Airbnb rentals

Plain Text

Any text you want to share

Useful for:

• Short messages or instructions
• Serial numbers or codes
• Quick notes

Email

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Hello&body=I found your QR code

Opens the email app with a pre-filled message.

Phone Number

tel:+15551234567

Opens the phone dialer with the number ready to call.

SMS

sms:+15551234567?body=Hello from QR

Opens the messaging app with a pre-filled text.

Location

geo:32.7767,-96.7970

Opens the maps app at specific coordinates.

QR Code Best Practices

Size and Printing

Rule of thumb: The scanning distance is about 10x the QR code size. A 3 cm QR code can be scanned from about 30 cm (1 foot) away.

Do

• Test before printing — scan it with your phone to make sure it works
• Use a short URL — shorter content = simpler QR code = easier to scan
• Add a call to action — put text near the QR code like "Scan for menu" or "Scan to connect to WiFi"
• Use high contrast — dark code on light background works best
• Leave white space (quiet zone) around the QR code — do not crowd it with other graphics

Do Not

• Do not resize below minimum — too small and phones cannot scan it
• Do not invert colors without testing — some scanners struggle with light-on-dark
• Do not put a QR code in an email — just use a regular link. Nobody scans their screen
• Do not use QR codes for long text — the more data, the denser the code, the harder to scan. Keep it under 300 characters

QR Code Use Cases

For Business

• Business cards: Link to your website, LinkedIn, or portfolio
• Restaurant menus: Link to an online menu (saves printing costs)
• Product packaging: Link to instructions, warranty registration, or reviews
• Event tickets: Unique QR for entry validation
• Invoices: Link to online payment

For Personal

• WiFi sharing: Print and stick near your router for guests
• Moving/packing: QR codes on boxes linking to a contents list
• Pet tags: QR code with your phone number on your pet's collar
• Wedding invitations: Link to RSVP page or event details

For Marketing

• Posters/flyers: Link to landing page or special offer
• Stickers: Link to your social media
• Vehicle wraps: Link to your business website
• Magazine ads: Track scans with UTM parameters in the URL

Tracking QR Code Scans

Our basic QR generator creates static codes — you cannot track scans. If you need scan analytics:

1. Use a URL shortener with analytics (like Bitly) — put the short URL in the QR code
2. Use UTM parameters — append ?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=flyer to your URL, then check Google Analytics

Generate Your QR Code

Use our free QR Code Generator — create QR codes instantly in your browser. No account, no watermark, no tracking. Download as PNG and print or share anywhere.

See Also

• How to Find Your WiFi Password