Unveiling the QR Code Battle: Paid vs. Free QR Code Generators — Which Reigns Supreme?
Picture this: you’re at a restaurant and see a QR Code on the menu. You pull out your phone and scan it, and suddenly, you’re transported to a world of delicious food options and exclusive deals. Ah, the magic of QR Codes!
Now, let’s pan the camera from the user’s perspective and review it from the marketer’s. When it comes to implementing QR Codes as a part of any marketing campaign, the most prominent question marketers face is whether to go for a free QR Code generator or a paid one.
With so many free and awesome QR Code generators available out there, why go for a paid one? Trust me, and I thought the same until I opened the door to paid QR Code generators and discovered “why” they are available only for a price.
So here’s my review on which one is better: free or paid, with a detailed breakdown of their features and advantages to help you pick out a QR Code generator that satisfies all your marketing and business needs.
Table of Contents
· Why Choose a Free QR Code Generator?
· Are Paid QR Code Generators Better?
· How to Select Between Paid and Free QR Code Generators?
· 4 Best Paid QR Code Generators — Businesses and Marketers
· 4 Best Free QR Code Generators — Top Picks for Marketers
What Is So Good About Free QR Code Generators?
Free QR Code generators come with a few features that, as a first-time user, you simply cannot resist. What are these features?
- You can create different types of QR Codes without spending a penny (social media, video, digital business cards, you name it).
- Many free QR Code makers come with basic customization options. This means you can change the color of your QR Code, add a logo, and add text to the QR Code.
- If you plan to use QR Codes for print marketing, most solutions offer high-resolution download formats.
- Unlimited scans (duh).
- A few reliable and free QR Code generators also offer dynamic QR Codes, which means you can update the information without re-printing or re-creating the QR Code.
And that’s pretty much all you get with a free QR Code generator. So, now what do you miss out on by using a free QR Code maker? Let’s find out.
Paid QR Code Generator: Why Is It Better?
The idea of paying for a service simply means getting what you get in a free service and more. And that’s precisely how paid QR Code solutions work too. Apart from what we discussed above, a paid QR Code platform will also offer you the following:
Analytics
Analytics from a paid QR Code generator tells you how effectively your QR Codes work. This means you can understand how many people scanned your QR Code, their location, device, and much more to gauge whether you need to make any further changes or optimizations to your QR Code to amplify its results.
This is just the beginning. If the QR Code generator offers integration with Google Analytics, then you can tap into user behavior and end-user demographics in detail.
Also, a feature called ‘real-time scannability analytics’ (something you don’t see in all QR Code generators out there) will stop you from deploying a QR Code that doesn’t work. The analytics offered by each QR Code maker differs, so don’t forget to enquire about them in detail before you proceed.
Security
This is one of the most critical aspects to consider when choosing a QR Code generator or when you create a QR Code, especially if you are an enterprise. Choosing a paid QR Code generator will add an essential layer of security to your QR Codes and, of course, to the users scanning them.
QR Codes contain sensitive information and sometimes require users to share their information too. This means you cannot have any data threats bothering your users or your organization.
Users are more likely to engage with QR Codes that are safe to scan and use. With a free QR Code generator, this is probably just a dream. On the flip side, paid QR Code generators such as Uniqode (previously) and Flowcode are GDPR compliant. I also discovered that Uniqode is SOC® 2 Type II certified, making it one of the safest QR Code generators out there.
Better UX
Free generators can be tempting, and their limited features can only satisfy you for a short time. The overall user experience offered by many free QR Code makers is mediocre, facilitating nothing but the creation of QR Codes in a dull and non-engaging way.
And if the website or app looks unappealing, how can you trust it? With paid QR Code generators, you unlock a world of convenience and functionality. With them, you can get an intuitive interface to effortlessly customize QR Codes with your brand colors, logos, and even embedded images. Plus, with paid generators, you receive priority support, ensuring that any questions or issues you encounter are addressed promptly.
Improved Shareability
Free QR Code generators are great! You can create QR Codes and download them in various formats. Now, let’s say you want to create something more advanced with these QR Codes, such as a digital visiting card, share it via multiple channels, and even add it to your email signature. That’s where a paid solution comes in.
Free QR Code generators come with limited shareability features. Others will enable the exchange of information more rapidly. You can instantly distribute your QR Code-based digital business cards or QR Codes to your target audience via multiple platforms, such as social media, email, or messaging apps, for promotions, events, or product information.
Integrations
One of the best perks you can get with a paid QR Code generator is seamless integration with third-party apps. Think of effortlessly connecting your QR Codes with your CRM systems and sales stack. This makes capturing leads, tracking customer data, and measuring campaign effectiveness a breeze.
The reason is, that paid generators understand the importance of collaboration, offering a range of integrations that sync perfectly with your existing tools. Results? Improved efficiency, data insights, and marketing success.
Selecting Between Paid and Free QR Code Generators: A Simple Checklist
You know the benefits. You know what you get with a paid QR Code generator and a free QR Code generator. A paid QR Code generator definitely has more features and is the perfect tool for marketers and businesses looking to take their marketing efforts to the next level.
But if you still need clarification, and are wondering how you can determine if you need a free or paid QR Code generator, then the following checklist is all you need!
If you’re looking for all the bells and whistles, a paid QR Code generator is the way to go. It offers a comprehensive set of features that can cater to your needs. On the other hand, if the free QR Code maker does the job for you and meets your requirements, then there’s no harm in going for that option instead. It’s all about finding the right fit for your specific needs and budget.
4 Best Paid QR Code Generators: For Businesses and Marketers
During my search for the best QR Code generator, four solutions caught my eye. I have scored them on a few critical factors to make it easy for you to choose one. To know more about each of them, continue reading!
Uniqode’s QR Code Generator
Uniqode’s QR Code generator (previously known as Beaconstac) is an enterprise-ready solution known for its advanced features and user-friendly interface. This solution, however, caters to both individuals and businesses (small and large) with comprehensive tracking and analytics capabilities allowing you to consistently measure the effectiveness of your QR Code campaigns.
Features that particularly stood out for me:
- It has an intuitive interface and an organized dashboard for creating and customizing the QR Codes with ease.
- The “real-time scannability score” prevents deploying QR Codes that don’t work.
- Integration with Google Analytics gives you real-time updates on scans, location, user behavior, and demographic-related information about the scanners.
- High-security standards, such as GDPR compliance and SOC® 2 Type II certification, make it enterprise-ready.
- Many more enterprise-specific features, including advanced retargeting, enterprise SSO, white label, etc.
- Integration with Slack, Zapier, Workato, Canva, and many more for a hassle-free experience.
- Fulfills many use cases, including creating QR Codes for Google reviews, restaurant menus, PDFs, etc.
Pricing: The 14-day free trial was particularly helpful in discovering the product to its full potential. There are various pricing plans, but the Starter plan is priced at $5/month, billed annually.
QR Code Generator Pro
QR Code Generator Pro is a powerful online tool for marketers who are looking to create and customize QR Codes for various purposes. I’m talking about QR Codes for visiting cards, social media, and much more. The best part of this solution is that the QR Codes have in-built landing pages (you don’t need a website) designed to function flawlessly across any device.
Features I liked:
- You can generate QR Codes with custom colors, shapes, and patterns to match your brand or personal style.
- You can create QR Codes for URLs, business cards, flyers, text, email addresses, and more.
- You can create branded URLs for social media.
- Basic tracking capabilities for your QR Code scans. You can also track link and landing page metrics.
- You can also generate QR Codes in vector format without compromising image quality.
Pricing: This tool, too, comes with a 14-day free trial which I recommend you try out. The Starter plan is priced at $5/month, billed annually, but comes with minimal features. Hence, you might want to consider Advanced or Professional plans.
Flowcode
Flowcode is a versatile digital platform that lets individuals and businesses create and manage custom QR Codes effortlessly. While it has many offerings, the QR Code generator is definitely a standout. At first glance, I thought this was a free QR Code generator. Which it is, but if you want to do more than a basic QR Code, you have to upgrade to the premium solution.
A few features I liked:
- The free QR Code generator lets you customize your QR Codes, right from the color to shape to the pattern.
- In the premium version, you get access to dynamic QR Codes, meaning the information or destination associated with the QR Code can be updated and modified in real-time.
- QR Code API lets you create QR Codes in bulk and integrate it with your apps and systems. This also means you get access to comprehensive analytics to track its performance.
- All Flowcodes are dynamic QR Codes, so you can effortlessly edit and modify them, even after printing them out.
- The QR Code generator is SOC® 2 and GDPR compliant too.
Pricing: The basic plan is quite efficient, but only two Flowcodes can be created with it. The PRO plan is priced at $10 per month and is billed annually.
QRTiger
QRTiger is a popular QR Code creator with a user-friendly interface for a relatively straightforward and smooth experience in creating QR Codes. This is one of the few generators still offering a static QR Code. If you want to create a dynamic QR Code (which is obviously more recommended), you can do that on their paid plan.
Features I found on QRTiger that are useful:
- It comes with a simple and straightforward process to generate QR Codes instantly.
- The customizations are extensive, and you can create eye-catching QR Codes using this solution.
- Like Beaconstac and Flowcode, QRTiger is also a safe QR Code solution. It is GDPR and CCPA-compliant.
- The dashboard comes with in-built analytics where you can view your scan data, such as the number of scans, time of the scan, location, etc.
- Although I have yet to try out this feature, the users can integrate with Google Tag Manager and Facebook Pixel ID for smart tracking and retargeting.
Pricing: The free version is a great option to consider for individuals with limited marketing needs. The paid plan, however, starts at $7 per month, with plenty of features.
4 Best Free QR Code Generators: Top Picks for Marketers
If your marketing needs can be easily satisfied by a free QR Code generator, then the following free QR Code solutions can be among your top choices:
The QR Code Generator
This one was an easy find and probably one of the best free QR Code solutions out there. You can create static QR Codes for various needs and with good customizations. You can even create dynamic QR Codes; all you have to do is simply sign up. The dynamic QR Codes also come with basic tracking statistics, which is why it tops my list of the best free QR Code generators.
Canva
Canva is a popular design platform, but did you know about their QR Code generator? Canva’s QR Code generator is extremely easy to use, and you can also benefit from the platform’s template library. Pick and customize your template using the QR Code generator Canva, add your URL for the QR Code, adjust and place it on the template (and even customize its color if you want), save, and download!
Shopify
If you want to create a basic QR Code without customizations, head to Shopify’s QR Code generator. You can embed website URLs, phone numbers, SMS, or even plain text. Though this is not suited for businesses, it can be used to share simple data more efficiently.
QRCode Monkey
This one had the best interface among all the free QR Code generators I’ve tried. It didn’t initially look like a free app to me, but it is. And if you are trying to create dynamic QR Codes through this, you’ll be redirected to QR Code Generator Pro, which is a paid solution. Otherwise, with QRCode Monkey, you can create custom QR Codes and download them in high quality depending on your usage.
Update: I recently came across the Adobe QR Code generator and will be soon writing my views and experience on Medium. Do watch out for the same!
To Sum it Up,
Most paid QR Code generators (if not all) come with a free trial that lets you experience the solution before making a purchase. And at the same time, paid QR Code generators let you scale up and protect your and the scanner’s data at all times. So, the winner (according to me) is always a paid QR Code generator!
