Why some free QR codes stop working
Many generators hand out dynamic codes by default. The code holds a short link to the generator's own server, which then forwards each scan to your real address. That is what lets them edit and count scans, but it also means your code only works while that service keeps the redirect switched on.
When the free trial ends, the account lapses or the company decides to stop, printed codes break or land on a page asking you to pay. One large service shows a three-second advert to the person scanning its free dynamic codes. Reviews of some browser extensions complain that their codes point at the extension's own redirect site rather than the user's link.
A free QR code generator with no expiration avoids all of this by making static codes. Nothing sits between the code and your content, so there is nothing to switch off.
Static vs dynamic QR codes
For menus, Wi-Fi signs, business cards, packaging and posters that link to your own site, a static code is usually the right choice. If you might need to change the destination, point a static code at a page you control and edit that page instead.
- Static: the content is inside the code. It never expires, needs no account, involves no tracking, and Wi-Fi or contact codes work with no internet at all. You cannot change it after printing.
- Dynamic: the code holds a redirect link. You can change the destination and count scans, but it depends on the provider staying online and you staying subscribed.
How to create a static QR code that lasts
- Choose the content type: link, Wi-Fi, contact card, text, email, phone and more.
- Enter the final destination, meaning the real page address rather than a shortened or trial link.
- Style it if you like, and check the live scan badge.
- Download SVG or PDF for print, or PNG for screens.
- Scan the printed proof with your own phone.
A free QR code generator with no sign-up or limits
There is no account, no email address and no trial period. Codes are generated in your browser, so your content stays on your device and is never sent to our servers. Make as many as you like, or turn a CSV into a ZIP of codes with the bulk generator. No watermark, ever.
What can still break a static code
- The destination itself: if the page is deleted or the domain lapses, the code opens an error.
- Shared files: if you turn off link sharing on a Google Drive or Dropbox file, the code stops opening it.
- Printing: too small, low contrast or damaged codes may not scan.
- Changes on your side: a new Wi-Fi password or phone number needs a new code.
