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QR code vs barcode

A barcode (the striped, 1D kind) holds a short number in lines that are read in one direction. A QR code is a 2D barcode: it holds far more data in a square grid that's read across and down, including whole web addresses. Shops use barcodes to look up a product's price, while QR codes are mostly used to carry information or a link.

QR code generatorUpdated 4 min read

How they store data

Denso Wave, which invented the QR code in 1994, explains the difference in its history of the format. A barcode codes information in one direction only. A 2D code codes it in two directions, across and up and down, which is where the extra room comes from.

The numbers make the gap clear:

  • Barcode: Denso Wave says a barcode can hold only about 20 alphanumeric characters. Shop barcodes usually hold a product number and nothing else.
  • QR code: up to 7,089 digits or 4,296 alphanumeric characters in the largest version, according to Denso Wave's specification summary. That's enough for a long web address, Wi-Fi details or a short message.

QR codes also have error correction. Depending on the level chosen, Denso Wave says roughly 7% to 30% of a code's data can be restored if it's dirty or damaged. That's why a QR code with a small logo in the middle can still scan.

How they are read

A 1D barcode is read by sweeping across the lines, so the scanner has to be roughly lined up with them. A QR code has three square position markers in its corners. Denso Wave says these let a reader find the code and work out its angle from any direction, which is why you can scan a QR code with your phone held at any angle.

Phones read QR codes in the camera app. A product barcode, even when a phone can read it, usually gives you just a number.

What each one is for

Barcodes identify things. GS1 US explains that when a 1D barcode is scanned at checkout, the till looks the number up in a price database, so the code means nothing without that database. That's fine for retail, where every shop has one.

QR codes carry the information itself. A QR code can hold a link to a web page, Wi-Fi login details, a phone number or plain text, and a phone acts on it straight away. Restaurants, posters, tickets and business cards use them because anyone with a phone can scan them.

Why shops are adding 2D barcodes

GS1, the organisation behind product numbers, has standards for five 2D barcodes. It names QR Code (with a format called GS1 Digital Link) and GS1 DataMatrix as the two most widely recognised, and says both can store the product number as well as details like an expiry date or serial number.

GS1 US runs a programme called Sunrise 2027: a move from 1D UPC barcodes towards 2D barcodes that checkout scanners can read. The idea is that one code on a pack can give the till its product number and give shoppers a link to ingredients, allergens or recall notices. GS1 US says retailers don't need every 2D capability in place by 2027, but the direction is set.

So a product box may soon carry a QR code that the till scans and that you can scan with your phone. It's still a barcode in GS1's terms, just a 2D one.

Which one you need

  • Selling products in shops: you need a GS1 barcode with a product number (GTIN) issued through GS1 or your local GS1 office. A plain QR code isn't a substitute at checkout today.
  • Sending people to a website, menu or form: a QR code. Phones open it directly.
  • Sharing Wi-Fi, a phone number or a short note: a QR code, which holds the details itself.
  • Internal stock labels: either can work. A QR code fits more on a smaller label; a barcode suits older scanners that only read 1D.

Make a QR code

The generator below makes standard QR codes. The example holds plain text, a batch number and a date, to show that a QR code doesn't have to be a link. Change it to a link or Wi-Fi details, then download it as PNG or SVG. It doesn't make 1D product barcodes.

QR code generator

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Questions

Is a QR code a type of barcode?

Yes. Standards bodies such as GS1 call it a 2D barcode. In everyday speech, "barcode" usually means the 1D striped kind on shop products, which is why people compare the two.

Why does a QR code have three big squares?

They are position markers. Denso Wave chose a 1:1:3:1:1 ratio of dark and light because it was the pattern least likely to appear in other printing, so a reader can find the code and its angle from any direction.

Are QR codes replacing barcodes in shops?

GS1, which runs the product numbering system, is moving retail towards 2D barcodes under a plan called Sunrise 2027, with checkout scanners able to read them. GS1 US says not every 2D capability has to be in place by that date.

Can I make a product barcode here?

No. Shop barcodes carry a product number (GTIN) issued through GS1, and this tool doesn't make 1D barcodes. It makes QR codes for links, text, Wi-Fi and contact actions.