This article was updated in February 2024
QR codes are easy-to-read barcodes that provide educators with a simple way to share links to educational materials with participants in classes, workshops, presentations etc.
While the very mention of QR codes might cause unpleasant flashbacks to pandemic-era dining for some, these have great utility in the classroom. QR codes have become my go-to way of disseminating materials when I teach or present a workshop IRL and, as I’ve written about previously, are one of my favorite alternatives to slideshows.
QR codes are also an environmentally friendly alternative to handouts and save me the trouble of dealing with a printer. Another bonus is, as any teacher will tell you, many students want to use their phones in class. Utilizing QR technology can help educators allow students to keep their phones in hand while also directing them to important educational material.
Here are some of the best free sites for generating QR code links for teaching.
Best Free QR Code Sites for Teachers
This free QR code generator lets users customize the color and design style of their QR codes. More ambitious users can also upload logos and pictures to be incorporated as part of their QR code. The code that is generated can be saved as a .PDF, .PNG, .EPS, or .SVG file.
Another free and easy-to-use dynamic QR code generator, Flowcode requires users to signup via their email or Facebook. While this adds a step to the process, the QR code generated is then emailed to the user, which is very convenient.
Graphics and multimedia giant Adobe offers a straightforward free QR generator that gives users the ability to choose the color and style of their QR code. You can’t upload your own image or logo and may not be able to get as fancy as with some other QR code generators, but the stripped-down format of this QR code generator makes it even more user-friendly and quick to generate a QR code.
Canva’s QR code generator is also free and easy to use. The Canva QR code generator has lots of options for customization and is perfect for teachers who want to get creative with the QR codes they create for or with their students.
This is a fast and easy-to-use QR code generator that offers some great customization options to embed your QR code within different animations organized around holidays and by theme. Just beware some are not particularly well-suited to education. For instance, I loved a graphic consisting of several bottles of alcohol, but it is not the best backdrop for a QR code in most educational settings.
The free version of this tool works well and gives you the option of downloading your QR code or getting an embed link. Paid versions allow you to customize your QR code with a company logo or whatever art you choose. The free version is a plain QR code but you can choose the color, and, let’s be honest, it’s not really that important to embed your school’s logo or something else creative in the QR code you create.
Google Chrome has gotten into the QR Code game, which makes it easy to generate QR codes straight from your Chrome browser and share documents, webpages, forms, etc. Click on the share icon (a curved arrow in a box) in the right hand of the address bar/Omni bar, and generating a QR code will be one of the sharing options.
The free version of this QR generator is simple to use and allows you to upload an image or logo into the QR code you generate without needing to create an account. Simply copy and paste the desired URL, then click “generate QR code.” Adding a logo is also easy and can be done straight from the home page. If you subscribe to QR Tiger, you can create dynamic QR codes that allow you to track data about time and location when a QR code is scanned, which could be helpful to teachers looking to track whether students are utilizing a specific resource.
Create customizable free QR codes in moments with this site. You can customize the look and feel of your code by choosing its color, design, and frame (the box around the QR code). The site also offers templates for generating QR codes that lead directly to Zoom meetings, calendar invites, or WiFi network logins, so there’s plenty of options for educators to choose from.
Another free QR code-generating site that lives up to its name, Free-qr-code.net allows users to create QR codes in a fast and easy manner. The site also features several customizable elements such as the option to add a logo and choose a color, plus several QR code design templates.
The free version of this site allows you to create quick QR codes for all your initial needs. However, if you want to take your QR code a step further and create dynamic QR codes, you’ll need to subscribe. Dynamic QR codes have features such as data tracking and the ability to send existing QR codes to new URLs, a great feature for an educator who wants to use the same printed materials but update resources for a class.