Why it's free, and why it can't expire

Search for a free QR code generator and you will find sites that let you make a code, download it, print it on two thousand business cards, and then switch it off two weeks later unless you subscribe. The trick is a redirect: the code they gave you does not contain your link, it contains a link to their server, and the server decides where to send people.

QR Studio does not do that. The code you download contains your content directly: the web address, the WiFi details, the contact card, the payment request. A phone reads it and acts on it. We are not in between, so there is nothing we could switch off even if we wanted to.

Why it costs nothing

There is no server. Every code is generated inside your browser, from the payload builder to the final PNG, SVG, PDF or EPS. There is no rendering bill for us to recover, so there is nothing to put behind a paywall. The site carries a few ads, and that covers hosting the static pages you are reading.

What we deliberately don’t build

• Editable or trackable codes. Both need a redirect through a server that has to run forever. That is the exact mechanism behind expired codes, and the exact thing we promise not to do.
• File or menu hosting. Storage for strangers never stops costing money. Host your PDF or menu anywhere you like and point the code at it.
• Accounts. Nothing is stored, so there is nothing to log in to.

The one exception we plan for the future is a developer API, because an API has to run on a server. It will be free up to a monthly limit and metered above it. The generator itself stays exactly as it is.

What “static” means for you

A static code cannot be edited after printing. If you might need to change where it goes, point it at a page you control, such as your own website or a link page, and change that page later. The code keeps pointing at the same place; you decide what the place shows.

Who builds it

QR Studio is one of the free tools from 4Brains Labs, the engineering team at 4Brains Technologies Private Limited, an event-technology studio in Navi Mumbai. The same team makes WordCloud Studio and 4B Engraver. If something does not work, tell us.