QRCode Monkey vs QRCode.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick QRCode Monkey: it is second in our ranking of QR code generators, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 23, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
QRCode Monkey grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
QRCode Monkey
Free static QR code maker with logos, colors and vector downloads
QRCode.io
Free static QR codes and low-cost dynamic plans
Which one is for you
Pick QRCode Monkey if
- Fits if you need a code for print that never expires and has no subscription behind it
- Works for designers who want a styled code as an SVG, PDF or EPS file
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you might need to change where a code points after it's printed, as every code is static
- Not for you if you want scan counts, because there's no tracking at all
- Watch out: the API is sold through RapidAPI, and its price isn't shown on QRCode Monkey's own pages
- Watch out: the site shows ads for QR Code Generator PRO and Bitly, and PDF and EPS files drop color gradients
Pick QRCode.io if
- Fits if you need a few dynamic codes cheaply
- Works for someone who only needs static codes
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you pass 2,000 scans a month, as unlimited starts on Pro at $9.99
- Watch out: the site warns that a $49.95 monthly charge comes from a separate company, qr-code.io
- Watch out: you need a free account to download static codes
- Skip it if you want apps or integrations, as none are listed
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAQRCode MonkeyVery good | 2.6GPAQRCode.ioGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEvery code type, logo, color setting and vector download is free with no sign-up, commercial use included, where paid plans in this category start at $6.08 to $12 a month. No price buys editing or tracking here, though. | ALite is $3.99 a month, or $29.99 a year, under 60% of the $7.00 where QR tools start. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright: no account, no scan limit, and the codes never expire. The catch is that every code is static, so what you print is what you're stuck with. | BStatic codes are free with an account, with no watermark or expiry. Dynamic codes get a 15-day trial with no card. |
| Features | CIt does the static job fully: links, contacts, Wi-Fi, events and more, with logos, gradients, shapes and PNG, SVG, PDF or EPS files. It's a smaller job, though, and the listing names the gap: no editing after printing and no scan statistics. | CStatic and dynamic codes. Lite caps scans at 2,000 and codes at 10, and unlimited scans start on Pro. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: no account, just paste a link, pick colors and download the file. | CNo store rating is on record. Codes are made in the browser. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA website and a Chrome extension, so the browser only, with no apps or integrations. The API is sold separately through RapidAPI. | CWeb only, with no apps and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | free static codes with a logo | cheap dynamic QR codes |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: QRCode Monkey and QRCode.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
QRCode Monkey has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. QRCode.io starts at $3.99 a month and scores 2.0.
QRCode Monkey scores higher and starts $3.99 a month lower. Of the other QR code generators on the chart, none scores higher than QRCode Monkey for less, and 2 score higher than QRCode.io for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- QRCode.io also covers reports.
At a glance
| QRCode Monkey | QRCode.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $3.99 per month, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Every code is free with no sign-up, including for commercial use. Codes are static, never expire and have no scan limit, but cannot be edited or tracked. | Static QR codes are free with an account: no watermark, no expiration, downloadable as PNG or SVG. |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial of dynamic codes after sign-up, no credit card |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | QRCode Monkey GmbH | QRCode.io |
| Price read from | qrcode-monkey.com | qrcode.io |
| Checked | Oct 23, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
QRCode Monkey
- Codes are static only: no editing after printing and no scan statistics. The site sends those needs to QR Code Generator PRO.
- The API is sold through RapidAPI; its prices are not shown on QRCode Monkey's own pages.
- The site shows ads for QR Code Generator PRO and Bitly.
QRCode.io
- Lite caps scans at 2,000 and dynamic codes at 10; unlimited scans start on Pro.
- Yearly prices are shown as annual totals only: $29.99, $69.99 and $199.99.
- The site warns that a $49.95 monthly QR code charge comes from a separate company, qr-code.io, with a hyphen.
- Only dynamic codes are paid; static codes need a free account to download as PNG or SVG.
Key features
QRCode Monkey
- Many code types
- Codes for URLs, text, email, phone, SMS, vCard and MeCard contacts, locations, Wi-Fi, events, social profiles and crypto payment addresses.
- Logos and custom design
- Upload a logo up to 2 MB or pick one from a gallery, set colors and gradients, and change the body, eye frame and eye ball shapes. Templates are a starting point.
- Print-quality downloads
- Set the pixel size for print-quality PNG files, or download SVG, PDF and EPS vectors. PDF and EPS do not support color gradients.
- No expiry or scan limit
- Codes are static, so they keep working with no scan cap. The site says it does not save the data you enter and caches images for 24 hours.
- QR code API
- An official API creates custom-designed codes as PNG, SVG, PDF or EPS, for making thousands of codes inside your own system. It is sold through RapidAPI.
QRCode.io
- 34 QR code types
- Types include website URL, WiFi, vCard, restaurant menu, Google review, WhatsApp, PDF or file upload, email, SMS, event and app download.
- Dynamic codes
- Dynamic codes let you change the destination after printing and track each scan, with unlimited statistics retention on every paid plan.
- Design options
- Codes can use colors, patterns, shapes, frames and a logo in the center, and the site says error correction keeps them scannable.
- Menus and catalogues
- Restaurant menu and product catalogue codes hold 10 items on Lite, 20 on Pro and unlimited items on Unlimited.
- Invited users
- Paid plans let the account owner invite 2, 5 or 10 users depending on the plan.
Plans
QRCode Monkey
Free$0
All code types, logos, colors and designs, with PNG, SVG, PDF and EPS downloads.
QRCode.io
Free$0
Static QR codes that never expire, downloadable as PNG or SVG with a free account.
Lite$3.99
per month, billed monthly
10 dynamic QR codes, 2,000 scans, 2 invited users, 5 shapes and 14 QR code types. Also $29.99 per year.
Pro$9.99
per month, billed monthly
25 dynamic QR codes, unlimited scans, 5 invited users, 11 shapes. Also $69.99 per year.
Unlimited$29.99
per month, billed monthly
Unlimited dynamic codes and scans, 10 invited users, 60 shapes, 13 stickers, 34 types. Also $199.99 per year.
Ways to pay less
QRCode Monkey
No public discounts listed.
QRCode.io
- Annual discount
Yearly billing costs less than 12 months
Lite is $29.99 a year against $3.99 a month, Pro $69.99 against $9.99, and Unlimited $199.99 against $29.99 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, QRCode Monkey or QRCode.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, QRCode Monkey is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $3.99 a month for QRCode.io. QRCode Monkey is free, and QRCode.io starts at $3.99 per month, billed monthly.
Which has a free plan, QRCode Monkey or QRCode.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both QRCode Monkey and QRCode.io have a free plan.
Which platforms do QRCode Monkey and QRCode.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only QRCode Monkey lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.