QR Code Monkey makes free static QR codes, which can't be tracked or edited after printing, so the alternatives worth switching to are the ones that can. ME-QR tracks scans on its free plan but shows your visitors an ad first, and QR Code Generator PRO, the tool QR Code Monkey itself links to, starts at $9.99 a month billed annually for 2 dynamic codes.
If all you need is a good-looking code that points at a link that won't change, QR Code Monkey is still one of the best free options.
What QR Code Monkey does, and what it leaves out
QR Code Monkey's site says its codes are "100% free and can be used for whatever you want. This includes all commercial purposes." It also says they "work forever, do not expire and have no scanning limits." You don't need an account, and you can download PNG, SVG, PDF or EPS files, although logos and design settings only carry over to PNG and SVG.
The limit is in the same paragraph: "The created QR codes are static so the only limitation is that you can't edit the QR code again." A static code holds your link directly, so nothing sits between the scan and your site that could count it or change where it goes.
QR Code Monkey doesn't sell tracking itself. Its address for a pricing page led to an error page when we checked on September 27, 2026. Instead, its "Statistics and Editability" switch and the pop-ups after a download link to sign-ups for QR Code Generator PRO and for Bitly. QR Code Generator's own site names Bitly Europe as "the brains behind" it, so both routes lead to Bitly-run products.
QR Code Monkey alternatives compared
| Tool | Free plan | Scan tracking on the free plan | Cheapest paid plan | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QR Code Monkey | Unlimited static codes, no account | No | No paid plan of its own | Codes can't be edited or counted |
| QR Code Generator PRO | 14-day trial, no card | During the trial | Starter: $9.99/month billed annually ($119.88), or $19.99 monthly, for 2 dynamic codes and 10,000 scans | Advanced and Professional are billed annually only |
| ME-QR | 10,000 codes, unlimited trackable codes, 1 year of analytics | Yes | Lite: $16.99/month, or $10.50/month billed yearly | Free codes show visitors an ad before your content |
| Flowcode | 2 dynamic codes and 2 landing pages | Analytics on up to 500 scans | Pro Plus: $60/month, or $25/month billed annually | The next plan up, Growth, is $250 a month |
| Bitly | 2 QR codes a month, with ads | No | Core: $10/month, billed yearly only | Free shows no scan data |
| Raydar | Unlimited static codes, no signup | When the code points at a Raydar page or link | Starter: $9/month, or $6.49 billed annually, for the pages behind the codes | Four patterns and four color presets, far fewer styling options |
Plans and prices as of September 27, 2026, from qrcode-monkey.com, qr-code-generator.com/pricing, me-qr.com/pricing, flowcode.com/pricing, bitly.com/pages/pricing and raydar.bio/pricing.
Which alternative fits which job
You want to count scans without paying. ME-QR is the only tool here that tracks an unlimited number of codes for free. ME-QR's own plan guide says that on the free plan "your users will see advertisements before accessing" your content, and its Lite plan removes the ads from just one code, so you'd need Premium, at $27.99 a month or $15.08 a month billed yearly, to remove them from every code. If a few codes are enough, Flowcode's free plan tracks 2 dynamic codes with no ads, with analytics up to 500 scans; our Flowcode pricing breakdown covers what happens after that.
You need to change where printed codes point. That takes a dynamic code, which holds a short redirect link instead of your address. QR Code Generator PRO's Starter plan gives you 2 of them, Advanced gives you 50 for $18.99 a month billed annually ($227.88 a year), and Flowcode's Pro Plus covers up to 50.
You're printing one code that will never change. Stay with QR Code Monkey, or any free static generator. A static code keeps working as long as the address it holds does, with no service in between.
The code is for Wi-Fi or contact details. Those codes hold the network password or the contact card itself and never pass through a server, so no tool, paid or free, can count their scans. Any static generator will do; Raydar vs QRStuff explains why.
One trade-off applies to every tracked code on this page, Raydar's included. A dynamic code works only as long as the service behind its redirect does, so if the service shuts down or you stop paying for the plan it needs, every printed copy stops working at once.
When QR Code Monkey is the better pick
QR Code Monkey is the better pick when the look matters most. It offers color gradients, custom eye colors, separate body, eye frame and eye ball shapes, a logo gallery and templates, all free, plus PDF and EPS downloads. Raydar's generator offers four patterns and four color presets, which is far less to work with. If the destination is final and design is the priority, QR Code Monkey is the better tool.
Where Raydar fits
Raydar's free QR code generator makes static codes for links, Wi-Fi, email, phone, SMS and plain text, with an optional logo, as PNG or SVG. It runs in your browser with no signup and no limit, and it works out how large to print the code for the distance people will scan it from. The bulk generator makes 250 codes at once and downloads them as one ZIP.
Those codes are static too, so they can't be counted on their own. To count scans, point the code at a Raydar page or link, and each scan is recorded as a visit to it. Raydar's free plan includes two pages with basic analytics and no card, and Starter adds a custom domain and advanced analytics for $9 a month, or $6.49 billed annually. For a broader comparison, see our roundup of the best QR code generators, or Raydar vs QR Code Monkey for the two side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Is QR Code Monkey actually free?
Yes. QR Code Monkey's site says its codes are 100% free, can be used for commercial purposes, never expire and have no scan limit, and you don't need an account. The codes are static, so you can't edit them or see scan counts; for that it links to paid products run by Bitly.
Is QR Code Monkey legitimate?
QR Code Monkey is a free generator that makes static codes with no account and no scan limits, according to its own site. Its paid upgrades point to QR Code Generator PRO, whose site names Bitly Europe as the company behind it, and to Bitly's own sign-up.
What is the FBI warning about QR codes?
In January 2022 the FBI warned that criminals tamper with QR codes, including sticking fake codes over real ones, to send people to sites that steal login and payment details. It advises checking the web address after scanning and avoiding payments through a site reached by a QR code. Raydar's free QR code reader shows what a code contains before you open it.