WebsitesQR vs QRCode Monkey
An honest comparison of WebsitesQR and QRCode Monkey. Both are free and both make static codes that never expire. Where we differ: purpose-built pages for 60+ destinations, a built-in scanner, and no account prompt. Where QRCode Monkey wins: design customisation.
Quick Answer
QRCode Monkey and WebsitesQR are both genuinely free and both produce static QR codes that never expire — on the two things that matter most, they are equivalent. QRCode Monkey is the better choice if you want heavy visual customisation: custom eye shapes, gradients, and body patterns. WebsitesQR is the better choice if you want the code made correctly for a specific destination, since we publish purpose-built pages for over 60 platforms with the steps for finding the right link, plus a built-in scanner for reading codes.
The things people worry about are the same on both
Most searches for a QRCode Monkey alternative are driven by one of three fears: that the code will expire, that a watermark will appear, or that an account will be demanded halfway through. None of those apply to QRCode Monkey, and none apply here either.
Both tools generate static codes, meaning your link is encoded directly into the pattern with no redirect in between. There is no server that can be switched off, no subscription to lapse, and no company whose closure would kill your printed codes. Both are free with no watermark and no signup. If that is all you need, either one will serve you.
Where the two genuinely differ
The difference is in what surrounds the generator rather than the generator itself.
- •Destination-specific pages. We publish a page per platform — WeChat, Google Forms, Amazon wishlists, wedding registries, LINE, Spotify and around sixty others — each explaining where to find the correct link for that service. That step is where most QR codes actually go wrong: the code is fine, the URL was the wrong one.
- •A built-in scanner. We read codes as well as write them, including from a screenshot or a photo, which matters when a code arrives by email and you cannot point a camera at your own screen.
- •Design customisation. QRCode Monkey has substantially more of it — custom eye shapes, body patterns, gradient fills, and a design editor. We offer logo embedding and colour, and stop there.
- •Vector export. Both offer SVG. Ours re-encodes the code as genuine vector shapes rather than wrapping a bitmap, so it stays sharp at any print size.
- •Interface. QRCode Monkey puts every option on one dense screen. We put a single field at the top of a page that explains the specific job you came to do.
Why QRCode Monkey has so much brand search
QRCode Monkey has been one of the most recommended free QR generators for over a decade, and it earned that position honestly: free, static, no watermark, at a time when most competitors were pushing dynamic codes with expiry dates and monthly fees. The volume of people searching its name directly is a fair reflection of that.
We are not going to pretend it is a bad tool in order to win a comparison. It is a good tool. The question worth answering is narrower: for your particular job, is a general-purpose design-heavy generator the right fit, or would a page built around your specific destination get you there with fewer wrong turns?
WebsitesQR vs QRCode Monkey, feature by feature
Compared on the points people actually decide on. Where they are equal, we say so rather than manufacturing a difference.
| Feature | QRCode Monkey | WebsitesQR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Static codes that never expire | Yes | Yes |
| Signup required | No | No |
| Watermark | None | None |
| SVG vector export | Yes | Yes |
| Design customisation | Extensive — eyes, patterns, gradients | Logo and colour only |
| Destination-specific guides | No | 60+ platform pages |
| Built-in QR scanner | No | Yes, including from images |
| Bulk generation | Limited | Yes, free |
Where QRCode Monkey is the better choice
QRCode Monkey is clearly the better tool if visual design is your priority. Its editor offers custom eye shapes, body patterns, and gradient fills that we do not provide, and if you want a QR code that looks distinctly branded rather than standard black-and-white with a logo, you should use it instead of us. It is also the more established name, with over a decade of track record, which is a legitimate reason to prefer it for something you cannot easily reprint.
Free, private, and permanent
WebsitesQR runs entirely in your browser. Codes you create are static and never expire; images you scan are never uploaded. Learn about QR code safety →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is QRCode Monkey actually free?
Yes, genuinely. Its static QR codes are free, unwatermarked, and do not expire. We are not going to imply otherwise — most 'alternative' pages exist to manufacture a problem with the incumbent, and there is not one to manufacture here.
Do QRCode Monkey codes expire?
Its static codes do not. Like ours, they encode your link directly with no redirect, so there is no server that can stop serving them. Codes that expire are dynamic codes, which are a different product sold by different companies on subscription.
Why would I use WebsitesQR instead?
Mainly if your job is destination-specific. If you need a code for a Google Form, an Amazon wishlist, a WeChat Official Account, or a wedding registry, we publish a page explaining exactly where that platform hides the correct link — which is where most QR projects actually go wrong. We also read codes, not just write them.
Which produces better quality QR codes?
Neither. A QR code is a deterministic encoding of a string — the same URL at the same error correction level produces an identical pattern in any correct implementation. Differences between generators are in the interface, the export options, and the surrounding guidance, never in the code itself.
Can I put a logo in the QR code on both?
Yes, both support logo embedding. QRCode Monkey gives you more control over the surrounding design. Whichever you use, keep the logo under about 30 percent of the code area and use the highest error correction level, or you will exhaust the redundancy the code needs to stay scannable.
Is QRCode Monkey safe to use?
Yes. It has been a well-regarded free generator for over a decade. As with any generator, prefer static codes over dynamic ones for anything printed, so your code does not depend on a third party continuing to run a redirect.