Barcodes & QR Codes
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What's the Difference Between a Barcode and a QR Code?
A QR code is actually just one specific kind of barcode. "Barcode" is the broad, general term for any pattern designed to be read by a machine instead of a person — the umbrella covers everything from the striped code on a cereal box to the dense square grid on a shipping label.
Barcodes generally fall into two families:
- 1D (linear) barcodes — the classic black-and-white stripes, like UPC and EAN codes found on nearly every retail product. They store data in one direction only, which limits them to a short string of numbers or letters. See the 1D Barcodes collection.
- 2D (matrix) barcodes — patterns like QR codes, PDF417, Data Matrix, and Aztec Code that store data in both directions at once. A 2D barcode can hold hundreds or even thousands of characters — enough for a full web address, a contact card, or a paragraph of text — in the same amount of printed space a 1D barcode would need for a handful of digits. See the QR Codes and 2D Barcodes collections.
Need to generate a large batch of codes at once, in any format on this site? The Batch Barcode Generator covers all of them — QR, PDF417, Data Matrix, Aztec Code, Code 128, UPC/EAN, Code 39, and ITF-14 — and packages the whole set into a single downloadable ZIP file.
Which Format Should I Use?
| Format | Shape | Most Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code | Square | Links, WiFi, contact cards, marketing — anything scanned with a phone camera |
| PDF417 | Rectangular (wide, 2D) | ID cards, government forms, large amounts of text data |
| Data Matrix | Square (2D) | Small parts marking — electronics, medical devices, tiny labels |
| Aztec Code | Square (2D) | Tickets and boarding passes — no blank border required |
| Code 128 | Striped (1D) | Shipping labels and inventory — any letter, number, or symbol |
| UPC / EAN | Striped (1D) | Retail product packaging worldwide |
| Code 39 | Striped (1D) | Inventory, automotive, and government/defense logistics |
| ITF-14 | Striped (1D) | Shipping cartons and pallets |
If you're not sure which one you need, a QR code is almost always the safe default for anything scanned with a phone — it's the format every modern camera app recognizes automatically. For retail products, shipping, or inventory systems, the format is usually dictated by whatever system you're integrating with.