This article was updated in October 2026.
QR Codes can be a surprisingly effective teaching tool to create digital handouts, links to presentations, quizzes, surveys, and more. I started utilizing them for workshops and school presentations during the COVID era, and it’s one of the few teaching tools from that time that I continue to use.
I’ve found that using a QR code to link to various documents you want students to have access to during class time is an effective strategy. Using QR codes can also be practically beneficial when I’ve presented at conferences or libraries, as there are few other good ways to give access to your materials to attendees at these types of events. It also eases some of the pre-presentation stress. If the projector doesn’t work, attendees can use their phones and view lecture materials. Using QR codes is also an environmentally friendly alternative to paper handouts.
When it comes to assessing the best QR code generators for teachers, I’m looking for two primary things: 1) QR code generating tools that are free; and 2) ease of use. The ability to add impressive-looking graphics or a logo I upload is a plus, but lack of those features isn’t a deal breaker. Some QR code sites pride themselves on their ability to share analytics and trends from users who engage with the QR codes you generate, but those are business-oriented features that don’t apply to teaching, and can raise privacy concerns.
The following QR code generators all pass the free and easy-to-use test and are perfect for generating quick codes you can use to share class materials with your students.
Best Free QR Code Sites for Teachers
This free QR code generator lets users customize the color and design style of their QR codes. More ambitious users can also upload logos and pictures to be incorporated as part of their QR code. The code that is generated can be saved as a .PDF, .PNG, .EPS, or .SVG file.
Graphics and multimedia giant Adobe offers a straightforward free QR generator that gives users the ability to choose the color and style of their QR code. You can’t upload your own image or logo and may not be able to get as fancy as with some other QR code generators, but the stripped-down format of this QR code generator makes it even more user-friendly and quick to generate a QR code.
Canva's QR code generator is also free and easy to use. The Canva QR code generator has lots of options for customization and is perfect for teachers who want to get creative with the QR codes they create for or with their students.
This is a fast and easy-to-use QR code generator that offers some great customization options to embed your QR code within different animations organized around holidays and by theme. Just beware some are not particularly well-suited to education. For instance, I loved a graphic consisting of several bottles of alcohol, but it is not the best backdrop for a QR code in most educational settings.
The free version of this tool works well and gives you the option of downloading your QR code or getting an embed link. Paid versions allow you to customize your QR code with a company logo or whatever art you choose. The free version is a plain QR code but you can choose the color, and, let’s be honest, it’s not really that important to embed your school’s logo or something else creative in the QR code you create.
Google Chrome has gotten into the QR Code game, which makes it easy to generate QR codes straight from your Chrome browser and share documents, webpages, forms, etc. Click on the share icon (a curved arrow in a box) in the right hand of the address bar/Omni bar, and generating a QR code will be one of the sharing options.
The free version of this QR generator is simple to use and allows you to upload an image or logo into the QR code you generate without needing to create an account. Simply copy and paste the desired URL, then click “generate QR code.” Adding a logo is also easy and can be done straight from the home page. If you subscribe to QR Tiger, you can create dynamic QR codes that allow you to track data about time and location when a QR code is scanned, which could be helpful to teachers looking to track whether students are utilizing a specific resource.
Create customizable free QR codes in moments with this site. You can customize the look and feel of your code by choosing its color, design, and frame (the box around the QR code). The site also offers templates for generating QR codes that lead directly to Zoom meetings, calendar invites, or WiFi network logins, so there’s plenty of options from which to choose for educators.
