QR code version and module count table

Every QR version's module count follows one formula: 17 + 4 × version. Version 1 is 21 × 21 modules and version 40 is 177 × 177. This table lists all forty, alongside the number of alignment patterns each carries.

The formula

modules per side = 17 + 4 × version

There are forty versions. "Version" here means physical size, not a revision of the specification — there is no newer version of the QR standard to upgrade to.

All forty versions

Version	Modules	Alignment patterns
1	21	0
2	25	1
3	29	1
4	33	1
5	37	1
6	41	1
7	45	6
8	49	6
9	53	6
10	57	6
11	61	6
12	65	6
13	69	6
14	73	13
15	77	13
16	81	13
17	85	13
18	89	13
19	93	13
20	97	13
21	101	22
22	105	22
23	109	22
24	113	22
25	117	22
26	121	22
27	125	22
28	129	33
29	133	33
30	137	33
31	141	33
32	145	33
33	149	33
34	153	33
35	157	46
36	161	46
37	165	46
38	169	46
39	173	46
40	177	46

Alignment pattern counts

Alignment patterns let a decoder correct for perspective and curvature. Version 1 has none, which is why a very small code on a curved surface is unreliable while a larger one on the same curve reads fine.

Their positions are defined by a table in ISO/IEC 18004 rather than by a formula, which is why a from-scratch encoder needs the table rather than arithmetic.

Version information

Codes at version 7 and above carry an explicit 18-bit version information block, stored twice. Below version 7 the decoder counts modules between the finder patterns instead.

Using this table

To find the physical module size:

module size = printed width ÷ modules per side

A version-5 code (37 modules) printed 3 cm wide has 0.81 mm modules — comfortably above the 0.4 mm floor for offset printing. The same code at 1.2 cm has 0.32 mm modules, which is below it.

Add four modules of quiet zone on each side to the overall footprint, so a version-5 code occupies 45 module widths in total.

FAQ

How many modules does a QR code have?

Between 441 (21 × 21, version 1) and 31,329 (177 × 177, version 40). The count per side is 17 + 4 × version.

Does a higher QR version mean a newer standard?

No. Version means physical size only. All forty versions are defined in the same specification, ISO/IEC 18004.

Why do larger QR codes have small squares scattered through them?

Those are alignment patterns, which let the decoder correct for perspective and curvature. Version 1 has none; version 40 has 46.

How do I work out the printed module size?

Divide the printed width by the module count for that version, then check it against the minimum for your printing method — 0.4 mm for offset, 0.5 mm for uncoated stock or 203 dpi thermal.

Version	Modules	Alignment patterns
1	21	0
2	25	1
3	29	1
4	33	1
5	37	1
6	41	1
7	45	6
8	49	6
9	53	6
10	57	6
11	61	6
12	65	6
13	69	6
14	73	13
15	77	13
16	81	13
17	85	13
18	89	13
19	93	13
20	97	13
21	101	22
22	105	22
23	109	22
24	113	22
25	117	22
26	121	22
27	125	22
28	129	33
29	133	33
30	137	33
31	141	33
32	145	33
33	149	33
34	153	33
35	157	46
36	161	46
37	165	46
38	169	46
39	173	46
40	177	46

Version	Modules	Alignment patterns
1	21	0
2	25	1
3	29	1
4	33	1
5	37	1
6	41	1
7	45	6
8	49	6
9	53	6
10	57	6
11	61	6
12	65	6
13	69	6
14	73	13
15	77	13
16	81	13
17	85	13
18	89	13
19	93	13
20	97	13
21	101	22
22	105	22
23	109	22
24	113	22
25	117	22
26	121	22
27	125	22
28	129	33
29	133	33
30	137	33
31	141	33
32	145	33
33	149	33
34	153	33
35	157	46
36	161	46
37	165	46
38	169	46
39	173	46
40	177	46