# UseQR vs goqr.me

> goqr.me is the veteran free QR generator and the front end of the qrserver API, with over a decade of reliable service. The structural difference is that goqr.me generates server-side, so payloads like WiFi passwords transit their infrastructure, while UseQR generates static codes entirely in your browser and adds decode-verification, typed payloads and an MCP server.

Source: https://useqr.app/vs/useqr-vs-goqr-me · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## Respect where it is due

goqr.me has been answering "free QR code" for longer than most of its competitors have
existed, and it is the human-facing front end of `api.qrserver.com`, the free API that a
decade of tutorials and Stack Overflow answers point at. It is genuinely free, requires no
account, and does what it says. Longevity like that is rare in this category and worth
real weight: a tool that has behaved well for ten years is statistically likely to keep
behaving well.

We compare the APIs in detail [on a separate page](/vs/useqr-vs-qrserver-api); this page
is about the generator sites.

## The structural difference: where generation happens

goqr.me generates codes on its servers. That is a perfectly normal architecture (it is
how almost every generator works), but it means whatever you type travels to their
infrastructure before it comes back as an image. For a public URL this is irrelevant. For
a [WiFi password](/wifi-qr-code), a vCard with your personal mobile number, or a payment
detail, it means a copy of that data has, at minimum, existed in someone else's request
logs.

UseQR's static generation runs entirely client-side. The page loads, and after that the
encoding happens in your browser: disconnect from the network and it still works. This
is [a verifiable property, not a privacy policy](/docs/security/client-side-vs-server-side-qr-generation),
and it is the main reason to prefer one tool over the other for sensitive payloads.
The general principle is worth internalising whatever tool you use:
[don't type WiFi passwords into server-side websites](/docs/security/why-not-to-upload-a-wifi-password-to-a-website).

## Feature comparison

| | goqr.me | UseQR |
|---|---|---|
| Free, no account | Yes | Yes |
| Track record | **10+ years** | New |
| Where generation happens | Their server | **Your browser** |
| Payload types | The classics: URL, text, WiFi, vCard, SMS, geo | 28, including UPI, PIX, EPC with spec validation |
| Styling (module shapes, eyes, logo) | Limited | Yes |
| Decode-verify before download | No | Yes |
| Keyless API | Yes (qrserver) | Yes, plus decode and verify endpoints |
| MCP server / llms.txt | No | Yes |
| Works offline | No | Yes, after the first load |

## When to choose goqr.me

- **You want the safe, boring, proven option** and the payload is not sensitive. A plain
  URL code from goqr.me is exactly as good as one from anywhere else.
- **You are maintaining old code** that already calls qrserver. It still works; there is
  no urgent reason to migrate, and our API [accepts qrserver's parameter names](/vs/useqr-vs-qrserver-api)
  if you ever do.
- **You value the decade of uptime** over any feature on our side of the table. That is a
  defensible position and we will not pretend otherwise. We are the newer project.

## When to choose UseQR

- **The payload is sensitive**: WiFi credentials, contact cards, payment details.
  Client-side generation is the whole argument.
- **The payload has a real specification.** Our UPI, EPC and PIX builders validate
  against the actual specs (VPA patterns, IBAN checksums, CRC16), so errors surface at
  creation, not at the bank.
- **You want proof the code scans.** Every code is decoded before download, and you can
  [verify any image](/validate) independently.
- **You are automating**, especially [from an AI agent](/docs/developers/qr-code-mcp-server),
  the keyless API adds SVG and PDF output, batch calls and machine-readable docs.

## FAQ

### Is goqr.me free and safe to use?
It is free, requires no account, and has operated reliably for over a decade. Codes are generated on its servers, so treat it as you would any server-side tool: fine for public URLs, not ideal for WiFi passwords or personal data.

### Is goqr.me the same as api.qrserver.com?
They are run as parts of the same service: goqr.me is the human-facing generator and api.qrserver.com is the API that tutorials have pointed at for years. Both are keyless and free.

### Why does client-side generation matter for QR codes?
Whatever you encode (passwords, phone numbers, bank details) is data. Client-side generation keeps it in your browser; server-side generation sends it to someone else's infrastructure first. For sensitive payloads that difference is the comparison.

### Do goqr.me QR codes expire?
No. Its codes are static, so the data lives in the pattern itself and no service sits between the scan and the destination. They will work regardless of what happens to the site that generated them.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/wifi
- https://useqr.app/validate