Why QR Stealth Exists
We got tired of the same story. You search for "free QR code generator," find a slick-looking tool, build your QR code with custom colors and a logo — and then hit the paywall. Download in high resolution? That's premium. Remove the watermark? Premium. Use more than 3 colors? Premium. Access your code after 14 days? You guessed it.
Meanwhile, your data — the URLs you encode, your email address from the forced sign-up, your usage patterns — gets quietly harvested, packaged, and monetized behind the scenes. The "free" tool was never free. You were the product.
QR Stealth was built on a different premise: a QR code generator should actually be free, and "free" shouldn't mean "we're selling your data instead."
What Makes Us Different
100% Client-Side
Your QR data never leaves your browser. No server processing, no cloud storage. Address search uses OpenStreetMap's free geocoding service, but your QR content is never transmitted. When you close the tab, it's gone.
All Features, Always Free
Custom colors, gradients, dot styles, logo upload, frames, SVG export, high-res downloads. Everything. No "upgrade to unlock" gates.
No Account Required
No sign-up, no email, no password. Open the page, make your QR code, download it. Done.
No Expiring Codes
Your QR code encodes data directly — there's no redirect URL we control. It works forever because it doesn't depend on us.
How We Keep It Free: Ads
Let's be upfront about this. QR Stealth is free because we run display advertisements on the site. That's it. Ads are the only revenue model. There are no hidden data sales, no premium tiers, no affiliate link injection into your QR codes.
What We Do
- Display standard banner ads on the page
- Use Google AdSense (industry-standard ad network)
- Disclose all ad-related data collection in our Privacy Policy
- Provide opt-out links for personalized advertising
- Keep ads clearly separated from the tool itself
What We Don't Do
- Inject ads or tracking into your QR codes
- Sell your content data to advertisers
- Use dark patterns to trick you into clicking ads
- Run pop-ups, pop-unders, or interstitials
- Gate features behind ad removal payments
Ads, Privacy & Cookies: The Honest Truth
Here's where we owe you full transparency. While QR Stealth itself collects zero data about your QR codes or content, the ads on our site do involve third-party cookies and tracking. We believe in being honest about this tradeoff:
What the ad network may do:
- Set cookies — Google AdSense may place cookies on your browser to track which ads you've seen and whether you've interacted with them
- Personalize ads — Based on your browsing activity across other websites (not based on anything you type into QR Stealth), Google may show you targeted ads
- Collect device info — Browser type, screen size, general location (country/city level) for ad delivery optimization
What the ad network cannot do:
- See your QR content — The URLs, text, WiFi passwords, or contact info you enter into the generator is never sent to any server, including Google's ad servers
- Access your uploaded logos — Images you upload for logo embedding stay in your browser's memory only
- Connect your QR activity to your ad profile — Because we don't send your QR data anywhere, there's nothing to connect
Your choices:
- Opt out of personalized ads at Google Ads Settings
- Use an ad blocker (we won't guilt-trip you, though it does keep the lights on)
- Browse in incognito/private mode to limit cookie persistence
- Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on
How We Compare
We're not the only QR code generator out there. Here's how the most popular options actually work:
| Feature | QR Stealth | Most "Free" Generators |
|---|---|---|
| Custom colors & gradients | Free | Often premium |
| Logo embedding | Free | Premium / watermarked |
| High-res download | Free (up to 2000px) | Premium / low-res free |
| SVG export | Free | Almost always premium |
| Account required | No | Usually yes |
| QR codes expire | Never | Often after trial |
| Your data sent to servers | Never | Yes, for processing |
| Revenue model | Display ads | Data + subscriptions + upsells |
| Payment QR codes (PayPal, Venmo, CashApp) | Free | Crypto only or paid |
| Batch generation | Free | Paid / PRO only |
| Social media QR codes | 6 platforms (IG, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X, FB) | 3 platforms max |
| Dark mode | Built-in toggle | Not available |
Our Principles
- Privacy by architecture, not by policy. We didn't add privacy controls — we eliminated the need for them by keeping everything client-side. There's no toggle for "don't sell my data" because there's no data to sell.
- Free means free. Not "free trial." Not "free with watermark." Not "free for 3 QR codes." Every feature, every format, every customization option — free.
- Ads fund the service, not your data. We run standard display ads. That's the deal. We don't pretend the tool is free out of generosity — the ads pay for hosting, development, and our time. But we'll never cross the line into selling user data or injecting tracking into your QR codes.
- No dark patterns. No countdown timers. No "your session is expiring!" pop-ups. No fake scarcity. No "upgrade now" modals that appear after you've already built your QR code. Respect is non-negotiable.
- Transparency over polish. We'd rather tell you exactly how the ads work than hide it behind vague language. If something changes, we'll say so plainly.
Who's Behind This
QR Stealth is an independent project, not a VC-funded startup chasing growth metrics. We're builders who believe useful tools should be accessible without friction, sign-ups, or hidden costs. We're not trying to become the next billion-dollar QR platform — we're trying to be the tool you bookmark and forget to worry about.
What's Next
We're always improving QR Stealth. On the roadmap:
- More QR code types and encoding options
- Additional dot and corner styles
- Template library for common use cases
- Batch generation for power users
- Cookie consent banner for full GDPR compliance
Have a feature request? Let us know.