BuildYourQR vs QR Code Monkey. The free designer everyone has used at least once.
QR Code Monkey is a genuinely free, no-sign-up generator with good design options and vector downloads. Its codes are static: once printed they can’t be edited and there are no scan statistics. For those, its own site points you to its paid sister product. So the honest comparison is: for a one-off static code, either works. For anything you might change later, you need a dynamic code, which BuildYourQR gives you free for your first five.
We make BuildYourQR, so read this with that in mind. Everything we say about QR Code Monkey comes from its own website, checked on . The links are at the bottom. Prices change; check theirs before deciding.
QR Code Monkey
qrcode-monkey.com- Price
- Free, no account
- Code type
- Static only (“you can’t edit the QR code again”)
- Analytics
- None. They refer you to their paid product for scan statistics and editable codes
- Downloads
- PNG, SVG, PDF and EPS
BuildYourQR
buildyourqr.com- Free option
- 5 dynamic codes (links or contact cards), 7 days of analytics, no end date
- Paid
- $9/month (Dynamic, unlimited dynamic codes); Pro $19/month adds AR
- Billing
- Monthly, cancel any time
- If you stop paying
- Codes keep working on the Free plan
- Extras
- AR video ads on Pro ($19/month); a free static generator with no account
- Not offered yet
- No custom short-link domain, no API, no bulk creation, no team seats yet
What matters most
Static vs dynamic is the whole question.
QR Code Monkey is excellent at one thing: making a good-looking static code for free, with no account. A static code stores your link inside the pattern itself. That means it works forever and doesn’t depend on any company, which is a real advantage. It also means it can never be changed and nobody can tell you how often it was scanned.
So the choice is less about which tool is better and more about what you’re printing. A Wi-Fi code for your living room, or a link to a page you’ll own forever? Static is fine, and our own free generator does that too. A menu, a flyer run, packaging or a sign, where the link might change or you’ll want to know if it works? That’s what dynamic codes are for.
Being fair
Where QR Code Monkey is better.
- Completely free, with no account at all
- PDF and EPS downloads as well as PNG and SVG
- Lots of design presets and templates
And the other way round
Where BuildYourQR is better.
- Dynamic codes you can re-point after printing, free for five
- Scan analytics: day, device, city and hour
- Contact-card pages and AR ads
- Our own free static generator too, if static is all you need
Which one?
Pick the one that fits what you’re printing.
You need a single static code, in EPS for a print shop, and it will never need to change.
The code is going on something you print in quantity, like menus, flyers or packaging, where the link might change or you want to know if anyone scans it.
Try it freeSwitching
Moving over without breaking anything.
- Leave printed codes alone. Codes already out in the world point at QR Code Monkey’s links, so they keep doing whatever QR Code Monkey does with them. Moving a code means making a new one.
- Start with your next print run. Make the new code in BuildYourQR, point it at the same page, and use it on anything printed from now on.
- Compare the numbers. Keep both running for a few weeks and you’ll see in each dashboard which print is being scanned.
Sources
Checked 28 September 2026. QR Code Monkey is a trademark of its owner; BuildYourQR isn’t affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@buildyourqr.com and we’ll correct it.