Comparisons.
The choices that actually change the outcome, compared on the criteria that matter.
Most decisions about a QR code do not matter much. Dot style, corner shape, whether the code is black on white or navy on cream — these change how a code looks, and almost nothing else. A handful of decisions are different: made wrong, they produce a code that stops working after printing, blurs at the size you need, or silently drops half a contact card. Those are the ones compared here.
Each comparison takes one decision, sets out what each option actually does — at the payload level, not the marketing level — and ends with a recommendation you can act on. They are short by design: the point is to settle the question before you print, not to survey the topic.
- PNG vs SVG QR Code: Which File to ExportThe file-format question that decides how a code survives print. PNG is a fixed grid of pixels that softens when scaled; SVG is geometry that stays sharp at any size. The right answer is different for a screen, a poster and a business card, and the piece gives all three.
- QR Code vs Barcode: What Each One Is ForThey look related and solve different problems: a barcode holds a dozen characters for a purpose-built scanner, a QR code holds kilobytes for any phone camera. Where each one wins, and why retail checkouts still run on stripes.
- Static vs Dynamic QR Codes: Which to UseEvery code this site makes is static, and this piece is honest about what that trade costs. A dynamic code can change destination after printing — but only for as long as the redirect service behind it stays online and paid for. Which you want comes down to whether editability is worth a permanent dependency.
- vCard vs MeCard for Contact QR CodesTwo formats for encoding a contact card. vCard carries more fields and is understood by more address books; MeCard produces a smaller payload and therefore a coarser, easier-to-scan code. The size difference is real, measurable, and sometimes the deciding factor.
If the question you have is not a choice between two options but a "how does this work", it belongs in the guides instead — sizing for print, error correction, and why codes fail to scan each get a full treatment there. And if you already know what you need, every generator applies these answers by default: static codes, print-ready SVG export, and payloads encoded to the letter of the format.