QR Code Size & Capacity Calculator

How it works

Choose the smallest version whose data codewords × 8 ≥ 4 (mode) + count bits + data bits; modules = 17 + 4 × version; minimum width ≈ scanning distance ÷ 10

A QR code grows in fixed steps — versions 1 to 40, from 21 to 177 modules on a side — and how much fits depends on the character mode and how much of the symbol is reserved for error correction. Digits pack ten bits per three, alphanumeric eleven bits per pair, and general text (including lowercase URLs) eight bits per byte, so a numeric-only code can hold more than twice as many characters as a byte-mode one. Raising the error-correction level from M to H lets a code survive a logo or 30% damage but costs about a third of its capacity. Once you know the module count, scanning distance dictates print size: cameras want the code about a tenth of the distance across, and modules below half a millimetre are risky in print.

Worked example

A 62-character URL in byte mode at level M: 62 × 8 + 12 = 508 bits, which fits version 4 (64 codewords = 512 bits) — a 33 × 33 module code, printed at least 3 cm wide for scanning from 30 cm.

Frequently asked questions