What Are the Different Types of QR Codes?
Types of QR codes split three ways: symbol format (Model 2, Micro QR, rMQR), content (URL, Wi-Fi, vCard) and static vs dynamic. What each one is for.
Nookesh Karri · 8 min read 
There are three different ways to sort the types of QR codes, and most lists mix them up. By symbol format, there are five: Model 1 and Model 2, Micro QR, rMQR, SQRC and Frame QR. By content, a code can hold a URL, Wi-Fi login, contact card, email, text message, phone number, location or calendar event. By behavior, a code is either static or dynamic.
The code on a restaurant table, a Wi-Fi sign and a business card all use the same symbol. What changes is the text inside it, and whether that text is a link someone can repoint later.
The five QR code symbol types
The symbol format is the physical pattern of squares, and Denso Wave, the company that created the QR code, lists five types. Almost every code you scan with a phone is the second one, Model 2.
| Symbol type | Shape | Max capacity (per Denso Wave) | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model 1 | Square, up to 73 x 73 modules | 1,167 numerals | The original; rare today |
| Model 2 | Square, up to 177 x 177 modules | 7,089 numerals | Menus, posters, packaging, payments |
| Micro QR | Square, up to 17 x 17 modules | 35 numerals | Tiny parts and labels |
| rMQR | Rectangle, 7 x 43 up to 17 x 139 modules | 361 numeric characters | Narrow labels, cable tags |
| SQRC | Looks like a regular code | Public plus private data | Internal company data |
| Frame QR | Square with a blank center canvas | Not stated | Branded cards, authenticity labels |
Model 1 and Model 2
Model 2 is the QR code. Denso Wave’s Model 1 and Model 2 page says Model 2 added an alignment pattern so a code still reads when it’s printed on a curved surface or scanned at an angle. Model 1 was the original and is rarely used now.
Micro QR and rMQR
Micro QR and rMQR exist for small or narrow spaces. A regular code has three finder squares and needs a quiet margin four modules wide. Micro QR uses one finder square and needs a margin of just two modules. The trade-off is capacity: its largest size, M4, holds 35 numerals, fewer than the 41 a version 1 QR code holds.
rMQR is the rectangular version. It cuts the finder patterns to one and a half and stretches into a strip as small as 7 by 43 modules. Denso Wave says it got ISO approval in May 2022. You won’t print either of these on a flyer. They’re for parts marking and small labels, so check that whatever reads them supports the format.
SQRC and Frame QR
SQRC and Frame QR look like regular codes but add a feature. An SQRC holds a public part anyone can read and a private part only specific scanners can read. Denso Wave adds that this “does not guarantee that the coded data is secure.”
Frame QR leaves a blank canvas in the middle for a photo, logo or text. Denso Wave says the canvas doesn’t interfere with reading. The logo-in-the-middle codes most generators make are a different trick, which we cover in putting a logo in the middle of a QR code.
Types of QR codes by content
The content type is what the code says when it’s decoded, and it decides what your phone does next. Every one of these uses the same Model 2 symbol. The difference is a short text prefix the phone recognizes.
The open-source ZXing barcode project documents these formats in its Barcode Contents wiki:
| Content type | What’s inside the code | What the phone does |
|---|---|---|
| Website (URL) | https://example.com/menu | Opens the page |
| Wi-Fi | WIFI:T:WPA;S:mynetwork;P:mypass;; | Offers to join the network |
| Contact (vCard) | BEGIN:VCARD … | Offers to save the contact |
| Contact (MeCard) | MECARD:N:Owen,Sean;TEL:12125551212;; | Offers to save the contact |
mailto:[email protected] | Opens a new email | |
| Phone | tel:+1-212-555-1212 | Offers to call |
| SMS | SMSTO: or sms: plus a number | Opens a text message |
| Location | geo:40.71872,-73.98905,100 | Opens a map |
| Calendar event | BEGIN:VEVENT … | Offers to add the event |
Most “50 types of QR codes” lists are really this table plus a lot of URL codes with different landing pages. A “PDF QR code,” a “menu QR code,” an “app store QR code” and a “Google review QR code” are all URL codes. They point to a PDF, a menu page, a store listing or a review form.
So if a generator charges extra for a “PDF type,” you’re paying for hosting the file, not for a different kind of code.
Static vs dynamic: the type that matters most
Static vs dynamic is the most practical split among the types of QR codes, because it decides whether you can change the code after printing. A static code stores the final content directly. A dynamic code stores a short link that redirects to your content, so you can change where it goes and count scans.
Most lists skip this: only URL content can really be dynamic. A Wi-Fi code holds the network name and password itself. A vCard holds the contact itself. There’s no link inside to redirect, so once it’s printed, it’s fixed. If you change your Wi-Fi password, you reprint the sign. Our guide to a Wi-Fi QR code sign covers that.
Some generators sell a “dynamic vCard.” In practice, that’s a URL code pointing to a hosted contact page with a download button. It works, but it adds a step: scan, load a page, then save.
My take: anything printed in quantity, like menus, packaging or signs, should be a dynamic URL code. Wi-Fi and a personal business card should stay static, because static is simpler and keeps working with no service behind it. See dynamic vs static QR codes for the full comparison, or how to tell if a QR code is static or dynamic if you already have one printed.
The honest limitation: a dynamic code depends on its provider. QRAnalytica’s dynamic codes run through our redirect servers, and that’s what makes editing and scan counts possible. It’s also a dependency a static code doesn’t have.
Which type of QR code should you use?
The right type depends on whether the content is a link and whether it might change.
- Pointing to a web page, menu, PDF or form? Use a URL code. Make it dynamic if it’s printed in bulk or you want scan data.
- Wi-Fi for guests? Use a static Wi-Fi code. Phones join after one tap.
- Your contact details? A static vCard saves straight to the phone. A dynamic link to a contact page is easier to update. Our QR code business card guide compares both.
- Labeling tiny parts or narrow strips? Ask your label printer about Micro QR or rMQR, and check that your scanners read them.
If you’re starting with a URL, our QR code generator makes a dynamic code you can repoint after printing.
FAQ
How many types of QR codes are there?
Denso Wave, which invented the QR code, lists five symbol types: Model 1 and Model 2, Micro QR, rMQR, SQRC and Frame QR. Lists of 15 to 50 types online count content types such as URL, Wi-Fi and vCard, which all use the same regular QR symbol.
What is the most common type of QR code?
QR Code Model 2. Denso Wave says the term QR Code today usually refers to Model 2. Menu, poster, packaging and payment codes all use it.
Can my phone camera read every type of QR code?
Phone cameras are built for regular Model 2 codes. Micro QR and rMQR are designed for tiny and narrow labels, so check that your scanner supports them before you print one. The private part of an SQRC can only be read by specific scanners.
Can a Wi-Fi or vCard QR code be dynamic?
Not in the usual sense. A Wi-Fi or vCard code stores the network details or contact card itself, so there is no link to redirect. Dynamic codes work by encoding a short link, so they suit content that lives at a web address.