Free PDF QR Code Generator
A PDF QR code opens your document on the phone that scans it: a menu, a brochure, a manual or a price list. You upload the PDF to a page QRdx hosts for you, and the code points to that page through a short link.
Needs a free QRdx account. The Free plan includes 3 hosted pages.
How to create a PDF QR code
Because the code holds the link, not the file, you can replace the PDF after printing, for next season's menu or a corrected manual, and every printed code opens the new version. It needs a free QRdx account.
- 1Sign in or create a free account, then start a PDF page: the button above opens it with the PDF type picked.
- 2Upload your PDF, or paste a link to one that's already online, and choose whether people can download it.
- 3Add a title and any buttons you want, such as a link to your website, then publish.
- 4Download the page's QR code, print it and scan it once to check.
What people see when they scan
Reads in the browser
On tablets and computers the PDF shows on the page; on phones, Open PDF shows it full screen. Nobody installs an app.
Download and more files
A Download button saves a copy, and a Downloads block lists more files with their own labels, such as the menu in a second language.
Your page around it
A title, your colors and logo, and buttons to your website or booking page, from the same blocks as every QRdx page.
Fast and private
Server-rendered for phones, with no QRdx analytics or chat scripts, and hidden from search engines unless you turn that on.
Change it after printing
Replace the file behind the same link: in Dashboard → Files, choose Replace file next to the PDF and upload the new one. Pages and codes that use it show the new version within a minute. A PDF can only be replaced by a PDF.
Change the page itself (its title, buttons and colors) and publish; the printed code stays the same. Every scan is counted without cookies, so you can see when the code is used.
Your code keeps working whatever happens to your plan: that's the Never-Hostage Guarantee.
Limits on each plan
| Limit | Free | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted pages | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Dynamic codes | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Largest file | 10 MB | 100 MB | 250 MB |
| File storage | 50 MB | 5 GB | 50 GB |
| "Made with QRdx" footer | Shown | Removed | Removed |
Each page uses one of the plan's dynamic codes. Limits only stop you from creating new pages. See pricing or read the docs.
A PDF page, or a code that links to a PDF?
Static code to a PDF link
- No account: put the link of a PDF that's already online, in Google Drive or on your website, into a free static code.
- The link is written into the code, so printed codes stop working if the file is moved or its sharing is turned off.
- No scan counts, and nothing around the PDF.
Hosted PDF page
- A free QRdx account, and QRdx stores the file.
- Replace the PDF or edit the page any time; printed codes keep working.
- Scans counted without cookies, with your title, colors and buttons around the document.
PDF QR code FAQ
Is the PDF QR code free?
Yes, with a free QRdx account. The Free plan includes 3 hosted pages, and each uses one of its 10 dynamic codes. Free pages show a small "Made with QRdx" footer; Pro removes it and the page limit.
How big can the PDF be?
Up to 10 MB per file on Free, with 50 MB of storage per workspace. Pro takes files up to 100 MB and Business up to 250 MB. Big PDFs open slowly on phones, so compress scans and large images before uploading.
Can I change the PDF after printing?
Yes. Replace the file in Dashboard → Files and every code and page that uses it shows the new PDF within a minute. The printed code never changes.
What happens to my code if I stop paying?
It keeps working. Under the Never-Hostage Guarantee, codes and pages you already have keep working after a downgrade, a failed payment or a cancellation, and scans are never paused. Plan limits only stop you from creating new ones.
Do people need an app to open it?
No. The phone's camera opens the page in the browser, where the PDF can be read, opened full screen or downloaded.
Can search engines find my PDF?
Not unless you want them to. Hosted pages are hidden from search engines until you turn on Show in search engines in the page's settings.
Can I make a PDF QR code without an account?
Only for a PDF that's already online: paste its link into the URL or Google Drive generator for a free static code. QRdx only stores the file for you with an account.