Barcode vs QR Code: What is the Difference?

1D barcodes: numbers and short codes, scanned at retail

Linear barcodes (EAN-13, UPC-A, Code 128, Code 39) store a short identifier - a product number, SKU or tracking code - in a row of bars read by laser or camera scanners at checkout, in warehouses and on labels. They are cheap to print, work at any size within their spec, and are what retail and logistics systems expect.

QR codes: links and data, scanned by phones

QR is a 2D matrix code that stores far more - URLs, contact cards, Wi-Fi credentials, hundreds of characters - and is designed to be read by phone cameras. That makes it the code for consumer-facing actions: open a menu, save a contact, join a network.

When to use which

1. Product sold at retail checkout? Use EAN-13 or UPC-A (the store scanner reads those).
2. Inventory, shipping or asset tracking? Use Code 128 or GS1-128.
3. Pointing a phone camera at something (menu, packaging, card)? Use QR.
4. Very small package or part marking? Use EAN-8, UPC-E or DataMatrix.

Can they be used together?

Yes - a product can carry both an EAN-13 at checkout and a QR code linking to its digital page. They do not conflict; the checkout scanner reads the EAN, the customer's phone reads the QR. This generator produces both from the same product data.