Who each one is for
QR Pro is what a scanner should be: free, ad-free, and with a privacy label that reads “Data Not Collected”. It reads QR, Aztec, Data Matrix, PDF417 and the common one-dimensional barcodes from the camera, Photos, files or drag and drop; previews link contents before opening; and keeps a library that can sync through iCloud to iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision. It also generates codes for links, text, Wi-Fi, email, phone, messages, contacts, events and locations, and can export images, PDFs and SVG “when supported”. It was updated on 3 September 2026.
Our own notes call it an acquisition target rather than a competitor, and that is fair: it is the scanner for people who scan. QR Studio is for people who make codes that have to look right and print right.
Where QR Studio is better
- Design. Dot and eye shapes, logos, colours, live scannability checks and an AI partner. QR Pro’s generator produces a plain code.
- Print output. Print-ready PDF with bleed and crop marks. QR Pro’s PDF is the image on a page.
- Dynamic codes and analytics. Edit the destination after printing and see scan counts. Not offered.
- Templates and batch. Not offered.
Where QR Pro is better
- Price. Nothing to buy, ever.
- Privacy. “Data Not Collected” is the strictest label Apple offers. QR Studio has no ads or trackers and crash reporting is opt-in, but it does run accounts and analytics for Pro users.
- Platforms. Apple Watch and Apple TV as well as Mac and Vision. QR Studio is on iPhone and iPad.
- Formats. Aztec, Data Matrix and PDF417 as well as QR.
- System hooks. Widgets, a Control Centre control, Action button and Share sheet input.
Pricing side by side
| QR Studio | QR Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, unlimited static codes, no ads | $0, everything |
| Monthly | Pro $4.99 | None |
| Yearly | Pro $29.99 | None |
| One-off | Lifetime $69.99 | None |
Switching
You may not need to. Keep QR Pro for scanning if you like it; QR Studio’s scanner exists so you can test your own designs. Codes you generated in QR Pro are static: decode them and rebuild in QR Studio when you want a designed or printed version.
Note
Prices change, though QR Pro has none. We read the App Store listing, its empty In-App Purchases list and its privacy label on 7 September 2026.
Try it yourself