QR vs barcode labels
Free tool: app.mylabelmaker.com. No signup. Barcodes (CODE128, CODE39, UPC, EAN, ITF, and more) + QR, Excel batch, export PNG/PDF/ZPL. Best direct print on Zebra. Hubs: barcodes · shipping · label maker · templates.
Linear barcodes (CODE128, UPC) win at POS and classic scanners. QR wins for URLs, WiFi, and long strings on phones. Many labels print both. Open the free label maker and drop either on the same sticker. No signup.
When to print a barcode
Retail checkout, warehouse guns, and anything that already expects CODE128, UPC, or EAN. Keep the bars native. Do not paste a screenshot of a barcode font.
When to print a QR
A URL, WiFi login, vCard, or a sentence that will not fit in a linear code. Give it size and a quiet zone. Test-scan with a phone.
When to print both
A product sticker can carry UPC for the register and a QR to the care card. Same canvas. Two fields.