# UseQR vs the qr-code-styling library

> qr-code-styling is the MIT-licensed JavaScript library that powers the styled-code UIs of many generators — dots, rounded modules, custom eyes, embedded logos. If you are building your own generator interface, it is the right foundation. If you just need styled codes now, with decode-verification and typed payloads, use a finished product instead.

Source: https://useqr.app/vs/useqr-vs-qr-code-styling · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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## The library behind the generators

`qr-code-styling` occupies an interesting position: it is the MIT-licensed JavaScript
library that many styled-QR generator sites are built on. Rounded modules, dot styles,
custom corner eyes, gradients, an image in the middle — when you see those options in a
web generator, there is a fair chance this library (or a fork of it) is doing the
drawing. It renders to canvas or SVG in the browser, which also means tools built on it
inherit client-side generation for free.

So the comparison is really: **build on the library, or use a finished product?** Both
answers are right for different people, and this page is the sorting function.

## If you are building a generator: use the library

If your task is "add a styled QR designer to our app", `qr-code-styling` is the right
starting point and we would not suggest reinventing it:

- The styling vocabulary is proven — module shapes, eye shapes, gradients, logo
  embedding — with a straightforward options object.
- It renders client-side, so your users' payloads never leave their browser.
- MIT licence, so commercial embedding is uncomplicated.

Two things to build alongside it, from experience:

1. **A verification step.** The library draws whatever you configure, including
   configurations that do not scan — an oversized logo, low-contrast gradients, eyes
   restyled past recognition. Rendering is not scanning;
   [decode the output before you ship it](/docs/developers/why-verify-that-your-qr-code-decodes).
   The failure mode is silent and surfaces at the print shop.
2. **Payload builders.** The library takes a string. WiFi escaping, UPI fields and vCard
   quirks are your problem, and they are [where codes break](/docs/troubleshooting/wifi-qr-code-not-connecting)
   more often than styling is.

## If you just need codes: use a product

If the actual requirement is "a styled code with our logo that provably scans, today",
building on a library is a detour. A finished generator gives you:

- **The same styling vocabulary** — [module shapes](/docs/design/qr-code-module-shapes-compared),
  [custom eyes](/docs/design/custom-eye-shapes), logo embedding — without writing any code.
- **The verify loop built in.** UseQR decodes every code before download; a styling
  combination that breaks scannability is rejected at creation. This is the piece most
  library-based generator sites skip, and it is why
  [logo codes that do not scan](/docs/troubleshooting/qr-code-with-logo-not-scanning)
  are a whole genre of support request.
- **Typed payloads** with real spec validation, 28 types.
- **An API** for automation — no key, SVG/PNG/PDF, batch.

And if you are evaluating which product: the honest criteria are in
[the logo-generator roundup](/vs/best-qr-code-generator-with-a-logo).

## Side by side

| | qr-code-styling (library) | UseQR (product) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | JS drawing library | Generator + API + verification |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Client-side | Yes (in-browser rendering) | Yes |
| Styling options | Extensive | Extensive |
| Decode-verification | Not included — build it | Built in |
| Payload builders | No — strings only | 28 spec-validated types |
| Best for | Building your own generator UI | Getting verified codes now |

The stack is not either/or, incidentally: a product built on solid libraries plus a
verify loop is exactly what UseQR is — our [source](https://github.com/rajkaria/useqr) is
readable if you want to see how the pieces fit before building your own.

## FAQ

### What is qr-code-styling used for?
It is the JavaScript library many generator websites use to draw styled QR codes — rounded and dot modules, custom corner eyes, gradients and embedded logos — rendering to canvas or SVG in the browser under an MIT licence.

### Do styled QR codes from qr-code-styling always scan?
No. The library draws whatever it is configured to draw, including combinations that fail — oversized logos, weak contrast, over-styled eyes. Any pipeline built on it should decode the output with an independent reader before use.

### Should I build my own QR generator or use an existing one?
Build when the generator is your product or must live inside your app — the library makes that tractable. Use an existing product when you need verified codes now; the styling options are equivalent and the verification is already done.

### Is qr-code-styling free for commercial projects?
Yes, it is MIT-licensed. You can embed it in commercial products without fees; the licence obligations are limited to preserving the copyright notice.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/validate