QR Code vs Barcode

How does QR Code Differ from Barcode?

	BARCODE	QR Code
Matrix Type	It is two types: 1 dimensional and 2 dimensional	It is only one type: 2 dimensional
Representation	A vertical arrangement of parallel lines and numbers of varying widths	They consist of black and white squares in various sizes or a rectangle grid
Purpose	Barcodes can store product details and transmit text, images, contacts etc.	QR codes can store a URL, text string, or phone number and transmit data associated with consumers or consumer products.
Mainly used in	It can be used in many industries, from business and manufacturing to healthcare, tracking all purchased items; in hospitals for tracking the records of patients, in rental car businesses and for tracking airline luggage and mail.	It is used in supermarkets, hospitals, and cinemas for the transfer of data, such as sharing contacts, photos, videos, and other documents.
Scan Ability	Barcode can be scanned vertically.	QR code Scanned both vertically and horizontally
Visual Representation

Barcode/QR code: Purpose and Introduction

Barcode is an image that is in a square or rectangular shape and consists of parallel black lines that are used in retail store items, identification cards, postal mail, and particular product. Barcodes can help you maintain accurate information about inventory products and accounting processes in many shops and companies. They can also be used to track inventories and improve supply chain efficiency in warehouses.

QR Codes use a two-dimensional structure that contains black modules that are arranged in a square pattern, which means they can be read both horizontally and vertically. The most common things held in QR codes are website URLs, phone numbers, plain text, email address and other alphanumeric data up to 4296 characters. QR codes have become extremely popular in areas such as consumer advertising, code payments, website logins, and data encryption, amongst others.

Which is Better, QR Code or Barcode?

A QR code is faster to scan and holds more data than a barcode. QR code has correction abilities when it is damaged, but it can still be read by a scanner in comparison to a barcode.

Barcodes on items we purchase are not unique, which means if you have three of the same item, they will have the same barcode, and this will be a problem if you want to track assets individually. But QR codes can be used to give a unique identity to assets.

If you use a smart device to scan regular barcodes, you will need to have a high-quality label printer, but QR codes are much less dependent and can be easily scanned with tablets and smartphones.

Pros and Cons of Barcodes

Pros

Present unique identify of a product.
Accuracy of data input and reduce humane error.
Cost-effective to design and print.
Labor saving by avoiding manual system and Minimizes employee training time.

Cons

System failure may cost more delays.
Damaged barcodes may cause problems.
Data must be coded in the barcode.
In laser scanning, durability and cost are two disadvantages.

Pros and Cons of QR Code

Pros

Can embed many types of media.
Store more data.
QR codes can be scanned anytime and anywhere with smarphones.
Great for visually impaired individuals.

Cons

Marketers improperly use them.
People have little or no information about them.
Not secure.
Dependability on a mobile device or smartphones.

Posted by: Teachable tech

Updated: July 16, 2022