If you search for a “QR Code Generator” in any search engine, two names will pop up immediately- Adobe’s QR Code Generator and Uniqode’s QR Code Generator.
Both are user-friendly, flexible QR Code platforms and are most organizations’ top picks.
But there are a few things that differentiate both these QR Code makers. We are sure you already know that Adobe QR Codes are free to use and create, whereas Uniqode, although it has a free QR Code generator plan, if you want to create dynamic and custom QR Codes with it, you’ll have to choose a paid plan.
If you know the significance of QR Codes and are looking for a detailed breakdown between Adobe QR Code vs. Uniqode QR Code, settle in! This article will cover exactly that.
Essential QR Code Features that You Must Know
Assuming you have already used QR Codes for multiple organization functions, which features should be the must-haves in a QR Code generator?
It depends on the specific use cases you deploy the QR Code generator for. For instance, if your focus areas are sales and marketing, some of the features to look out for are:
- Dynamic QR Codes
- Customization
- Analytics
Similarly, if you are a coach or tutor using QR Codes for one-time enrollment initiatives, the features you will look out for are:
- Static QR Codes
- Flexibility and ease
- Scanability
For a large enterprise using QR Codes for multiple teams, the integral features should be:
- Bulk QR Code generation
- Safety and Security
- Integrations with CRMs, automation, and sales stack
- Collaboration
Coming back to the Adobe vs. Uniqode discussion, the table below shows what to expect from these QR Code generators if you are looking for any one or more of the above features:
Features | Adobe | Uniqode |
---|---|---|
Dynamic QR Codes | ❌ | ✅ |
Customization | ✅ | ✅ |
Analytics | ❌ | ✅ |
Static QR Codes | ✅ | ✅ |
Flexibility and ease | ✅ | ✅ |
Scanability | ✅ | ✅ |
Bulk QR Code generation | ❌ | ✅ |
Safety and security | ❌ | ✅ |
Collaboration | ❌ | ✅ |
Now, let’s break down these features in more detail:
1. Dynamic QR Codes
A dynamic QR Code is editable multiple times, even after it is generated or printed. You can update the content and URL of an active QR Code and track its performance by keeping track of several scans.
For marketing and sales teams running a campaign for a long time, where they try to promote new product pages each time, using dynamic QR Codes is the best option.
It lets you edit the QR Code URL, content, and other fields without friction. The same goes for boosting app downloads, creating contactless restaurant menus, etc.
You cannot generate dynamic QR Codes with the former when comparing Adobe’s QR Codes with Uniqode’s. Uniqode, on the contrary, lets you generate 50 dynamic QR Codes per user in the Lite plan, starting at only $15 per month.
2. Customization
If you are new to QR Code marketing, you might wonder why QR Code customization is needed.
While a generic QR Code also does the job, a customized QR Code represents your brand color, logo, and other elements that distinguish your brand from your competitors. When your customers or potential users spot a personalized QR Code, they instantly know it is from your brand.
While discussing both Uniqode’s QR Codes and Adobe Express QR Codes, it is important to note that both these tools offer customization. However, the level of customization varies.
Adobe QR Code’s level of customization is limited to:
- Three types of style (dots, borders, and marker center)
- A limited color palette with only five common colors
- QR Codes are downloadable in only three formats (SVG, PNG, and JPG)
Uniqode offers extensive customization options like:
- 12 ready-to-use templates in different shapes and sizes
- The opportunity to place your brand logo
- Comprehensive color palette to add your brand colors to the QR Codes
- Multiple Eye patterns and data presentation formats
- Four different frame types
- Apart from the above three formats, Beacsonstac allows you to download the QR Codes in PDF and EPS formats as well
3. Analytics
Marketing and sales teams add QR Codes on multiple collaterals to boost customer engagement. However, you need comprehensive analytics to measure the end result of these campaigns and acquire data-driven insights.
Adobe QR Code Generator doesn’t offer any analytics to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
Alternatively, Uniqode’s QR Code maker offers in-depth insights into your QR Code campaigns. Some of the notable features include:
- An intuitive dashboard that presents metrics like number of scans, time of scan, device type used for scanning, audience engagement duration, etc.
- Easy integration with Google Analytics for a more granular breakdown of campaign performance
4. Static QR Codes
A static QR Code is for one-time use. These are the types of QR Codes that allow you to add content and URL only once, with no edit features. Additionally, you cannot track the performance of the static QR Codes; the URLs are clunky and take longer to scan.
A great use of static QR Codes can be one-time enrollment programs where students must sign up for a course within a specific time.
Both QR Code creators provide free static QR Codes.
5. Flexibility and ease
After trying out both the QR Code generators, we can safely say that Uniqode is much simpler to use than Adobe Express. Here are the reasons:
- Adobe QR Code Generator certainly looks more straightforward and easy to use. But it restricts you as a user. With limited customization options, you can generate a basic, static QR Code with this tool.
Uniqode allows you to create dynamic QR Codes and digital business cards for different source URLs like websites, social profiles, locations, and so on, with extensive personalization options. And, as we discussed above, it offers tons of customization options.
- If you want to design a QR Code better with Adobe, you must learn Adobe Photoshop, which is a complex software and isn’t easy to operate unless you are a pro. Uniqode, on the flip side, apart from its existing customization options, lets you integrate with Canva, the popular design tool, to place your QR Codes even on different design templates.
6. Scanability
The ultimate goal of any QR Code maker is to provide top-notch scanability for its QR Codes so that customers don’t feel any challenges while transitioning from offline to online mode. Adobe’s QR Code Generator has no built-in error correction feature. As a result, despite offering QR Codes in SVG format, these QR Codes don’t always provide a great scan experience.
Uniqode’s QR Code Generator creates high-resolution QR Codes with an automatic error correction feature to improve the scanability experience. This tool gives you a real-time scanability score to test your QR Code before making it live.
7. Bulk QR Code generation
If you are the inventory manager of a large retail store or a Founder or HR looking to create QR Codes for employees, you must generate QR Codes in large volumes.
If you need 100 pieces of QR Codes in one instance, would it be convenient to generate QR Codes 100 times using a QR Code generator?
Definitely not. You would instead need a QR Code solution that offers bulk generation capabilities to generate all 100 QR Codes at one go.
With Uniqode, you can generate many QR Codes faster with different URLs and files. Adobe’s QR Code Generator doesn’t offer this feature.
8. Safety and security
Free QR Code generators are exposed to various security threats. For instance, hackers can use QR Codes to collect sensitive information like name, address, contact number, bank account number, etc., from users.
If you use a free and open QR Code maker like Adobe Express QR Code generator, the possibilities of security risks are higher than a paid tool like Uniqode. Additionally, Uniqode is SOC® 2 Type 2 compliant and GDPR certified.
9. Collaboration
In large enterprises, it is possible that multiple users and teams have to access the QR Code generator. To ensure that all of them are leveraging the tool in the best possible way without any accessibility issues, you must assess the collaboration feature.
In Adobe, no third-party integrations are available; hence, collaboration opportunities are nonexistent. Only one user can use this tool at a given point in time.
Uniqode’s Plus and Business Plans can accommodate multiple users for more straightforward collaboration. Additionally, it integrates with various third-party tools like Zapier, Google Analytics, Canva, Meta, and Slack, making team collaboration easier.
The Final Verdict
After Careful assessment of both tools, we have concluded that Uniqode is the best and the most scalable solution of the two.
The solution is flexible, doesn’t require user training, offers extensive customization options, and is excellent at tracking your campaigns to derive useful insights.
If you want to create simple, easy-to-use, free QR Codes, mostly for one-time uses, then Adobe can be a good choice. However, for long-term requirements of dynamic QR Codes, go for Uniqode.
Read: How Tech is Transforming the Way We Do Business
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