The storage capacity of a QR Code depends on the version of the QR Code used and the type of data encoded. Here's a breakdown of how much information different types of QR Codes can hold:
- Numeric Data: Up to 7,089 characters
- Alphanumeric Data: Up to 4,296 characters
- Binary/Byte Data: Up to 2,953 bytes (or 8-bit bytes)
- Kanji/Special Characters: Up to 1,817 characters
QR codes are structured into different versions, ranging from Version 1 to Version 40. The version number of a QR code relates to its size and capacity:
- Version 1: 21x21 modules, can hold up to 41 numeric characters, 25 alphanumeric characters, 17 byte characters, or 10 kanji characters.
- Version 40: 177x177 modules, can hold up to 7,089 numeric characters, 4,296 alphanumeric characters, 2,953 bytes of data, or 1,817 kanji characters.
The error correction level set when creating a QR code also affects its capacity. There are four levels of error correction:
Low (L): About 7% of codewords can be restored
Medium (M): About 15% of codewords can be restored
Quartile (Q): About 25% of codewords can be restored
High (H): About 30% of codewords can be restored
Higher error correction levels result in less data capacity because more space is used to store error-correcting codes. This makes QR codes more resilient to damage but reduces the amount of data they can hold.