Glossary
Version
A QR code's version is its size: version 1 is 21 × 21 modules and each step adds 4 modules per side, up to version 40 at 177 × 177. The encoder picks the smallest version that fits your data at your chosen error-correction level.
The formula
Modules per side = 17 + 4 × version.
| Version | Modules | Version | Modules |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 10 | 57 |
| 2 | 25 | 15 | 77 |
| 3 | 29 | 20 | 97 |
| 5 | 37 | 30 | 137 |
| 7 | 45 | 40 | 177 |
Version is not a format revision
This is a common misreading. "Version" here means physical size, not a specification revision. There is no "newer version" of a QR code to upgrade to.
Why you should care
Version drives everything downstream: more modules mean smaller modules at the same printed size, which means a higher-resolution camera or a closer scan. Shortening the payload is the cheapest way to make a code scan better, because it drops the version.
Related
- Module — A module is one square cell of a QR code — the smallest unit of the pattern. Codes are measured in modules, not pixels or millimetres, because the module…
- Data capacity — Data capacity is how much a QR code can hold, and it depends on three things at once: the version, the error-correction level and the encoding mode. The…
- Error correction level — Error correction level sets how much of a QR code can be damaged and still decode: L tolerates about 7%, M 15%, Q 25% and H 30%. Higher levels cost…