19 free generators

Barcode Generators

Generate barcodes in every common format — Code 128, EAN, UPC, Code 39 and more — and download them ready to print.

Code 128 Barcode Generator Encode text and numbers into a Code 128 barcode. EAN-13 Barcode Generator Create the 13-digit EAN barcode used on retail products. EAN-8 Barcode Generator Create the compact 8-digit EAN barcode for small products. UPC Barcode Generator Create the 12-digit UPC-A barcode used in US and Canadian retail. Code 39 Barcode Generator Encode letters and numbers into a Code 39 barcode. ITF-14 Barcode Generator Create the 14-digit ITF barcode used on shipping cartons. Codabar Generator Create a Codabar barcode used by libraries and blood banks. MSI Barcode Generator Create an MSI Plessey barcode for inventory marking. Barcode Scanner Read any barcode or 2D code — with your camera, from an image, or by pasting one. It tells you which symbology it found and what the contents actually mean. EAN-13 Scanner Read the 13-digit barcode found on almost every retail product, and see what each part of the number means. EAN-8 Scanner Read the short 8-digit barcode used where a full EAN-13 will not physically fit. UPC Scanner Read the 12-digit UPC-A barcode used across North American retail, split into its number system, manufacturer and product parts. Code 128 Scanner Read Code 128 — the dense alphanumeric barcode on parcels, pallets and shipping labels. Code 39 Scanner Read Code 39 — the self-checking alphanumeric barcode used in defence, automotive and asset tagging. ITF Scanner Read Interleaved 2 of 5 and ITF-14 — the numeric barcodes printed on shipping cartons and corrugated board. Codabar Scanner Read Codabar — the barcode still used on library cards, blood bank bags and older courier forms. Data Matrix Scanner Read Data Matrix — the small square 2D code marked on electronics, medicines and machined parts. PDF417 Scanner Read PDF417 — the wide stacked barcode on driving licences, boarding passes and identity documents. Aztec Code Scanner Read Aztec — the compact 2D code used on rail and airline tickets, including phone screens.

About Barcode Generators

Barcodes look interchangeable but they are not: each symbology encodes a different character set, has different length rules, and is expected in a different setting. This category has eight generators covering the formats you are most likely to need — the Code 128 generator for general use, the EAN-13 and UPC generators for retail products, the compact EAN-8 for small packaging, and the Code 39 generator for older systems. Warehouse and inventory work, asset tagging, small shops and library-style cataloguing all pass through here.

The choice is decided by where the barcode will be read. If it is for your own system — stock labels, asset tags, internal tracking — Code 128 is almost always the right answer: it encodes letters, digits and symbols, packs numbers densely, and every modern scanner reads it. Code 39 does a similar job less efficiently and only in uppercase and digits, so choose it when an existing system requires it rather than for anything new. Retail is different: if a product will be scanned at a till, it needs a real EAN-13 or UPC number, and those tools are for rendering a number you have been assigned, not inventing one. EAN-8 exists for packaging too small for a full EAN-13. The specialists cover the rest — ITF-14 for shipping cartons and outer cases, Codabar for libraries and blood banks, and MSI for shelf and inventory labelling.

All eight are free, need no sign-up, and render the barcode entirely in your browser, so the SKUs and product numbers you enter are never uploaded. You download a plain image, ready to print, with nothing to license and no watermark. Two practical points: barcodes need contrast and quiet space, so print dark bars on a light background, do not stretch the image out of proportion, and leave a clear margin at each end. And do test-scan a sample from the actual printed material before committing to a run — a barcode that scans on screen can still fail on glossy or curved packaging. See also QR code generators.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make up my own EAN-13 or UPC number for my product?

Not for retail. Those numbers are issued through GS1 so that a code is globally unique, and shops and marketplaces will reject an invented one. These generators render a number you already own. For your own internal stock or asset labels, no registration is needed and Code 128 is the better choice.

Which barcode format should I pick if I am not sure?

Code 128 for almost anything internal, since it handles letters and digits, is compact, and every scanner reads it. Use EAN-13 or UPC only when a product is going to be scanned at a retail till, and only with a number that has been issued to you.

Are the barcodes free to use commercially?

Yes. The images have no watermark, no attribution requirement and no usage limits. The symbologies themselves are open standards. The only cost that can apply is registering a GS1 number, which is separate from generating the image.

Why does my printed barcode fail to scan?

Usually print quality rather than the code. Common causes are printing too small, stretching the image so the bar widths distort, low contrast or a coloured background, glare from glossy material, a curved surface, or no quiet margin at the ends. Print a test at final size and scan it before running the full batch.

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