Menus & QR codes
Free QR code menus: what should you check before choosing?
Free code, free preview or free publication? Check limits, continuity and update work before printing your restaurant’s QR supports.
Four different meanings of free
A generator may create a free QR image for an address you already own, without providing hosting or an editor. Other services host menus with limits, offer temporary trials or charge when you publish rather than while preparing.
Read the details
Write down your requirement first: “A public menu, readable on a phone, editable by our team and available through the same supports throughout the season.” You can then compare specific conditions instead of one advertising word.
A limited offer can be enough for an experiment. Once codes are on every table, continuity, account access and maintenance become part of the decision.
The checklist before printing
| Question | Practical evidence |
|---|---|
| Is the menu public? | Open it on another phone without your account |
| Does free access expire? | Understand duration and renewal |
| Can I change prices? | Test an edit and its publication |
| Will the QR keep working? | Understand its destination and service terms |
| Which languages are included? | Separate manual entry from automatic translation |
| Can I recover the content? | Keep copies of text, prices and photographs |
| Is advertising displayed? | Inspect the real public page |
| Who controls the account? | The business retains access |
Read the details
Keep the important conditions from the time of your decision. Easy signup does not prove that leaving or changing the responsible person will be equally straightforward.
Test the exit scenario too
Ask what happens if you stop paying, exceed a limit or change providers. Does the menu become unavailable? Can you recover content? Do you control the domain? Does the code lead directly to your page or through the provider’s redirect?
Read the details
Request a plain explanation: “If we change tools in a year, what must we redo?” If the answer involves reprinting, include that constraint in your decision. You do not need every technical detail to get a useful answer.
Do not promise an unlimited lifetime yourself. The printed pattern may remain, but the address and service must continue working.
Compare a year of real work
A service without a subscription may suit a stable, short menu perfectly well. Still count time spent editing files, translating, checking and replacing supports when necessary.
Read the details
Try three situations: a price change, a seasonal menu and a dish selling out during service. Record steps, time and the risk of forgetting a language version. Treat this as an estimate for your organisation, not guaranteed savings for every restaurant.
Include only capabilities you genuinely need: languages, photographs, styling, reporting or assistance. A larger package is not better simply because its feature list is longer.
Try Swizee before you publish
Create my preview →What is free with Swizee
You can create, import and preview your menu before selecting a subscription. Publishing is paid. Carte, Pro and Expérience are explained on the pricing page. Automatic translation starts with Pro; the hotel guide belongs to Expérience.
Read the details
The first ten PVC stickers are a physical-support benefit under the offer’s conditions. They do not make publication free. Additional materials are ordered separately from the professional space. Check the summary and the experience associated with the QR before ordering.
Free preparation lets you assess your own content. It is not a promise of an indefinitely free public menu.
Choose for your operating rhythm
A one-off event may only need a small file and stable address. Frequent menu changes make the editing process more important. A hotel should also check guest-information needs: a restaurant menu does not replace a stay guide.
Read the details
Complete one full test before deciding: open the public page, change a detail, verify publication and recover account access. Print after that test.
The important question is whether you can show accurate information today and maintain it tomorrow. Transparent terms and clear responsibilities are more useful than a long list of free extras.
Questions about this topic
Can the QR be free while its destination is paid?
Yes. The code image and the service hosting the menu are different elements.
Does Swizee publish menus for free?
No. Preparation and preview are free; publishing needs a subscription.
