QR code versions

The amount of data that can be stored in the QR code symbol depends on the data type (mode, or input character set), version (1, ..., 40, indicating the overall dimensions of the symbol, i.e. 4 × version number + 17 dots on each side), and error correction level. The maximum storage capacities occur for version 40 and error correction level L (low), denoted by 40-L.

Maximum character storage capacity (40-L)

Character refers to individual values of the input mode (data type).
Input mode Max. characters Bits/char. Possible characters, default encoding
Numeric only 7,089 3 ⅓ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Alphanumeric 4,296 5 ½ 0–9, A–Z (upper-case only), space, $, %, *, +, -, ., /, :
Binary/byte 2,953 8 ISO/IEC 8859-1
Kanji/kana 1,817 13 Shift JIS X 0208

Here are some sample QR code symbols:

Version 1 (21x21)

21x21 version
Figure 1 - Version 1 (21x21)

Content: "Ver1"

Version 2 (25x25)

25x25 version
Figure 2 - Version 2 (25x25)

Content: "Version 2"

Version 3 (29x29)

29x29 version
Figure 3 - Version 3 (29x29)

Content: "Version 3 QR Code"

Version 4 (33x33)

33x33 version
Figure 4 - Version 4 (33x33)

Content: "Version 4 QR Code, up to 50 char"

Version 5 (57x57)

57x57 version
Figure 5 - Version 7 (57x57)

Content: "VERSION 10 QR CODE, UP TO 174 CHAR AT H LEVEL, WITH 57X57 MODULES AND PLENTY OF ERROR CORRECTION TO GO AROUND. NOTE THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL TRACKING BOXES" (actually encoded in all capital letters). (Tracking boxes are more commonly called alignment patterns.)

Version 6 (117x117)

117x117 version
Figure 6 - Version 7 (117x117)

Content: 1,269 characters of ASCII text describing QR Codes

Version 7 (177x177)

177x177 version
Figure 7 - Version 7 (177x177)

Content: "Version 40 QR Code can contain up to 1852 chars..." (and followed by four paragraphs of ASCII text describing QR Codes).

Source: Wikipedia.com

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