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Free vs paid QR menu: what does your bar need?

03/02/2026

You search "free QR menu" and get a thousand options. But is free really right for you? It depends. Let's see the differences.

Free QR menus

They're fine to start, but they have limits: third-party ads over your brand, limited number of dishes, no English version, and often the QR expires or changes URL (forcing you to reprint). For a business that wants to look good, it usually falls short.

Paid QR menus

For the price of a couple of coffees a month you get: unlimited menu, bilingual, your logo and colors, no third-party ads, allergens, statistics and support. And the QR is fixed: print it once and never change it, even if you edit the menu a thousand times.

Which one is for you?

If you just want to test the concept, a free one works for a few days. If you run a real business and want a professional image, a paid tool like Cartia (from €19/mo with a 14-day trial) pays off from month one: you save on printing and sell more.

Create my menu free