SkiaSharp.QrCode

SkiaSharp.QrCode provides high-performance QR code generation with SkiaSharp integration.

Benchmark results comparing SkiaSharp.QrCode with other libraries. See samples/Benchmark for details.

Many existing QR code libraries rely on System.Drawing, which has well-known GDI+ limitations and cross-platform issues. SkiaSharp.QrCode was created to provide high performance, minimum memory allocation, a simpler and more intuitive API while leveraging SkiaSharp's cross-platform capabilities. Generate a QR code in a single line, or customize every detail - the choice is yours.

You can create professional-looking QR codes like this with just a few lines of code:

<p float="left"> <img src="samples/ConsoleApp/samples/pattern15_instagram_frame.png" width="250" alt="Instagram-style"/> <img src="samples/ConsoleApp/samples/pattern6_builder_gradient.png" width="250" alt="Gradient QR"/> <img src="samples/ConsoleApp/samples/pattern7_builder_icon.png" width="250" alt="Icon QR"/> </p>

See samples/ConsoleApp for code examples generating these styles.

Overview

SkiaSharp.QrCode is a modern, high-performance QR code generation library built on SkiaSharp. SkiaSharp.QrCode allocates memory only for the actual QR code data, with zero additional allocations during processing.

• Simple API: One-liner QR code generation with sensible defaults
• High Performance: Optimal speed and minimum memory allocation
• Highly Customizable: Gradients, icons, custom shapes, colors, and more
• Cross-Platform: Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, WebAssembly
• Zero Dependencies: QR generation without external libraries (SkiaSharp for rendering only)
• No System.Drawing: Avoids GDI+ issues and Windows dependencies
• NativeAOT Ready: Full support for .NET Native AOT compilation
• Modern .NET: .NET Standard 2.0, 2.1, .NET 8+

Installation

Visit SkiaSharp.QrCode on NuGet.org

dotnet add package SkiaSharp.QrCode

Quick Start

Simplest Example

Single line QR code generation:

using SkiaSharp.QrCode.Image;

// one-liner save to file
QRCodeImageBuilder.SavePng("Hello", "qrcode.png");

// Or get bytes
var pngBytes = QRCodeImageBuilder.GetPngBytes("https://example.com");

Common Use Cases

Generate QR Code for URL.

var pngBytes = QRCodeImageBuilder.GetPngBytes("https://example.com");
File.WriteAllBytes("qrcode.png", pngBytes);

WiFi QR Code.

var wifiString = "WIFI:T:WPA;S:MyNetwork;P:MyPassword;;";
QRCodeImageBuilder.SavePng(wifiString, "wifi-qr.png");

Generate with Custom Settings.

var qrCode = new QRCodeImageBuilder("https://example.com")
    .WithSize(512, 512)
    .WithErrorCorrection(ECCLevel.H)
    .ToByteArray();

Save Directly to Stream

using SkiaSharp.QrCode.Image;

using var stream = File.OpenWrite("qrcode.png");
QRCodeImageBuilder.SavePng("Your content here", stream, ECCLevel.M, size: 512);

Migration

• v0.11.0 introduces further improvements to Icon handling. See the IconData section below.
• v0.9.0 introduces significant performance improvements and API changes. Here's what you need to know to upgrade:

from 0.10.0 to 0.11.0 and higher

Take advantage of new capabilities:

• Logo customization - Now you can customize center placed logos. Library offers icons with both images and text.

For complete migration details and examples, see Release 0.11.0.

⚠️ IconData.Data changed Icon from SKBitmap to IconShape

Before (0.10.0):

using var bitmap = SKBitmap.Decode(File.ReadAllBytes(iconPath));

// Old code
var icon = new IconData
{
    Icon = bitmap;
    IconSizePercent = 15,
    IconBorderWidth = 10
};

After (0.11.0):

using var bitmap = SKBitmap.Decode(File.ReadAllBytes(iconPath));

// New code Image only (Short hand)
var icon = IconData.FromImage(bitmap, iconSizePercent: 15, iconBorderWidth: 10);

// New code Image only
var icon = new IconData
{
    Icon = new ImageIconShape(bitmap),
    IconSizePercent = 15,
    IconBorderWidth = 10
};

// New approach with text
var icon = new IconData
{
    Icon = new ImageTextIconShape(bitmap, "Text", SKColors.Black, font),
    IconSizePercent = 15,
    IconBorderWidth = 10
};

from 0.8.0 to 0.9.0 and higher

Take advantage of new capabilities:

• Gradient colors - Create eye-catching QR codes with color gradients
• Enhanced customization - More control over module shapes and colors
• Better performance - Dramatically faster generation with lower memory usage

For complete migration details and examples, see Release 0.9.0.

🔄 Primary API Change: QrCode → QRCodeImageBuilder

The QrCode class is now obsolete. Replace it with QRCodeImageBuilder:

Before (0.8.0):

var qrCode = new QrCode(content, new Vector2Slim(512, 512), SKEncodedImageFormat.Png);
using (var output = new FileStream(path, FileMode.OpenOrCreate))
{
    qrCode.GenerateImage(output);
}

After (0.9.0) - Simple approach:

var pngBytes = QRCodeImageBuilder.GetPngBytes(content);
File.WriteAllBytes(path, pngBytes);

After (0.9.0) - Builder pattern:

using var stream = File.OpenWrite(path);
new QRCodeImageBuilder(content)
    .WithSize(512, 512)
    .WithErrorCorrection(ECCLevel.H)
    .SaveTo(stream);

🗑️ Remove using Statements

QRCodeData and QRCodeRenderer are no longer IDisposable:

Before (0.8.0):

using var qrCodeData = QRCodeGenerator.CreateQrCode("Hello", ECCLevel.L);
using var renderer = new QRCodeRenderer();
renderer.Render(...);

After (0.9.0):

var qrCodeData = QRCodeGenerator.CreateQrCode("Hello", ECCLevel.L);
QRCodeRenderer.Render(...);  // Now a static method

📦 Update Namespace for IconData

If using icons in QR codes:

// Add this namespace
using SkiaSharp.QrCode.Image;

🚫 Removed Features

The following features have been removed:

• forceUtf8 parameter
• ISO-8859-2 encoding support
• Compression feature
• Kanji encoding mode

If you were using these features, you'll need to adjust your code accordingly.

• forceUtf8: SkiaSharp.QrCode now automatically selects UTF-8 when needed.
• ISO-8859-2 and Kanji: Currently not supported; UTF-8 is recommended for most use cases.
• Compression: Removed to simplify the API and improve performance. Please handle compression externally if needed.

Here's an example of how to handle compression externally using NativeCompressions:

// compression to zstandard ...
var qrCodeData = QRCodeGenerator.CreateQrCode("Hello", ECCLevel.L);
var src = qrCodeData.GetRawData();
var size = qrCodeData.GetRawDataSize();

var maxSize = NativeCompressions.Zstandard.GetMaxCompressedLength(size);
var compressed = new byte[maxSize];
NativeCompressions.Zstandard.Compress(src, compressed, NativeCompressions.ZstandardCompressionOptions.Default);

// decompression from zstandard ...
var decompressed = NativeCompressions.Zstandard.Decompress(compressed);

// render QR code
var qr = new QRCodeData(decompressed, 4);
var pngBytes = QRCodeImageBuilder.GetPngBytes(qr, 512);
File.WriteAllBytes(path, pngBytes);

API Overview

SkiaSharp.QrCode provides three main APIs for different use cases.

Recommendation: Start with QRCodeImageBuilder for most scenarios. Use QRCodeRenderer when you need canvas control. Use QRCodeGenerator only for custom rendering implementations.

| Feature | QRCodeImageBuilder | QRCodeRenderer | QRCodeGenerator | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ease of use | High | Medium | Low | | Flexibility | Medium | High | Highest | | Built-in rendering | Yes | Yes | No | | Custom canvas control | No | Yes | N/A | | Recommended for beginners | Yes | No | No |

QRCodeImageBuilder (Recommended)

Best for Most use cases - simple to advanced QR code generation. The high-level, fluent API for generating QR codes with minimal code. Provides a builder pattern with sensible defaults and extensive customization options.

Key Features:

• One-liner generation with GetPngBytes(), SavePng()
• Fluent API with WithXxx() methods
• Built-in support for colors, gradients, icons, shapes
• Multiple output formats (PNG, JPEG, WebP)
• Stream and byte array output

When to use:

• Quick QR code generation
• Standard customization needs
• File or stream output

Example:

var pngBytes = QRCodeImageBuilder.GetPngBytes("content");

QRCodeRenderer (Advanced)

Best for Custom rendering with full control over the canvas. The mid-level API that renders QR data onto an existing SkiaSharp canvas. Useful when you need to integrate QR codes into existing graphics or add custom post-processing.

Key Features:

• Render to existing SKCanvas
• Full control over rendering area (SKRect)
• Combine with other SkiaSharp drawing operations
• Custom effects and post-processing

When to use:

• Integrating QR codes into existing graphics
• Adding custom decorations or effects
• Mult