The short answer
A free Me-QR code does not hold your link. It holds a short Me-QR link, and every scan goes through Me-QR's server first. That lets Me-QR show a page of its own before your page, and on the free plan that page carries ads. Me-QR says this openly: under its download button it notes that the free version contains ads, and the option to make a static code is marked as a Premium feature.
If you just want a code that opens your link every time, with no account and no middle step, a static code does that, and our URL QR code generator makes one free.
What is inside a free Me-QR code
We created a free link code on Me-QR pointing at a test page, then decoded the code image rather than trusting the preview. It contained this:
https://q.me-qr.com/9v31kk90
Not the test page. A short link on Me-QR's own domain. This is what is called a dynamic QR code, and it has real uses: the owner can change where it goes after printing, and the service can count scans. The trade off is that whoever runs that short link decides what happens between the scan and your page. Our guide to static and dynamic QR codes covers this in more depth.
What people saw when they scanned it
We scanned the code 29 times, the way a phone does, over one afternoon:
| Scans | Direct | Ad page first |
|---|---|---|
| First 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Next 20, same day | 0 | 20 |
The page that appeared instead of the destination looked like this on an iPhone sized screen:
The page says the scan worked, lists sponsored links, and asks the person to watch a short ad to continue, with a small "skip" link underneath. It did not move on by itself: after 12 seconds it was still there. When we pressed skip 8 times, 6 went to the destination and 2 first opened a full screen Google ad.
Me-QR has said in replies to reviews that its ads are targeted and need several scans to set up, which fits the change between our two rounds. Either way, a customer scanning a menu or a flyer may meet this page before they meet you, and you will not see it happen.
Me-QR free and QRotto side by side
| Me-QR, free plan | QRotto | |
|---|---|---|
| What the code holds | A Me-QR short link | Your link, exactly as typed |
| Page before yours | Sometimes, with ads | Never, there is no server in between |
| Static codes | Premium plan only | Always, free |
| Account needed | To manage codes | No |
| Can the code stop working? | If the short link service changes or stops | Only if your own link stops working |
| Change the link after printing | Yes | No, print a new code |
| Scan statistics | Yes | No |
We decoded a QRotto code made for the same destination and it contained the destination address and nothing else. The code is drawn in your browser, so the link you type is not sent anywhere to make it.
When Me-QR still makes sense
To be fair to Me-QR, a dynamic code is the right tool in some jobs. If you are printing ten thousand packets and the link might change, or you need scan counts for a campaign, editing and statistics are worth paying for, and Me-QR's paid plans say all codes are ads free. Any dynamic service has the same middle step, so choose one you trust to keep running for as long as your print does.
For everything else, such as a menu, a WiFi card, a business card or a poster with a link that will not change, a static code is simpler and there is nothing in the way.
Already printed Me-QR codes? Scan one with our QR code scanner to see what it holds. If it is a me-qr.com link, it will keep going through Me-QR. To get rid of the middle step you need a new code, static or paid.
How we tested
- One free Me-QR link code, made on 30 October 2026 with a free account, pointing first at a test page and then at wikipedia.org.
- The code image decoded with jsQR to read exactly what it contains.
- 29 scans sent with iPhone and Android browser identities, following each redirect and recording where it led.
- The skip link pressed 8 times in a phone sized Chrome window, recording where each press went.
- The QRotto comparison made on the live URL generator and decoded the same way.
The honest limits: this is one code on one day. Me-QR may change how often it shows the page, and real phones may see different ads. The quotes about ads on the free plan and Premium static codes come from Me-QR's own generator page.
Common questions
Do free Me-QR codes show ads?
Me-QR says so itself: its generator notes that the free version contains ads. In our test, 1 of 9 early scans and then 20 of 20 later scans opened a Me-QR page asking people to watch an ad to continue, or skip.
Can I remove the ads from a Me-QR code I already printed?
Only through Me-QR. The printed code holds a Me-QR link, so the scan always passes through their server. Their paid plans say all codes are ads free. Switching to another service means printing a new code.
Is a static QR code worse than a dynamic one?
Not for most uses. A static code holds your link directly, so it cannot show ads, cannot expire and needs no account. A dynamic code is worth paying for if you need to change the link after printing or count scans.
How can I check what a QR code really contains?
Scan it with a reader that shows the raw text before opening it, such as our free scanner. If you see a short link on someone else's domain instead of your own link, the code is dynamic and that company controls where it goes.
Want a code with your link and nothing in between? Use the free URL QR code generator. No account, nothing to expire.