The Barcode Company The Barcode Company
v1.0 is live — MIT open source on GitHub

Every barcode.
One simple URL.

A drop-in barcode API for any backend. 100+ symbologies, PNG and SVG, edge-cached at scale. Self-host the MIT-licensed core, or skip the setup and use our cloud.

Code 128
QR Code
Data Matrix
EAN-13
PDF417
Aztec
100+
Symbologies
<50ms
p95 latency
MIT
Open source core
$0
To self-host
One line. Any language.

If you can make a GET request, you can make a barcode.

No SDK, no auth dance, no rate-limit math. Just a URL. Identical URLs return identical bytes, so we cache aggressively at the edge — your repeat traffic doesn't even hit the meter.

  • Drop-in compatible with QuickChart's URL format
  • PNG, SVG — and yes, the same params you already know
  • Immutable cache headers + CDN = effectively free repeats
  • No SDK to install or update, ever
terminal
# Fetch a Code 128 barcode
$ curl "https://api.thebarcodecompany.xyz/barcode?type=code128&text=hello" \
-o hello.png

# Use it directly in an <img> tag
<img src="https://api.thebarcodecompany.xyz/barcode?type=qrcode
&text=https://example.com
&format=svg"
/>

# Or self-host the OSS core
$ docker run -p 3000:3000 ghcr.io/thebarcodecompany/api
Built for production

Boring, in the best way.

A barcode endpoint shouldn't be the most exciting thing in your incident channel. The Barcode Company is the kind of dependency you forget about.

Cache-friendly by design

Identical URLs return identical bytes, forever. Responses ship with immutable headers — drop any CDN in front and your repeat traffic is free.

100+ symbologies

QR, DataMatrix, EAN, UPC, Code 128, PDF417, GS1 variants, postal codes, ISBN, ISMN, Aztec, MaxiCode, Han Xin — all of them.

Open source core

MIT licensed. Self-host with a single docker run. We just make it easier if you'd rather not.

Drop-in compatible

Same URL shape as QuickChart. Change the hostname; everything else keeps working. Migrate in two minutes.

PNG and SVG

Raster for the web, vector for print and big screens. Same endpoint, just append &format=svg.

No SDK, no auth dance

It's a GET request. Use it in curl, an <img> tag, your backend, your spreadsheet — anywhere you can make HTTP.

How to use it

Two ways. Both honest.

No tiers, no metered dashboards. Run the open-source code yourself for free, or talk to us and we'll spin you up a managed endpoint.

Open source

Self-host

Run the same code we run, on your own infrastructure. Free forever.

  • MIT-licensed source
  • Single docker run
  • All 100+ symbologies, PNG & SVG
  • Drop-in QuickChart-compatible URLs
  • No telemetry, no auth, no quotas
View on GitHub →
Or skip the bill entirely

Self-host The Barcode Company in 60 seconds.

The whole render engine is MIT licensed. Run it on your own infra, behind your own CDN, with zero per-request cost. Our cloud just removes the chores.

$ docker run -p 3000:3000 ghcr.io/thebarcodecompany/api
Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Is this really a drop-in for QuickChart?

Yes. Same path (/barcode), same query params (type, text, format, width, height, scale, includeText, rotate). Change the hostname and your existing code works.

How do I get access to the hosted API?

Email hello@thebarcodecompany.xyz with a sentence about what you're building and a rough estimate of monthly volume. We'll get you a URL and a flat monthly quote within a business day.

What barcode types are supported?

All ~100 symbologies the BWIPP standard defines — including QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, PDF417, EAN/UPC, Code 39/93/128, GS1 variants, postal codes (Royal Mail, USPS, Japan Post, AusPost), ISBN/ISMN/ISSN, MaxiCode, Han Xin, and Swiss QR.

Can I just self-host?

Yes. The full server is MIT licensed and ships as a Docker image. Run it yourself for free, forever. The managed offering exists to save you the setup; the open-source code is the same code we run.

Why no published pricing?

Most barcode workloads are wildly different — some send a thousand requests a month, some send tens of millions. A one-size price either rips off the small users or under-prices the large ones. A short email gives us a better answer for both sides.

Ready to stop thinking about barcodes?

Self-host in 60 seconds, or send us one email and we'll handle it.