DENSO WAVE capacity data

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Name: QR Code capacities by version and error correction
Creator: DENSO WAVE

A QR code's capacity depends on its version, content mode and error correction. Use the table to compare like with like.

Standard QR versions run from 1 to 40. Their width follows 17 + 4 × version modules, from 21 to 177 modules per side before the quiet zone. The complete table below preserves DENSO WAVE's published capacities at each error correction level.

Maximum single-mode byte payload, before considering an application's additional syntax. Source: DENSO WAVE.

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Numeric and alphanumeric capacities are counts within their respective restricted character sets. Binary capacity counts bytes. Kanji capacity refers to the supported QR Kanji encoding, not any arbitrary Unicode character. A mixed-mode payload includes mode overhead, so a table maximum should not be treated as a guaranteed fit for every string of the same visible length.

Tidy QR uses UTF-8 byte mode for its content forms. A visible character can occupy more than a byte, and structured payloads include property names and separators. The generator reports the actual version it needed after serialization rather than guessing from the number of characters typed.

Version 1
21 × 21 modules

Version 5
37 × 37 modules

Version 10
57 × 57 modules

Version 20
97 × 97 modules

Version 40
177 × 177 modules

Original generated symbols carrying the illustrative text “Tidy QR,” forced to the listed version at level M. Grid density changes; payload length is held constant.

QR capacity by version and correction level
Version	Modules	Level	Data bits	Numeric	Alphanumeric	Bytes	Kanji
1	21 × 21	L	152	41	25	17	10
1	21 × 21	M	128	34	20	14	8
1	21 × 21	Q	104	27	16	11	7
1	21 × 21	H	72	17	10	7	4
2	25 × 25	L	272	77	47	32	20
2	25 × 25	M	224	63	38	26	16
2	25 × 25	Q	176	48	29	20	12
2	25 × 25	H	128	34	20	14	8
3	29 × 29	L	440	127	77	53	32
3	29 × 29	M	352	101	61	42	26
3	29 × 29	Q	272	77	47	32	20
3	29 × 29	H	208	58	35	24	15
4	33 × 33	L	640	187	114	78	48
4	33 × 33	M	512	149	90	62	38
4	33 × 33	Q	384	111	67	46	28
4	33 × 33	H	288	82	50	34	21
5	37 × 37	L	864	255	154	106	65
5	37 × 37	M	688	202	122	84	52
5	37 × 37	Q	496	144	87	60	37
5	37 × 37	H	368	106	64	44	27
6	41 × 41	L	1,088	322	195	134	82
6	41 × 41	M	864	255	154	106	65
6	41 × 41	Q	608	178	108	74	45
6	41 × 41	H	480	139	84	58	36
7	45 × 45	L	1,248	370	224	154	95
7	45 × 45	M	992	293	178	122	75
7	45 × 45	Q	704	207	125	86	53
7	45 × 45	H	528	154	93	64	39
8	49 × 49	L	1,552	461	279	192	118
8	49 × 49	M	1,232	365	221	152	93
8	49 × 49	Q	880	259	157	108	66
8	49 × 49	H	688	202	122	84	52
9	53 × 53	L	1,856	552	335	230	141
9	53 × 53	M	1,456	432	262	180	111
9	53 × 53	Q	1,056	312	189	130	80
9	53 × 53	H	800	235	143	98	60
10	57 × 57	L	2,192	652	395	271	167
10	57 × 57	M	1,728	513	311	213	131
10	57 × 57	Q	1,232	364	221	151	93
10	57 × 57	H	976	288	174	119	74
11	61 × 61	L	2,592	772	468	321	198
11	61 × 61	M	2,032	604	366	251	155
11	61 × 61	Q	1,440	427	259	177	109
11	61 × 61	H	1,120	331	200	137	85
12	65 × 65	L	2,960	883	535	367	226
12	65 × 65	M	2,320	691	419	287	177
12	65 × 65	Q	1,648	489	296	203	125
12	65 × 65	H	1,264	374	227	155	96
13	69 × 69	L	3,424	1,022	619	425	262
13	69 × 69	M	2,672	796	483	331	204
13	69 × 69	Q	1,952	580	352	241	149
13	69 × 69	H	1,440	427	259	177	109
14	73 × 73	L	3,688	1,101	667	458	282
14	73 × 73	M	2,920	871	528	362	223
14	73 × 73	Q	2,088	621	376	258	159
14	73 × 73	H	1,576	468	283	194	120
15	77 × 77	L	4,184	1,250	758	520	320
15	77 × 77	M	3,320	991	600	412	254
15	77 × 77	Q	2,360	703	426	292	180
15	77 × 77	H	1,784	530	321	220	136
16	81 × 81	L	4,712	1,408	854	586	361
16	81 × 81	M	3,624	1,082	656	450	277
16	81 × 81	Q	2,600	775	470	322	198
16	81 × 81	H	2,024	602	365	250	154
17	85 × 85	L	5,176	1,548	938	644	397
17	85 × 85	M	4,056	1,212	734	504	310
17	85 × 85	Q	2,936	876	531	364	224
17	85 × 85	H	2,264	674	408	280	173
18	89 × 89	L	5,768	1,725	1,046	718	442
18	89 × 89	M	4,504	1,346	816	560	345
18	89 × 89	Q	3,176	948	574	394	243
18	89 × 89	H	2,504	746	452	310	191
19	93 × 93	L	6,360	1,903	1,153	792	488
19	93 × 93	M	5,016	1,500	909	624	384
19	93 × 93	Q	3,560	1,063	644	442	272
19	93 × 93	H	2,728	813	493	338	208
20	97 × 97	L	6,888	2,061	1,249	858	528
20	97 × 97	M	5,352	1,600	970	666	410
20	97 × 97	Q	3,880	1,159	702	482	297
20	97 × 97	H	3,080	919	557	382	235
21	101 × 101	L	7,456	2,232	1,352	929	572
21	101 × 101	M	5,712	1,708	1,035	711	438
21	101 × 101	Q	4,096	1,224	742	509	314
21	101 × 101	H	3,248	969	587	403	248
22	105 × 105	L	8,048	2,409	1,460	1,003	618
22	105 × 105	M	6,256	1,872	1,134	779	480
22	105 × 105	Q	4,544	1,358	823	565	348
22	105 × 105	H	3,536	1,056	640	439	270
23	109 × 109	L	8,752	2,620	1,588	1,091	672
23	109 × 109	M	6,880	2,059	1,248	857	528
23	109 × 109	Q	4,912	1,468	890	611	376
23	109 × 109	H	3,712	1,108	672	461	284
24	113 × 113	L	9,392	2,812	1,704	1,171	721
24	113 × 113	M	7,312	2,188	1,326	911	561
24	113 × 113	Q	5,312	1,588	963	661	407
24	113 × 113	H	4,112	1,228	744	511	315
25	117 × 117	L	10,208	3,057	1,853	1,273	784
25	117 × 117	M	8,000	2,395	1,451	997	614
25	117 × 117	Q	5,744	1,718	1,041	715	440
25	117 × 117	H	4,304	1,286	779	535	330
26	121 × 121	L	10,960	3,283	1,990	1,367	842
26	121 × 121	M	8,496	2,544	1,542	1,059	652
26	121 × 121	Q	6,032	1,804	1,094	751	462
26	121 × 121	H	4,768	1,425	864	593	365
27	125 × 125	L	11,744	3,517	2,132	1,465	902
27	125 × 125	M	9,024	2,701	1,637	1,125	692
27	125 × 125	Q	6,464	1,933	1,172	805	496
27	125 × 125	H	5,024	1,501	910	625	385
28	129 × 129	L	12,248	3,669	2,223	1,528	940
28	129 × 129	M	9,544	2,857	1,732	1,190	732
28	129 × 129	Q	6,968	2,085	1,263	868	534
28	129 × 129	H	5,288	1,581	958	658	405
29	133 × 133	L	13,048	3,909	2,369	1,628	1,002
29	133 × 133	M	10,136	3,035	1,839	1,264	778
29	133 × 133	Q	7,288	2,181	1,322	908	559
29	133 × 133	H	5,608	1,677	1,016	698	430
30	137 × 137	L	13,880	4,158	2,520	1,732	1,066
30	137 × 137	M	10,984	3,289	1,994	1,370	843
30	137 × 137	Q	7,880	2,358	1,429	982	604
30	137 × 137	H	5,960	1,782	1,080	742	457
31	141 × 141	L	14,744	4,417	2,677	1,840	1,132
31	141 × 141	M	11,640	3,486	2,113	1,452	894
31	141 × 141	Q	8,264	2,473	1,499	1,030	634
31	141 × 141	H	6,344	1,897	1,150	790	486
32	145 × 145	L	15,640	4,686	2,840	1,952	1,201
32	145 × 145	M	12,328	3,693	2,238	1,538	947
32	145 × 145	Q	8,920	2,670	1,618	1,112	684
32	145 × 145	H	6,760	2,022	1,226	842	518
33	149 × 149	L	16,568	4,965	3,009	2,068	1,273
33	149 × 149	M	13,048	3,909	2,369	1,628	1,002
33	149 × 149	Q	9,368	2,805	1,700	1,168	719
33	149 × 149	H	7,208	2,157	1,307	898	553
34	153 × 153	L	17,528	5,253	3,183	2,188	1,347
34	153 × 153	M	13,800	4,134	2,506	1,722	1,060
34	153 × 153	Q	9,848	2,949	1,787	1,228	756
34	153 × 153	H	7,688	2,301	1,394	958	590
35	157 × 157	L	18,448	5,529	3,351	2,303	1,417
35	157 × 157	M	14,496	4,343	2,632	1,809	1,113
35	157 × 157	Q	10,288	3,081	1,867	1,283	790
35	157 × 157	H	7,888	2,361	1,431	983	605
36	161 × 161	L	19,472	5,836	3,537	2,431	1,496
36	161 × 161	M	15,312	4,588	2,780	1,911	1,176
36	161 × 161	Q	10,832	3,244	1,966	1,351	832
36	161 × 161	H	8,432	2,524	1,530	1,051	647
37	165 × 165	L	20,528	6,153	3,729	2,563	1,577
37	165 × 165	M	15,936	4,775	2,894	1,989	1,224
37	165 × 165	Q	11,408	3,417	2,071	1,423	876
37	165 × 165	H	8,768	2,625	1,591	1,093	673
38	169 × 169	L	21,616	6,479	3,927	2,699	1,661
38	169 × 169	M	16,816	5,039	3,054	2,099	1,292
38	169 × 169	Q	12,016	3,599	2,181	1,499	923
38	169 × 169	H	9,136	2,735	1,658	1,139	701
39	173 × 173	L	22,496	6,743	4,087	2,809	1,729
39	173 × 173	M	17,728	5,313	3,220	2,213	1,362
39	173 × 173	Q	12,656	3,791	2,298	1,579	972
39	173 × 173	H	9,776	2,927	1,774	1,219	750
40	177 × 177	L	23,648	7,089	4,296	2,953	1,817
40	177 × 177	M	18,672	5,596	3,391	2,331	1,435
40	177 × 177	Q	13,328	3,993	2,420	1,663	1,024
40	177 × 177	H	10,208	3,057	1,852	1,273	784

A capacity decision in practice

For an illustrative 100-digit payload in numeric mode at level M, version 2 is too small while version 3 has room. This is a capacity lookup, not a print-size recommendation. If the encoder uses byte mode instead, the same digits require a different lookup. Always compare the table with the encoder's actual mode.

Once a payload fits, add the quiet zone and choose a physical module width suitable for the printer and scanner. Increasing the version without increasing the print width makes each module smaller. More available capacity is useful, but a shorter payload and a less dense code can be easier to place in a real design.

The numerical facts were extracted from the linked published tables. No ISO document is reproduced or claimed to have been purchased. DENSO WAVE's public tables are the directly checked source for this reference. Calculate a starting print size using the version reported by your generated code.

Sources

Last checked: October 29, 2026. Examples are illustrative inputs, not measured results.

QR Code versions and information capacity, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
Capacity table: versions 1 to 10, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
Capacity table: versions 11 to 20, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
Capacity table: versions 21 to 30, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
Capacity table: versions 31 to 40, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.
Determining the QR code area, DENSO WAVE. Checked 2026-10-29.