Complete Tables of QR Code Character Limits

Table of Contents

This is an extra post to accompany “Tips on Creating the Smallest Possible QR Codes” and just contains complete tables of standard QR code data capacities in the numeric, alphanumeric, and binary/byte input modes.

The binary/byte input mode is the most general and can encode arbitrary data.
The alphanumeric input mode can only encode 0–9, (uppercase) A–Z, space, and $%*+-./:.
The numeric input mode can only encode the digits 0-9.

Here are the total character limits, with more details available in the following sections.

Encoding Preference	Binary/Byte	Alphanumeric	Numeric
Optimizing for size first	2953	4296	7089
At least M (medium), ~15% error correction	2331	3391	5596
At least Q (quartile), ~25% error correction	1663	2420	3993
Always H (high), ~30% error correction	1273	1852	3057

Optimizing for size first
#

Note that when preferring small sizes, only low error correction is optimal beyond version 5. At that point, it is always better to drop down to a smaller version if you had a higher error correction level.

Version-Error Correction	Binary/Byte	Alphanumeric	Numeric
1-H	1 - 7	1 - 10	1 - 17
1-Q	8 - 11	11 - 16	18 - 27
1-M	12 - 14	17 - 20	28 - 34
1-L	15 - 17	21 - 25	35 - 41
2-Q	18 - 20	26 - 29	42 - 48
2-M	21 - 26	30 - 38	49 - 63
2-L	27 - 32	39 - 47	64 - 77
3-M	33 - 42	48 - 61	78 - 101
3-L	43 - 53	62 - 77	102 - 127
4-M	54 - 62	78 - 90	128 - 149
4-L	63 - 78	91 - 114	150 - 187
5-M	79 - 84	115 - 122	188 - 202
5-L	85 - 106	123 - 154	203 - 255
6-L	107 - 134	155 - 195	256 - 322
7-L	135 - 154	196 - 224	323 - 370
8-L	155 - 192	225 - 279	371 - 461
9-L	193 - 230	280 - 335	462 - 552
10-L	231 - 271	336 - 395	553 - 652
11-L	272 - 321	396 - 468	653 - 772
12-L	322 - 367	469 - 535	773 - 883
13-L	368 - 425	536 - 619	884 - 1022
14-L	426 - 458	620 - 667	1023 - 1101
15-L	459 - 520	668 - 758	1102 - 1250
16-L	521 - 586	759 - 854	1251 - 1408
17-L	587 - 644	855 - 938	1409 - 1548
18-L	645 - 718	939 - 1046	1549 - 1725
19-L	719 - 792	1047 - 1153	1726 - 1903
20-L	793 - 858	1154 - 1249	1904 - 2061
21-L	859 - 929	1250 - 1352	2062 - 2232
22-L	930 - 1003	1353 - 1460	2233 - 2409
23-L	1004 - 1091	1461 - 1588	2410 - 2620
24-L	1092 - 1171	1589 - 1704	2621 - 2812
25-L	1172 - 1273	1705 - 1853	2813 - 3057
26-L	1274 - 1367	1854 - 1990	3058 - 3283
27-L	1368 - 1465	1991 - 2132	3284 - 3517
28-L	1466 - 1528	2133 - 2223	3518 - 3669
29-L	1529 - 1628	2224 - 2369	3670 - 3909
30-L	1629 - 1732	2370 - 2520	3910 - 4158
31-L	1733 - 1840	2521 - 2677	4159 - 4417
32-L	1841 - 1952	2678 - 2840	4418 - 4686
33-L	1953 - 2068	2841 - 3009	4687 - 4965
34-L	2069 - 2188	3010 - 3183	4966 - 5253
35-L	2189 - 2303	3184 - 3351	5254 - 5529
36-L	2304 - 2431	3352 - 3537	5530 - 5836
37-L	2432 - 2563	3538 - 3729	5837 - 6153
38-L	2564 - 2699	3730 - 3927	6154 - 6479
39-L	2700 - 2809	3928 - 4087	6480 - 6743
40-L	2810 - 2953	4088 - 4296	6744 - 7089

At least M (medium), ~15% error correction
#

Note that only medium error correction is optimal beyond version 4.

Version-Error Correction	Binary/Byte	Alphanumeric	Numeric
1-H	1 - 7	1 - 10	1 - 17
1-Q	8 - 11	11 - 16	18 - 27
1-M	12 - 14	17 - 20	28 - 34
2-Q	15 - 20	21 - 29	35 - 48
2-M	21 - 26	30 - 38	49 - 63
3-Q	27 - 32	39 - 47	64 - 77
3-M	33 - 42	48 - 61	78 - 101
4-Q	43 - 46	62 - 67	102 - 111
4-M	47 - 62	68 - 90	112 - 149
5-M	63 - 84	91 - 122	150 - 202
6-M	85 - 106	123 - 154	203 - 255
7-M	107 - 122	155 - 178	256 - 293
8-M	123 - 152	179 - 221	294 - 365
9-M	153 - 180	222 - 262	366 - 432
10-M	181 - 213	263 - 311	433 - 513
11-M	214 - 251	312 - 366	514 - 604
12-M	252 - 287	367 - 419	605 - 691
13-M	288 - 331	420 - 483	692 - 796
14-M	332 - 362	484 - 528	797 - 871
15-M	363 - 412	529 - 600	872 - 991
16-M	413 - 450	601 - 656	992 - 1082
17-M	451 - 504	657 - 734	1083 - 1212
18-M	505 - 560	735 - 816	1213 - 1346
19-M	561 - 624	817 - 909	1347 - 1500
20-M	625 - 666	910 - 970	1501 - 1600
21-M	667 - 711	971 - 1035	1601 - 1708
22-M	712 - 779	1036 - 1134	1709 - 1872
23-M	780 - 857	1135 - 1248	1873 - 2059
24-M	858 - 911	1249 - 1326	2060 - 2188
25-M	912 - 997	1327 - 1451	2189 - 2395
26-M	998 - 1059	1452 - 1542	2396 - 2544
27-M	1060 - 1125	1543 - 1637	2545 - 2701
28-M	1126 - 1190	1638 - 1732	2702 - 2857
29-M	1191 - 1264	1733 - 1839	2858 - 3035
30-M	1265 - 1370	1840 - 1994	3036 - 3289
31-M	1371 - 1452	1995 - 2113	3290 - 3486
32-M	1453 - 1538	2114 - 2238	3487 - 3693
33-M	1539 - 1628	2239 - 2369	3694 - 3909
34-M	1629 - 1722	2370 - 2506	3910 - 4134
35-M	1723 - 1809	2507 - 2632	4135 - 4343
36-M	1810 - 1911	2633 - 2780	4344 - 4588
37-M	1912 - 1989	2781 - 2894	4589 - 4775
38-M	1990 - 2099	2895 - 3054	4776 - 5039
39-M	2100 - 2213	3055 - 3220	5040 - 5313
40-M	2214 - 2331	3221 - 3391	5314 - 5596

At least Q (quartile), ~25% error correction
#

Note that only quartile error correction is optimal beyond version 4.

Version-Error Correction	Binary/Byte	Alphanumeric	Numeric
1-H	1 - 7	1 - 10	1 - 17
1-Q	8 - 11	11 - 16	18 - 27
2-H	12 - 14	17 - 20	28 - 34
2-Q	15 - 20	21 - 29	35 - 48
3-H	21 - 24	30 - 35	49 - 58
3-Q	25 - 32	36 - 47	59 - 77
4-H	33 - 34	48 - 50	78 - 82
4-Q	35 - 46	51 - 67	83 - 111
5-Q	47 - 60	68 - 87	112 - 144
6-Q	61 - 74	88 - 108	145 - 178
7-Q	75 - 86	109 - 125	179 - 207
8-Q	87 - 108	126 - 157	208 - 259
9-Q	109 - 130	158 - 189	260 - 312
10-Q	131 - 151	190 - 221	313 - 364
11-Q	152 - 177	222 - 259	365 - 427
12-Q	178 - 203	260 - 296	428 - 489
13-Q	204 - 241	297 - 352	490 - 580
14-Q	242 - 258	353 - 376	581 - 621
15-Q	259 - 292	377 - 426	622 - 703
16-Q	293 - 322	427 - 470	704 - 775
17-Q	323 - 364	471 - 531	776 - 876
18-Q	365 - 394	532 - 574	877 - 948
19-Q	395 - 442	575 - 644	949 - 1063
20-Q	443 - 482	645 - 702	1064 - 1159
21-Q	483 - 509	703 - 742	1160 - 1224
22-Q	510 - 565	743 - 823	1225 - 1358
23-Q	566 - 611	824 - 890	1359 - 1468
24-Q	612 - 661	891 - 963	1469 - 1588
25-Q	662 - 715	964 - 1041	1589 - 1718
26-Q	716 - 751	1042 - 1094	1719 - 1804
27-Q	752 - 805	1095 - 1172	1805 - 1933
28-Q	806 - 868	1173 - 1263	1934 - 2085
29-Q	869 - 908	1264 - 1322	2086 - 2181
30-Q	909 - 982	1323 - 1429	2182 - 2358
31-Q	983 - 1030	1430 - 1499	2359 - 2473
32-Q	1031 - 1112	1500 - 1618	2474 - 2670
33-Q	1113 - 1168	1619 - 1700	2671 - 2805
34-Q	1169 - 1228	1701 - 1787	2806 - 2949
35-Q	1229 - 1283	1788 - 1867	2950 - 3081
36-Q	1284 - 1351	1868 - 1966	3082 - 3244
37-Q	1352 - 1423	1967 - 2071	3245 - 3417
38-Q	1424 - 1499	2072 - 2181	3418 - 3599
39-Q	1500 - 1579	2182 - 2298	3600 - 3791
40-Q	1580 - 1663	2299 - 2420	3792 - 3993

Always H (high), ~30% error correction
#

Version-Error Correction	Binary/Byte	Alphanumeric	Numeric
1-H	1 - 7	1 - 10	1 - 17
2-H	8 - 14	11 - 20	18 - 34
3-H	15 - 24	21 - 35	35 - 58
4-H	25 - 34	36 - 50	59 - 82
5-H	35 - 44	51 - 64	83 - 106
6-H	45 - 58	65 - 84	107 - 139
7-H	59 - 64	85 - 93	140 - 154
8-H	65 - 84	94 - 122	155 - 202
9-H	85 - 98	123 - 143	203 - 235
10-H	99 - 119	144 - 174	236 - 288
11-H	120 - 137	175 - 200	289 - 331
12-H	138 - 155	201 - 227	332 - 374
13-H	156 - 177	228 - 259	375 - 427
14-H	178 - 194	260 - 283	428 - 468
15-H	195 - 220	284 - 321	469 - 530
16-H	221 - 250	322 - 365	531 - 602
17-H	251 - 280	366 - 408	603 - 674
18-H	281 - 310	409 - 452	675 - 746
19-H	311 - 338	453 - 493	747 - 813
20-H	339 - 382	494 - 557	814 - 919
21-H	383 - 403	558 - 587	920 - 969
22-H	404 - 439	588 - 640	970 - 1056
23-H	440 - 461	641 - 672	1057 - 1108
24-H	462 - 511	673 - 744	1109 - 1228
25-H	512 - 535	745 - 779	1229 - 1286
26-H	536 - 593	780 - 864	1287 - 1425
27-H	594 - 625	865 - 910	1426 - 1501
28-H	626 - 658	911 - 958	1502 - 1581
29-H	659 - 698	959 - 1016	1582 - 1677
30-H	699 - 742	1017 - 1080	1678 - 1782
31-H	743 - 790	1081 - 1150	1783 - 1897
32-H	791 - 842	1151 - 1226	1898 - 2022
33-H	843 - 898	1227 - 1307	2023 - 2157
34-H	899 - 958	1308 - 1394	2158 - 2301
35-H	959 - 983	1395 - 1431	2302 - 2361
36-H	984 - 1051	1432 - 1530	2362 - 2524
37-H	1052 - 1093	1531 - 1591	2525 - 2625
38-H	1094 - 1139	1592 - 1658	2626 - 2735
39-H	1140 - 1219	1659 - 1774	2736 - 2927
40-H	1220 - 1273	1775 - 1852	2928 - 3057