How to Install qrcode in Python

Quick Fix

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

pip install "qrcode[pil]"

pip install qrcode (correct usage)

pip install "qrcode[pil]"

pip install qrcode 7.4.2

pip install "qrcode[pil]==7.4.2"

What is qrcode?

QR Code image generator

A standard install uses pypng to generate PNG files and can also render QR codes directly to the console. A standard install is just::

For more image functionality, install qrcode with the `` dependency so that pillow is installed and can be used for generating images::

A Quick Response code is a two-dimensional pictographic code used for its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data (e.g., binary, alphanumeric, or Kanji symbols)

Quick Start

Minimal example to get started with qrcode:

import qrcode

print(qrcode.__version__)

Installation

pip (standard)

pip install qrcode

Virtual environment (recommended)

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install qrcode

pip3

pip3 install qrcode

conda

conda install -c conda-forge qrcode

Poetry

poetry add qrcode

Dependencies

Installing qrcode will also install these packages:

Verify the Installation

After installing, confirm the package is available:

python -c "import qrcode; print(qrcode.__version__)"

If this prints a version number, installation succeeded. If you see a ModuleNotFoundError, see the errors section below.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

Fix:

pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Variants:

pip3 install "qrcode[pil]"
python -m pip install "qrcode[pil]"
source venv/bin/activate && pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Diagnose:

pip show qrcode
which python && which pip

The package is not installed in the current Python environment. The [pil] extra installs Pillow, required for image output.

import qrcode ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

import qrcode
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'

Fix:

python -m pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Variants:

pip3 install "qrcode[pil]"
source venv/bin/activate && pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Diagnose:

python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"
pip show qrcode

Using python -m pip guarantees the package installs into the same interpreter that runs your script.

qrcode installed but ModuleNotFoundError still appears

Symptom: pip install qrcode succeeds, then import qrcode still raises ModuleNotFoundError.

Fix:

python -m pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Variants:

pip3 install "qrcode[pil]"
source venv/bin/activate && pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Diagnose:

pip show qrcode
python -c "import sys; print(sys.path)"

pip and python point to different environments — the install succeeded in a location the running interpreter never checks.

Still getting the error after running the fixes above? Find out exactly why pip and Python are pointing to different environments →

pip install qrcode pillow — why Pillow is required

qrcode.exceptions.ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'PIL'

Fix:

pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Variants:

pip install qrcode pillow
pip3 install "qrcode[pil]"
python -m pip install "qrcode[pil]"

Diagnose:

python -c "import PIL; print(PIL.__version__)"

qrcode requires Pillow for PNG and image-format output. Plain pip install qrcode omits it — use qrcode[pil] to install both.

pip install qrcode 7.4.2 — install exact version

Fix:

pip install "qrcode[pil]==7.4.2"

Variants:

pip install "qrcode==7.4.2"
pip3 install "qrcode[pil]==7.4.2"
pip install --upgrade "qrcode[pil]"

Diagnose:

pip show qrcode

Version 7.4.2 was released 2023-02-05. The current latest is 8.2 (2025-05-01). Pin only if your project requires a locked dependency.

Recent Releases

Full release history on PyPI →

Manage qrcode

Upgrade to latest version

pip install --upgrade qrcode

Install a specific version

pip install qrcode==8.2

Uninstall

pip uninstall qrcode

Check what is installed

pip show qrcode

Common Problems

• ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'
• import qrcode ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'qrcode'
• qrcode installed but ModuleNotFoundError still appears
• pip install qrcode pillow — why Pillow is required
• pip install qrcode 7.4.2 — install exact version