qreader
Robust and Straight-Forward solution for reading difficult and tricky QR codes within images in Python. Supported by a YOLOv8 QR Segmentation model.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need robust QR detection and decoding from real-world images. The library is production-stable (Development Status 5), has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. Maintenance is aging but not abandoned. Install only if you can satisfy the system-level pyzbar dependencies and accept that the last release was in February 2025.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- On Linux, install libzbar0; on macOS, install zbar; on Windows, may require Visual C++ Redistributable.
- System-level pyzbar dependencies required before package installation.
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with four runtime dependencies (numpy, opencv-python, pyzbar, qrdet).
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
last release 2025-02-16 (544 days) · last repo commit 2025-02-22 · 418 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 79,777 downloads/mo, #14,332 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install qreader
from qreader import QReader
import numpy
qreader = QReader()
decoded_text = qreader.detect_and_decode(image=image)- Accuracy and speed trade-offs between model sizes ('n', 's', 'm', 'l') in production scenarios.
- Performance on QR codes with severe damage, rotation, or perspective distortion.
- Memory footprint and inference latency for batch processing or real-time applications.
- Compatibility with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified).
What it is and what it does
QReader is a Python library for detecting and decoding QR codes from images, combining a YOLOv8-based detector with Pyzbar decoding. It specializes in handling difficult QR codes—those that are damaged, poorly lit, rotated, or otherwise challenging—by applying adaptive image preprocessing after detection. The library exposes a simple API: instantiate a QReader object once, then call detect_and_decode() on images to retrieve decoded strings, or call detect() to get bounding boxes and confidence scores for each QR found.
The package depends on numpy for array operations, opencv-python for image manipulation, pyzbar for the actual QR decoding step, and qrdet (the standalone YOLOv8 detector model). It ships as a pure Python wheel with low install friction. Configuration options include model size (nano to large), detection confidence threshold, character re-encoding for non-ASCII charsets, and custom model weight storage paths—useful for constrained environments.
Use it for
- Batch scanning of QR codes from document images or photographs in data entry workflows.
- Automated inventory or asset tracking systems that need to read QR codes from imperfect camera feeds.
- Mobile app backends that process user-uploaded images containing QR codes.
- Quality control in manufacturing: detecting and decoding QR labels on products or packaging.
- Archival digitization projects where QR codes may be faded, creased, or partially obscured.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need robust QR detection and decoding from real-world images.
The library is production-stable (Development Status 5), has low install friction, carries no security vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. Maintenance is aging but not abandoned. Install only if you can satisfy the system-level pyzbar dependencies and accept that the last release was in February 2025.
Install
qreader on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with four runtime dependencies (numpy, opencv-python, pyzbar, qrdet). Maintenance is aging—last commit 2025-02-22, no recent releases—but the repo remains active and unarchived with 418 stars.
On Linux, install libzbar0; on macOS, install zbar; on Windows, may require Visual C++ Redistributable. System-level pyzbar dependencies required before package installation.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) places no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.
Quickstart
pip install qreader
from qreader import QReader
import numpy
qreader = QReader()
decoded_text = qreader.detect_and_decode(image=image)Verify before relying
- Accuracy and speed trade-offs between model sizes ('n', 's', 'm', 'l') in production scenarios.
- Performance on QR codes with severe damage, rotation, or perspective distortion.
- Memory footprint and inference latency for batch processing or real-time applications.
- Compatibility with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified).
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesnumpyopencv-pythonpyzbarqrdet |
| Maintenance | Aging 544 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 79,777 / month, #14,332 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Topic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Image RecognitionTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: qreader-3.16-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pyzbar · qrdet · pyzxing · qrcode · ddddocr · zxing-cpp · PyQRCode · django-qr-code · deskew · pylibdmtx