You've made a product. Now you need a barcode. But every tool you find either asks you to sign up, charges a monthly fee, or slaps a watermark on your download. Here's the good news: you can generate a professional EAN-13 barcode for free in about 30 seconds — no account, no watermark, no subscription.
✅ barkodkarekod.com generates EAN-13 barcodes instantly. Free forever. Download PNG or SVG. No signup required. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is sent to any server.
What is an EAN-13 Barcode?
EAN-13 (European Article Number) is the international standard for product barcodes. It's the 13-digit striped code you see on almost every retail product in the world. Despite the "European" name, it's used globally — in supermarkets, online stores, and warehouses from Tokyo to São Paulo.
The 13 digits encode:
- Country prefix (first 2-3 digits) — where the barcode was registered
- Company prefix — assigned by GS1
- Product number — assigned by you
- Check digit — calculated automatically
Do Small Businesses Really Need a Barcode?
It depends on what you're doing with your product. Here's a quick guide:
| Situation | Need Official Barcode? | Free Generator OK? |
|---|---|---|
| Selling on your own website | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Internal inventory tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Etsy / handmade marketplace | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Local market / pop-up stall | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Selling on Amazon | ✅ Yes (GS1) | ⚠️ Testing only |
| Selling in supermarkets | ✅ Yes (GS1) | ⚠️ Testing only |
| Export / international retail | ✅ Yes (GS1) | ⚠️ Testing only |
💡 Bottom line: If you're selling directly to customers through your own channels, a free EAN-13 barcode works perfectly. If you're selling through major retailers or Amazon, you'll eventually need a GS1-registered barcode — but you can use a free one for testing and development in the meantime.
How to Generate a Free EAN-13 Barcode — Step by Step
Open barkodkarekod.com
No account needed. The barcode generator loads instantly in your browser.
Select "Barcode" and choose EAN-13
Click the Barcode tab at the top, then select EAN-13 from the format dropdown.
Enter your 12-digit number
Type any 12-digit number — the 13th digit (check digit) is calculated automatically. For example: 123456789012
Preview and adjust
Your barcode appears instantly. Adjust width, height, and font size if needed.
Test with your phone
Scan the barcode with your phone camera to confirm it reads correctly before downloading.
Download PNG or SVG
PNG for digital use and small print. SVG for large-format printing — scales without quality loss.
🔲 Generate your EAN-13 barcode right now — free, no signup.
Create EAN-13 →What Number Should I Use for My EAN-13?
For internal use, testing, or direct-to-consumer sales, you can use any 12-digit number. There's no registration required. Here's a simple system many small businesses use:
- First 3 digits: Your "company code" — pick any 3 digits (e.g., 001)
- Next 4 digits: Product category (e.g., 0001 = clothing, 0002 = accessories)
- Next 4 digits: Product number (e.g., 0001, 0002, 0003...)
- Last digit: Check digit — calculated automatically
Example: 001 0001 0001 ? → enter 001000100010 and the check digit is added automatically.
⚠️ Important: Self-assigned EAN-13 barcodes are NOT valid for Amazon, Walmart, or major retail chains. Those platforms verify barcodes against the GS1 database. For retail use, you need an officially registered GS1 barcode.
Generating Multiple Barcodes at Once
Have a product catalog with 50, 100, or 1,000 products? barkodkarekod.com supports bulk barcode generation from a CSV or Excel file:
- Prepare a spreadsheet with your product numbers
- Upload the CSV file to the bulk generator
- Generate all barcodes at once
- Download as a ZIP file containing individual PNG files
PNG vs SVG — Which Should You Download?
| Format | Best For | Scalable? |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Website, email, small labels | ❌ Fixed resolution |
| SVG | Print, large labels, packaging | ✅ Infinite scaling |
✅ Recommendation: Download SVG for any print use. It works at any size from a tiny price tag to a large shipping label — always crisp, never pixelated.
When to Upgrade to an Official GS1 Barcode
As your business grows, there will come a point where you need to register with GS1. Consider it when:
- You want to list products on Amazon, eBay, or other major marketplaces
- A retailer asks for a verified GTIN for their system
- You're exporting products internationally
- You want your products in supermarkets or chain stores
GS1 registration involves an annual fee, but once you have your Company Prefix, you can come back to barkodkarekod.com to generate the barcode images for free.
Generate Your Free EAN-13 Barcode Now
No signup. No watermark. No subscription. Download as PNG or SVG and use it anywhere.
Generate Free EAN-13 →