Free Tool for UK Businesses

Free Barcode Generator

Create professional Code 128, EAN-13, and UPC barcodes in seconds. No signup required. Ready for print.

Barcode Creator

100% Free

Supports letters and numbers (Code 128)

#000000

You satisfy a barcode. Now what?

Most businesses get stuck here. See the difference:

❌

The Old Way

Buy a £50 USB scanner, open Excel, plug it in, and manually scan rows one by one. Slow & tethered.

✅

The Stash Way

Use your phone carefully. Scan items anywhere in your warehouse directly to the cloud. Unlimited users.

Get Free Mobile Scanner →

No credit card required • Available on Android

Why Stash?

Stash is built for UK small businesses who need professional inventory tracking without the "Enterprise" price tag.

Barcode Formats Explained

Code 128
Best for internal inventory tracking (SKUs). Supports letters, numbers, and symbols. High density and very reliable.
EAN-13
The standard for retail products sold in the UK and Europe. Requires 13 digits (12 data + 1 check digit).
UPC-A
The standard for retail products sold in the USA and Canada. Uses 12 digits.
QR Code
2D Matrix code that can hold URLs or large amounts of data. Great for marketing or shelf-tags links.

How to create a barcode in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Select your format

    For internal inventory, use Code 128 (it's the most flexible). For retail products, use EAN-13.

  2. 2

    Type your SKU or Product ID

    Enter your unique identifier. Our tool generates the visual barcode instantly as you type.

  3. 3

    Download and Print

    Download the PNG image for high-quality printing on your thermal label printer.

Excel vs. Stash

Why simple is better.

FeatureExcelStash
CostFreeFree
ScanningSlow (USB)Fast (Phone)
Mobile❌ No✅ Yes
Cloud Sync❌ Manual✅ Instant
Try Stash for Free

Common Questions

Is there a free barcode generator for UK inventory?

Yes, Stash Inventory offers a free tool to generate Code-128 and EAN barcodes for small businesses, specifically designed for UK retail compatibility.

How do I print barcodes for my inventory?

Once generated, download the PNG image. For best results on thermal printers (like Zebra or Dymo), ensure your page size is set correctly in your printer settings.

What is the best barcode for simple inventory?

Code 128 is widely considered the best format for internal inventory because it is compact and supports both letters and numbers (alphanumeric).

How do I scan barcodes into Excel?

Instead of using Excel, which requires manual setup and a USB scanner, use a mobile inventory app like Stash to scan directly to the cloud.