Identification
QR vs NFC
Two carriers for the same connected-product idea: QR is a printed 2D barcode anyone can scan; NFC is a chip read by tapping a phone.
QR is cheap, printable, works at distance, and any phone camera can read it. The downside: it's visible and trivially copyable — anyone can reprint a QR.
NFC is a tiny chip embedded in a label or product. It's tap-to-read, works without an app, and can carry cryptographic signatures that make it tamper-evident and effectively un-clonable. The downside: it costs more per unit and requires physical contact.
The honest answer is rarely 'one or the other'. Mass-market goods use QR. High-value, authentication-sensitive goods (luxury, wine, spirits, pharma) increasingly use both — QR for reach, NFC for proof.