Static vs dynamic QR codes, in plain words
One holds your link for good. The other lets you change where it goes after printing.
A static QR code, which we call fixed, stores your link or text inside the pattern, so it works for as long as that link does and costs nothing. A dynamic QR code, which we call editable, stores a short link that forwards to your page, so you can change the destination and count scans after printing.
Same print, new destination
With an editable code the printed pattern never changes. You point it at a new page in the app and the next scan goes there.
Find the smallest size that scans
Choose in three questions
Will the link ever change?
Menus, offers and campaigns change. A home page or a Wi-Fi password often does not.
Do you want to count scans?
Counting needs the short link of an editable code; a fixed code sends people straight to the page.
How long will it hang there?
A fixed code keeps working without an account. An editable code works while its plan or pass is active.
Where each one shines
Fixed for things that stay put
Wi-Fi details, contact cards, a home page and text are perfect as fixed codes, free and permanent.
Editable for things that move
Menus, flyers, packaging and signs gain a code you can update and measure.
Your own domain for both worlds
Editable codes on go.yourbrand.com keep the short link yours, wherever you take it.
The two side by side
- Fixed (static)
- Free, as many as you like without sign-up, working as long as the destination does.
- Editable (dynamic)
- Change the link any time, see scans, 14-day trial, then from $9 a month or a one-time pass.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
Is a dynamic QR code better than a static one?
Neither is better on its own. Dynamic suits anything that might change or that you want to measure; static suits anything fixed, and it never depends on an account.
Can I turn a static code into a dynamic one?
Not the printed pattern itself, because the link sits inside it. You make a new editable code and print it on the next run.
Do static QR codes stop working?
The pattern keeps working for as long as the page it points to exists. Nothing on our side can switch it off.
What happens to a dynamic code when its plan ends?
It stops forwarding while inactive, and you can reactivate within 12 months of a paid plan ending. Pricing shows every rule in one place.
Why do dynamic codes look simpler?
They hold a short link instead of your full address, so the pattern has fewer squares and scans more easily at small sizes.
Which one do I need for a business card?
A fixed contact code is the classic choice. Pick editable if you want to update your details after the cards are printed.
Try both in the generator
Make a fixed code free, or start an editable one and change its link whenever you like.