Static vs Dynamic QR Codes: Which Should You Use?
· 2 min read · Scanlexa team
Every QR code is either static or dynamic. The difference decides whether you can change it after printing, whether you can see how many people scanned it, and whether it can ever stop working.
Static QR codes
A static code stores your content directly in the pattern: the web address, the Wi-Fi password, the contact details. A phone reads it without contacting anyone else.
Good things about static codes:
- They work forever. Nobody can switch them off, not even us.
- They work without an internet connection for things like Wi-Fi and contact cards.
- There's nothing to set up and nothing to renew.
The limits:
- You can't change a static code after it's printed. If your website address changes, you reprint.
- There are no scan statistics.
- Long content makes a dense pattern that needs to be printed bigger.
Dynamic QR codes
A dynamic code stores a short link instead (a short web address ending in something like /x7kp2ab). When someone scans it, the short link sends them on to your real destination.
Good things about dynamic codes:
- Edit after printing. Change where the code points any time, and every printed copy follows.
- Scan statistics. See how many scans you get, from which countries and devices, and at what time of day.
- Extra controls. Schedule when a code is active, add a password, stop it after a number of scans, or send iPhones and Android phones to different places.
- A simpler pattern. The short link is always short, so the code stays easy to scan.
The trade-off: a dynamic code depends on the short-link service staying online. Choose a provider you trust, and be wary of services that put ads in front of your customers or hold your codes hostage.
Which should you choose?
| You're printing… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Your Wi-Fi password on a card | Static |
| A contact card on business cards | Static |
| A menu or price list that will change | Dynamic |
| A flyer or poster campaign you want to measure | Dynamic |
| A link that might move in future | Dynamic |
| Something permanent, like a plaque | Static |
How Scanlexa handles each
Static codes never expire, on every plan. On a free account, dynamic codes stay active for 30 days, then show a page explaining how to reactivate them: never a dead link and never ads. Upgrading to Lifetime keeps them active for good, on the same short link, so anything you've printed starts working again.
Free accounts include 5 codes in total. Editing a saved code never uses another one.
Some code types are always dynamic, because they open a page we host: menus, PDFs, photo galleries, social links and app downloads.