Blog · October 8, 2026
QR code generators compared: what really differs between the popular services
Anyone can make a static QR code for free. The choice of service matters when you use dynamic codes: the ones that hold a short link, can be changed after printing and count scans. There the differences between services are big, and often sit in the small print.
We compared the most popular services on four points that matter after printing: how many dynamic codes you get, how many scans, how you pay, and what happens to printed codes if you stop paying.
| QR Code Generator PRO | QR TIGER | Uniqode | QRCodeChimp | QR Studio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $9.99/month, billed yearly | from $7/month (third-party sources) | $5/month, yearly only (third-party sources) | $6.99/month, billed yearly | €9/month or €89/year |
| Dynamic codes in the entry plan | 2 | not verified | 3 | 50 (third-party sources) | Unlimited |
| Scans in the entry plan | 10,000 a month | not verified | 25,000 a year | 10,000 a month (third-party sources) | Unlimited |
| Monthly billing | No, 12-month subscription | Yes (third-party sources) | No, yearly only (third-party sources) | Yes, at a higher price (third-party sources) | Yes |
| If you stop paying | Dynamic codes stop working until reactivated | not verified | not verified | 10 codes stay active, the rest are paused | Every code keeps working |
| Free plan with dynamic codes | 14-day trial | 3 codes, 500 scans each, with a brand popup (third-party sources) | 14-day trial | 10 codes, 1,000 scans a month | Free generator for static codes, no account |
| Currency and language | Dollars, interface in several languages | Dollars | Dollars | Dollars | Euro, interface in six languages |
Other services' prices in US dollars before tax; QR Studio's are final prices in euro. Prices change: always check the official pages (sources below). “Not verified” means we didn't find the figure on an official source.
What matters most: what happens to printed codes
A dynamic code works because it goes through the service's servers. When the subscription ends, the service decides what happens to the redirect. QR Code Generator PRO says on its blog that dynamic codes stop working when the trial or subscription ends, and in its help centre that they can be reactivated by upgrading. QRCodeChimp keeps 10 codes active and pauses the rest.
QR Studio has a different rule: a printed code never breaks. If you stop paying, your codes keep leading where they did. You lose editing and new statistics, not the customers scanning your signs.
Where QR Studio is better
- Unlimited dynamic codes and scans in the €9 plan. Other services' entry plans include between 2 and 50.
- Printed codes keep working if you cancel.
- Monthly billing, no one-year commitment.
- Everything in the base plan: hosted pages (menus, coupons, events, forms), files, redirect rules, A/B tests, API and a custom domain. Elsewhere many of these sit in higher plans.
- Statistics kept with no time limit.
- Final prices in euro, interface in English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German.
- A free generator for static codes, with no account and no branding on the code.
- Features for local businesses: take-a-number queues, illustrated frames, print sheets with many codes, barcodes.
Where the others are ahead
An honest comparison says this too. The bigger services have real advantages QR Studio doesn't have today:
- Ready integrations with tools like Zapier, HubSpot or Canva. QR Studio has an API and webhooks, but no ready-made connectors.
- Phone apps and features for large companies, such as single sign-on (SSO), very large teams and custom contracts.
- Years of track record and millions of users: for a large company choosing a supplier, that matters.
- More ready-made templates and extras such as NFC.
How to choose
- Only need static codes? Use a free generator, ours included: no subscription needed.
- Printing many codes, or materials that stay out for a long time like signs, packaging or menus? Pick a service that doesn't switch codes off when you stop paying.
- Count the codes you'll need next year, not today: entry-plan limits are reached fast.
- Check how long statistics are kept and whether you can pay month by month.
- Test before printing: scan the code with several phones, at its real printed size.
Try it: make your code for free, no account needed.
Make a codeSources checked on 8 October 2026
- QR Code Generator PRO – buyer's guide and plans
- QR Code Generator PRO – Do QR codes expire?
- QR Code Generator PRO – When the trial expires
- QRCodeChimp – Plans and pricing
- QRCodeChimp – Dynamic code limits
- Uniqode – Pricing
- Uniqode – pricing analysis (Hack'celeration)
- QR TIGER – listing and pricing (Software Advice)
- QR TIGER – price list (PulseSignal)