Static vs dynamic QR codes
A static code holds your link itself. A dynamic code holds a short link that forwards to yours, so where it goes can change after printing. Here is what that changes, and how to pick.
By Joel Simard · Updated October 17, 2026
How each one works
A static code has your link written into its pattern. A phone that scans it opens the link directly, with nothing in between. It works for as long as the link does, and nobody can switch it off, but it cannot be changed once printed.
A dynamic code has a short link written into it, which belongs to the service that made it. Each scan goes to that service first, which counts it and forwards it to your link. Change the link in your account and the next scan opens the new one, on every printed copy.
Side by side
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| Change the link after printing | No | Yes, any number of times |
| Scan counts | No | Yes, by day, device and country on QRPine |
| Open a different link by phone, country or time | No | Yes, with smart redirects on QRPine |
| Can it be switched off? | No: nothing sits in between | Depends on the service: if it stops forwarding, the code stops |
| Pattern | Denser as the link gets longer | Always the same short link, so simpler |
| Wi-Fi networks | Yes | No: phones read the network from the code itself |
| Cost | Free | Usually a subscription: $15 to $25 a month for about 50 codes at the big names (checked October 2026); $4 a month or $36 a year for unlimited codes on QRPine |
Pick static when
- The link will not change: your homepage, your Google review link, a social profile you own.
- It is a Wi-Fi network, which only a static code can hold, or a contact for a business card.
- You do not need to know how often it is scanned.
Pick dynamic when
- The link is likely to change: menus, PDFs, campaigns, events.
- Reprinting would be expensive: packaging, signs, vehicles, thousands of flyers.
- You want to know how often and where it is scanned.
- Different phones should open different links, like an app on both stores.
Questions to ask before printing a dynamic code
A dynamic code is only as durable as the service behind it. Before printing one, check what happens to your codes if you cancel or a payment fails: several big names switch them off. On QRPine, a code that went live keeps opening the last link you set, whether or not you keep paying. A static code made now cannot be turned into a dynamic one later: the link is written into its pattern.