Dynamic vs Static QR Codes
Every QR code is either static or dynamic, and the choice decides whether you can change it after printing and whether you can see how many people scanned it. Here is how the two work, where each makes sense, and how to pick.
What is a static QR code?
A static QR code holds its content directly in the pattern: a web address, a line of text, a phone number or Wi-Fi details. The phone reads it and acts on it without contacting any service.
Because nothing sits in between, a static code works for as long as its content is valid. The downside is that it can never change. If the web page moves, the phone number changes or you spot a typo after printing, the code is wrong for good and you have to print a new one. A static code also cannot be counted, because no service ever sees the scan.
Longer content makes a static code denser, with more and smaller squares. A long web address with tracking parameters can produce a code that is hard to scan when printed small.
What is a dynamic QR code?
A dynamic QR code holds a short link. When someone scans it, the phone opens the short link, and the service sends them on to your content: a website, a PDF, a menu, a contact card or a page with your links. What the short link leads to is stored in your account, not in the printed pattern.
That one step in between gives you two things a static code cannot: you can change where the code leads at any time, and every scan is counted. The printed code stays the same. The short link also keeps the pattern simple, so the code scans well even when printed small.
Dynamic vs static at a glance
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| Change content after printing | No | Yes |
| Scan statistics | No | Yes: scans, devices, countries |
| Works without internet | Only for text, phone, Wi-Fi | No, it opens a link |
| Pattern density | Grows with the content | Always small and simple |
| Hosted pages (menu, PDF, vCard) | No | Yes |
| Depends on a service | No | Yes, the short link must stay active |
When a static code is the right choice
- Wi-Fi access: the phone needs the network name and password before it is online, so they must be in the code itself. Our Wi-Fi QR code is static for this reason.
- Content that will never change and needs no statistics, such as a serial number on equipment.
- Places without mobile internet, where the code only needs to show a short text.
When you need a dynamic code
For almost anything printed and shared with customers, a dynamic code is the safer choice:
- Menus and price lists that change with seasons and prices. See the menu guide.
- Posters, flyers and packaging, where reprinting is expensive and you want to know if the code works.
- Business cards: if your job title or phone number changes, update the vCard and keep the cards you have.
- Documents that get new versions, such as a PDF with a manual or a price list.
- Campaigns where you want to compare placements. Read how to track QR code scans.
Two examples
A hotel prints its Wi-Fi details on a card in every room. The network rarely changes, and guests need to connect before they have internet, so a static Wi-Fi code is exactly right. If the password changes, the hotel prints new cards anyway.
The same hotel puts a code on the room-service card that opens its food menu. Prices change every season and dishes come and go. With a dynamic code the kitchen updates the menu online and the cards stay in the rooms for years. The statistics also show how many guests actually open the menu, which helps decide whether printing the cards is worth it.
Size and scanning distance
The more data a code holds, the more squares it has, and the larger it must be printed to scan reliably. A static code with a long web address can have twice as many squares as a dynamic code with a short link. That matters on business cards, labels and packaging, where space is tight.
As a rule of thumb, print a code at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for something held in the hand, and about one tenth of the scanning distance for posters and signs: a code read from 3 metres away should be around 30 cm wide.
Can you change a static QR code?
No. The content is the pattern, so a different content means a different code. If your static code opens a web page you control, you can put new content on that page or redirect it to another address on your own site. Otherwise the only fix is a new code.
This is the main reason people switch to dynamic codes: a small mistake on a large print run costs far more than the code itself.
Do dynamic QR codes expire?
A dynamic code works as long as its short link is active. Some services stop the link when a trial ends or put the code behind a paid plan, and the printed codes then stop working. Before you print, check what the service does with your codes over time.
Here, dynamic codes are free and keep working for as long as your account exists. You can pause a code yourself, and you can export your data from Settings at any time.
Is a dynamic code slower or less reliable?
The extra step adds a fraction of a second, which visitors rarely notice. The code does need mobile internet, but so does the website it opens. Link previews in messengers, search engines and other automated visits are filtered out of the statistics, so the numbers reflect real scans.
How to choose
- Will the content ever change, or could a mistake slip into it? Choose dynamic.
- Do you want to know how many people scan it, or compare placements? Choose dynamic.
- Is it Wi-Fi access, or must it work without internet? Choose static.
- Still not sure? Choose dynamic: it can do everything a static link can, and more.
Questions
Which is better, a static or a dynamic QR code?+
For printed material that customers scan, dynamic is usually better: you can fix or update the content without reprinting and see how many people scan it. Static is best for Wi-Fi access and content that never changes.
Are dynamic QR codes free?+
Here, yes. Creating, editing, downloading and scan statistics are free with an account.
Can I turn a static QR code into a dynamic one?+
No. You need to create a new dynamic code and replace the printed one. After that you can change it as often as you like.
How can I tell if a QR code is dynamic?+
Scan it and look at the address that opens first. A dynamic code opens a short link on the service's own domain, which then leads on to the final page.