Static vs dynamic QR codes
The difference comes down to one question: is your information inside the code, or does the code point to a company’s server that passes people along?
Static QR codes
A static code holds your link, WiFi details or contact card directly in its pattern. Once it is printed, no one has to keep anything running for it to work. It only stops working if the thing it points to goes away, such as a deleted web page or a changed WiFi password.
- Good: it keeps working for as long as your content exists, with no account or fee.
- Good: it can work with no internet, for example a contact card or plain text.
- Limit: you can’t change the contents after printing.
- Limit: you can’t count scans, because nothing sits between the scan and your page.
Dynamic QR codes
A dynamic code holds a short link belonging to the service that made it. When someone scans the code, that service sends them on to your real page. Because the short link stays the same, you can change where it leads at any time, and the service can count the scans.
- Good: you can fix a mistake or change the destination after printing.
- Good: you can see how many scans you get.
- Limit: it depends on the service. If the service closes, or your plan or trial ends, the code can stop working.
- Limit: it needs an internet connection, and it only suits things that can be a link.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Good fit |
|---|---|
| WiFi details, contact card, plain text | Static |
| A web address that will not change | Static |
| Posters or packaging that must keep working for years | Static, with a link you control |
| A campaign link that may change after printing | Dynamic (editable) |
| You need to know how many people scanned | Dynamic (editable) |
Watch out for “free” dynamic codes
Some websites make a dynamic code without saying so, then switch it off when a free trial ends, sometimes after it has already been printed. Before you print, look at what is really inside your code. If you scan it and the link starts with the generator’s own address instead of yours, it depends on that company.
What PinPointQR does
Codes made here are static by default and never expire. If you want to change a link later or count scans, you can make an editable code with a free account. It stays online for 365 days at a time, renewing is free, and it depends on this site running, so it is worth weighing that dependency in the same way.
Next steps
Last updated: 4 November 2026