Dynamic vs static QR codes: which do you need?
Both look the same on paper. The difference is what is stored in the pattern, and that decides whether you can change the link after printing and whether the code can ever stop working.
Static: the link is in the pattern
A static QR code stores your full web address in its black and white squares. Phones read it directly, with no service in between.
- Free to make with any generator, and it never expires.
- The link can never change. If the page moves, you reprint.
- Long links make a dense pattern that is harder to scan when printed small.
Dynamic: the pattern holds a short link that forwards
A dynamic (editable) QR code stores a short address belonging to the service that made it. When someone scans it, the service forwards them to whatever page you have set.
- Change the destination whenever you like; the printed code stays the same.
- The short address makes a simpler pattern that scans more easily.
- It works only while the service keeps forwarding. Many switch codes off when a trial or plan ends.
Side by side
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| Change the link after printing | No | Yes |
| Needs a service to keep working | No | Yes |
| Typical cost | Free | A subscription, or once per code at VividQR |
| Can stop working | Only if your page goes away | If the service stops forwarding |
How to choose
- Choose static when the link will never change: a permanent homepage, a Wi-Fi network, a vCard you won’t update.
- Choose dynamic for menus, price lists, booking links, review cards and anything printed that will outlive its link.
- Before paying for dynamic, ask what happens to the code when you stop paying. If it switches off, so does every printed copy.
Dynamic without a subscription
VividQR codes are dynamic and paid for once: $9 for a classic code or $14 for a designed or photo code. There is no subscription, no fixed expiry date and no advert between the scan and your page.
Questions
Can I turn a static QR code into a dynamic one?
No. A static code has your link written into its pattern, so it can only ever open that link. To be able to change it, make a dynamic code and print it in place of the old one.
Do static QR codes expire?
No. A static code works as long as the page it opens exists, because no service sits between the scan and your page.
Do dynamic QR codes expire?
Only when the service behind them stops forwarding. Many generators stop forwarding when a free trial or subscription ends. A VividQR code is paid once and has no fixed expiry date, though like every dynamic code it depends on VividQR continuing to operate.
Is a dynamic QR code slower to scan?
There is one extra hop through the short link, which usually takes a fraction of a second. Some generators add an advert or landing page at that point; VividQR sends the scan straight to your page.
Which one scans more reliably?
A dynamic code holds a short address, so its pattern has fewer, larger squares than a static code for a long link. That makes it easier to scan when printed small or seen from a distance.
Related: QR generators without a subscription · why QR codes stop working · compare QR generators.