Static or dynamic QR code: which one should you choose?
· 2 min read
You are preparing a menu, a poster or a flyer, and you are not sure: static or dynamic QR code? Both are scanned the same way. The difference shows after printing, on the day something needs to change.
The static QR code: the content is in the pattern
A static QR code contains its information directly: a website address, a text, a phone number, the credentials of a Wi-Fi network. The phone that scans it reads this content without going through any service.
Its advantages:
- it works forever, with no subscription and no account;
- it does not depend on any server: nothing can go down.
Its limit: it never changes. If the address of your menu changes, or if there is a typo, you have to reprint. And you do not know how many people scanned it.
The dynamic QR code: the content can change at any time
A dynamic QR code contains a short address that redirects to the destination of your choice. You change that destination from your account, whenever you want. The printed QR code stays the same.
Its advantages:
- you change the destination without reprinting: this week's menu, an event page, a promotion;
- you can even change the type of content: a PDF becomes a web page or a contact card;
- you know how many times it is scanned, when, and from what kind of device.
Its limit: it depends on the service that handles the redirect. Choose one that does not switch off your codes at the end of a trial period, and that never deletes a QR code you have already printed.
How to choose
| Situation | Our advice |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi credentials for your premises | Static |
| Business card that will not change | Static |
| Menu, drinks list, opening hours | Dynamic |
| Poster, flyer, shop window | Dynamic |
| Packaging or labels printed in large numbers | Dynamic |
| Campaign whose results you want to measure | Dynamic |
The rule is simple: if the content may change, or if you want to know whether it is scanned, choose dynamic. Reprinting almost always costs more than a dynamic QR code.
What about the data of the people who scan?
A dynamic QR code goes through a server: that is what makes counting scans possible. Check what the service records. With Scanoa, the IP address of the people who scan is never stored and no cookie is set: you get the approximate location, the type of device and the language, without tracking.
In short
- Static: free and permanent, but fixed and without statistics.
- Dynamic: editable after printing, and measurable.
With Scanoa, static QR codes are free and unlimited, and the Free plan includes three dynamic QR codes, with no time limit.