Explainer
How much does a dynamic QR code cost?
The short answer
A dynamic QR code is paid for as a monthly or yearly plan, not once, because the short link inside it has to keep running for as long as the code is printed. Static QR codes are free. On HueQR, Pro is $35 a month, or $288 a year ($24 a month), for up to 100 dynamic QR codes.
The sticker price is only part of it. Here is what drives dynamic QR code pricing, the catches worth checking before you print, and how to keep the cost down.
Why dynamic QR codes are a subscription
A static QR code holds the final address, so once you download it nobody needs to keep anything running. A dynamic QR code holds a short link, and every scan goes through that link to reach your page. That service has to stay up, fast and safe for years, which is why every provider charges for it over time.
Static
Dynamic
What changes the price
Plans differ on a handful of things. Compare these, not just the monthly number:
- How many dynamic QR codes you get. Some plans count a handful, others a hundred or more.
- Scan limits. Some plans cap scans per month or per code.
- Analytics: just a count, or scans by day, place and device.
- Your own domain, so the link reads your name instead of the provider's.
- Yearly or monthly. Paying yearly is usually cheaper per month.
The catch to check before you print
Ask what happens to printed codes if you stop paying. With some providers the code stops working at once, or shows an ad page, so a cheap plan can end up costing a reprint of everything you printed.
On HueQR, every code keeps working for 14 days after a plan ends, then shows a plain paused page, never an ad. Keep-alive, at $9 a month, keeps up to 10 codes you choose working with no end date, for accounts that have paid for Pro before.
What HueQR costs
One plan, Pro, at $35 a month or $288 a year. It includes:
- Up to 100 dynamic QR codes and 50,000 scans a month.
- Change where any code points, any time, after printing.
- Scan analytics by day, hour, place and device.
- Up to 5 of your own domains.
- Smart rules by time, device, country and language, and scheduled changes.
- A 7-day free trial. Nothing is charged today, and you can cancel any time before it ends.
How to pay less
A few honest ways to keep the cost down:
- Use a free static QR code for anything that will never change, like your Wi-Fi at home.
- Pay yearly if you know you will keep the codes printed.
- Make one dynamic QR code per placement, not per print run. The same code can go on every copy.
Questions
Is there a free dynamic QR code?
Some providers give a few with limits or ads. A dynamic QR code costs money to keep running, so a free one usually comes with a catch. Check what happens to it later.
Do I pay per QR code?
Usually no. Plans include a number of codes. HueQR Pro includes up to 100.
What happens to my QR codes if I cancel?
On HueQR they keep working for 14 days, then show a paused page, never an ad. Keep-alive keeps up to 10 of them working.
Can I try before paying?
Yes. HueQR Pro has a 7-day free trial. Your card is checked, nothing is charged today, and you can cancel before it ends.