WebsitesQR vs QR Code Generator (qr-code-generator.com)
An honest comparison of WebsitesQR and qr-code-generator.com. Their dynamic codes let you change the destination after printing, which is genuinely useful and genuinely a subscription. Ours are static, free forever, and cannot expire. Which you need depends on one question.
Quick Answer
qr-code-generator.com and similar services (QR Tiger, Uniqode, Flowcode, Scanova) sell dynamic QR codes: the code points at their server, which redirects to your destination, so you can change where a printed code leads without reprinting. That is a real feature and it is a subscription — when the trial ends or the plan lapses, every printed code stops working. WebsitesQR makes static codes, which encode your link directly, are free forever, and cannot expire. Choose dynamic if you genuinely need to change the destination later; choose static for everything else.
The whole comparison turns on one question
Will you need to change where the code points after it has been printed?
If yes, you want a dynamic code, and you should pay for one. A restaurant that reprints its menu link seasonally, a campaign that redirects to a different landing page each quarter, a product label that must survive a website migration — those are real cases where the indirection earns its subscription. We do not offer dynamic codes and we are not going to pretend they are a scam.
If no — and for most codes the answer is no — a static code is strictly better. It is free, it has no account, it collects nothing, and there is no third party whose business decisions can kill your printed material.
How a dynamic code actually fails
A dynamic QR code does not contain your URL. It contains a short address owned by the generator, and their server redirects visitors onward to your destination. That indirection is the feature. It is also a dependency.
The redirect only runs while the company keeps it running. When a free trial ends, when a card expires, when a plan is downgraded, or when the company is acquired or shut down, every code printed with that service dies at the same moment — on menus, on packaging, on business cards, on signage you have already paid to produce. This is the single most common reason a QR code that used to work suddenly does not, and it is why our troubleshooting guide starts there.
None of that is a criticism of qr-code-generator.com specifically. It is inherent to how dynamic codes work, at every vendor that sells them.
What you give up by going static
Being straight about this matters more than winning the comparison.
- •Editable destinations. Once a static code is printed, the destination is fixed. You cannot repoint it.
- •Scan analytics. Static codes route through nothing, so nobody counts the scans — not us, not anyone. If you need to know how many people scanned a poster, you need a dynamic code or your own redirect.
- •A/B testing and geo-routing, which require a server in the middle.
- •Centralised management of hundreds of codes through a dashboard, which matters at enterprise scale.
- •Password-protected and expiring codes, which are sometimes genuinely wanted.
The middle path most people miss
You can have editable destinations without a QR subscription. Point a static QR code at a URL on a domain you control — yourdomain.com/menu, say — and set up a redirect from there to wherever the content currently lives. You change the redirect whenever you like, and the printed code never has to change.
The difference from a dynamic code is who owns the link in the middle. In this arrangement it is you, so no vendor's pricing change or shutdown can break your printed material. It costs the price of a domain, and it is the right answer for most people who think they need a dynamic code.
WebsitesQR vs qr-code-generator.com
Compared honestly. The dynamic features listed under theirs are real capabilities we do not have, not weaknesses dressed up as strengths.
| Feature | QR Code Generator | WebsitesQR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free trial, then subscription | Free, permanently |
| Codes expire | Yes, when the plan lapses | Never — static, no redirect |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Editable destination after printing | Yes | No |
| Scan analytics | Yes | No — nothing is tracked |
| Vector SVG export | Paid tiers | Free |
| Bulk generation | Paid tiers | Free |
| Built-in QR scanner | No | Yes, including from images |
| Data collection | Scans logged | None |
Where QR Code Generator is the better choice
If you need to change a code's destination after printing, track scan counts, run A/B tests, geo-route visitors, or manage hundreds of codes from one dashboard, qr-code-generator.com does all of that and we do none of it. Those are genuine capabilities that require a server in the middle, and paying for them is reasonable when you actually need them. The same applies to QR Tiger, Uniqode, Flowcode and Scanova. Just go in knowing that the codes stop working if the subscription does.
Free, private, and permanent
WebsitesQR runs entirely in your browser. Codes you create are static and never expire; images you scan are never uploaded. Learn about QR code safety →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a static and a dynamic QR code?
A static code encodes your URL directly in the pattern, so it works forever with no server involved and cannot be edited or tracked. A dynamic code encodes a short link owned by the generator, which redirects to your destination — editable and trackable, but only while that company keeps the redirect running and you keep paying.
Why did my qr-code-generator.com code stop working?
Almost certainly because the trial ended or the subscription lapsed, which switches off the redirect the code depends on. Every code printed under that account stops at the same moment. Regenerate as a static code here and reprint, and it will not happen again.
Is a free QR code generator as good as a paid one?
For the code itself, yes — QR encoding is deterministic and identical everywhere. Paid services sell the redirect layer: editable destinations, scan analytics, dashboards. If you need those, pay for them. If you do not, you are paying a subscription for a file a free tool produces identically.
Can I change where my QR code points without paying a subscription?
Yes. Point a static code at a URL on a domain you control and redirect from there to the real destination. You can change that redirect whenever you like and the printed code never changes. The advantage over a dynamic code is that you own the link in the middle, so no vendor can break it.
Do I need scan tracking?
Less often than the marketing implies. For a menu, a wedding invitation, a business card, or a registry, the scan count changes nothing you would do. For a paid advertising campaign where you are comparing placements, it genuinely matters — and in that case a dynamic code or your own redirect with analytics is the right tool.
Are free QR codes lower quality?
No. A QR code is a deterministic encoding of a string; the same URL at the same error correction level produces an identical pattern from any correct implementation. What varies between tools is export options, resolution, and the surrounding features — never the code.
Which paid QR services have the same expiry problem?
All of them, because it is inherent to dynamic codes rather than specific to any vendor. QR Tiger, Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac), Flowcode, Scanova and qr-code-generator.com all route through their own servers. That is the trade you are making when you buy editability.