Static vs dynamic QR codes
By Prabhneet Singh Narula, founder of RelyQr · Updated
Short answer
A static QR code stores its content directly in the pattern, so it can never change and works offline. A dynamic QR code stores a short link that forwards to your content, so you can change the destination after printing and count every scan. Use static for permanent information and dynamic for anything that might change.
Side by side
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| What the code holds | The content itself (a link, Wi-Fi details, text) | A short link that forwards to the content |
| Change it after printing | No | Yes, any time |
| Scan analytics | No | Time, city, device and unique people |
| Works offline | Yes, for Wi-Fi, text and contacts | No, the phone opens the short link |
| Pattern | Denser as the content grows | Always simple, because the short link is short |
| Can stop working | Only if the destination does | If the provider stops forwarding it |
| Price on RelyQr | Free and unlimited | 3 free; 500 on Business |
When to use a static QR code
- Your Wi-Fi network, so guests join with no internet yet.
- A permanent web address you'll never change, like your home page.
- Contact details that won't change, on a business card.
- Text, serial numbers or instructions that must work offline.
When to use a dynamic QR code
- Menus, price lists and offers that change.
- Anything printed in large numbers, like packaging, where a reprint is expensive.
- Campaigns where you want to know which poster or placement works.
- Pages you'll host with RelyQr: menus, PDFs, forms, galleries and link pages.
How a dynamic QR code works
- 1
The phone reads a short link
Like go.relyqr.com/k7m2p9qa. The code stays the same forever.
- 2
The short link is looked up
RelyQr's redirects run on Cloudflare's network, close to whoever scans, and find the destination you set.
- 3
The scan is counted
Time, approximate city, device and a daily anonymous visitor count. No IP addresses are stored.
- 4
The phone opens your destination
All of this takes milliseconds, so it feels like opening the page directly.
Which QR code types can be static or dynamic
Some types only make sense one way. Wi-Fi, SMS, email, phone and text codes are static, because the phone needs the content itself. Menus, PDFs, forms and other hosted pages are dynamic, because they live online. Website, vCard, WhatsApp and location codes can be either.
What dynamic QR codes cost
Static RelyQr codes are free and unlimited, with every design option and no watermark. A free account adds 3 dynamic codes. Business costs $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year and includes 500 dynamic codes. Dynamic RelyQr codes keep working on every plan, even if you stop paying. See pricing.
Questions people also ask
Can I turn a static QR code into a dynamic one?
Not the printed one: its pattern holds the content and can't change. Make a dynamic code for the same destination and reprint once; after that, you never need to reprint to change it.
Is a dynamic QR code slower to open?
It adds one redirect, which takes milliseconds. RelyQr's redirects run on Cloudflare's network near whoever scans, so people don't notice it.
Do dynamic QR codes need the internet?
Yes. The phone has to open the short link to reach the destination. Static Wi-Fi, text and contact codes work without the internet.
Which is better for print?
Dynamic, for most printed material: you can fix a typo or change the destination without reprinting, and the simpler pattern scans more easily when printed small.
Make a QR code that lasts forever
Free static codes with your logo and no watermark. Dynamic codes you can change after printing keep working on every plan.