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Static or dynamic? Five rules.

A static QR code stores the content itself. A dynamic QR code stores a short link (on MyQRx, tilg.in/your-name) that redirects to the content, so you can change where it goes and count every scan. Neither is always better. Here is how to choose.

  1. 1

    If anyone will ever want to know whether the code worked, use dynamic. A static code cannot report a single scan.

  2. 2

    If the destination could change after printing (a menu, an offer, a campaign page), use dynamic. A static code can only be fixed by reprinting it.

  3. 3

    If the content is the data itself and never changes (Wi-Fi credentials, a vCard, plain text), use static. It works offline and depends on no service.

  4. 4

    If the code must keep working even if MyQRx disappears, use static. A dynamic code is only as durable as the redirect behind it.

  5. 5

    On MyQRx static codes are unlimited on every plan, and a dynamic code uses one slot of your plan's quota (Free includes 5). Spend the slot when the answer to rule 1 or 2 is yes.

Side by side

What each kind can and can't do.

Static and dynamic QR codes compared
Static Dynamic
Change the destination after printing No, reprint it Yes, anytime
Scan counts, places, devices None Total and unique scans, country, device, trend
Works with no service behind it Yes No, needs the redirect to stay up
Safety check on the destination None once printed On create, on every edit and on rescans
Cost on MyQRx Unlimited on every plan One slot of your plan's quota (Free: 5)
Best for Wi-Fi, vCards, plain text, content that never changes Packaging, posters, menus, campaigns, anything you will measure
Why the data matters

A static code ends at "create".

Create

Print a dynamic code per placement: one per store, poster or packaging run.

Measure

Scans arrive with country, device and time of day.

Compare

Rank the codes side by side to see which placement worked.

Act

Repoint the weaker code at a better page, without reprinting, and measure again.

The long read, with reprint costs worked through: static vs dynamic QR codes: how to choose. And the honest other side: six cases where static wins.

FAQ

Static vs dynamic, answered.

What is the difference between a static and a dynamic QR code?

A static QR code stores the content directly, so it can never change and reports nothing. A dynamic QR code stores a short link that redirects to the content, so the owner can change the destination after printing and see every scan.

Should I use a static or a dynamic QR code?

Use dynamic if anyone will want to know whether the code worked, or if the destination might change after printing. Use static for content that never changes and is never measured, such as Wi-Fi credentials or a vCard, or when the code must work with no service behind it.

Do static QR codes cost anything on MyQRx?

No. Static codes are unlimited on every plan, Free included. A dynamic code uses one slot of your plan's quota; Free includes 5.

Can I turn a static QR code into a dynamic one later?

No. The content is printed into the pattern, so changing it means printing a new code. That is why anything likely to change should start as dynamic.