# Static vs dynamic QR codes: which should you use?

> Use a static QR code when the content will never change (Wi-Fi, a contact card, a permanent page on your own site). Use a dynamic QR code when you need to change the destination after printing, count scans, or detect tampering, but only from a provider that will not deactivate it.

Canonical page: https://kizmo.io/guides/static-vs-dynamic-qr-codes

Updated 2026-09-27.

## At a glance

| | Static | Dynamic |
|---|---|---|
| Destination stored in | The code itself | The provider's server |
| Change after printing | No | Yes |
| Scan analytics | No | Yes |
| Tamper alerts | No | Yes (Kizmo) |
| Depends on a company | No | Yes |
| Works offline (Wi-Fi, vCard) | Yes | No |
| Density | Grows with content length | Always short and simple |

## Choose static when

- **You encode Wi-Fi, a contact card (vCard) or an event.** Phones read these details directly from the pattern; a redirect cannot deliver them.
- **The link is permanent and yours**, such as your homepage. Tip: pointing a static code at a page on your own site gives you a free "dynamic" code, because you can edit that page forever.
- **Privacy matters.** No one records the scan.

## Choose dynamic when

- **The destination will change**: seasonal menus, event pages, campaigns, reused signs.
- **You want to know what works**: scans per placement, per day, per device.
- **The code sits in public, unattended places** such as parking meters, tables and collection boxes, where sticker fraud happens. Only a dynamic code can notice that scans suddenly stopped.

## The catch with dynamic codes

A dynamic code is a promise from its provider. Before you print thousands of them, check three things in the terms:

1. What happens to the code if you cancel or stop paying?
2. Is there a scan cap on your plan?
3. Can you export your codes and destinations?

Kizmo's answers: codes keep redirecting forever, there is no scan cap, and you can export everything. See the [guarantee](/guarantee).


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Kizmo: QR codes you own. https://kizmo.io/