You've outgrown the free tier. Maybe you need to edit a printed code's destination, run more than a handful of dynamic codes, put your own domain on the short link, or keep a year of scan history. So you open a few pricing pages — and the numbers swing from a fiver a month to "contact sales." Which one is actually worth paying for?
Here's the uncomfortable truth: a lot of paid QR plans charge you just to unlock features that should be table stakes, then meter how many times your codes get scanned on top. The best plans charge for scale, not for the basics. Let's line them up — with real prices.
What you're actually paying for
Before you put in a card, get clear on what a paid QR plan should buy you. Look for:
- More dynamic QR codes — editable, trackable codes, and enough of them for a real campaign
- No per-scan caps — a plan that punishes a popular code is the wrong plan
- Longer analytics history — weeks isn't enough; you want months to a year
- A custom branded domain so the short link reads as yours, not the tool's
- A real trial and easy cancellation, not an annual lock-in
The comparison at a glance
Here's how the lowest paid plans compare. Prices are the cheapest published tier as of mid-2026, often billed annually — always check current pricing before you commit.
| Capy QR | QR Tiger | Bitly | Uniqode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo | $7/mo | $10/mo | ~$9/mo |
| Dynamic codes (entry → top) | 10 → 100 | 6 → ∞ | ~10 | 50+ |
| No per-scan caps | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Usable free tier (dynamic + analytics) | ✓ | Limited | ✗ | Trial |
| Design control (gradient, dots, frames) | ✓ | ✓ | Basic | ✓ |
| No signup to download | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Codes render in your browser | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 14-day free trial | ✓ | Trial | ✗ | Trial |
Capy QR is the cheapest paid plan here — and the only one that doesn't cap how often your codes can be scanned, make you sign up before downloading, or send your QR data to a server. The others hand out more dynamic codes at the entry price — Uniqode and QRCodeChimp start at 50 — but a bigger allowance is only as useful as the scans you're allowed, and Capy QR is the one that never caps them.
The plans, one by one
Capy QR — the best value for most people
The free plan already covers dynamic QR codes, scan analytics, and full design control with no watermark. Paid is about headroom: Starter is $5/mo billed annually ($60/yr; $6 month-to-month) for 10 dynamic codes, 30 days of analytics, and one custom branded domain; Pro is $12/mo annually ($144/yr; $15 monthly) for 100 dynamic codes, a year of analytics, and up to 10 domains. There are no per-scan caps at any tier, a 14-day trial, and codes render in your browser so your data never hits a server. It's the cheapest entry here and the one with the fewest gotchas.
QR Tiger — most features, if you'll pay to unlock them
QR Tiger has the widest range of QR types. Paid starts around $7/mo (billed annually) for a few dynamic codes; the plan most people actually want — Advanced, with unlimited dynamic codes — is $16/mo annual ($26 month-to-month). If you need hundreds of dynamic codes, that unlimited tier goes further than Capy QR's 100-code Pro. The catch: scan ceilings on the lower tiers, and the basics are paywalled.
Bitly — you're really buying link management
Bitly is a link-management platform first and a QR tool second. Core is $10/mo (billed annually), Growth $29/mo, and Premium $199/mo — and the QR features you'd actually use start around the Growth tier. Worth it if short-link management is your core job; expensive if you mainly want good-looking, trackable QR codes, and the design controls are basic.
Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac) — built for big teams
Uniqode targets businesses: bulk creation, team seats, integrations. Entry is around $9/mo (sources vary, and pricing tracks how many dynamic codes you need), climbing into business and enterprise tiers quickly. Great with a procurement budget; heavy for a solo creator or small shop.
QRCodeChimp is the closest budget rival: Starter $6.99/mo for 50 dynamic codes, Pro $13.99/mo for 300, and Ultima $34.99/mo for 900 — and even its free plan includes 10 dynamic codes. If raw code count per dollar is your priority it's strong, though it leans on templates and applies its own scan caps.
Build yours in the editor → capyqr.com
Quick pick: which plan for your situation
- Best value for most people: Capy QR (Starter or Pro)
- Cheapest entry, no scan caps: Capy QR Starter at $5/mo
- Hundreds of dynamic codes on a budget: QRCodeChimp, or QR Tiger's $16/mo unlimited tier
- Link management is your real job: Bitly
- Large team or enterprise: Uniqode
- A rare QR type Capy QR lacks: QR Tiger
What to check before you pay
Run any plan through this before you enter a card:
- Per-scan or per-code caps? A flat plan beats metered pricing the moment a campaign takes off.
- Is a custom domain included, or an add-on at the top tier?
- How long is analytics kept? Seven days is a taste; aim for months to a year.
- Trial and cancellation: a real free trial and monthly option beat an annual lock-in.
- Export formats: SVG and PDF should be included, not gated behind the next tier up.
See it for yourself
Here's a Capy QR styled in about thirty seconds, rendered right here:
Not sure you need to pay yet? Start with the best free QR code generators.
The bottom line
On raw volume, QR Tiger's unlimited tier and QRCodeChimp's bigger plans go further, and Uniqode and Bitly are built for enterprises and link management. But for the people most likely to be reading this — individuals, creators, and small businesses — Capy QR is the best value: the cheapest paid plan at $5/mo, no per-scan caps, a genuinely usable free tier, full design control, and no signup or watermark. You pay for scale, never for the basics.
So — what would tip you into paying: more dynamic codes, longer analytics, your own domain, or just never worrying about a scan limit again?