A QR code keeps working after the trial or plan ends if it is static, or if it is a dynamic code on a tool that does not tie the redirect to a subscription. Several paid QR generators do the opposite: when the trial ends, your dynamic codes stop and point to a service page. I'm the founder of LotsLink, and with LotsLink your QR codes, short links and scans are free and unlimited, so there is no trial that ends for them.
Below are eight tools, with what each one's own pricing, FAQ and help pages say happens to a printed code when the trial or plan ends. Everything here was read on those pages on 3 November 2026.
The short answer
- Never stops because a plan ended: static codes, such as the ones QRCode Monkey makes, and LotsLink codes, which have no plan to end.
- Keeps redirecting for a while, then stops: QRCG gives 30 days after your contract ends.
- Stops when the trial or plan ends: QR TIGER, Uniqode, Scanova and QRCG's trial codes.
- Keeps most of it, caps the rest: Bitly's short links keep working after a downgrade, and QRCodeChimp pauses codes over a limit instead of deleting them.
Where LotsLink wins: nothing to lapse
A LotsLink QR code opens a short link, and the short link redirects to your page. Links, QR codes and clicks are free and unlimited, with up to 1,000 new links per person in any 24 hours. There is no trial clock on any of it. New accounts get free credits when they sign up, no card.
What that means for a printed code:
- Editing is free. You can change a link's destination at any time, with no edit quota. The short link and the QR code stay the same, so a printed flyer keeps working and keeps counting scans.
- No scan cap. Scans that open the short URL are recorded as visits, with no limit. A repeat visit within 10 seconds counts once.
- The one paid item is your own domain. If you put the code on a branded domain and stop funding it, existing links on that domain keep redirecting and your analytics stay readable. New links on that domain pause until you fund it again. Links on lots.link are not affected.
One rule applies to every tool in this post, ours included: a code made directly from a destination is static and can never be changed. A LotsLink QR code opens the short link instead, which is why it stays editable. The full explanation is in dynamic vs static QR codes.
LotsLink's own domain pricing, checked on 3 November 2026 at lots.link/pricing: Starter $9 a month (3 domains), Pro $24 (10), Business $59 (30), or pay as you go at $4 per domain a month. Yearly billing is 2 months free.
What happens to a code when the plan ends
| Tool | Static or dynamic | What happens when the plan or trial ends | Scan limits | Price entry point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LotsLink | Dynamic by default (the QR opens a short link); static if made straight from a destination | No plan to end for links and QR codes. If a custom domain is no longer funded, existing links keep redirecting, analytics stay readable, new links on that domain pause | None. A repeat visit within 10 seconds counts once | Free. Own domain: $4 a month pay as you go, or plans from $9 |
| QRCode Monkey | Static only | Never expires: "All generated QR codes will work forever, do not expire and have no scanning limits" | None, but no scan statistics and no editing | Free |
| Bitly | Dynamic | Cancel and the plan reverts to Free at the end of the billing period. bit.ly links and their QR codes keep working. Links on a custom domain keep working while DNS points to Bitly, but you can no longer edit or redirect them | Free: unlimited clicks and QR scans, but QR codes you can create per month are capped (2) | Free; Core $10 a month, annual only |
| QRCodeChimp | Static and dynamic | Lapse and the account moves to the free plan: dynamic codes other than the last 10 are paused. At the monthly scan cap, dynamic codes pause until next month | Free: 1,000 scans a month across all dynamic codes | Free; Starter $6.99 a month paid yearly |
| QR TIGER | Static and dynamic | "If your plan expires, it will stop working." Data kept for a maximum of 1 year | Free dynamic codes: 500 scans each. Paid: unlimited | Free; Regular from US$7 |
| QRCG (QR Code Generator) | Static and dynamic | Trial ends: dynamic codes deactivate and point to a service page. Paid plan cancelled: they keep redirecting for the paid period plus 30 days, then go to a service page | Starter 10,000 scans; Advanced and Professional unlimited | 14-day trial, no card |
| Uniqode | Static and dynamic | Trial ends: dynamic codes become inactive and stop redirecting. Cancel: they become inactive | Plans limit the number of dynamic codes (Essential: 15) | Essential $9 a month, billed yearly |
| Scanova | Static and dynamic | "Your Dynamic QR Code will stop working once the free trial ends." Static codes work forever | Basic: unlimited scans, 3 QR codes | Basic $5 a month, billed annually |
Checked on 3 November 2026. Sources: https://lots.link/pricing, https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/, https://bitly.com/pages/pricing, https://support.bitly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360029870551, https://www.qrcodechimp.com/pricing, https://www.qrcode-tiger.com/faq, https://www.qrcode-tiger.com/payment, https://www.qr-code-generator.com/pricing/, https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665046137613, https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665399659277, https://docs.uniqode.com/en/articles/17025518-plans-and-pricing-for-qr-codes, https://www.uniqode.com/pricing, https://scanova.io/pricing/.
The details, tool by tool
1. LotsLink
Covered above. The case for it is the scenario where you print something and do not want to think about it again: a menu, a poster, packaging, a store window. The code opens a short link you can re-point for free whenever the page changes. Free QR codes with scan tracking are included, and how to change a QR code's link after printing shows the steps.
2. QRCode Monkey
If you want a code you can print and forget, a static code is the simplest answer, and QRCode Monkey is a clean place to make one. Its page says the codes "work forever" and have no scan limits. The trade-off it states itself: "The created QR codes are static so the only limitation is that you can't edit the QR code again." It also has no scan statistics. If the destination page moves, the printed code is dead.
3. Bitly
Bitly is the tool on this list whose short links survive a downgrade best. Its help page says "Your bit.ly links continue to work after you downgrade your account", and that a QR code behaves the same way because "each QR Code created in Bitly is basically a scannable form of a short link." The catch is editing: changing a destination (a redirect) is listed from the Core plan up on the pricing page, and for links on your own custom domain, a downgrade to a plan without a custom domain means you are "no longer able to edit or redirect" them. Free also limits how many QR codes you can make each month (2), while its clicks and scans are listed as unlimited. We cover the editing side in Bitly change destination free.
4. QRCodeChimp
QRCodeChimp has a real free plan with 10 dynamic codes and 1,000 scans a month shared across them. Its FAQ is direct about the ceiling: "Once you reach the 1000 scans limit for a month, scans are paused, but they reopen next month". If a paid plan lapses, the account moves to Free and "the dynamic codes other than the last 10 will be paused." Good for a handful of low-traffic codes, and worth knowing before you put one on a busy poster.
5. QR TIGER
QR TIGER's free plan includes three dynamic codes with a 500 scan limit each (and a QR TIGER logo popup). On paid plans scans are unlimited "with a valid subscription. If your plan expires, it will stop working." It keeps your data for up to a year after expiry. Static codes are unlimited and "never expire".
6. QRCG (QR Code Generator)
QRCG spells out both cases. At the end of the 14-day trial, dynamic codes "are deactivated and point to a service page rather than the original destination", static codes keep working, and your data is retained but hidden until you upgrade. Cancel a paid plan and the codes keep redirecting for the rest of the paid period plus 30 days (editing is locked during those 30 days), then they point to a service page. Upgrading later reactivates them.
7. Uniqode
Uniqode's help centre says static codes "do not expire" but cannot be edited or tracked. For dynamic codes: "You can create dynamic QR Codes during a free trial, but they stop working once the trial ends unless you purchase a subscription." Its pricing FAQ adds that after the trial the codes "will no longer redirect users", and that cancelling makes them inactive. To downgrade you must be under the lower plan's dynamic code limit first.
8. Scanova
Scanova's FAQ answers the question in this post's title: "Your Dynamic QR Code will stop working once the free trial ends. You will need a subscription to keep Dynamic QR Codes functional." Static codes "work forever" but "cannot be edited or tracked." Its Basic plan lists unlimited scans; the cap is the number of codes.
Before you print: a checklist
- Know if the code is static or dynamic. If it opens a short URL that is not your own page, it is dynamic and depends on that vendor.
- Find the vendor's trial and cancellation page and read what it says happens to a dynamic code. "Deactivated" and "service page" are the words to look for.
- Check the scan cap and whether it is per code or shared across codes.
- Know who funds the domain. If the code sits on a custom domain, someone has to keep that domain paid or renewed.
- Scan it from a phone before you print, and test the exact printed size.
- Keep the destination editable. A code you can re-point costs you nothing when the page moves.
For a wider comparison of tracking features, see best QR code generators with tracking.
If you own the business
You do not need to pick a plan to get a code you can print today. Make the short link, generate the QR code, and re-point the link if your menu or offer page changes. Nothing on your printed code depends on a trial.
If you run an agency
Give each client their own workspace so their links and QR codes stay separate. A client's own domain is paid, on a plan or from credits; if it is no longer funded, existing links on it keep redirecting and analytics stay readable.
FAQ
Do QR codes expire?
A static QR code does not expire, because the destination is printed into the pattern. A dynamic QR code is a short link that redirects, so it works only while the service behind it keeps redirecting. Many vendors deactivate dynamic codes when a trial ends or a plan is cancelled. Checked on 3 November 2026.
What happens to a dynamic QR code when the free trial ends?
On QRCG, Uniqode and Scanova, dynamic codes stop working at the end of the trial. QRCG and Uniqode say they point to a service page or stop redirecting, and Scanova says they "stop working". Static codes keep working on all three. Checked on 3 November 2026.
Can I get a QR code that never stops working for free?
A static code made from a destination never stops, but it can never be changed and has no scan counts. A LotsLink QR code opens a short link, so it stays editable and tracked, and links, QR codes and clicks are free and unlimited. Checked on 3 November 2026.
What happens to my LotsLink codes if I stop paying for a custom domain?
Existing links on that domain keep redirecting and your analytics stay readable. New links on that domain pause until the domain is funded again. Links on lots.link are not affected. Checked on 3 November 2026.
Do QR code scans have limits?
It depends on the tool. QRCode Monkey and LotsLink have no scan limits. Bitly's Free plan lists unlimited scans but caps QR codes created per month. QRCodeChimp's free plan allows 1,000 scans a month across all dynamic codes. QR TIGER's free dynamic codes have a 500 scan limit each. Checked on 3 November 2026.