One is free and permanent, the other is paid and editable. Which is right depends entirely on whether the destination will change after printing.
Short answer: these are different products solving different problems. Make My QR Code gives you a free static code that works forever. QR Code Generator (Bitly) sells dynamic codes you can repoint after printing, with scan analytics, bulk creation and an API. If you never need to change the destination, paying is unnecessary. If you do, a static code cannot do it at any price.
Everything else follows from one technical fact. A static QR code encodes your destination directly in the pattern. A dynamic QR code encodes a short redirect URL owned by the provider; the provider decides where that URL points, and can change it later or switch it off.
That means:
| Criteria | Make My QR Code | QR Code Generator (Bitly) |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Full tool, no trial timer | Static codes free, 14-day trial on paid plans |
| Account required | No | Yes for dynamic features |
| Code type | Static | Static and dynamic |
| Expires? | Never | Static: never. Dynamic: while subscribed |
| Change destination after printing | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| Scan analytics | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| Bulk creation from CSV | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| API access | No | Yes, on paid plans |
| Logo and branded design | Yes, logo plus six body styles | Yes |
| QR content types | 10 including Wi-Fi, vCard, event, crypto, location | 22 |
| Ongoing cost | None | Subscription for dynamic features |
| Risk if you stop paying | None | Dynamic codes stop resolving |
| Adverts | Yes | No |
Buy a dynamic plan when the code outlives the destination. Classic examples:
In each of those, reprinting is expensive and the analytics decision is worth more than the subscription. That is a rational purchase.
For all of these, Make My QR Code produces the code for free and it stays valid indefinitely.
Dynamic codes are usually priced per active code, and they keep working only while the plan stays current. Over five years, a handful of codes can cost more than the printing did. None of that is a criticism of the model — it is just worth pricing the whole lifetime of the code, not the first month.
There is a second consideration: a dynamic code reveals to the provider where your audience goes and how often. That is the point of the analytics, but it is still a data relationship you should choose deliberately.
Static QR codes are free. Dynamic codes, scan tracking, bulk creation and API access require a paid plan, which starts with a 14-day trial. After the trial ends, dynamic codes stop working if the subscription is not continued.
Not on a permanent basis. Dynamic codes depend on a redirect service, which costs money to run, so providers charge for it. Free tiers usually give you static codes instead.
If it is a static code, no — it contains the data directly and cannot be switched off. If it is a dynamic code, cancelling the plan means the redirect stops resolving, and the printed code becomes a dead link.
It is a good alternative if you need a permanent static code and do not need tracking or the ability to change the destination. It is not a replacement if you need dynamic redirects, scan analytics, bulk generation or an API.
Static codes have no scan limit. They are not tracked by any server, so there is nothing to throttle. Dynamic codes can have scan limits depending on the plan.
No watermark, no scan limit, no trial timer. Download a high-resolution PNG or SVG you can print or share.
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