QR.io Alternative: What to consider when switching

Why users are looking for an alternative

Those looking for a QR.io alternative often have one of two reasons: the price or the end of the trial period. According to the QR.io pricing page (as of October 2026), the trial lasts 7 days, after which the subscription costs $39.99 per month or $479.50 per year. Without a subscription, dynamic codes become inactive after the trial period, while static ones continue to work.

For a business with few codes, such as a menu and a link to the website, this is a noticeable amount. And if you have already printed materials during the 7 days, you need to decide quickly.

What QR.io does well

For fairness, we must look at the other side. QR.io is easy to use, offers mass creation and an API according to the pricing page. Static codes work permanently, even without a subscription. On Trustpilot, QR.io has 4.2 out of 5 stars as of 06.10.2026 with 14,651 reviews, and the provider responds to almost all negative reviews there. Those who use the full range of features get a mature solution.

Criteria for the alternative

• Is there a free plan without an expiration date, not just a trial?
• What is the entry cost for few codes, monthly and annually?
• What happens to dynamic codes when the subscription ends?
• Can I cancel monthly, and how easy is it?
• Can I export my code list to switch again later?
• Are scans limited, and is there advertising when scanning?

How Same-QR solves these points

Same-QR has a free plan without expiration: two dynamic codes with 10,000 scans per month, no credit card required, and no advertising. In the first 30 days, you can change the destinations as often as you like, after that twice per code. The paid plans are tiered by the number of codes:

At Same-QR, the end of a subscription is handled as follows: Codes within the quota of your new plan continue to run unchanged – in the free plan, the two oldest. Codes beyond that are deactivated by us only after a 14-day grace period, and you will receive three emails beforehand (7, 3, and 1 day before). Deactivated does not mean deleted: The code shows a notice instead of the destination when scanned and works again as soon as your plan covers it.

With "Export all", you download your code list in every plan as CSV. What Same-QR does not have: its own short link domain. The codes run via sameqr.com/r/….

The switch soon

• List codes in the QR.io account: Name, Destination, Short link on qr.io, Location of print.
• Create codes at Same-QR, individually or via "Import a spreadsheet" (from Start).
• As long as the QR.io subscription is active: set the destination of each dynamic code to the new Same-QR link.
• Replace printed materials one by one, then cancel the subscription at QR.io.

The easiest way is the migration assistant under Dashboard → “QR codes” → “Move from another provider”: it reads your list as a CSV or Excel file, lets you assign the columns name, destination URL, old short link and labels, and creates the codes, as many as your plan allows. Afterwards you download a list “old short link → new Same-QR link”, which is exactly what you need for the bridge. An overview of switching is at sameqr.com/wechseln/en.

Frequently asked questions