Hovercode Alternative: Unlimited Free Dynamic QR Codes

Hovercode is one of the more honest free QR code services out there: unlimited scans, no ads, dynamic codes on the free plan. It is worth using. But its free plan caps you at 3 dynamic QR codes in total - a lifetime cap, not a monthly one (hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25) - and if you cancel a paid plan later, only your first 3 codes stay live. If you print more than three codes, that limit will find you.

HandyCode is the alternative built for that moment: an iPhone and iPad app with unlimited free dynamic QR codes of every type except forms, and a documented promise that your codes keep redirecting after you cancel. One thing up front: HandyCode is iOS only - there is no web dashboard or Android app - so this page is an honest comparison, with dated sources, of when each tool is the right pick.

What Hovercode genuinely does well

An honest comparison, because you have real choices here. All facts below are from hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25:

• It is a web/desktop platform. Everything happens in the browser - no phone required to create, edit, or manage codes. HandyCode cannot match that.
• Dynamic codes on the free plan. Most generators lock dynamic codes behind paywalls; Hovercode includes 3 for free, with no credit card and no time limit.
• Unlimited scans, on every plan. No per-scan pricing, no code that stops working after a scan threshold.
• Free basic analytics. Total and unique scan counts with 3 months of history, included on the free plan - HandyCode’s detailed analytics is a 14-day trial, then Pro. We say that plainly because it is true.
• Custom domains on paid plans. Pro includes 1 custom domain (Business includes 10), which puts your own domain behind every redirect.
• REST API and bulk tooling on Business ($39/mo) and up, plus an npm package and an MCP server for developers.
• No ads, ever. Hovercode states it never shows advertising to people who scan a code.

The two limits that drive people to look for an alternative

1. The free plan: 3 dynamic codes, lifetime

From the pricing table (hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25), the free plan includes 3 dynamic QR codes “in total” - and Hovercode’s own definition of that phrase matters:

““In total” is a lifetime cap on how many can exist at once. Once you reach it you cannot create more without deleting something or upgrading. The limit does not reset.” — hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25

Three lifetime dynamic codes is fine for a link-in-bio. It is not fine for a café with a menu, an events flyer, a resume, and a WiFi code for guests.

2. The cancellation policy: your codes past #3 go inactive

This is the one to read before you print anything. Hovercode’s documented policy when you cancel a paid plan (hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25):

“You are moved to the free plan. Your first 3 dynamic QR codes, first 3 short links, and first multi-link page stay active. Anything beyond those limits becomes inactive but is not deleted, and is reactivated automatically if you subscribe again. QR codes, short links, and pages served from a custom domain stop working.” — hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25

Credit where due: the codes are not deleted and come back if you resubscribe - that is more generous than services that purge them. But for one billing cycle after you stop paying, every printed code past your first three points to an inactive page. That is the exact failure mode we built HandyCode to avoid, and it is the same industry pattern we document across vendors in What Happens to My QR Codes if I Cancel?

How HandyCode works instead

HandyCode is an iPhone and iPad app first. You create, style, and manage codes on your device - offline if you like - and dynamic codes point to hosted pages we keep serving.

• Unlimited free dynamic codes, every type except forms: links, PDFs, images, WiFi, contacts, menus and more. No “3 in total,” no resetting clock.
• PDF and image hosting built in: turn a document or a photo into a scannable, editable link from the app - no separate upload step to a web console.
• Offline-first: create and edit codes on a plane or in a market with no signal; everything syncs when you reconnect.
• Your codes keep redirecting if you cancel Pro - everything you printed keeps working. The policy, including exactly what does change on downgrade, is documented on our cancellation help page.
• Pro is $9.99/month or $89.99/year (App Store billing) and adds a custom logo, branding removal, and detailed analytics. On downgrade, the only visible change is that a small “Powered by HandyCode” label may reappear where Pro had hidden it - never a change to your printed code’s behavior.

Decision table

Every Hovercode cell was verified against hovercode.com/pricing on 2026-10-25; HandyCode limits verified in-product the same day.

Pick Hovercode if… / Pick HandyCode if…

Pick Hovercode if you live in a browser and want to manage codes from a desktop; you need the REST API, bulk generation, CSV exports, or team seats (Business and up); you want a custom domain behind your redirects (Pro); or a handful of dynamic codes is genuinely all you need and you like their no-ads, unlimited-scans model.

Pick HandyCode if you work from an iPhone or iPad; you need more than 3 dynamic codes without paying; you want PDFs and images hosted behind the code itself; you need codes to work offline; or the cancellation policy decides the choice for you - HandyCode’s dynamic codes keep redirecting after you cancel, so nothing you printed ever goes dark.

And if iOS-only is a dealbreaker, read our rundown of free QR codes that never expire for the full landscape of no-expiry options, and see how we compare to the template-heavy QR Tiger.

Related comparisons

• QR Tiger alternative - the template-heavy rival, compared
• LinkScan alternative - the other unlimited-free-dynamic play
• Free QR codes that never expire - the full no-expiry playbook
• What happens to my QR codes if I cancel? - dated, sourced policy comparison
• HandyCode vs Uniqode - the enterprise name, compared

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to Hovercode with unlimited dynamic QR codes?

Yes. HandyCode’s free plan includes unlimited dynamic QR codes of every type except forms - links, PDFs, images, WiFi, contacts - in an offline-first iPhone and iPad app. Hovercode’s own pricing page caps its free plan at 3 dynamic QR codes in total, a lifetime cap that does not reset (hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25). To be fair to Hovercode: it is otherwise a strong free option - unlimited scans, no ads, and basic analytics with 3 months of history included free.

What happens to my Hovercode QR codes if I cancel a paid plan?

Per Hovercode’s pricing page (accessed 2026-10-25), you move to the free plan; only your first 3 dynamic QR codes, first 3 short links, and first multi-link page stay active; everything beyond becomes inactive (not deleted) until you subscribe again; and anything served from a custom domain stops working. HandyCode’s documented policy is the opposite: dynamic codes keep redirecting after a Pro cancellation or refund.

Hovercode or HandyCode - which should I pick?

Pick Hovercode if you work from a browser and need web-platform plumbing: its REST API (Business and up), bulk generation, team seats, or a custom domain on Pro. Pick HandyCode if you want unlimited free dynamic codes on iPhone or iPad, PDF and image hosting behind the code, offline access, and printed codes that keep redirecting whether or not you keep paying.

Do dynamic QR codes stop working when I stop paying?

It depends on the service, because a dynamic code is just a redirect the service controls. Many providers deactivate codes above your free-plan limits when a subscription ends - Hovercode keeps only your first 3 dynamic codes active (hovercode.com/pricing, accessed 2026-10-25). Several services publish keep-live commitments instead; the dated vendor-by-vendor comparison is in What Happens to My QR Codes if I Cancel?. Understanding static vs dynamic QR codes is the quickest way to see which of your codes are even at risk.

Try it free

HandyCode is free to start: unlimited dynamic codes, every type except forms, no credit card. Pro is $9.99/month or $89.99/year if you want the custom logo, branding removal, detailed analytics, and forms - and your codes keep working whether you stay on it or not.

Get HandyCode free on the App Store

On a computer? Try the web generator free - create a code in the browser, no install.

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Hovercode and its product names are trademarks of their respective owners; comparisons are informational. Prices and tiers observed on the dates shown - verify current terms with each vendor.