QR Code Generator (QRCG by Bitly) Alternative

You built your QR codes during the 14-day trial at qr-code-generator.com - the one branded “QRCG by Bitly.” Flyers printed, menus laminated, business cards handed out. Then day 15 arrives and, per their own support page, “Dynamic QR Codes are deactivated and point to a service page rather than the original destination” (support.qr-code-generator.com, accessed 2026-10-25). Every printed code now shows your customers a paywall instead of your menu. This page compares that model with HandyCode - honestly, with dates on every quote - because the two products solve the same job with opposite cancellation behavior. One thing up front: HandyCode is an iPhone & iPad app with no Android and no web management dashboard; if you need desktop bulk tooling, QRCG is likely the better tool and we say so below.

QRCG by Bitly vs HandyCode: What the Trial Boundary Proves

A dynamic QR code is a redirect the vendor controls - that is what makes it editable. The question that matters is not “does it work during the trial” but “what happens at the boundary”: trial end, subscription lapse, downgrade. QRCG answers that question in writing, and the answer is deactivation. HandyCode’s documented answer is the opposite: the free plan itself is permanent (unlimited dynamic codes of every free type, no credit card), and after a Pro cancellation your codes keep redirecting - the only may-change is a small “Powered by HandyCode” label on hosted pages.

Note this is not a “nobody else is free” argument. Several services keep free dynamic codes alive - LinkScan and Hovercode both do, each with limits (LinkScan rate-caps free dynamic creation; Hovercode caps free accounts at 3 codes total). QRCG is the mainstream name whose free path has no dynamic codes at all - which is exactly what the trial-deactivation pages are protecting.

Where QRCG by Bitly is genuinely better

All observations from qr-code-generator.com/pricing and their support pages, accessed 2026-10-25:

• A real web dashboard. Desktop-first management of everything - HandyCode simply cannot match this; our codes live in an iOS app (our free web generator only creates static codes in the browser).
• Bulk and API muscle. CSV bulk creation (100 codes on Advanced, 500 on Professional) and API access (3,000 requests/mo on Advanced, 10,000 on Professional) - nothing like it exists in HandyCode.
• Teams and enterprise fit. 2-5 seats across paid tiers, a custom Enterprise plan with white labeling, plus SOC 2, GDPR and CCPA compliance badges. If procurement needs paperwork, QRCG has it.
• A fair trial setup. No credit card required, and no auto-billing: “Your account does not automatically switch to a paid plan once the free trial period ends” (support.qr-code-generator.com, accessed 2026-10-25). You get surprises-free, just not redirect-safe.

Pricing comparison (observed 2026-10-25)

QRCG shows regional euro prices; USD equivalents from the same page data. VAT not included. HandyCode prices are App Store list prices in USD.

Sources: qr-code-generator.com/pricing plan data (prices embedded in the page, read 2026-10-25); HandyCode in-product the same day. Enterprise: custom quote via sales.

Trial end, cancel, lapse: the boundary table

This is the column people actually need when they’ve already printed.

Read generously: QRCG’s data retention and reactivation path are real merits - nothing is deleted, and paying again repairs the redirects. Read realistically: between lapse and re-pay, the printed world scans a service page. For a campaign that already went to press, that gap is the whole product. The mechanics behind this failure mode - and how to audit your own codes for it - are covered in What Happens to Your QR Codes When Your Subscription Ends.

Pick QRCG if… / Pick HandyCode if…

Pick QRCG by Bitly if you manage dozens of codes from a desktop, need CSV bulk creation or an API, work with a team and compliance paperwork, or sell into an enterprise procurement process. It is a serious web platform, and its trial has no credit-card trap.

Pick HandyCode if you’re on iPhone or iPad, want unlimited dynamic codes of all 46 free types (forms on Pro) with no documented scan cap, want PDFs and menus hosted behind the code itself, and need the promise that printed codes keep redirecting after you cancel. Our free plan is the resting state, not a countdown - see Free Dynamic QR Code Generator and Free QR codes that keep working.

If you’re not sure your codes even need to be dynamic, Static vs Dynamic QR Codes is the two-minute version - static codes, at both vendors, outlive every trial.

Related comparisons

• QR Tiger alternative - another big web platform, dated comparison
• Hovercode alternative - the closest free-scan rival
• LinkScan alternative - free unlimited dynamic, browser-based
• HandyCode vs Uniqode - if QRCG’s enterprise pitch pulled you here, the other enterprise name compared
• Best QR Code Generator in 2026 - the whole field in one table

Frequently asked questions

What happens to QRCG by Bitly dynamic QR codes when the free trial ends?

Their support page states it directly: “Any Dynamic QR Codes you created during the 14-day free trial period are deactivated at the end of the free trial. When someone scans a deactivated QR Code, they’re taken to a service page rather than the original destination.” (KB article, accessed 2026-10-25). Static codes keep working. HandyCode’s model is the mirror image: the free plan keeps unlimited dynamic codes active permanently, and cancellation keeps redirects alive - verified by automated server tests on every deploy.

Does the QR Code Generator trial automatically switch to a paid plan?

No - give them this one straight: “Your account does not automatically switch to a paid plan once the free trial period ends” (KB article, accessed 2026-10-25), and signup needs no card. What you lose at day 15 is not a bill but the redirects themselves: dynamic codes go inactive until you upgrade.

Are there codes that keep working on an expired QRCG account?

Only static ones: “Once a Static QR Code is created, it remains active indefinitely” (KB article, accessed 2026-10-25). But a static code is frozen - no editing, no analytics. The combination QRCG’s pricing doesn’t sell - editable dynamic codes that survive cancellation for free - is exactly what HandyCode’s free plan is.

QR Code Generator by Bitly or HandyCode - which should I pick?

Pick QRCG if you need a desktop dashboard, bulk CSV creation, API access, team seats, or SOC 2-style paperwork - it’s built for marketing teams. Pick HandyCode if you’re on iPhone or iPad and want unlimited free dynamic codes (46 free types, forms on Pro, no documented scan cap) plus file hosting, with printed codes that keep redirecting whether you pay or not. No Android, no web dashboard - that’s our honest boundary. The pricing page shows exactly what Pro adds.

Try it free

HandyCode is free to start: unlimited dynamic codes, 46 free types, no credit card, no countdown. Pro is $9.99/month or $89.99/year if you later 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

Already printed QRCG codes that went quiet? Their own FAQ says an upgrade reactivates them - if you’d rather move to a free plan with no countdown, make an editable QR code in HandyCode and put that on the next print run.

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. QRCG, Bitly, QR TIGER, Hovercode, LinkScan, and Uniqode are trademarks of their respective owners; comparisons are informational. Prices and tiers observed on the dates shown - verify current terms with each vendor.