QR Tiger Alternative: Unlimited Free Dynamic QR

You printed the codes. Their subscription ended. Now your flyers point to a dead page - that’s how QR code subscriptions work. HandyCode’s codes keep redirecting if you cancel Pro.

One thing up front: HandyCode is an iPhone & iPad app - iOS only. There is no Android app and no web app for managing codes (our free web generator creates codes in the browser, but organizing and editing happens on iOS). If that fits how you work, this QR Tiger alternative comparison explains - with dated sources - how cancellation actually works at QR Tiger (qrcode-tiger.com), where QR Tiger is genuinely the better tool, and where HandyCode fits instead.

What happens when you cancel a typical QR service

Dynamic QR codes are redirects: the printed code points to a short link the service controls. That is what makes them editable - and it is also what lets the service switch them off.

This is an industry pattern, not a quirk of one vendor. Uniqode (formerly Beaconstac), one of the largest names in the space, states it plainly in their FAQ:

“Once your free trial expires, any dynamic QR Codes you created will become inactive…” — uniqode.com/pricing FAQ, accessed 2026-10-22

We dig into that one in depth in HandyCode vs Uniqode. QR Code Generator (QRCG by Bitly) has an equivalent policy in its support documentation: dynamic codes expire when the subscription lapses (qr-code-generator.com, accessed 2026-10-22). QR TIGER ties dynamic-code functionality to an active plan: their free tier caps you at 3 dynamic codes with 500 scans each, so a paid account that downgrades loses functionality, not just extras (qrcode-tiger.com/payment, verified 2026-10-25).

None of this is secret - it is in their own docs. But it is easy to miss after you have already printed the menus.

How HandyCode works instead

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

• Your codes keep redirecting if you cancel Pro - everything you printed keeps working. Dynamic codes keep redirecting after a Pro cancellation or refund. This help page documents the policy and exactly what does change.
• Pro is $9.99/month or $89.99/year (App Store billing) and adds custom logo, branding removal, and detailed analytics. If you downgrade later, the only visible change on your hosted content page is that a small “Powered by HandyCode” label may reappear, and only where Pro had hidden it - never any change to your printed code’s behavior.
• Free is genuinely free to build on: unlimited dynamic codes of every type except forms - links, PDFs, images, WiFi, contacts, menus - with a 14-day trial covering detailed analytics and forms. What the free tier includes is spelled out on our free QR codes that never expire page.

If you want the background on why dynamic codes behave this way at all, start with Static vs Dynamic QR Codes.

Where QR Tiger is genuinely better

An honest comparison, because the alternative matters:

• Templates and design ecosystem. QR TIGER’s template library and design tooling are larger than what any iOS app can match.
• Integrations and API. QR TIGER plugs into tools like Canva, Zapier, HubSpot and Google Analytics, and offers an API - web-platform plumbing an iOS-first app simply does not chase.
• Languages. Their iOS app ships in English plus 28 more languages (App Store listing, fetched 2026-10-22); HandyCode currently ships in English and Spanish.
• Entry price. Their paid tiers start at US$7/month with a monthly billing toggle: Regular US$7/mo (12 dynamic codes), Advanced US$16/mo (200 dynamic), Premium US$37/mo (600 dynamic) - and the paid tiers include unlimited scans and no logo popup on your QR pages (qrcode-tiger.com/payment, verified 2026-10-25).

If you live inside a web dashboard, need those integrations, or serve many languages, QR Tiger may be the right tool. The difference is what happens to your printed codes afterward.

Decision table

Free tier comparison

Every cell below was verified on 2026-10-25:

Sources, all accessed 2026-10-25: hovercode.com/pricing, qrcode-tiger.com/payment, linkscan.org/pricing. HandyCode limits verified in-product.

Being straight with you, because the differences are real in both directions: Hovercode ships unlimited free scans with no ads on any plan, and LinkScan genuinely publishes unlimited free dynamic codes. HandyCode’s differentiators are not exclusivity - they are the offline-first iOS app, hosted PDFs and images behind the code itself, 47 content types (46 free, forms on Pro), and cancellation behavior that leaves your printed codes alone. On analytics, we also lose one axis today: Hovercode’s scan analytics are a standing free feature, while HandyCode’s detailed analytics is a 14-day trial, then Pro.

Related comparisons

• Hovercode alternative - the closest free-scan rival
• LinkScan alternative - the other unlimited-free-dynamic play
• HandyCode vs Uniqode - the enterprise name, compared
• Free QR codes that never expire - what HandyCode’s free tier actually includes

Frequently asked questions

Are there QR code generators where the codes keep working if I stop paying?

Yes. Static QR generators always keep working, and among dynamic services several document keeping codes live: HandyCode does not deactivate dynamic codes on downgrade or cancellation, and Kizmo (a promise embedded in its terms of service), Stelyo, TheQRCode.io, KeepQR, Flowcode and QRLynx publish similar retention commitments - each quoted with sources in What Happens to My QR Codes if I Cancel?. What separates them is what else changes: read-only states, free-tier caps, or an interstitial on free scans. HandyCode’s policy, including exactly what does change on downgrade, is documented in the same help page. Many larger services, QR TIGER among them, tie dynamic-code functionality to an active plan - their free tier caps you at 3 dynamic codes with 500 scans each (qrcode-tiger.com/payment, verified 2026-10-25).

What’s the best dynamic QR code generator for a small restaurant?

For a restaurant, three things matter most: editing the menu without reprinting QR codes, tracking which codes get scanned, and what happens to printed codes if you stop paying the subscription. QR TIGER is strong on design templates and language support. HandyCode covers menu editing and scan analytics in an offline-first iPhone/iPad app, and its dynamic codes keep redirecting after cancellation, so printed menus keep working either way.

Do QR codes expire?

The QR Code standard has no expiration date - a printed static code works as long as it is readable. Dynamic codes depend on the service behind the redirect, and some services deactivate dynamic codes when a subscription ends. Our full explanation: Do QR Codes Expire? What You Need to Know. If a code’s lifetime must survive a cancelled subscription, choose a service that documents keeping codes live - several publish such policies, HandyCode among them, and the dated comparison quotes each one; with HandyCode you can also change a QR code’s destination after printing without a plan 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 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. QR TIGER, Hovercode, LinkScan, Uniqode, and QRCG are trademarks of their respective owners; comparisons are informational. Prices and tiers observed on the dates shown - verify current terms with each vendor.