QR and NFC
What a QR Code Actually Costs to Run
A QR code itself is free to generate. What you're really paying a QR platform for is the page behind it, the analytics, and whatever the platform charges per scan or per code — those vary a lot between providers.
By Ali Murtaza ·
Generating a QR code costs nothing — it's a pattern, not a service. What platforms actually charge for is everything around it: hosting the page it points to, tracking scans, and letting you change the destination later without reprinting. Those costs vary a lot by provider.
What different platforms charge
| Platform | Cheapest paid tier | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Tapline | $29/month (Growth) | A product page: reorder button and email capture included |
| Flowcode | $25/month (Pro Plus, billed annually) | Branded codes + a page builder — you design the destination |
| Uniqode | $9/month (Essential, billed yearly) | Dynamic QR codes with scan tracking |
The free plans across these platforms are real but narrow — a small number of codes, a scan cap, static codes only, or no analytics. The jump to a paid plan usually buys dynamic codes (the destination can change without reprinting), proper analytics, and in Tapline's case, the actual page content rather than just the code.
Figures above checked directly against each provider's own pricing page — for Tapline's own plans, see pricing.
If you're also weighing NFC tags, the per-unit trade-off is in QR code vs NFC tag for product packaging.
For a closer side-by-side with one provider, see Tapline vs Flowcode.
Or compare dynamic-QR pricing with Tapline vs Uniqode.