Scanolo, an alternative to QRCode Monkey
QRCode Monkey is a very good free generator, and it will stay one. Its FAQ says it plainly: the codes it makes are static, they never expire, and their content can never be edited again. The whole comparison sits in that sentence, and in what it means the day you send a file to the printer.
Information gathered from publishers' public sites on 23 September 2026. Competitor prices and features can change; let us know about any error.
| Criterion | QRCode Monkey | Scanolo |
|---|---|---|
| Type of code | Static, the destination is baked into the image (publisher FAQ) | Dynamic, the destination changes from your account |
| Changing the destination after printing | Not possible, you rebuild the code and reprint the material | Yes, in seconds, and the printed material stays valid |
| Price | Free, no account, commercial use allowed (checked September 2026) | €0 for 3 dynamic codes, then €7 excl. VAT per month |
| Lifetime and scan limit | No expiry and no scan limit, stated in the FAQ | Redirection kept even after cancellation, unlimited scans |
| Scan statistics | None, the “Statistics and Editability” switch sends you to QR Code Generator PRO | Included on the free plan, 30 days of history |
| Account required | No sign-up at all | Yes, an email address and a password |
| Publisher and hosting | QRCode Monkey GmbH, Berlin (site imprint) | French publisher, servers in the European Union |
A static code cannot be corrected
A code built with QRCode Monkey carries your web address directly. The phone reads it out of the pixels, without touching any server. That is robust, it is free, and it is final. The day your menu moves to another domain, or the event page gets archived, the sticker already on your window still points to the same place.
A Scanolo code carries a short address that belongs to us, and we forward the visitor to your page. You change the destination from your account and the posters already printed keep working. Our written commitments follow from that: a printed code keeps redirecting, even if you drop back to the free plan or cancel altogether.
What QRCode Monkey does well
The customisation is generous and genuinely free. Colours, gradients, a logo of up to 2 MB, downloads in PNG, SVG, PDF and EPS. Vector formats matter a great deal for print, and several paid tools keep them for their upper tiers. There is no account to create, no card to enter, and the FAQ explicitly allows commercial use.
If your destination will never move, a static code remains the better choice, with them or anywhere else. For a website address that has existed for ten years and that nobody plans to relocate, take QRCode Monkey, download the SVG, and keep your €7 a month.
How to choose between the two
The question to ask before the print run fits on one line. Can this address change within five years? If the answer is no, the free static route is plenty. If it is yes, or if you simply want to know how many people scan, you need a dynamic code, and QRCode Monkey then hands you over to QR Code Generator PRO, a paid product from a different publisher.
Scanolo plays on that ground with three free dynamic codes, no scan cap and no expiry date, then €7 excl. VAT a month to go further. The price is shown before sign-up and cancellation happens from the account.