Graklink vs The QR Code Generator: own the code, or rent it?

Graklink vs The QR Code Generator: which should you use?

Both make dynamic QR codes, but you rent one and own the other. The QR Code Generator by Bitly (qr-code-generator.com, often shortened to QRCG) runs on a subscription starting at about $119.88 a year (their Starter plan), with a 14-day trial, and when the trial ends the trial dynamic code deactivates. Graklink sells you the code once for $7.99, and a printed Graklink code never stops redirecting because of a billing event. If you want a code you own and can trust in print, Graklink is the pick. If you want Bitly’s brand, its wide catalog of QR types, and the link-management platform around it, QRCG is a capable choice.

Make a code you own at graklink.com.

How much does each one cost, and do you own the code?

Graklink charges once and you own the code; QRCG charges every year and you rent it. Here is the plain contrast.

	Graklink	The QR Code Generator (QRCG)
Dynamic code	$7.99 once	Subscription only (Starter about $119.88/year)
Codes included	Per code; bulk from $3.99 each	See their live pricing page
Ongoing cost	None	Every year, to keep codes live
Trial	None needed, 30-day money-back	14-day trial, then the trial code deactivates
Code stops if you stop paying	No, never	Yes (their help center)

Graklink’s dynamic code is a one-time $7.99, or from $3.99 each in bulk (one design across many codes: $5.99 for 2 to 9, $4.99 for 10 to 24, $3.99 for 25 and up, with the design fee charged once per batch). A custom design or logo adds $4.99. Pro analytics is optional at $9.99 a month or $99 a year, with 30 days free, and it never decides whether a code scans. QRCG has no one-time or lifetime option at all: keeping codes live means keeping the subscription.

What does The QR Code Generator do better?

Credit where it is due. QRCG is a mature, capable product with real reach. It is one of the most recognized names in the category, it ranks near the top of search for QR terms, and it offers a wide catalog of QR code types built up over years. Bitly acquired Egoditor, the company behind it, back in 2021, so the code sits inside Bitly’s broader link-management platform. If you already run short links through Bitly and want QR codes in the same dashboard, that integration is genuine. For a marketing team that lives in Bitly and treats a yearly bill as normal, it is a reasonable tool.

Do The QR Code Generator codes stop working if I cancel?

Yes, and this is the difference that matters once something is printed. QRCG’s own help center puts it plainly: “Dynamic QR Codes are deactivated and point to a service page rather than the original destination.” It is the subscription that keeps a code live. That failure mode shows up in public reviews: QRCG’s Trustpilot rating sits at 1.4 out of 5 across more than 9,000 reviews, and the complaints are dominated by people whose printed code stopped working after the trial, alongside surprise renewal charges.

Graklink works the other way. Here is the cardinal rule, stated plainly: a printed Graklink code never stops redirecting because of a billing event. The only two things that can ever stop a Graklink code are an acceptable-use violation (phishing, malware, fraud, illegal content) or you deleting your own account. Never money. Cancel Pro analytics and you lose the stats, not the code.

Is this the same as the-qrcode-generator.com?

No, and the confusion is fair. The QR Code Generator at qr-code-generator.com (this one, owned by Bitly) is a different company from The QR Code Generator at the-qrcode-generator.com (often shortened to TQRCG, owned by Uniqode). The names are nearly identical and buyers mix them up constantly, so before you compare prices or start a trial, check the domain in the address bar. This article is about the Bitly one, qr-code-generator.com.

$7.99 once versus about $120 a year: what does that add up to?

Over time the gap is not close. QRCG’s Starter plan is about $119.88 a year, every year, and the code depends on those payments continuing. Graklink is $7.99 once. Over five years that is roughly $600 on QRCG versus $7.99 on Graklink for a durable code, and that is before the part where the QRCG code drops to a service page if the payments ever stop. Print a code on a menu, a sign, a package, or a business card, and the one you paid for once is the one that is still working years later.

Buy your code once instead of renting it every year.

When to pick which

• Pick Graklink if you want to print a code once and trust it for years, with no recurring bill and no way for a missed payment to switch it off.
• Pick The QR Code Generator if you want Bitly’s brand and platform, its wide catalog of QR types, and you are fine paying every year to keep the codes live.

Still deciding between static and dynamic in the first place? Start here: static vs dynamic QR codes.

Own your code, don’t rent it. Start at graklink.com.