Channel: print
Best link shortener for print and QR codes
Print is permanent. The QR code on a menu, a product box or a trade-show banner will be scanned long after the campaign that created it. The short link behind it must be editable for years, must not expire, and must show you who scanned it.
Dynamic codes, or why the shortener is the QR tool
A QR code is just a URL in a picture. If the picture encodes the final destination, it is static and can never change. If it encodes a short link, you can repoint the short link whenever you like and the printed code keeps working. Every shortener here produces dynamic codes this way.
That is also why the QR code's lifetime is the short link's lifetime. A link that expires, or an account that lapses, kills every printed code at once. Check two things before printing: that the plan's links do not expire by default, and that you can keep the account alive cheaply for years.
QR limits compared
| Tool | QR codes free | Branded QR | Link expiry by default | Scan analytics free | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReSlug | One per link, no cap | Pro ($9/mo) | No | 30 days | $9/mo |
| Bitly | 2/mo | Paid plans | No | None | $10/mo annual |
| Cuttly | 1 style | Single ($25/mo) | No | 30 days | $12/mo |
| Rebrandly | 10/mo, watermarked | Paid plans | No | Not documented | $16/mo |
| Short.io | Per link | Basic | No | Not documented | $5/mo |
| TinyURL | Per link | No | No | None | $9.99/mo |
Sources: vendor pricing pages. Rebrandly watermarks free QR codes; Cuttly fixes the style on free.
Longevity and account risk
The cheapest way to keep a printed code alive for five years is a free plan whose links do not expire, on a tool that does not pause links when a cap is hit. ReSlug counts active links rather than monthly quotas, so a menu code created today still works in 2031 as long as it stays under 500 active links. TinyURL links also never expire, but you get no scan data on free. Linkly pauses links above 500 clicks/mo, which makes it a poor fit for anything printed.
Put the code on your own domain. If you ever change shortener, you repoint DNS and recreate the links; the printed codes keep resolving. Codes that encode a vendor's domain die with the vendor relationship.
Design and scan reliability
- Keep high error correction if you add a logo. A logo covers part of the pattern, and low correction makes the code fail.
- Minimum printed size is about 2 cm square for arm's-length scanning; posters need more.
- Dark modules on a light background. Inverted codes fail on many older phones.
- Test a printed proof with iOS and Android cameras before the full run.
- Print the human-readable short link under the code for people who cannot or will not scan.
Which tool for which print job
- Restaurant menus, event signage, packaging: ReSlug free. Unlimited codes, editable forever, analytics included.
- Brand campaigns with designed codes: Bitly's designer is the best in the group if you accept ten codes a month on Growth, or ReSlug Pro for branded codes at a fraction of the price.
- Low-volume with a bio page on the same account: Cuttly free, within its 30 links/mo cap.
- Codes generated by software, such as per-unit packaging: Dub's API returns QR codes programmatically.
Questions & answers
Can I change where a printed QR code points?
Yes, if it encodes a short link. Edit the short link's destination and the printed code follows. Codes that encode the final URL directly cannot be changed.
How many QR codes does a free plan include?
ReSlug: one per link with no separate cap. Bitly: 2/mo. Rebrandly: 10/mo, watermarked. Cuttly: one style, no customisation.
Do short links expire?
Not by default on any tool here. ReSlug, Short.io, Dub and others let you set an expiry if you want one. Check that your account stays active, since a lapsed account can disable links.
Can I track scans of a QR code?
Scans are clicks on the short link. ReSlug shows 30 days free with geo and device, and 365 days on Pro. TinyURL shows nothing on free.
Sources for this entry
- ReSlug pricing reslug.com/pricing
- Bitly pricing bitly.com/pages/pricing
- Cuttly pricing cutt.ly/pro-pricing
- Rebrandly pricing www.rebrandly.com/pricing
- Short.io pricing short.io/pricing
- TinyURL pricing tinyurl.com/app/pricing
- Linkly pricing linklyhq.com/pricing
- Dub pricing dub.co/pricing/links
Checked 8 November 2026. Vendor pages change; the date is the claim.
Cite this entry
Best Link Shortener. "Best link shortener for print and QR codes". Reviewed 8 November 2026. https://bestlinkshortener.com/for-print-and-qr-codes/