OneTimeSuite Blog · 2026

Scantrail vs QR Tiger: Open Source vs Subscription

Scantrail and QR Tiger solve the same problem from opposite directions: one is source-available software you can own outright for $24, the other is a subscription at $15/mo run entirely on someone else's servers.

Head to head

ScantrailQR Tiger
Price$24 once$15/month, forever
Dynamic (editable) QR codesUnlimitedCapped by plan
Codes if you stop payingAlways work — you host themDie with your plan
Scan analyticsIncludedIncluded
Custom colors, dot styles, logoIncludedIncluded
Batch CSV generationIncludedHigher tiers
Redirect domainYoursTheirs (qrco.de)
Scan dataYour SQLite fileTheir cloud

What Scantrail does well

  • Dynamic codes — The QR encodes /q/your-slug on your domain and 302-redirects to an editable destination. Reprint nothing, ever.
  • Scan analytics — Total + unique scans, scans-over-time chart, device/OS/browser breakdown, country, hour-of-day heatstrip and a recent-scan log.
  • Every QR type you need — URL (dynamic + tracked), vCard (serves a .vcf download, also tracked), WiFi, plain text, email and phone.
  • Design studio — Foreground/background colors, square / rounded / dots module styles, error-correction level, center logo upload, live preview.

What QR Tiger still does better

There's a real reason QR Tiger costs what it does: a bigger team, broader integrations and dedicated support behind it. If that ecosystem is genuinely what you need, it's worth paying for.

Which one should you pick

If your workflow depends on QR Tiger's specific integrations or you'd rather not run anything yourself, stay put — that's a legitimate call. If you're comfortable owning the tool and want to stop paying $15/mo for a job your own hardware can do, Scantrail pays for itself and then some: under two months of QR Tiger pays for Scantrail — and your printed codes can never be held hostage again.

Try Scantrail — $24, once

Self-hosted dynamic QR codes with scan analytics, a design studio and batch CSV generation.