QR Code Tracking Software: Scan Data, Setup, and Cost

QR code tracking software records every scan of a QR code and shows the results in a dashboard: how many scans, when they happened, which city they came from, and what kind of phone was used. It works by putting a short redirect link inside the code. Each scan passes through that link, gets logged, and is forwarded to your page. QRelix is QR code tracking software that runs in a browser, so there is nothing to install. You can create a tracked QR code with no credit card. Each free code works for its first 50 scans and shows a brief QRelix screen before forwarding. Pro ($5.99/month) removes both limits.

What QR code tracking software records on each scan

Every scan of a QRelix code adds a row of data. Nothing has to be added to your website and the person scanning does not install anything.

• Total scans and unique visitors. Total scans is every scan. Unique visitors separates new people from repeat scans.
• Location. City, region, and country, worked out from the scanner's IP address.
• Device type. Mobile, tablet, or desktop.
• Operating system. iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, or Linux.
• Browser. Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or an in-app browser.
• Time. The date and time of the scan, to the second.

It is just as useful to know what is not recorded. A scan does not give you a name, an email address, or a phone number. QRelix stores no personally identifiable information about scanners and places no cookies on their devices. Location comes from the IP address, so it is usually right at city level, and a scanner on a VPN shows up wherever the VPN server is. The QR code location tracking guide covers accuracy in more detail.

How the tracking works

A static QR code has the web address written into the pattern itself. The phone reads the address and goes straight there, so no one can count the visit. A dynamic QR code holds a short redirect link instead. The redirect logs the scan and then sends the person to the destination you set.

Every QRelix code is dynamic, so there is no tracking setting to switch on. Scans are counted from the moment the code is created. The same redirect is why you can edit the destination after printing: you change where the link forwards to and the printed pattern stays the same. The static vs. dynamic comparison explains the two types in full, and the rest of this guide shows what that redirect records.

What you see in the dashboard

Select any code and open its Analytics tab. The summary at the top shows total scans, unique scans, and the time of the most recent scan. Below that:

• Scan trend chart. Daily scan volume over 7 days, 30 days, or a custom date range.
• Map. A heat map of scans by country and city.
• Device and OS split. The share of scans from mobile, desktop, and tablet, and from each operating system.
• Scans by hour. The times of day your code gets scanned most.
• Browser distribution. Which browsers people use, so you know where to test your landing page.
• Scan log. One entry per scan with device, browser, location, and timestamp.

Data shows up in real time, so a test scan from your own phone appears right away. The full dashboard is included on the free plan and on Pro. The analytics and scan tracking docs list every chart.

A worked example: one offer, three placements

Say a plumbing company prints the same "book a drain inspection" offer in three places: a decal on each van, a fridge magnet left after every job, and a line on the paper invoice. With one shared code, the dashboard would show a single total and nothing about which placement earned it.

Instead, make three codes that all point to the same booking page and name them "Van decal," "Fridge magnet," and "Invoice." After a month the dashboard might read:

• Fridge magnet: 46 scans, mostly on weekday evenings
• Invoice: 17 scans, nearly all within two days of the invoice date
• Van decal: 5 scans, spread across three cities

Now there is something to act on. The magnets are worth reordering, the invoice line is a cheap win, and the van decal can go back to showing a phone number. The numbers also show where the plan limit matters. At 46 scans the magnet code is about to reach the free plan's 50 scans, where it would pause, so that one placement is the reason to move to Pro. The other two codes would run on the free plan for months.

Keeping many codes organized

Tracking is only useful when you can tell codes apart. A few dashboard habits make that easy:

• Name each code after its placement and date, such as "Counter card, Main St, Oct 2026."
• Group codes with categories and tags, for example one category per campaign and a tag for each location.
• Duplicate a code when you need the same design with a different destination or name.
• Disable a code instead of deleting it when a campaign ends. A disabled code keeps its analytics history and can be switched back on. Deleting removes the code and its analytics permanently.
• Use bulk selection to enable, disable, or organize several codes at once.

The managing your QR codes docs cover each of these.

Following the scan into Google Analytics

QRelix tells you about the scan. To see what people do on your site afterward, add UTM parameters to the destination URL before you save it, for example yoursite.com/offer?utm_source=fridge_magnet&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=drain_inspection. The scan shows in QRelix with its city, device, and time. The visit shows in Google Analytics with its source and campaign, along with whether the visitor booked. The QR code tracking in Google Analytics 4 guide has the full setup.

What QR code tracking software costs on QRelix

There are two plans and no per-scan fee on either one.

• Free ($0, no credit card): unlimited dynamic codes, every QR code type, editable destinations, custom colors and logo, print-ready 300 DPI SVG downloads, and the full analytics dashboard. Each code works for its first 50 scans, then pauses until you upgrade. Free scans show a brief QRelix screen before forwarding.
• Pro ($5.99 per month): unlimited scans so codes never pause, no QRelix screen, the security suite (password protection, expiration dates, geofencing), faster redirects, and priority support.

The free plan suits a code with a small audience: a proposal, a single invoice, a pilot on one shelf. A code on a menu, a storefront, or product packaging will pass 50 scans quickly and needs Pro. A paused code is not deleted and neither is its scan history. Upgrading switches it back on without changing the printed code. The pricing page has the current details.

Two more things sit on Pro for teams that want to automate. The REST API creates codes, updates destinations, and retrieves scan analytics from your own systems. The MCP server lets an AI assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor create codes and answer questions about your scan data. Exporting reports as CSV or PDF is marked as coming soon on the features page, so for now scan data is read in the dashboard.

Set up QR code tracking in five minutes

• Create a free account at QRelix with an email address and a password.
• Click Create New QR Code and choose a type. URL is the most common.
• Paste the destination, with UTM parameters if you use Google Analytics.
• Name the code after where it will be printed.
• Add your colors and logo. Keep a dark pattern on a light background so it scans reliably.
• Generate and download. Use SVG for print and PNG for screens.
• Scan it with your own phone and watch the scan appear in the Analytics tab. Test scans count toward the 50 on a free code, so two or three are enough.

The step-by-step guide to creating a QR code with tracking goes through each screen.

QR code tracking software FAQ

Do I need to install an app?

No. QRelix is web-based, so you create codes and read scan data in any browser on a desktop or a phone. The people scanning use their normal phone camera.

Can I track a QR code I have already printed?

Only if it is dynamic. A static code goes straight to its web address and cannot be counted, so it has to be replaced with a dynamic code the next time you print. A code made on QRelix is tracked from its first scan.

How accurate is the location data?

It is based on the scanner's IP address, which is usually correct at city level. Treat it as a guide to which cities and regions are responding, not as a street address.

What happens when a free code reaches 50 scans?

It pauses, and people who scan it see an upgrade prompt instead of your page. Nothing is deleted. Moving to Pro switches the code back on with unlimited scans.

Can I see who scanned my code?

No. The dashboard shows devices, places, and times, not identities. To learn who someone is, send the scan to a form and ask them.

Start tracking your first code

Pick one placement you have always wondered about, give it its own code, and check the numbers after two weeks. You can create your first QR code on QRelix with no credit card, and the free trackable QR code page lists what the free plan includes. For more on the dashboard, read how a QR code tracker works and the trackable QR code generator guide.