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QR codes vs short links: when to use each

A QR code is a scannable image of a link, best for print and in-person settings; a plain short link is best for anything shared digitally.

Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read

The short answer

A QR code is a scannable image version of a link, built for situations where someone can point a camera at it but can't easily type or tap, like a poster, a product label or a screen across the room. A plain short link is built for anything already digital, like a text message, email or social bio, where tapping a link is simpler than opening a camera. Both usually point to the same underlying short link; the QR code is just a different way to deliver it.

Key points

  1. A QR code and a short link often point to the exact same destination; the QR code is just a scannable image of that link for situations where typing isn't practical.
  2. QR codes fit print, packaging, signage and screens, where someone can scan with a camera but can't easily tap or type a URL.
  3. Plain short links fit anything already digital: text messages, email, social bios and ads, where a tap is simpler than opening a camera app.
  4. Bitly's 2025 marketer survey reported that over 90% of marketers said they used QR codes in their campaigns that year, a sign of how mainstream the format has become in marketing specifically.
  5. When in doubt, match the format to the surface: print or in-person gets a QR code, anything already on a screen gets a tappable short link.
On this page

A QR code and a short link are usually the same destination delivered two different ways. A QR code is a scannable square image built for situations where someone has a camera but no easy way to type or tap, like a poster or a printed menu. A plain short link is built for situations already on a screen, where tapping is simpler than opening a camera app. Picking between them is less about which is “better” and more about matching the format to where people will actually encounter it.

A short link is text: a web address someone can type, tap, or click. A QR code is an image that encodes that same address (often a short link itself) into a scannable pattern, so a phone camera can read it without anyone typing anything. Scanning a QR code typically opens the same redirect a short link would — the code is just a visual container for the link, not a separate system.

QR codes earn their place in settings where typing a URL would be awkward or impossible:

  • Print materials — posters, flyers, packaging, business cards — where there’s no way to tap a link, only to scan one.
  • In-person settings — a table tent at a restaurant, a sign at an event, a sticker on a product — where someone is standing in front of the thing and has their phone ready to scan.
  • Screens at a distance — a presentation slide, a billboard, a TV ad — where a short link might be too long to type accurately from across a room, but a quick scan works fine.

Short links fit anywhere the destination is already arriving digitally:

  • Text messages and email, where the link is already tappable the moment someone reads it.
  • Social media bios and posts, where a QR code would need to be a separate image rather than part of the text.
  • Ads and digital placements, where a tap is one step; scanning would add an extra one for no benefit.

How common are QR codes in marketing right now?

Common enough that most marketing teams treat them as a standard tool, not a novelty. Bitly’s 2025 marketer survey reported that over 90% of marketers said they used QR codes in their campaigns that year (Bitly, read 18 Oct 2026). That’s Bitly’s own survey finding about marketers broadly, not a measurement of any particular shortener’s usage, but it’s a useful signal that QR codes haven’t faded out even with short links everywhere.

  • Is this going on paper, packaging or a sign? → Use a QR code.
  • Will someone see this on a screen they’re already holding, like a phone? → Use a plain short link.
  • Is this far from the person, like a billboard or a slide? → Use a QR code.
  • Is this in a text, email, or social bio? → Use a plain short link.
  • Do you need to track scans and clicks together as one campaign? → Generate the QR code from an existing short link so both route through the same link.

What to do next

If you want to generate a QR code from a short link, see the prices to check which Shortlen plan includes QR codes, or get in touch with questions.

Questions people ask

Can a QR code and a short link point to the same place?

Yes, this is the usual setup. A shortener typically generates a QR code from an existing short link, so scanning the code and tapping the link lead to the same destination and can be tracked together.

Do QR codes still matter if everyone already has short links?

Yes, for print and in-person settings specifically. Bitly's 2025 marketer survey found that over 90% of marketers said they used QR codes in their campaigns that year, suggesting the format stayed common in marketing even as short links became standard everywhere else.

Sources

  1. Bitly QR code statistics, Bitly, 2026-10 (checked 2026-10-18)
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