About ScanTraceQR
ScanTraceQR is a free QR code generator and link analytics tool. You create a short tracking link or a QR code, share it, and see how it performs — how many times it was opened, from roughly where, on what device, and when — while every visitor is redirected on to your real destination.
Why we built it
Most link and QR analytics tools are priced for marketing departments. If you are a freelancer putting a QR code on a business card, a small restaurant swapping a menu link, or someone who just wants to know whether the flyer worked, the useful features sit behind a subscription — and the free tiers cap you at a handful of codes.
We wanted the opposite: unlimited links and QR codes, the full analytics view, no credit card, and a generator that produces a real, permanent QR code rather than a trial one that expires. The service is supported by advertising on the public pages, which is why it can stay free.
What it does
- QR code generator — make a QR code for any URL, free, with no account required.
- Tracking links — a short link that logs each open and redirects to your destination.
- Dynamic QR codes — change where a printed code points without reprinting it.
- Analytics — approximate location, device, browser, referrer and time, on a live dashboard and map, exportable to CSV.
How we handle data — and what we won't do
Link analytics means recording something about the people who open your links, so we are deliberate about the limits:
- Location is approximate. We estimate country, region and city from the IP address using a geolocation database that runs on our own server — no third-party lookup service ever sees a visitor's IP. City-level is as precise as it gets, and on mobile networks it often reflects the carrier's gateway rather than the device.
- Precise GPS is opt-in only. It is off by default. When a link owner enables it, the visitor's browser shows its standard permission prompt, and we receive coordinates only if they choose "Allow". There is no way to obtain precise location covertly through ScanTraceQR.
- We do not identify individuals. An IP address is not a name, a phone number or a street address, and we make no attempt to resolve one to a person.
- We do not sell or share your data. Visit data belongs to the account that created the link. We don't sell it, rent it, or build profiles from it.
- Abuse gets accounts closed. Using the service to harass, dox, phish or covertly track people is prohibited by our Terms of Service, and we act on reports.
The full detail is in our Privacy & Cookie Policy, including what we store, how long we keep it, and how to request deletion.
Who runs it
ScanTraceQR is an independently built and operated web service — not a venture-backed company, just a small project run by its developer. It is self-hosted, which is why we can promise that IP geolocation happens on our own machine rather than being handed to an API vendor.
Questions, bug reports, feature requests and press enquiries all go to the same place: our contact page.
Learn more
We publish plain-English guides on QR codes and link tracking — how dynamic codes work, what an IP logger can and can't see, print sizes that actually scan. Start with the guides section.