HandyCode vs Uniqode (Beaconstac): Honest Comparison for Small Businesses

Uniqode (the company formerly known as Beaconstac) is one of the biggest names in QR code management. HandyCode is a small iPhone/iPad app. Comparing them is fair game for one reason: for an owner-operator who prints menus, flyers, and signs, the decision usually comes down to two questions - what do I pay, and do my printed codes survive if I stop paying?

All Uniqode figures below come from their own pricing page and FAQ, fetched 2026-10-22. Verify current terms before deciding.

Where Uniqode is genuinely strong

We’ll start with theirs, because for many buyers Uniqode is the right answer:

• Compliance. SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO certifications - if procurement needs a security questionnaire, Uniqode has answered it before.
• Lead capture. Built-in forms and landing pages behind QR codes.
• Team features. Roles, approvals, and workflows for marketing departments.
• Track record. A large installed base and strong review scores (G2 4.8 as observed 2026-10-22).

If you are a marketing team shipping print campaigns at scale with compliance requirements, that package is worth paying for.

Pricing, as published

The shapes of these ladders tell you who they’re for: annual contracts, a $49/mo anchor, and a four-figure domain add-on are built for company budgets. A $9.99/month App Store subscription is built for a person.

The cancellation question

This is the one that bites after you’ve printed. Uniqode’s FAQ, in their own words:

“Once your free trial expires, any dynamic QR Codes you created will become inactive…” — uniqode.com/pricing FAQ, accessed 2026-10-22

Inactive dynamic codes mean printed menus and flyers stop resolving. That is their disclosed model, and it is standard in the category - but it is worth reading before the print run, not after.

HandyCode’s model, documented in our help center: dynamic codes keep redirecting after a Pro cancellation or refund. The only thing that changes on your hosted content page is a small “Powered by HandyCode” label reappearing if Pro had hidden it. Your codes never expire - cancel or not, everything you printed keeps working.

How HandyCode works instead

• App-first, offline-first. HandyCode is an iPhone and iPad app (universal). Codes live on your device and sync to the cloud; you can create and edit without a connection.
• Files hosted for you. Upload a PDF menu or an image directly - no external hosting step. See hosting files behind QR codes.
• Editable after printing. Change any dynamic code’s destination anytime - here’s how.
• Flat pricing. Free covers unlimited dynamic codes of every type. Pro ($9.99/mo · $89.99/yr) adds custom logo, branding removal, and detailed analytics after a 14-day trial.

Which one should you pick?

• Pick Uniqode if you’re a marketing team that needs compliance certs, lead-capture forms, team roles, and vendor support at scale - and you’ll keep paying.
• Pick HandyCode if you’re the owner who prints the menu, the flyer, and the WiFi sign - and you want those codes to keep working whether you’re on a plan next year or not.

For the underlying mechanics, read Static vs Dynamic QR Codes and Do QR Codes Expire?.

Try HandyCode free

Unlimited dynamic codes, every type, no credit card. Pro when you want it - and your printed codes don’t change either way.

Get HandyCode free on the App Store

QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Uniqode and Beaconstac are trademarks of their owner; this comparison is informational. Uniqode figures observed 2026-10-22 - verify current pricing with them directly.