Flowcode vs. Beaconstac: Why Flowcode is Better for You

If you’re reading this there’s a good chance you’re deciding which QR code solution is best for your business, and you’re stuck between Flowcode and Beaconstac. After diving into a variety of features like price, design, suite offerings, scanning capabilities, and support teams, it’s evident that Flowcode is the strongest product. Yes, Beaconstac is a good product — but it's not the right one for you.

Okay, it’s also true I work for Flowcode (you caught me). But we’re really just calling it how we see it. Seriously, the numbers speak for themselves.

Let’s keep it simple, though. Since you want to make a decision quickly, here’s a quick TL;DR

1. If you're just trying out QR codes, with Flowcode you can make two dynamic QR codes with unlimited scans for FREE. Beaconstac has a 14 day trial where they limit your scan count.
2. If you want a paid plan, Flowcode has the best value. Flowcodes paid plans for individuals and professionals are cheaper than Beaconstac by $5-10 per month.
3. We're trusted by over 70% of Fortune 1000s and over three million creators around the world. You've seen us on ESPN, NBC, ABC, Hulu, BMW, Kraft Heinz, the NBA, and more. Just look for the eye-catching circular codes — that's us.

Want more information? We’ll break down a few of the main reasons individuals and enterprises choose Flowcode. 

Plans & Pricing

1. Flowcode is free to try. Beaconstac is not.

Want to make QR codes for free to test out its capabilities before you commit? Well, you can’t do that with Beaconstac. The lowest plan with Beaconstac is $5, and only offers three QR codes. So, if you’re “an individual getting started with QR codes” (as they say on their pricing page), get ready to put in your credit card.

On the other hand, Flowcode is completely free to get started! Generate your QR code here and design it with your logo, colors, and patterns! Beaconstac also limits the amount of scans you can get (even with your paid plan). Flowcode offers unlimited scans with our free plan and even for all paid plans — this means you’ll never have a broken QR code.

Basic Plan

2. Flowcode’s paid plans are an amazing value. Beaconstac is expensive and restrictive.

If you’re searching for more advanced features and codes, odds are you’ll outgrow your free Flowcode plan pretty quickly. Flowcode and Beaconstac both offer three plan types for individuals and professionals before upgrading to options for mid-market and enterprise partners. 

As mentioned above, Flowcode offers a completely free solution with greater value than Beaconstac’s lowest available plan. However, even as you explore the next two tiers of plans, it’s clear that Flowcode beats out Beaconstac on two main points: cost and functionality. 

Flowcode’s Pro compared to Beaconstac’s Lite plan is $5 cheaper monthly, and provides no scan limits on the QR codes you create. 

While Beaconstac offers more QR codes per plan, their team misses a huge part of the equation by adding scan limits to every single one of their plans. What this means is that if you reach your limit, your QR code will suddenly stop working while it’s out in the world. Imagine you’re running a viral marketing campaign and you hit your scan limit. That means no more driving scanners to your site and a bad customer experience you’re paying for. 

Flowcodes don’t suddenly stop working after a certain number of scans, ensuring your audience will have a premium experience. Instead, the only limitation to Flowcode plans you’ll notice is access to scan data. All this means is that beyond a generous threshold, insight into your analytics will be restricted to reflect the data and analytics appropriate for that plan type. When you find you need more, you can explore plans that offer the right amount of customization, managed service, and analytics for a large business. 

Flowcode is built with real creators, freelancers, and small businesses in mind. These are individuals who need solutions to help them grow — not drain their bank account.

Flowcode Pro vs Beaconstac Lite

Flowcode Pro Plus vs Beaconstac Pro

Beaconstac offers another tier as their Pro Plus plan, priced at nearly $100 a month and billed annually. This feature covers essentially the same offerings as Flowcode's Pro Plus plan, but at 4x the price.

3. Both offer premium plans for large businesses and enterprises, but Flowcode is the chosen provider by top brands around the world.

Flowcode offers a Growth plan for all growing Enterprises, as well as traditional Enterprise pricing.

As a recognizable brand, you want to ensure the solution you’re choosing matches the quality and expectations of your brand. By choosing Flowcode, you’re in good company. Over 70% of the Fortune 1000 partner with Flowcode; Beaconstac simply can’t say that. 

Take a second to check out the rest of Flowcode’s website or social media channels. You’ll notice top brands across every industry featured across our pages: Nike, Planters, Disney, Corcoran, Lacoste, ESPN, and so many more. What’s more is that you’ll notice that each of these activations go beyond what Beaconstac offers — Flowcode powered campaigns are bold, impactfully designed, and as a result more effective. 

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We’re proud to partner with the best, and that’s why we create the most eye-catching activations for brands and tirelessly feature our clients across every one of our channels. Flowcode creates premium quality, reliable, and secure products and services. If you’re looking for a partner who can match the quality of your brand, working with Flowcode gives you access to the same industry experts, designers, and customer success managers who have powered campaigns for these top brands. If you’re going to invest in a new tool, invest in one driven by top-tier experience and quality assurance. 

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Now that we’ve covered pricing, let’s get into the features that were meaningful to other partners who decided to partner with Flowcode.

Features & Tools

1. Premium Design: Flowcode has in-house code designers. Beaconstac does not.

Part of investing in a QR code solution is ensuring that it’s designed to drive interest and engagement from your audience. Traditional square and colorless QR codes have been around for a while, that’s why the Flowcode team creates a QR code experience that is fresh and exciting.

With Flowcode, all users (including free ones) can customize their code with colors, logos, shapes, and textures! When you upgrade to Pro Plus or above, that’s when you unlock all your creative possibilities. Our team of in-house designers will customize a code to meet your brand standards. Want your code looking like a handbag? We can do that. Maybe you want flames around it? Sure, we can do that too. Custom codes get 18% more scans than boring square ones (cough…cough…*Beaconstac*).

Don’t get us wrong, square codes have a place in our heart — after all, that’s how QR codes started (and you can even make square codes with Flowcode)! But, Beaconstac hasn’t really changed anything. They rely on a pretty standard design that won’t differentiate your brand from others.

2. Advanced Analytics: Flowcode’s data insights are powerful and secure. Beaconstac is lacking.

When investing in new tools, it’s important to utilize platforms that enable you to act and absorb information quickly. With Flowcode’s analytics, you’ll get access to real time data. In split seconds you can see if someone has scanned your code. With Beaconstac, it’s a bit more of a waiting game.

Whether you want to see exactly where your audience is scanning or generate and share digestible reports, Flowcode provides detailed engagement data from the offline world. And it’s not just confusing charts — we built our data platform based on feedback from real creators. No bells and whistles here, just clear and actionable data about your audience you can filter to sort according to your needs and leverage instantly.

Flowcode also takes these analytics to a new level with advanced features. All paid plans offer you access to the Flowcode Pixel, which enables you to track real-time conversions in the same way as your google ads. With our Growth plan and above, you get access to household level geographic data that delivers the most precise information about your customer. 

3. Privacy & Security: All your data collection is secure, legally compliant, and USA based. 

You’re probably wondering about the legal and security aspects of data collection. Flowcode is the most privacy compliant, USA-based solution, meeting CCPA, GDPR, and SOC2 certifications. Unlike Beaconstac, Flowcode is NYC based, meaning all your data will be stored in the USA and ensured to meet the most comprehensive laws and regulations. 

Flowcode understands the importance of upholding privacy, both for consumers and brands. That’s why we are the only provider that features our privacy compliance up-front and before a scan, meaning that all customers have access to our privacy policy upon collection. It’s steps like these that set Flowcode apart as a trustworthy solution that Fortune 1000s rely on to power their QR code data collection and management. 

4. Built for Teams: Beaconstac restricts several integrations and doesn’t have seats for collaboration. 

Having your data and contact collection be easy to integrate with your current system is key. This is why Flowcode unlocks robust integration with top tools including: Salesforce, Zapier, Hubspot, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, and Google Sheets. Beaconstac doesn’t offer all these same integrations, and also restricts them to more expensive plans. 
Further, as a company or organization, we know you need a solution that works for your entire team and makes sharing resources and data simple. From Flowcode’s Pro Plus plan and above, you get access to team seats for collaboration included in your plan. With Beaconstac, you only get access to that with their second most expensive plan, and have to pay additional out of pocket fees for this feature. 

5. Flowcode knows QR is just one piece of the puzzle

Whether you’re promoting a content channel or trying to create shoppable ads, growing your business or creating marketing campaigns doesn’t simply stop with creating QR codes. Flowcode provides a suite of solution that helps you optimize your QR code for the correct placement and create a seamless post-scan experience. 

Create a digital destination:

Flowpage: Take advantage of our mobile-first landing page and organize your digital identity with ease. Your QR code can quickly drive scanners to social links, URLs, menus, or any other digital destination that you desire.

The perfect application for your QR code:

Flowcode TV: Thinking about putting your code on TV? Flowcode is the only QR code platform with a dedicated TV solution.

Flowtag: Tap, share, and go. Flowtag lets you share contact info, social media channels, payment apps, and so much more.

Ready to make a free QR code? Head to our QR code generator now !