Use a QR code when people will see the touchpoint from a distance or you are printing in volume. Use an NFC tag when the object is held in the hand and a single tap is the point, such as packaging, a business card or an event badge. Both just open a URL, so the cleanest setup is to write the same short link to the tag and encode it in the QR code. Then you do not really choose, and you measure both in one place.
This is the physical-trigger companion to short link vs QR code, which compares the digital side.
NFC Tags vs QR Codes at a Glance
| Dimension | QR code | NFC tag |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per unit | Free to generate, ink to print | A chip per touchpoint, so cost scales with count |
| Read method | Camera decodes a printed image | Phone reads a chip by radio |
| Range | Centimetres to metres, depends on print | Typically up to 2 cm |
| Phone support | Any phone with a camera | NFC phones; iPhone XS and later read in background |
| Visible? | Yes, needs print space | No, so it needs a printed prompt |
| Rewritable | No, the pattern is fixed once printed | Yes, until the tag is locked |
The technical limits are worth knowing. The NFC Forum describes a typical range of up to 2 cm on a 13.56 MHz radio link (accessed 2026-10-02, NFC Forum). The common NTAG213, 215 and 216 chips hold 144, 504 and 888 bytes of user memory, with 100,000 write cycles and 10 years of data retention (NXP datasheet page, accessed 2026-10-02). A short link is a few dozen bytes, so even the smallest chip is plenty. A long URL with tracking parameters is what eats memory, another reason to store a short one.
Where QR Codes Win
QR codes, an open ISO standard, carry most marketing because the economics and reach are hard to beat.
- Cost. A static QR code is free to make. At a thousand touchpoints, the difference against a thousand chips is the whole budget conversation. We state no tag price here: vendor prices vary by chip, format and quantity, so get a current quote.
- Distance. A camera reads a QR code from far away, so it works on posters, shelf labels, screens and signage where a tap is physically impossible.
- Universality. Phone cameras scan QR codes natively. No chip, no gesture to learn.
The catch is that a static code is frozen at print time.
For anything you may need to change, read dynamic vs static QR codes.
Where NFC Tags Win
NFC removes the aiming step. Hold the phone to the object and the page opens. That suits things people already hold or touch: product packaging, business cards, museum plaques, hotel and restaurant table stands, event badges.
NFC also leaves the design clean, since the chip hides under a label or inside the material. And because tags are rewritable until locked, you can reuse hardware for a new campaign.
The limits are real. You pay per tag. Most people don't know where to tap unless something is printed on the object, which usually means a symbol or a QR code next to it anyway. Metal surfaces can detune a standard tag unless it is built for metal. And the phone must have NFC, with iPhone background reading starting at the XS (accessed 2026-10-02, Apple developer documentation).
Point Both at One Trackable Link
An NFC tag stores a URL and a QR code encodes a URL, so write the same short link to both. Both triggers then resolve through one redirect, and each visit is counted there, in one analytics view.
Elido supports the QR side directly: you design a QR code for a link in the dashboard QR designer and the code points at the short link, so you can change the destination later without reprinting. Elido doesn't write NFC tags. You write the short link to the tag with any NFC writer app, using a branded short link on your custom domain, then check the result by tapping the tag yourself.
To tell taps from scans in your reports, give each trigger its own link, for example one short link for the tag and another for the QR code, both pointing at the same page. Tracking details are in how to track QR code scans. You can create a QR-ready link to start.
My rule of thumb: count your touchpoints and ask how many people will be within arm's reach of each one. A flyer on a street pole is read at a distance by strangers, so QR. A tin of coffee in a customer's hands is touched by exactly the person you want, so NFC is affordable there. Most real campaigns mix both across different objects.
Setting Up an NFC Tag in Five Steps
- Create the short link first and open it yourself to confirm the destination. If you want separate numbers for taps, make one link per trigger.
- Buy tags that match the surface. Standard tags fail on bare metal, so use metal-mount tags there.
- Write the short link as a URL record with an NFC writer app. A URL record is the type phones open without extra prompts.
- Test on both an Android phone and an iPhone before you ship anything. Older iPhones need the reader running, so a printed prompt matters.
- Lock the tag only after testing. Locking stops later rewrites, though the link behind it can still be repointed.
I'd print a short prompt next to the chip, such as "Tap here", and consider adding the QR code beside it as the fallback for phones without NFC.
How to Choose
If the real question is between two printed formats rather than chip against symbol, barcode vs QR code covers that. For the build itself, see how to create a QR code. The rest of this topic lives in the features cluster.
- High volume, print, distance or a tight budget: QR codes.
- Held objects where the tap is part of the experience: add NFC.
- Want reach and the cleanest numbers: put both on the same object, each with its own short link.
- Either way, use a link whose destination you can change, so printed or embedded hardware never locks you in.
Related on the Blog
Frequently asked questions
Is NFC better than a QR code?
Neither is better outright; they fit different jobs. NFC is smoother for close-range, premium touchpoints because it is a single tap, but it costs money per tag and only works on NFC-enabled phones when the user knows to tap. QR codes are free, work on any phone camera, and scan from a distance, so they reach more people for less. For most marketing, QR wins on cost and reach; NFC wins for high-end, low-friction physical experiences.
What is the main difference between NFC and QR codes?
How the phone reads them. A QR code is a printed image the camera scans optically, from a few centimetres up to across a room for a large print. An NFC tag is a tiny chip the phone reads by radio when held within a few centimetres, so it is a tap rather than a scan. QR is visible and free to print; NFC is invisible hardware you buy and embed.
Are NFC tags more expensive than QR codes?
Yes, meaningfully. A static QR code is free to generate and costs only the ink to print. NFC tags are physical chips, so every touchpoint has a per-unit hardware cost, and it scales with volume: a thousand NFC tags is a real line item, while a thousand printed QR codes is effectively free. That cost gap is the main reason QR dominates high-volume campaigns.
Can you track NFC taps like QR code scans?
Yes, if the tag encodes a trackable URL. An NFC tag usually stores a URL, so if you write a short link to it, every tap is recorded server-side at the redirect exactly like a QR scan of the same link. Point both the tag and the QR code at the same short link and you get one combined analytics view of taps and scans.
Should I use NFC or QR codes for marketing?
Use QR codes as the default for reach and cost, and add NFC where the experience justifies the hardware, such as premium packaging, retail displays, smart posters, or event badges. The strongest setup offers both on the same touchpoint pointing at one link, so the customer chooses to tap or scan and you measure it all in one place.
How do I put a short link on an NFC tag?
Install any NFC writer app, choose the option to write a URL record, paste your short link, and hold the phone to the tag. Then tap the tag with a second phone to confirm it opens the right page. Lock the tag only after testing, because locking makes it permanent. Elido does not write tags itself, so the short link comes from your dashboard and the writing happens in the app.
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