A concrete starting point: The menu changes daily
Imagine a restaurant with freshly printed table cards that include QR codes. Specials, prices and allergen information change every day. Reprinting would be uneconomical. Guests should quickly reach the current menu, an order form or a review page — and you want to measure the scans.
In exactly these situations dynamic QR codes pay off: the printed code stays the same while the target can be adjusted at any time. Linkentra offers this flexibility plus central media management, analytics and the choice between Self‑Hosted and Cloud. But which edition is right for your company? BASIS, PRO or WHITE‑LABEL? That decision depends on concrete requirements — here is a clear decision and implementation guide.
Quick overview: What Linkentra offers in general
Linkentra manages dynamic QR codes along with their associated content and media. Key features addressed by all editions include:
- dynamic targets (target URLs can be changed afterwards),
- central media management and branding,
- export formats for QR codes (PNG, SVG),
- time controls and fallback targets,
- statistics/scan counters,
- advanced integrations: API, webhooks, data export (JSON/CSV), bulk import.
Linkentra can be installed as a Self‑Hosted solution on your own infrastructure or used immediately in the Linkentra Cloud — an important lever for data sovereignty and total cost of ownership (TCO).
Editions compared: Focus features and typical users
The right choice depends on what you need technically, organizationally and economically. Below are the core considerations for each edition and typical use scenarios.
BASIS – Simple, fast, cost‑efficient
For: Small businesses, cafés, retail, event organizers with simple requirements.
- Core benefit: Quickly adjust dynamic targets, manage media centrally, export QR codes as PNG/SVG.
- Typical use: Menus, event flyers, general landing pages or customer surveys without deep technical integration.
- Advantage: Low entry barrier; Cloud option enables immediate operation without your own server.
PRO – More automation and team features
For: Marketing teams, larger hospitality businesses, mid‑sized companies and agencies that need technical integrations.
- Core benefit: All basic features plus API access, webhooks, extended statistics exports (JSON/CSV) and team/permission management.
- Typical use: Dynamic campaigns, seamless integration into CRM or PIM, automated updates via API, bulk import of large QR inventories.
- Advantage: Enables process automation (e.g., automatic target adjustment according to campaign schedule) and centralized control of multiple brands.
WHITE‑LABEL – For agencies and resellers
For: Agencies, IT service providers and companies that want to offer QR services under their own brand.
- Core benefit: Comprehensive branding and multi‑tenant capability, installation options to integrate into customer environments, extended integrations.
- Typical use: Agencies that offer QR management as part of their service package, organizational solutions for franchise chains or multi‑brand companies.
- Advantage: Allows offering QR solutions under your own appearance and serving customers centrally — suitable for services with recurring revenue.
Decision factors: What you should weigh
Use this list as a decision checklist:
- Hosting & data sovereignty: Do you need full control over data and infrastructure? Then self‑hosted is relevant. Cloud is easier, but data is not hosted solely by you.
- Integrations & automation: Do CRM, POS or marketing tools need to update links automatically? API and webhooks are mandatory → PRO or WHITE‑LABEL.
- Branding & multi‑tenant capability: Do you want to manage multiple brands or customers separately or offer the product under your own brand? Then WHITE‑LABEL is best suited.
- Export formats & print quality: Do you need SVG for scalable print materials or PNG for the web? All editions support common export formats, but pay attention to production workflows.
- Scaling & teamwork: Will multiple users or teams grow with access to different projects? PRO offers roles and team features.
- Total cost of ownership (TCO): Self‑hosted reduces ongoing cloud fees, but you bear infrastructure and administration costs. Include operations, backups, security and maintenance in your calculations.
Practical examples: Which edition for which problem?
Concrete situations with recommended edition:
- Small café: Changing daily specials, social links, basic statistics → BASIS (Cloud) is sufficient.
- City bakery with multiple branches: Unified menu, centralized media management, print files in SVG → PRO for team management and exports; if customer access is desired, check multi‑tenant features.
- Marketing agency: Campaigns for multiple clients with automation, API integration and a white‑label presence → WHITE‑LABEL (or PRO if custom branding is not required).
- Large event series: Time‑controlled content (program changes), bulk import of codes and reporting by location → PRO because of webhooks/bulk import and advanced reports.
Economic consideration: TCO and potential revenue models
When deciding, you should not only consider license costs. Relevant cost factors are:
- Cloud subscriptions vs. self‑hosted (servers, administration, backups, security),
- Integration effort (API development, webhooks),
- Personnel costs for content maintenance and reporting,
- Printing and production costs for physical use (due to SVG/PNG export formats).
Agencies and white‑label providers should also check how QR services can be integrated into service packages: white‑label enables selling services under your own brand and generating recurring revenue. Specific prices and margins must be calculated individually.
Checklist: 6 steps to the right edition
- Determine the primary use case (menu, campaign, multi‑client service).
- Evaluate integration needs (API/webhooks) and team size.
- Decide on hosting: Cloud for a quick start, self‑hosted for data sovereignty.
- Check branding and tenant requirements (is white‑label necessary?).
- Consider TCO: infrastructure, personnel, maintenance.
- Choose the edition and plan a pilot (e.g., one branch or campaign) to test operations and processes.
Conclusion: Which takeaway for your industry?
For small businesses with simple requirements, BASIS is a fast, cost‑efficient entry. PRO pays off once automation, team management and advanced integrations are required. WHITE‑LABEL suits agencies and providers who want to offer QR services under their own brand or in multi‑tenant environments — ideal if you want to monetize QR solutions as part of your service portfolio.
In all cases one advantage remains constant: with dynamic QR codes you retain control over content, can change targets without reprinting and gain insightful usage data. What matters is which integration, branding and hosting requirements your business imposes.
Ready for the next step? Test the suitable edition with a pilot project or speak with the Linkentra team to clarify requirements and self‑hosted options.
Next step
Try Linkentra for yourself
Dynamic QR codes with control over hosting and data: change content afterward, adjust branding, manage media centrally and evaluate scans – optionally on your own infrastructure (Self‑Hosted) or immediately in the Linkentra Cloud. Edition-dependent features for teams, API and White‑Label.