Comparison · as of September 2026
Download code services compared
Eight ways to get download codes, side by side: what they cost, how long codes last, who prints cards. Including where the others are better than us.
There are several ways to get download codes: free with your platform, from the pressing plant, from printers who deliver the cards too, or from services that only do codes and hosting. Which one fits depends on your release – how many you need, whether you want finished cards, and where your music already lives.
Every figure comes from the providers' own pages, as of 21 September 2026. Prices are shown in the currency the provider uses; we do not convert them. Where a provider publishes nothing, the table says “not stated”. What to look for in general is in the guide to download codes.
Prices and lifetime
| Service | 100 codes | 500 codes | 1,000 codes | Free / minimum | How long codes last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| redeemoid | from €15.00 | from €43.55 | from €60.00 | first batch of up to 5 codes free; from 5 codes | no limit set by us; you set an expiry date yourself if you want one |
| Bandcamp | included | included | included | 200 codes per artist account, 3,000 per label account, +1,000 per US$500 in sales; more can be bought, price not stated; batches of 100 | unused codes do not expire |
| Codafile | €21.80 net (€25.94 gross) | €29.70 net (€35.34 gross) | €39.50 net (€47.00 gross) | no minimum in the order form | optional expiry date, otherwise unlimited |
| vinylcodes | US$15 | US$50 | US$75 | 20 free codes on sign-up; from 100 codes | never expire |
| ProCards | €65 | €80 | €120 | from 100 codes | hosting up to 2 years, then a paid extension or deletion |
| Dropcards (printed plastic cards) | US$60 + US$49 setup | US$225 + US$49 setup | US$380 + US$49 setup | from 100 cards | 2 years, longer at extra cost |
| code-load | not stated | €130.99 net; with printed cards €188.50 net | not stated | package of 500 codes | validity set in the app |
| Bandzoogle | in the Pro plan (US$22 a month) | in the Pro plan | in the Pro plan | at most 100 codes per batch | 5 days after the first redemption |
redeemoid: cheapest setting (letters and digits, 16 characters, no prefix, file up to 500 MB); shorter codes or a prefix cost a little more, see prices. No VAT is charged: we are a small business. Codafile: calculated with the price tool on codafile.net, gross with 19 % German VAT for consumers.
What the services do
| Service | Downloads after redeeming | Account or e-mail for fans | Redeem on your own site | Cards | Based in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| redeemoid | 5 downloads within 72 hours | neither | yes, widget | print files: A4 sheet, PDF/X-4 for a print shop, template for the pressing plant; no printing | Vienna, Austria; servers in Germany |
| Bandcamp | “a few download attempts within a limited window” | album lands in the Bandcamp collection | no, on Bandcamp | print template in the browser; no printing | USA |
| Codafile | users per code configurable, several possible | not stated | not stated | prints cards and code stickers | Endingen, Germany |
| vinylcodes | 1 download, can be reset | not stated | yes, widget | PDF with 10 cards per page; no printing | Canada |
| ProCards | 1 download | collects e-mail addresses for the artist | not found | A4 PDF to print yourself; print shop currently closed | Plymouth, UK |
| Dropcards | not stated | collects e-mail addresses for the artist | yes | prints plastic and paper cards | New Jersey, USA |
| code-load | not stated | not stated | not stated | prints cards | Essen, Germany |
| Bandzoogle | up to 5 days after the first redemption | not stated | only on your Bandzoogle site | label sheet PDF | not stated |
The services one by one
Bandcamp
If your release is on Bandcamp, this is the obvious route: the codes cost nothing, unused codes do not expire, and fans get the album in their collection and the app. Better than redeemoid when your music is there anyway and Bandcamp's print template is enough for you. Not suited to files that are not a Bandcamp release, or to fewer than 100 codes. Sources: Bandcamp help on codes, label accounts.
Codafile
A German service run by the label Modern Post. From about 500 codes it is cheaper than redeemoid; it prints cards and stickers on request and allows codes that several people can use, and expiry dates. You order through a form, and the codes arrive by e-mail within 24 hours. Better than redeemoid when you need many codes or want the cards printed and delivered. Sources: order page, imprint.
vinylcodes
The service closest to redeemoid: a one-off payment per batch, codes that do not expire, an embeddable widget of its own and a PDF with ten cards per page – plus 20 free codes when you sign up. English only, prices in US dollars, one download per code. Better than redeemoid when you want more free codes to try it out and US dollars suit you. Sources: prices, FAQ, widget.
ProCards
A UK service with codes and templates to print yourself; its own print shop is currently closed. Files stay online for up to two years and then need an extension. More expensive than redeemoid at all three quantities. Better than redeemoid when you want to collect your fans' e-mail addresses – ProCards offers that explicitly. Sources: prices, terms.
Dropcards
Based in the US, prints and ships plastic or paper cards, with statistics and an embeddable download manager. Cards last two years by default. Better than redeemoid when you want finished plastic cards and do not want to print anything yourself. Sources: prices, what is included.
code-load
Based in Essen, Germany, with packages of 500 codes, hosting and printed cards on request, plus an app of its own for labels. Clearly more expensive than redeemoid for 500 codes, but with card printing from one source. Sources: download codes, home page.
Bandzoogle
A website builder for musicians; download codes come with the Pro plan, at most 100 per batch, and a code expires five days after it is first used. According to Bandzoogle, redeemed codes cannot be tracked. A fit if your website already runs on Bandzoogle. Source: Bandzoogle help.
Pressing plants
Many pressing plants generate codes themselves or print your code list onto cards and put them in the sleeve – presswerk.de, for example, from 100 numbered cards. Prices are on request. If you are pressing anyway, you get everything from one source; redeemoid supplies a template with a code field and the code list, so the plant only has to print.
When redeemoid fits – and when it does not
redeemoid fits when you want to start right away (pay, and the codes are there), print your cards yourself or at a print shop of your choice, do not want to collect fans' data, hand out a file that is not a Bandcamp release, or want an interface in German and a provider in the EU. Codes without look-alike characters, a PDF/X-4 print file and a pressing-plant template are not mentioned by any other service in this list.
redeemoid does not fit when your music is on Bandcamp and its codes are enough for you, when you need thousands of codes at the lowest price (Codafile is cheaper then), or when you want printed cards delivered – redeemoid does not print.
Something out of date? Write to office@redeemoid.com and we will correct it.
Questions about choosing a service
- Which service is the cheapest?
- It depends on the quantity and on what you need. If your release is on Bandcamp, its codes cost nothing. For a few hundred codes without Bandcamp, redeemoid and vinylcodes are among the cheapest; from about 500 codes Codafile is cheaper than redeemoid. Printed cards cost extra everywhere.
- Is there a free option?
- Bandcamp's codes come with every account. vinylcodes gives 20 codes when you sign up, redeemoid your first batch of up to 5 codes.
- Who prints the cards for me?
- Codafile, Dropcards, code-load and most pressing plants print and ship cards. redeemoid delivers print files: an A4 sheet for your printer, a print-ready file for a print shop and a template for the pressing plant.
- Can I switch services later?
- Only with new cards. A printed code works on the redemption page of the service that made it, so the choice lasts as long as the record is on sale.
- Why does a provider compare itself with its competitors?
- Because the right choice depends on your release, and nobody else has written it down. Every figure comes from the providers' own pages on the date shown. If one is out of date, write to office@redeemoid.com and we will correct it.
Try redeemoid with your own file
Your first batch of up to 5 codes is free, print files included.