Barcode vs NFC Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barcode
This utility allows your mobile device to function as a wireless barcode scanner, sending scanned data directly to your PC or Mac. It emulates a keyboard wedge, making it seamless for data entry. Installation is straightforward, with an optional server utility for advanced customization.
- Wireless barcode scanning
- Keyboard wedge emulation
- PC/Mac data transfer
- Automatic autofocus
- Simple installation
- Customizable settings
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After the success of Barcode-x here is Barcode-x-wifi, the new keyboard wedge barcode scanner from ALTO laboratories. Barcode-x-wifi let you capture the most common typologies of barcodes and send them to your PC/Mac as you are typing on your keyboard (like usb scanner terminals do) Barcode-x-wifi is easy to install and it doesn't need any setup (advanced users can still customize it) Barcode-x-wifi is really simple : download the app and install our free Barcode-x-wifi-server utility, downloadable from Alto-Labs website at http://www.alto-labs.com/vh_app/barcode-x-wifi/. Your iphone will show your computer name, insert a password you prefer and begin scanning. Barcode-x-wifi embeds the new Barcode-x-Pro scanner with Altomatic autofocus to enhance the performances of your scan sessions. What else? Beeeeep! !!! IN ORDER TO USE THE APP YOU MUST INSTALL ON YOUR PC/MAC THE FREE BARCODE-X WI-FI SERVER SOFTWARE DOWNLOADABLE HERE http://www.alto-labs.com/vh_app/barcode-x-wifi/ !!!
NFC Tools
Easily read and write data to NFC tags using a straightforward interface. Interact with tag content, view detailed information, and record standard data like contacts, URLs, and WiFi configurations.
- Read NFC tag data
- Write standard information to tags
- Store VCARDs and URLs
- Share contact details
- Save tag contents
- Configure WiFi and Bluetooth
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NFC Tools can read and write your NFC tags with a simple and lightweight user interface. By passing your device near an NFC chip, you can read the data it contains and interact with the content. The "Read" section allows you to see data such as: - the maker of the tag - the type of tag (ex : Mifare Ultralight, NTAG213) - the norm of the tag (ex : NFC Forum Type 2) - the available technology (ex: NFC A) - its serial number (ex : 04:85:c8:5a:40:2b:80) - the size of the tag and of the data on it - if you can write on the tag - all the data on the tag (NDEF format) NFC Tools can record standard information on your tags which will be compatible with any NFC device. For instance, you can store a VCARD to share your contact details easily, open an URL, share a phone number or even a geolocation. The "Write" section let you record standardised data such as: - a simple text - a link to a website - an email - a contact - a phone number - a predefined text message - an address or geolocation - a WiFi or Bluetooth configuration - personalised data - and more... The write function allows you to add as much data as you wish. This way you can record large quantities of information on your tag. The app also allows you to save the contents of your chip for later access. NFC Tools has been tested with the following NFC tags: - NTAG 203, 210, 210u, 212, 213, 213TT, 215, 216, 413 DNA, 424 DNA - Ultralight, Ultralight C, Ultralight EV1 - ICODE SLI, SLI-S, SLIX, SLIX-S, SLIX-L, SLIX2, DNA - DESFire EV1, EV2, EV3 - ST25TV, ST25TA - Felica If you encounter any problem, don’t hesitate to contact us. Notes: - Compatible from iPhone 7. - Use the "compatibility" mode to read/write Mifare Classic tags.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: NFC Tools at 4.6 against Barcode's 4.0. NFC Tools also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Barcode's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Barcode sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tools has 15K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Barcode's written reviews are positive against 52% of NFC Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Barcode ships an update every 2 months, NFC Tools every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barcode | NFC Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.6 (15K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 51.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 15K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #170 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tommaso Ferrari | wakdev |
Customer experience
Barcode
NFC Tools
Bugs and requests
Barcode
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
NFC Tools
Reported bugs
4 issues- Cannot unlock NFC tags after locking them
- Contacts and WiFi records not working as expected
- Inconsistent behavior when reading/writing tags
- Restore purchase feature not functioning properly
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to bulk write NFC tags
- Improve compatibility with wpa2 enterprise WiFi settings
- Implement file explorer for loading custom tag data
- Add option to write data to Apple Wallet
- Provide emulator functionality for testing without tags
In-app purchases
Barcode
- Barcode-x-wifi Pro Upgrade$3.99
NFC Tools
- NFC Tools - Pro Edition$3.99
Questions
Is Barcode free?
Is NFC Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Barcode or NFC Tools?
Do Barcode or NFC Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Barcode or NFC Tools?
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