Comparison

TBScan vs NFC Tools

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TBScan

Easily discover and log geocaching trackables using your device's camera. Scan codes instantly to identify trackables, view their missions, and log them without manual typing. Perfect for events and finding trackables in caches.

Highlights
  • Quick trackable code recognition
  • Discover multiple trackables simultaneously
  • Offline functionality
  • View trackable missions
  • Attach photos to logs
  • Multiple log modes
Read full description

It has never been easier to discover Trackables. TBScan is a new and revolutionary iPhone app for every Geocacher. What many Geocachers have been dreaming about is now reality: With TBScan you can discover and log TBs and Coins without having to type the tracking code. As soon as you point your camera at the code it will instantly get recognised: It’s that easy! TBScan is perfect for events: Where you previously had to first write down every single tracking code on a piece of paper only to later manually key in every single one, you can now scan the trackables lightning-fast and discover them all at the same time. With the help of TBScan you can discover up to 10 trackables per minute. What is more, TBScan is a great helper when you encounter a Trackable in a cache. Quickly scan the code and you will see the mission of the TB or coin. Finally, if you want to take that Trackable on your journey you can also directly log it. Features: • Quick recognition of Trackable codes • Discover multiple Trackables at once • Works without an Internet connection • Check Trackable mission • Attach pictures to trackable logs • Different Log-Modes (Retrieve, Discover, Write Note, Grab) • Log templates • Trackable inventory • Select codes for individual logs • Scan Trackables from your photo library • Export Trackables codes • Geocaching API access

About

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.

Highlights
  • Read NFC tag data
  • Write standard information to tags
  • Store VCARDs and URLs
  • Share contact details
  • Save tag contents
  • Configure WiFi and Bluetooth
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

TBScan3 screens
NFC Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TBScan at 84% against NFC Tools's 50%. TBScan also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). NFC Tools's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 222) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TBScan 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TBScan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tools has 14K ratings behind it against 222, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of TBScan's written reviews are positive against 50% of NFC Tools's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TBScan ships an update every 3 months, NFC Tools every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
TBScan versus NFC Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTBScanNFC Tools
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (222 ratings) — better4.6 (14K ratings)
Positive reviews84.1% of reviews — better50.3% of reviews
Number of ratings22214K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#124 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNicolas Camenischwakdev

Customer experience

TBScan

All ratings222 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral0.5%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral2.8%
Negative13.1%

NFC Tools

All ratings14,088 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews686 reviews
Positive50.3%
Neutral9.6%
Negative40.1%

Bugs and requests

TBScan

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

1 purchases

TBScan

One-time1
  • TBScan Pro$2.99
1 purchases

NFC Tools

One-time1
  • NFC Tools - Pro Edition$3.99

Questions

Is TBScan free?
TBScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NFC Tools free?
NFC Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TBScan or NFC Tools?
TBScan is rated higher. TBScan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 222 ratings, while NFC Tools averages 4.6 from 14K ratings.
Do TBScan or NFC Tools have ads?
Neither TBScan nor NFC Tools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TBScan or NFC Tools?
TBScan ships an update every 3 months, and NFC Tools every 3 weeks. Most recently, TBScan was updated on September 9, 2026 and NFC Tools on September 25, 2026.

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