# NFC Scanner vs NFC Tap

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NFC Tap at 54% against NFC Scanner's 10%. NFC Tap also leads on rating (4.2 vs 1.8) and ratings volume (231 vs 16). NFC Scanner's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NFC Tap holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tap has 231 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of NFC Scanner's written reviews are positive against 54% of NFC Tap's.

NFC Scanner ships an update every 4 weeks, NFC Tap every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Scanner | NFC Tap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-scanner/id1245321879/reviews) | **[4.2 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tap/id1278913597/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **231** |
| Positive reviews | 10.0% of reviews | **53.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wander Bit LLC - Photo & Video Editor Apps and More](https://appshunter.io/developer/649030066) | [STMicroelectronics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801774735) |

## What reviewers say

### NFC Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-scanner/id1245321879)

Easily read NFC tags on your iPhone or iPod. This utility app provides a history of scanned tags, supports multi-record tags, and allows you to open links directly from within the application. It's designed for quick, one-handed use.

**Highlights:** Read NFC tags on iOS, Scan history, Automatic scanning option, Multi-record tag support, One-hand optimized UI, Open links from app

**In-app purchases:** none


### NFC Tap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tap/id1278913597)

This app allows users to read and write NFC tags, supporting various tag types and NDEF message formats. It enables quick actions like connecting to Wi-Fi, pairing Bluetooth devices, opening URLs, and initiating calls or messages directly from NFC tags.

**Highlights:** Read/Write NFC tags, Support ST25 Type5 & Type4A tags, Read/Write NDEF Messages (URL, Text, SMS, etc.), Connect to Wi-Fi devices, Pair Bluetooth devices, Initiate calls, SMS, and emails, Control ISO15693 commands

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 💡 Handy for development
- 🚀 Works as intended (initially)
- 👍 Great color scheme
- 👍 Simple navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Does not work anymore
- 🐛 Unable to write to tags
- 🐛 Error messages
- 🐛 Not user friendly
- 🐛 Hard to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to write to tags
- Error indicating need to read tag first
- No longer works
- Cannot read, edit, or write back memory to 15693 tag
- Crashing when scanning NXP Mifare

**Requested features**

- Display NDEF record in HEX
- Fix password protection bug on iOS
- Allow importing bin files
- Improve user-friendliness for beginners
- Connect Digimon Vital Bracelet with VB Lab


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Scanner free?

NFC Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NFC Tap free?

NFC Tap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NFC Scanner or NFC Tap?

NFC Tap is rated higher. NFC Scanner averages 1.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while NFC Tap averages 4.2 from 231 ratings.

### Do NFC Scanner or NFC Tap have ads?

Neither NFC Scanner nor NFC Tap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Scanner or NFC Tap?

NFC Scanner ships an update every 4 weeks, and NFC Tap every 2 months. Most recently, NFC Scanner was updated on September 25, 2026 and NFC Tap on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*