# NFC Scanner vs NFC Reader / Writer

The clearest difference is rating: NFC Reader / Writer at 3.6 against NFC Scanner's 1.8. NFC Scanner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NFC Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

NFC Reader / Writer holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of NFC Scanner's written reviews are positive against 16% of NFC Reader / Writer's.

NFC Scanner ships an update every 4 weeks, NFC Reader / Writer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Scanner | NFC Reader / Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-scanner/id1245321879/reviews) | **[3.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **19** |
| Positive reviews | 10.0% of reviews | **16.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wander Bit LLC - Photo & Video Editor Apps and More](https://appshunter.io/developer/649030066) | [Andrew Sowers](https://appshunter.io/developer/592605673) |

## 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 Reader / Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328)

This utility app allows you to read, save, and share information stored on NFC tags. It can extract data like URLs, contact cards, and text messages. Note that NFC tag reading requires an iPhone 7 or newer.

**Highlights:** Read NFC tags, Save tags for later, Share tag data, Save contacts from tags, Open URLs from tags, Display text messages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Works well for NFC reading on compatible devices
- 👍 Nice, clean user interface design
- 🎯 Effective for product traceability and information display
- 💪 Reliable performance on iPhone 7 and newer models
- 🔧 Useful for reading various NFC tag types and formats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes on startup for unsupported devices
- ❌ Inconsistent NFC reading functionality across devices
- 📱 Limited compatibility - only works on iPhone 7+
- 😕 Poor documentation and unclear instructions
- ⚠️ Misleading compatibility information in app store

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately on launch for devices without NFC support
- NFC reading fails on iPhone 6, 6S, and SE despite claimed compatibility
- Session invalidated - feature not supported error messages
- Apple Pay popup appears when scanning NFC tags
- Unreadable symbols displayed on screen during scanning

**Requested features**

- Support for older iPhone models (iPhone 6, 6S, SE)
- Ability to open amiibo files from Google Drive
- Italian language support
- Better error handling and user notifications
- Support for writing NFC tags on all compatible devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Scanner free?

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

### Is NFC Reader / Writer free?

NFC Reader / Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NFC Scanner or NFC Reader / Writer?

NFC Reader / Writer is rated higher. NFC Scanner averages 1.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while NFC Reader / Writer averages 3.6 from 19 ratings.

### Do NFC Scanner or NFC Reader / Writer have ads?

NFC Reader / Writer shows ads; NFC Scanner does not.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Scanner or NFC Reader / Writer?

NFC Scanner ships an update every 4 weeks, and NFC Reader / Writer monthly. Most recently, NFC Scanner was updated on September 25, 2026 and NFC Reader / Writer on September 28, 2026.

---

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