Comparison

NFC Tools vs Simply NFC

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

Head to head
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.

About

Simply NFC

Easily read and write to NFC tags using your phone. This app supports various tag types including text, URLs, contacts, and HomeKit scenes. It also offers accessibility features, Siri Shortcuts, widgets, and iMessage extensions for convenient tag management and automation.

Highlights
  • Read and write NFC tags
  • Supports text, URL, vCard, SMS, email, phone, app launch, custom URI, location, HomeKit, and Wi-Fi tags
  • Trigger HomeKit scenes
  • VoiceOver accessibility
  • Siri Shortcuts integration
  • Widget and iMessage extension
  • Export scanned history
Read full description

Simply NFC is a powerful, accessible, and easy-to-use NFC reader and writer for iPhone. Scan NFC tags instantly, create programmable tags, trigger HomeKit scenes, automate workflows, and create spoken text tags for visually impaired users, all without external hardware. Built with accessibility in mind: * Full VoiceOver support throughout the app * Spoken text tags that read aloud when scanned * Great for labeling household items, storage, medication, equipment, and more * Accessible scanning and writing workflows for blind and visually impaired users Features: * Scan NFC tags instantly * Read raw tag information * Save scan history automatically * Multi-tag scanning * Apple Watch remote scanning support Write and program NFC tags directly from your iPhone: * Text tags * Text-to-Voice tags * URL tags * HomeKit scene tags * Wi-Fi setup tags * Contact cards (vCard) * Email, SMS, phone, and FaceTime tags * Custom URI and app-launch tags * Location tags Advanced NFC features: * Import tag records * Configure write passwords * Edit and rewrite compatible tags * Export history as CSV or tab-delimited text * Integrate scans with your own web services HomeKit support: * Trigger HomeKit scenes from NFC tags * Background NFC support on compatible devices * Great for smart home and accessibility automations Siri Shortcuts and integrations: * Start scanning with Siri * Launch single or multi-scan modes * iMessage extension for sharing scan history Developer features: * URI scheme support: simplynfc://reader simplynfc://scan simplynfc://multiscan simplynfc://writer * Callback support for apps and websites * Send scanned tag data directly to your server * Build NFC workflows into your own apps and services Simply tap “Read NFC” and hold your iPhone near a tag. It’s that simple. Simply NFC is designed for beginners, power users, accessibility needs, smart homes, inventory systems, and NFC development workflows. We love hearing from our customers, so feel free to contact us with questions, concerns, issues, bugs, suggestions, or feature requests. We are always looking for ways to improve Simply NFC.

Screenshots

NFC Tools4 screens
Simply NFC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NFC Tools at 4.6 against Simply NFC's 4.1. NFC Tools also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 183) and chart position (#120 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Simply NFC 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

NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tools has 14K ratings behind it against 183, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of NFC Tools's written reviews are positive against 47% of Simply NFC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, Simply NFC fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
NFC Tools versus Simply NFC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNFC ToolsSimply NFC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (14K ratings) — better4.1 (183 ratings)
Positive reviews50.3% of reviews — better47.2% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better183
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#120 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperwakdevLakeside Llama LLC

Customer experience

NFC Tools

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

Simply NFC

All ratings180 ratings
Positive74.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive47.2%
Neutral9.4%
Negative43.4%

User reviews

NFC Tools

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 One-time payment for Pro version
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
  • 🚀 Fast NFC tag reading and writing
  • 👍 Works well for most use cases
  • 💡 Useful for home automation and NFC tag programming

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with reading/writing contact information
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems with certain NFC tags and devices
  • 🐛 Unreliable performance for some users
  • 💰 Paid features should be included in free version

Simply NFC

From 183 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simplicity and minimalism
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Decent design for a utility app
  • 👍 Works well for simple things like URLs
  • 👍 Good for understanding NFC chips

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Wifi option does not work
  • 🐛 Wifi record doesn't work
  • 🐛 Not all functions available in free version
  • 🐛 Paid version has limited URL schemes
  • 🐛 Does not read certain NFC tags (e.g., Mifare ultralight)

Bugs and 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

Simply NFC

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Wifi joining option fails
  • Phone does nothing when tapping Wifi tag
  • App stops telling device to speak loudly after a few scans
  • App does not read tags at all
  • NFC tag not read after 5 minutes
Show 8 more
  • Fails with different brand NFC tags
  • Privacy policy not updated
  • Error connecting or too much information when writing tags
  • HomeKit scenes do not work, redirect to developer's website with 404 error
  • White buttons on white background (visibility issue)
  • Pro version not working for some users
  • Restore purchase feature does not work
  • App states it won't work with specific iPhone models despite being listed as compatible

Requested features

9 requests
  • Improve Wifi tag support
  • Fix issue with 'speak loudly' feature stopping
  • Preview Pro upgrade records
  • Allow custom URL schemes in URI Record
  • Long term tag save area for review, edit, and rewrite
Show 4 more
  • Add more languages (e.g., Russian)
  • Improve VoiceOver support for tag selection and reading results
  • Support writing HomeKit enabled tags on iPhone
  • Add dark mode option for better visibility

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NFC Tools

One-time1
  • NFC Tools - Pro Edition$3.99
1 purchases

Simply NFC

One-time1
  • Pro Version$4.99

Questions

Is NFC Tools free?
NFC Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simply NFC free?
Simply NFC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NFC Tools or Simply NFC?
NFC Tools is rated higher. NFC Tools averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Simply NFC averages 4.1 from 183 ratings.
Do NFC Tools or Simply NFC have ads?
Neither NFC Tools nor Simply NFC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NFC Tools or Simply NFC?
NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simply NFC fortnightly. Most recently, NFC Tools was updated on September 24, 2026 and Simply NFC on August 17, 2026.

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