Comparison

NFC Tools vs Trip Reader (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

Trip Reader (NFC)

Access your Chinese public transit card's balance and transaction history using your iPhone's NFC reader. View station names, monthly discounts, and bus routes without needing internet or Bluetooth. Save your travel history and sync it across devices.

Highlights
  • Read balance and history
  • Show station names
  • Track monthly discounts
  • Display bus route numbers
  • Save travel history
  • Sync to iCloud
Read full description

Trip Reader uses iPhone's internal NFC reader to get balance and history from public transit cards issued across China. No Internet or Bluetooth is needed. Main features: • Balance and history • Show station names • Monthly discount policy and progress • Bus route number • Save history and comments • Sync to iCloud ************************************** Beijing Yikatong is not supported due to technical reason. ************************************** Cards supported: • Beijing Hutong Card (京津冀互联互通卡, with T-Union mark) • Tianjin City Card (with T-Union mark) • Nanjing City Card (with T-Union mark) • Suzhou Citizen Card • Shanghai Public Transportation Card (Purple card and T-Union card) • Kunshan Citizen Card • Guangzhou Yang Cheng Tong (CPU card only) • Lingnan Pass • Shenzhen Tong (FeliCa type not supported) • Chengdu Tianfu Tong (CPU card only) • Other T-Union or City Union cards issued across China (some dual-module cards may show T-Union history only) Note: Student cards, senior cards etc. are not supported. This app does not have access to official database. Please use with caution and do not rely on the result.

Screenshots

NFC Tools4 screens
Trip Reader (NFC)4 screens

Verdict

The call

NFC Tools and Trip Reader (NFC) both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Trip Reader (NFC)'s written reviews are positive against 50% of NFC Tools's. Trip Reader (NFC) also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). NFC Tools's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 483) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. Trip Reader (NFC) asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for NFC Tools against 4.7 for Trip Reader (NFC). That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tools has 14K ratings behind it against 483, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of NFC Tools's written reviews are positive against 91% of Trip Reader (NFC)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, Trip Reader (NFC) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
NFC Tools versus Trip Reader (NFC): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNFC ToolsTrip Reader (NFC)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (14K ratings)4.7 (483 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.3% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better483
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#114 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperwakdevDomosekai Limited

Customer experience

NFC Tools

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

Trip Reader (NFC)

All ratings483 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

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

Trip Reader (NFC)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NFC Tools

One-time1
  • NFC Tools - Pro Edition$3.99
None

Trip Reader (NFC)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NFC Tools free?
NFC Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Trip Reader (NFC) free?
Trip Reader (NFC) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NFC Tools or Trip Reader (NFC)?
Trip Reader (NFC) is rated higher. NFC Tools averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Trip Reader (NFC) averages 4.7 from 483 ratings.
Do NFC Tools or Trip Reader (NFC) have ads?
Neither NFC Tools nor Trip Reader (NFC) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NFC Tools or Trip Reader (NFC)?
NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, and Trip Reader (NFC) every 2 months. Most recently, NFC Tools was updated on September 24, 2026 and Trip Reader (NFC) on September 23, 2026.

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