# NFC Tools vs NFC21 Tools

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NFC21 Tools at none against NFC Tools's 1. NFC21 Tools also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). NFC Tools's advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 32) and chart position (#107 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NFC21 Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

NFC21 Tools 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 32, 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 57% of NFC21 Tools's.

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, NFC21 Tools every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Tools | NFC21 Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tools/id1252962749/reviews) | **[4.8 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc21-tools/id1496636288/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 50.3% of reviews | **56.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [wakdev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252962748) | [NFC21 GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/787102532) |

## What reviewers say

### NFC Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tools/id1252962749)

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NFC Tools - Pro Edition | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### NFC21 Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc21-tools/id1496636288)

Explore NFC technology with an advanced yet user-friendly toolset. Read, write, and manage NFC tags with support for various data types, including URLs, contacts, and Wi-Fi credentials. Organize your scanned tags with filters and access detailed information.

**Highlights:** Read and write NFC tags, Manage tag history with filters, Create standard, extended, and expert tag types, Support for URL, Phone, Email, SMS, FaceTime, and Shortcuts, Advanced options for Text, Address, Position, Contact, and Wi-Fi, Define custom data types (MIME-Type), Share Bluetooth device IDs

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Tools free?

NFC Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is NFC21 Tools free?

NFC21 Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NFC Tools or NFC21 Tools?

NFC21 Tools is rated higher. NFC Tools averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while NFC21 Tools averages 4.8 from 32 ratings.

### Do NFC Tools or NFC21 Tools have ads?

Neither NFC Tools nor NFC21 Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Tools or NFC21 Tools?

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, and NFC21 Tools every 2 months. Most recently, NFC Tools was updated on September 24, 2026 and NFC21 Tools on July 6, 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.*