# NFC Tools vs Arcade Card Reader

The clearest difference is rating: NFC Tools at 4.6 against Arcade Card Reader's 3.8. NFC Tools also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Arcade Card Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tools has 14K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 51% and 50% positive.

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, Arcade Card Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Tools | Arcade Card Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tools/id1252962749/reviews)** | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-card-reader/id6740752614/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **50.7% of reviews** | 50.0% 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 | **#153** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [wakdev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252962748) | [Rem Tech AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1791441825) |

## What reviewers say

### NFC Tools

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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


### Arcade Card Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcade-card-reader/id6740752614)

This utility app uses NFC to scan and save data from various arcade and transit cards. It supports a wide range of card types, including e-amusement passes, FeliCa-based travel cards, and amusement IC cards. All scanned data can be stored within the app for quick retrieval.

**Highlights:** Read card numbers and serial numbers, Scan access codes, Identify card types, Save scanned data, Supports e-amusement passes, Supports FeliCa-based travel IC cards, Supports Amusement IC cards

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Tools free?

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

### Is Arcade Card Reader free?

Arcade Card Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader?

NFC Tools is rated higher. NFC Tools averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Arcade Card Reader averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader have ads?

Neither NFC Tools nor Arcade Card Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader?

NFC Tools ships an update every 3 weeks, and Arcade Card Reader every 2 months. Most recently, NFC Tools was updated on October 14, 2026 and Arcade Card Reader on October 4, 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.*