Simply NFC vs NFC Reader / Writer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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 descriptionHide 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.
NFC Reader / Writer
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.
- Read NFC tags
- Save tags for later
- Share tag data
- Save contacts from tags
- Open URLs from tags
- Display text messages
Read full descriptionHide full description
With NFC Reader you can read tags, save them for later viewing, share them, save contacts, open URLs and more! Be advised: Reading NFC tags requires iPhone 7, 8, or X. FAQ: - Will my iPhone work with NFC? That depends: iPhone 7 and up supports NFC reading and NFC reading only works when NFC tags are NDEF formatted. If you're not sure what that means, you can reach out to our support for more information. - Are NFC tags RFID tags? No, NFC NDEF tags are not RFID tags - this means your gym cards, debit/credit cards, hotel cards, etc aren't readable by this app. - Will this app help me pair to my speaker/router/camera/etc? No, this app doesn't support deep integrations into NFC enabled products - this app is intended to read NFC tags and display data within those tags. Some tags contain actionable data like website URLs, text messages, geotags, contact cards, etc. If you have any questions, reach out to me at andrew@baristable.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Simply NFC at 4.1 against NFC Reader / Writer's 3.6. Simply NFC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (47% vs 16%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Simply NFC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Simply NFC holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simply NFC has 187 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Simply NFC's written reviews are positive against 16% of NFC Reader / Writer's.
Simply NFC ships an update fortnightly, NFC Reader / Writer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simply NFC | NFC Reader / Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (187 ratings) — better | 3.6 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews — better | 16.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 187 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lakeside Llama LLC | Andrew Sowers |
Customer experience
Simply NFC
NFC Reader / Writer
User reviews
Simply NFC
From 187 App Store ratingsWhat 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)
NFC Reader / Writer
From 19 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✅ 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bugs and requests
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
NFC Reader / Writer
Reported bugs
7 issues- 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
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- App won't open on multiple device models
- CoreNFC framework compatibility issues
Requested features
6 requests- 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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Graceful handling for devices without NFC hardware
In-app purchases
Simply NFC
- Pro Version$4.99
NFC Reader / Writer
- Remove Ads$1.99
Questions
Is Simply NFC free?
Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
Which has better reviews, Simply NFC or NFC Reader / Writer?
Do Simply NFC or NFC Reader / Writer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simply NFC or NFC Reader / Writer?
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