Simply NFC vs Smart NFC Tools
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.
Smart NFC Tools
Easily read, inspect, and modify NFC tags with this intuitive tool. Write to tags in various formats to trigger actions like opening websites or making calls. Prioritizes user privacy by operating entirely offline.
- Read NFC tag content
- Inspect and modify NFC tags
- Erase, lock, and copy tags
- Write NFC tags in various formats
- Trigger phone calls or open websites
- 100% offline operation
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Smart NFC Tools is the most accessible and easy to use NFC Reader and Writer for mobile devices! With a simple user interface and powerful tools you can interact with NDEF-Formatted NFC cards without any external hardware! - Read, Inspect and modify: Read a tag by touching the back of your device against it and Smart NFC Tools will show you a full report on the tag's content and give you options such as erase, lock and copy. It's super easy! - Write in many formats: Smart NFC Tools enables you to write NFC tags in popular formats that allow for custom interactions such as opening a website or triggering a phone call just by touching the tag with a compatible device! - Note about privacy: Smart NFC Tools works 100% offline, without any personal or content data being sent to an external server or third party server. Your privacy is our priority! Embrace the world of NFC technologies using your phone or tablet! Smart NFC Tools is now available for all iOS devices!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Smart NFC Tools at 4.6 against Simply NFC's 4.1. Smart NFC Tools also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Simply NFC's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 30%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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 Smart NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Smart NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 183 and 476 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of Simply NFC's written reviews are positive against 30% of Smart NFC Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Simply NFC ships an update fortnightly, Smart NFC Tools weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simply NFC | Smart NFC Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (183 ratings) | 4.6 (476 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.2% of reviews — better | 30.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 183 | 476 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| 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 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lakeside Llama LLC | Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software LTDA. |
Customer experience
Simply NFC
Smart NFC Tools
User reviews
Simply NFC
From 183 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)
Smart NFC Tools
From 476 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💰 Reasonable price
- 🚀 Works great
- 👍 Very practical
- 👍 Excellent app
Room to improve
- 👎 Does not work
- 👎 Waste of money
- 👎 Free version limited
- 👎 Scam and money taken
- 👎 Paid and no function
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
Smart NFC Tools
Reported bugs
6 issues- Doesn't work to save contact card
- App glitches
- Doesn't work to read card and fob
- Paid for unlock, but restore doesn't work after iOS update
- Paid for ability to lock tags, but feature does not work
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- App not working after 15 minutes, even after purchase
Requested features
2 requests- Add social media to chips
- Ability to add multiple items to card after paying
In-app purchases
Simply NFC
- Pro Version$4.99
Smart NFC Tools
- NFC Tools Premium$1.99
Questions
Is Simply NFC free?
Is Smart NFC Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Simply NFC or Smart NFC Tools?
Do Simply NFC or Smart NFC Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simply NFC or Smart NFC Tools?
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