Comparison

Simply NFC vs Pool Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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 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.

About

Pool Notes

This app simplifies pool maintenance by converting water test readings into precise chemical dosage instructions. It automatically adjusts targets based on stabilizer levels and offers guided algae treatment. All data is stored locally on your device for privacy.

Highlights
  • Precise chemical dosage instructions
  • Automatic chlorine target adjustment
  • Trend tracking over time
  • Test reminders
  • Guided algae treatment
  • Local data storage
Features
Read full description

Pool Notes turns a water test into plain instructions: log your readings and get exact doses in the units of the chemicals you actually own — "add 42 fl oz of 12.5% liquid chlorine," not vague advice. Chlorine targets adjust to your stabilizer level automatically. Watch trends over time, get test reminders, and when the water goes green, sound the Mayday: a guided rescue that walks you through knocking out algae step by step. Everything stays on your phone — no accounts, no cloud, no nonsense.

Screenshots

Simply NFC4 screens
Pool Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pool Notes at 100% against Simply NFC's 47%. Pool Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Simply NFC's advantage is ratings volume (187 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. Simply NFC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pool Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pool Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simply NFC has 187 ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of Pool Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Simply NFC versus Pool Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimply NFCPool Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (187 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings187 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLakeside Llama LLCJONATHON TIMOTHY MORTON

Customer experience

Simply NFC

All ratings180 ratings
Positive74.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive47.2%
Neutral9.4%
Negative43.4%

Pool Notes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

Pool Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Simply NFC

One-time1
  • Pro Version$4.99
None

Pool Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simply NFC free?
Simply NFC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pool Notes free?
Pool Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simply NFC or Pool Notes?
Pool Notes is rated higher. Simply NFC averages 4.1 out of 5 from 187 ratings, while Pool Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simply NFC or Pool Notes have ads?
Neither Simply NFC nor Pool Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simply NFC or Pool Notes?
Simply NFC ships an update fortnightly, and Pool Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Simply NFC was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pool Notes on October 31, 2026.

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