Comparison

NFC Tap vs NFC Reader / Writer

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

Head to head
About

NFC Tap

This app allows users to read and write NFC tags, supporting various tag types and NDEF message formats. It enables quick actions like connecting to Wi-Fi, pairing Bluetooth devices, opening URLs, and initiating calls or messages directly from NFC tags.

Highlights
  • Read/Write NFC tags
  • Support ST25 Type5 & Type4A tags
  • Read/Write NDEF Messages (URL, Text, SMS, etc.)
  • Connect to Wi-Fi devices
  • Pair Bluetooth devices
  • Initiate calls, SMS, and emails
  • Control ISO15693 commands
Features
Read full description

The NFC Tap iOS App leverages on the NFC core feature of iOS supporting the read an write of NFC tags from iPhone 7 and later devices. It gives users a new experience based on the tag's NDEF content, making it easier and faster to perform recorded actions as described below. Main Features: • Support every STMicroelectronics ST25 Type5 & Type4A series tags. • App Clip based on URL https://www.myst25.com/clip • Read/Write user memory for Type5 tags. This allows user to read, write or update the content of any Type5 tags. • ISO15693/NFC Type5 commands list User Interface. This allows user to manage all ISO15693 commands. • ISO15693/NFC Type5 custom commands list User Interface • Fast Transfer Mode using STMicroelectronics ST25DV-I2C and ST25DVC tags. • PWM Control user interface for STMicroelectronics ST25DV-PWM tags. • Read/Write any kinds of NDEF Messages, NFC Forum compliant (URL, Text, SMS, email, Call, Map, VCard, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi®, Mime and Externals) • Universal Link with URL : https://www.myst25.com • Custom App URL Scheme “nfctap://”: - This allows user to open our iOS app from any other iOS app or from the safari browser using the custom URL scheme “nfctap://” In Details, the App features several functions enabled by the NFC tag content: - Connect to Wifi devices identified by its SSID, Key password and encryption type. - Connect to Bluetooth devices: Facilitates the pairing with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices. After tapping a tag with the phone, the NFC Tap iOS App will recognize any Bluetooth pairing NDEF record and connect the phone directly to the specified device. - Open a URL in a browser: Opens a web page to the URL contained in the tag's NDEF record. - Get contact information: Displays and saves contact information (including ID picture) by tapping a tag containing a business card(vCard) message. - Geolocalize a position: Opens Apple Maps to the GPS location stored in the tag being tapped. - Initiate an SMS or Email: Opens the relevant email or SMS application with information contained in the tag being tapped. The user can then choose to send the email/SMS or edit it before sending. Use cases include, but are not limited to, customer service information for warranty or loyalty programs. - Initiate a phone call: Opens the phone service to the number contained in the tag's NDEF message. - Read a Text: Displays the text message contained in the tag being tapped. - Mime NDEF exemples: MimeType = application/pdf / MimeData = userManual.pdf - External NDEF exemples: application = video ; type = mpeg ; Data = video.mov Additionally, the NFC Tap App application include Bluetooth pairing with a ST25DV discovery board.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Read NFC tags
  • Save tags for later
  • Share tag data
  • Save contacts from tags
  • Open URLs from tags
  • Display text messages
Features
Read 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

NFC Tap4 screens
NFC Reader / Writer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NFC Tap at 4.2 against NFC Reader / Writer's 3.6. NFC Tap also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 16%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). NFC Reader / Writer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NFC Tap asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NFC Tap holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Tap has 231 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of NFC Tap's written reviews are positive against 16% of NFC Reader / Writer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NFC Tap ships an update every 2 months, NFC Reader / Writer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
NFC Tap versus NFC Reader / Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNFC TapNFC Reader / Writer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (231 ratings) — better3.6 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews — better16.0% of reviews
Number of ratings231 — better19
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSTMicroelectronicsAndrew Sowers

Customer experience

NFC Tap

All ratings231 ratings
Positive78.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative42.3%

NFC Reader / Writer

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral22.2%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive16.0%
Neutral4.7%
Negative79.2%

User reviews

NFC Tap

From 231 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Handy for development
  • 🚀 Works as intended (initially)
  • 👍 Great color scheme
  • 👍 Simple navigation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Does not work anymore
  • 🐛 Unable to write to tags
  • 🐛 Error messages
  • 🐛 Not user friendly
  • 🐛 Hard to navigate

NFC Reader / Writer

From 19 App Store ratings

What 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

NFC Tap

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Unable to write to tags
  • Error indicating need to read tag first
  • No longer works
  • Cannot read, edit, or write back memory to 15693 tag
  • Crashing when scanning NXP Mifare
Show 7 more
  • Error message: 'need to read a card on the main screen'
  • App closes when scanning NXP Mifare
  • Password protection bug on iOS (cannot enter password)
  • CCFile Error with Type 5 chips on iPhone
  • Required to scan tag before reading/writing memory
  • Throws an error for CCFile
  • Unable to read ST25 chips on iPhone

Requested features

6 requests
  • Display NDEF record in HEX
  • Fix password protection bug on iOS
  • Allow importing bin files
  • Improve user-friendliness for beginners
  • Connect Digimon Vital Bracelet with VB Lab
Show 1 more
  • Remove automatic tag scan prompt on app open

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 more
  • 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 more
  • Graceful handling for devices without NFC hardware

In-app purchases

None

NFC Tap

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

NFC Reader / Writer

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is NFC Tap free?
NFC Tap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
NFC Reader / Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NFC Tap or NFC Reader / Writer?
NFC Tap is rated higher. NFC Tap averages 4.2 out of 5 from 231 ratings, while NFC Reader / Writer averages 3.6 from 19 ratings.
Do NFC Tap or NFC Reader / Writer have ads?
NFC Reader / Writer shows ads; NFC Tap does not.
Which is updated more often, NFC Tap or NFC Reader / Writer?
NFC Tap ships an update every 2 months, and NFC Reader / Writer monthly. Most recently, NFC Tap was updated on October 24, 2026 and NFC Reader / Writer on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons