# NFC Tap vs NFC Reader / Writer

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.

Both are free to download. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NFC Tap asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Tap | NFC Reader / Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tap/id1278913597/reviews)** | [3.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **231** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | **53.8% of reviews** | 16.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STMicroelectronics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801774735) | [Andrew Sowers](https://appshunter.io/developer/592605673) |

## What reviewers say

### NFC Tap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tap/id1278913597)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### NFC Reader / Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*