# NFC Tap vs SmartKey

The clearest difference is update cadence: NFC Tap at every 2 months against SmartKey's every 5 months. SmartKey's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NFC Tap ships an update every 2 months, SmartKey every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Tap | SmartKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-tap/id1278913597/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **231** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STMicroelectronics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801774735) | [SmartKey s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515904395) |

## 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


### SmartKey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartkey-manager/id6462880301)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Tap free?

NFC Tap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmartKey free?

SmartKey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NFC Tap or SmartKey have ads?

Neither NFC Tap nor SmartKey shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Tap or SmartKey?

NFC Tap ships an update every 2 months, and SmartKey every 5 months. Most recently, NFC Tap was updated on October 14, 2026 and SmartKey on October 19, 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.*