NFC Reader / Writer vs Simply RFID
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Read NFC tags
- Save tags for later
- Share tag data
- Save contacts from tags
- Open URLs from tags
- Display text messages
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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
Simply RFID
This application facilitates mobile inventory management using RFID and barcode scanning. It allows users to organize items into cases and pallets, move them between groups, and ungroup them as needed. Requires specific hardware and a companion server.
- RFID and barcode scanning
- Item grouping into cases
- Case and pallet organization
- Item/case movement
- Ungrouping items from cases/pallets
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Nox - Handheld RFID and Barcode for mobile inventory and pairs with a Nox server. Nox allows users to group items into a case and or group a case to a pallet with Pack. Nox allows users to move items/case between cases/pallets with Move. Nox also allows users to break cases/pallets to ungroup items. Specification Requirements: OS: iOS 13+ Hardware: iPod Touch , CSL CS108-2 Handheld Server: Remote or Local Simply RFID Nox Server
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Simply RFID at 5.0 against NFC Reader / Writer's 3.6. Simply RFID also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). NFC Reader / Writer's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price and device support 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. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simply RFID asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simply RFID holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Reader / Writer has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, Simply RFID every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NFC Reader / Writer | Simply RFID |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (19 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 19 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Sowers | SimplyRFiD |
Customer experience
NFC Reader / Writer
Simply RFID
Bugs and requests
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
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- 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
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- Graceful handling for devices without NFC hardware
Simply RFID
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NFC Reader / Writer
- Remove Ads$1.99
Simply RFID
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
Is Simply RFID free?
Which has better reviews, NFC Reader / Writer or Simply RFID?
Do NFC Reader / Writer or Simply RFID have ads?
Which is updated more often, NFC Reader / Writer or Simply RFID?
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