NFC Reader / Writer vs Biometric Passport Reader
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
Biometric Passport Reader
Scan and verify the embedded chip in passports and ID cards using your device's camera and NFC. This app provides offline functionality for secure identity verification, remote onboarding, and compliance with KYC/AML regulations.
- Reads biometric chips
- Scans machine-readable zone
- Offline functionality
- Identity verification
- Remote onboarding
- KYC/AML compliance
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This app can read and verify the embedded chip in passports and ID cards. To read a passport or ID: 1) Use the camera to scan the machine readable zone on the data page of your passport or the back of your ID 2) Hold the passport or ID against your device to read the biometric chip 3) The chip information is displayed in the app The app does not require network connection and can be used offline. What is the app used for? For businesses this app is useful for remote onboarding of users and customers, identity verification, and to meet KYC and AML requirements. For compliance and security, nothing beats reading the biometric chip.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Biometric Passport Reader at 4.6 against NFC Reader / Writer's 3.6. Biometric Passport Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). NFC Reader / Writer's advantage is 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
Both are free to download. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Biometric Passport Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Biometric Passport Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Biometric Passport Reader has 229 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of NFC Reader / Writer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Biometric Passport Reader's.
NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, Biometric Passport Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NFC Reader / Writer | Biometric Passport Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (19 ratings) | 4.6 (229 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 229 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Sowers | Iris Development AB |
Customer experience
NFC Reader / Writer
Biometric Passport Reader
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
Biometric Passport Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NFC Reader / Writer
- Remove Ads$1.99
Biometric Passport Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
Is Biometric Passport Reader free?
Which has better reviews, NFC Reader / Writer or Biometric Passport Reader?
Do NFC Reader / Writer or Biometric Passport Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, NFC Reader / Writer or Biometric Passport Reader?
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