NFC Reader / Writer vs Smart NFC Tools
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
Smart NFC Tools
Easily read, inspect, and modify NFC tags with this intuitive tool. Write to tags in various formats to trigger actions like opening websites or making calls. Prioritizes user privacy by operating entirely offline.
- Read NFC tag content
- Inspect and modify NFC tags
- Erase, lock, and copy tags
- Write NFC tags in various formats
- Trigger phone calls or open websites
- 100% offline operation
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Smart NFC Tools is the most accessible and easy to use NFC Reader and Writer for mobile devices! With a simple user interface and powerful tools you can interact with NDEF-Formatted NFC cards without any external hardware! - Read, Inspect and modify: Read a tag by touching the back of your device against it and Smart NFC Tools will show you a full report on the tag's content and give you options such as erase, lock and copy. It's super easy! - Write in many formats: Smart NFC Tools enables you to write NFC tags in popular formats that allow for custom interactions such as opening a website or triggering a phone call just by touching the tag with a compatible device! - Note about privacy: Smart NFC Tools works 100% offline, without any personal or content data being sent to an external server or third party server. Your privacy is our priority! Embrace the world of NFC technologies using your phone or tablet! Smart NFC Tools is now available for all iOS devices!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Smart NFC Tools at 4.6 against NFC Reader / Writer's 3.6. Smart NFC Tools also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and Smart NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Smart NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart NFC Tools has 476 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 30% of Smart NFC Tools's.
NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, Smart NFC Tools weekly. The most recent releases landed on July 8, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NFC Reader / Writer | Smart NFC Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (19 ratings) | 4.6 (476 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | 30.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 476 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Sowers | Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software LTDA. |
Customer experience
NFC Reader / Writer
Smart NFC Tools
User reviews
NFC Reader / Writer
From 19 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Smart NFC Tools
From 476 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💰 Reasonable price
- 🚀 Works great
- 👍 Very practical
- 👍 Excellent app
Room to improve
- 👎 Does not work
- 👎 Waste of money
- 👎 Free version limited
- 👎 Scam and money taken
- 👎 Paid and no function
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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Graceful handling for devices without NFC hardware
Smart NFC Tools
Reported bugs
6 issues- Doesn't work to save contact card
- App glitches
- Doesn't work to read card and fob
- Paid for unlock, but restore doesn't work after iOS update
- Paid for ability to lock tags, but feature does not work
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- App not working after 15 minutes, even after purchase
Requested features
2 requests- Add social media to chips
- Ability to add multiple items to card after paying
In-app purchases
NFC Reader / Writer
- Remove Ads$1.99
Smart NFC Tools
- NFC Tools Premium$1.99
Questions
Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
Is Smart NFC Tools free?
Which has better reviews, NFC Reader / Writer or Smart NFC Tools?
Do NFC Reader / Writer or Smart NFC Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, NFC Reader / Writer or Smart NFC Tools?
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