Comparison

NFC Reader / Writer vs NFC

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Read NFC tags
  • Save tags for later
  • Share tag data
  • Save contacts from tags
  • Open URLs from tags
  • Display text messages
Features
Read full description

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

About

NFC

Easily read, write, and lock NFC tags with this utility app. It supports various tag types, allows writing text or URLs, and offers pre-built templates for common tasks like Wi-Fi logins and contact cards. You can also erase tags and set passwords.

Highlights
  • Read NFC tag data
  • Write text and URLs to NFC tags
  • Lock NFC tags to make them read-only
  • Pre-built templates for common NFC tasks
  • Set and remove NFC tag passwords
  • Erase NFC tags
Features
Read full description

NFC - Reader & Writer provides a simple and easy-to-use solution to Read, Write, and Lock an NFC Tag. Read: - Tap the Read button to read a compatible NFC Tag. - Opens URL's if allows in settings - Manufacturer & model (NTAG213, NTAG215, Ultralight, Mifare, etc.) - Serial number & tech details - Memory size, tag type & available technologies - iCloud-Synced Tag Read History Write: - Type in text then press the write button to write to an NFC Tag. - Write in text or URL (using https:// format). - Save any template or stack you create Create useful NFC tags in seconds with prebuilt templates: - Wi-Fi Login - Contact Card - Bluetooth - Location / Maps - Website Link - Email - SMS - Custom Text or NDEF Records Lock: - Press the lock button to make an NFC Tag "read only" meaning you will no longer be able to write to that same NFC Tag (This is permanent) Tools: - Set or remove NFC passwords - Erase tags *Works with iPhone 7 or newer* More features to come!

Screenshots

NFC Reader / Writer1 screens
NFC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NFC at 60% against NFC Reader / Writer's 16%. NFC also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). NFC Reader / Writer's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NFC sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NFC holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC has 96 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 60% of NFC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, NFC fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NFC Reader / Writer versus NFC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNFC Reader / WriterNFC
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (19 ratings)4.3 (96 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1996 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB16 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAndrew SowersCameron Nazemi

Customer experience

NFC Reader / Writer

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral22.2%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive16.0%
Neutral4.7%
Negative79.2%

NFC

All ratings96 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

NFC Reader / Writer

From 19 App Store ratings

What 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

NFC

From 96 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Perfect for reading NFC tags
  • 🚀 Quick and easy to use
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive
  • 👍 Works well with NTAG213
  • 👍 Good for basic read/write functions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Text truncated when reading
  • 🐛 Raw data field shows raw data
  • 🐛 Application became unusable for some
  • 🐛 Too many ads
  • 🐛 Won't write to NFC tags

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
Show 2 more
  • 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 more
  • Graceful handling for devices without NFC hardware

NFC

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Full tag text truncated
  • App became unusable
  • Doesn't open URLs
  • No read on iPhone 15 Pro
  • Doesn't read NFC tags
Show 3 more
  • Not working at all
  • Can't get all scans
  • Kodu okumuyor

Requested features

7 requests
  • Automatic scan on app open
  • Dark mode icon
  • Formatting NFC tag
  • SSID WiFi option
  • Ad-free version
Show 2 more
  • Reset NFC chip
  • Clear NFC chip to factory default

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NFC Reader / Writer

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
2 purchases

NFC

Subscriptions1
  • NFC Pro (Monthly)$0.491 Month
One-time1
  • NFC Pro$0.99

Questions

Is NFC Reader / Writer free?
NFC Reader / Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NFC free?
NFC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NFC Reader / Writer or NFC?
NFC is rated higher. NFC Reader / Writer averages 3.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while NFC averages 4.3 from 96 ratings.
Do NFC Reader / Writer or NFC have ads?
Both NFC Reader / Writer and NFC show ads.
Which is updated more often, NFC Reader / Writer or NFC?
NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, and NFC fortnightly. Most recently, NFC Reader / Writer was updated on October 14, 2026 and NFC on October 21, 2026.

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