# NFC Reader / Writer vs NFC

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Reader / Writer | NFC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328/reviews) | **[4.3 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-and-writer/id1527949024/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **96** |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Sowers](https://appshunter.io/developer/592605673) | [Cameron Nazemi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470818209) |

## What reviewers say

### NFC Reader / Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### NFC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-and-writer/id1527949024)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NFC Pro (Monthly) | $0.49 | per month |
| NFC Pro | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Full tag text truncated
- App became unusable
- Doesn't open URLs
- No read on iPhone 15 Pro
- Doesn't read NFC tags

**Requested features**

- Automatic scan on app open
- Dark mode icon
- Formatting NFC tag
- SSID WiFi option
- Ad-free version


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*