# NFC Reader / Writer vs Passport Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Passport Reader at none against NFC Reader / Writer's 1. Passport Reader also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 16%) and rating (4.0 vs 3.6). NFC Reader / Writer's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NFC Reader / Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Passport Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Passport Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of NFC Reader / Writer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Passport Reader's.

NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, Passport Reader every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NFC Reader / Writer | Passport Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-writer/id1286968328/reviews) | **[4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passport-reader-nfc-passport/id6504247499/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 16.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Sowers](https://appshunter.io/developer/592605673) | [Legal Prompt Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1490746932) |

## 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


### Passport Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passport-reader-nfc-passport/id6504247499)

This utility app reads the NFC chip on your passport to display its contents. It requires manual input of passport details and offers authenticity verification. Use with caution, as the developer disclaims responsibility for damages.

**Highlights:** Reads NFC passport chips, Displays passport contents, Input data via OCR, Authenticity verification

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NFC Reader / Writer free?

NFC Reader / Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Passport Reader free?

Passport Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NFC Reader / Writer or Passport Reader?

Passport Reader is rated higher. NFC Reader / Writer averages 3.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Passport Reader averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do NFC Reader / Writer or Passport Reader have ads?

Both NFC Reader / Writer and Passport Reader show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NFC Reader / Writer or Passport Reader?

NFC Reader / Writer ships an update monthly, and Passport Reader every 7 months. Most recently, NFC Reader / Writer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Passport Reader on October 24, 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.*