# CAIL vs NFC21 Tools

The clearest difference is price: NFC21 Tools at Free against CAIL's $49.99. NFC21 Tools also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). CAIL's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 57%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 14.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

NFC21 Tools is free to download; CAIL costs $49.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NFC21 Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC21 Tools has 37 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of CAIL's written reviews are positive against 57% of NFC21 Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CAIL ships an update every 8 months, NFC21 Tools every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CAIL | NFC21 Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $49.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cail-6530/id1380164597/reviews) | **[4.7 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc21-tools/id1496636288/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **37** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cail Systems Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1056397226) | [NFC21 GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/787102532) |

## What reviewers say

### CAIL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cail-6530/id1380164597)

This app provides secure mobile access to NonStop systems using familiar interfaces. It offers customizable display options, external keyboard support, and robust SSH security for a seamless user experience.

**Highlights:** SSH secured sessions, User definable attribute colors, External keyboard support, Function key toolbar, Password and Keyboard-Interactive authentication, Full block mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### NFC21 Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc21-tools/id1496636288)

Explore NFC technology with an advanced yet user-friendly toolset. Read, write, and manage NFC tags with support for various data types, including URLs, contacts, and Wi-Fi credentials. Organize your scanned tags with filters and access detailed information.

**Highlights:** Read and write NFC tags, Manage tag history with filters, Create standard, extended, and expert tag types, Support for URL, Phone, Email, SMS, FaceTime, and Shortcuts, Advanced options for Text, Address, Position, Contact, and Wi-Fi, Define custom data types (MIME-Type), Share Bluetooth device IDs

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CAIL free?

CAIL costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NFC21 Tools free?

NFC21 Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CAIL or NFC21 Tools?

NFC21 Tools is rated higher. CAIL averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while NFC21 Tools averages 4.7 from 37 ratings.

### Do CAIL or NFC21 Tools have ads?

Neither CAIL nor NFC21 Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CAIL or NFC21 Tools?

CAIL ships an update every 8 months, and NFC21 Tools every 2 months. Most recently, CAIL was updated on November 2, 2026 and NFC21 Tools on November 3, 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.*