Smart NFC vs Harbour
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smart NFC
This app allows users to read, write, and interact with NFC tags directly from their compatible iPhone. It supports various record types, tag formatting, and direct memory access for advanced customization. Background reading is also available on newer devices.
- Read, write, duplicate, erase, and lock NDEF tags
- Format tags as NDEF
- Interact with links and social media records
- Background tag reading
- Direct tag memory access
- Send custom commands to tags
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NFC is supported on iPhone 7 or newer only; iPad and iPod Touch do not have the hardware to interact with NFC tags. ----- Read, write, interact, and hack your NFC tags on your supporting iPhone! Smart NFC is one of the first apps to support native NFC writing directly from your device. With numerous custom records to get you started, you'll be writing to most NDEF-formatted NFC tags in no time. Don't have any NDEF-formatted tags? Format them in the Advanced section. Tag-specific features are being added that allow you to edit a tag's memory directly, which opens the doors to all kinds of new features! Tag not scanning? NDEF format new tags from the Advanced section to get them working right! An NFC tag is written with a single "Message" which contains any number of "Records." These records define text, links, and data to be stored on the tag. Most tags can be scanned by holding the top of your iPhone within a few centimeters. A chip is only limited only by its size. As long as the chip is NDEF-formatted (most are, and other formats will be supported in a later version) and it has enough space, the limits are endless! Features: - Read, write, duplicate, erase, and permanently lock NDEF-formatted tags - Monitor a tag's max capacity (usually somewhere between 256-1024 Bytes) - Read, write, and interact with links (https://, sms://, facetime://, mailto:, etc.) - Write a variety of pre-defined Social Media and website records - Read and write text records with multiple language localizations - Use Background Tag Reading to interact with NFC tags without an app. Write a link to a tag and then tap it to your phone. Voila! (Supported on iPhone XS and newer) - Review and rewrite previous messages from your History to another tag - Format factory-programmed tags as NDEF tags in-app (Supports most common tags such as Type 2 and Type 5 NFC tags) - Read and write directly to a tag's memory - Send custom commands directly to a tag - And of course, target your users better by using a tag's unique identifier Extras: - Dark Mode - Privacy: we collect nothing as you use the app. Supported Devices: - NFC scanning is available on iPhone 7 and newer. iPad and iPod Touch do not have the required hardware. - Background Tag Reading is available on iPhone XS and newer. iOS will present a notification for the first valid link stored on a tag. Supported Tags: - Any NDEF-formatted tags - MIFARE Ultralight - NTAG 213/215/216 - NXP ICODE® Tags, ISO 15693 Tags, and Type 5 Tags Future support for: - MIFARE DESFire Limitations: - MIFARE Classic tags are not currently supported by iOS Future features: - Include a tag's ID and/or its read count in a record - Password-protect an NFC chip - Connect to a Bluetooth device Feel free to Tweet feature requests to me at @0xA1EC
Harbour
Manage multiple Docker servers and containers from your iOS device. Monitor container status, control stacks, and receive background notifications. Requires Portainer to be installed.
- Manage multiple Docker servers
- Control containers and stacks
- Monitor container status and logs
- Home Screen widgets for container insights
- Handoff support for seamless transitions
- Background notifications
- iPadOS support
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Meet Harbour - Portainer management app for iOS! Note: Portainer (https://portainer.io) is required to use Harbour. Multiple Servers & Endpoints Effortlessly manage multiple Docker servers and endpoints from one centralized platform. Whether it's your home server, or production environment at work, Harbour ensures seamless connectivity and control. Manage Your Containers Take charge of your Docker containers with ease. From managing container's states, to monitoring their status and logs, Harbour puts container management at your fingertips. Control Your Stacks Streamline your application deployment process by managing Docker stacks efficiently. With Harbour, you can effortlessly view, start/stop, deploy and remove stacks, ensuring smooth operation of your containerized applications. Widgets - Containers at a Glance Stay informed about your containers' status and performance with Harbour's intuitive widgets. Get (almost) real-time insights right on your Home Screen, keeping you updated without switching between applications. Handoff - Continue Where You Left Off Seamlessly transition between your iOS device and other Apple devices with Handoff support. Start your Docker management tasks on one device and effortlessly continue from where you left off on another, ensuring uninterrupted productivity. Background Notifications Stay informed about important events and updates even when Harbour is not actively in use. Background notifications keep you in the loop, ensuring you never miss critical alerts regarding your Docker containers. iPadOS Support Extend your Docker management capabilities to your iPad with full support for iPadOS. Enjoy the convenience of managing your containers and stacks on a larger screen, whether you're at your desk or on the go. No Telemetry Your privacy matters. Harbour is committed to respecting your privacy by ensuring that no telemetry data is collected :)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Harbour at 88% against Smart NFC's 48%. Harbour also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Smart NFC's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (92 vs 11). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position 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
Smart NFC costs $1.99 and Harbour $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Harbour holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart NFC has 92 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Smart NFC's written reviews are positive against 88% of Harbour's.
Smart NFC ships an update fortnightly, Harbour every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart NFC | Harbour |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (92 ratings) | 5.0 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | 88.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 92 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #63 | #29 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alec O'Connor | Kacper Kaczmarzyk |
Customer experience
Smart NFC
Harbour
In-app purchases
Smart NFC
No in-app purchases
Harbour
No in-app purchases









