# Smart NFC vs Shell Keyboard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shell Keyboard at 100% against Smart NFC's 48%. Shell Keyboard also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and chart position (#4 vs #48). Smart NFC's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and ratings volume (92 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Smart NFC costs $1.99 and Shell Keyboard $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shell Keyboard 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 1, 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 100% of Shell Keyboard's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart NFC | Shell Keyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (92 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-nfc/id1470146079/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-keyboard/id6811290737/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **92** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #48 | **#4** |
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alec O'Connor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1071776026) | [Nguyen Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1071455830) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart NFC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-nfc/id1470146079)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shell Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shell-keyboard/id6811290737)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Developer Tools, #129 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This custom keyboard provides essential keys like Ctrl, Esc, and arrow keys that are missing from the standard iOS keyboard. It's designed for terminal applications, sending precise control codes and escape sequences for seamless command-line interaction on iOS and iPadOS devices.

**Highlights:** Dedicated terminal layer with Ctrl, Esc, Tab, arrow keys, Ctrl and Alt as proper modifiers with lock functionality, Full function-key layer (F1-F12), Configurable arrow key behavior for different apps, Multiple keyboard layouts for iPad (60% and 75%), Seven customizable themes (light and dark), Privacy-focused, no Full Access required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart NFC free?

Smart NFC costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shell Keyboard free?

Shell Keyboard costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Smart NFC or Shell Keyboard?

Shell Keyboard is rated higher. Smart NFC averages 4.5 out of 5 from 92 ratings, while Shell Keyboard averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Smart NFC or Shell Keyboard have ads?

Neither Smart NFC nor Shell Keyboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart NFC or Shell Keyboard?

Smart NFC ships an update fortnightly, and Shell Keyboard fortnightly. Most recently, Smart NFC was updated on November 3, 2026 and Shell Keyboard on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Smart NFC or Shell Keyboard?

Smart NFC currently peaks at #48 in the App Store charts, and Shell Keyboard at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*