Trip Reader (NFC) vs Smart NFC Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Trip Reader (NFC)
Access your Chinese public transit card's balance and transaction history using your iPhone's NFC reader. View station names, monthly discounts, and bus routes without needing internet or Bluetooth. Save your travel history and sync it across devices.
- Read balance and history
- Show station names
- Track monthly discounts
- Display bus route numbers
- Save travel history
- Sync to iCloud
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Trip Reader uses iPhone's internal NFC reader to get balance and history from public transit cards issued across China. No Internet or Bluetooth is needed. Main features: • Balance and history • Show station names • Monthly discount policy and progress • Bus route number • Save history and comments • Sync to iCloud ************************************** Beijing Yikatong is not supported due to technical reason. ************************************** Cards supported: • Beijing Hutong Card (京津冀互联互通卡, with T-Union mark) • Tianjin City Card (with T-Union mark) • Nanjing City Card (with T-Union mark) • Suzhou Citizen Card • Shanghai Public Transportation Card (Purple card and T-Union card) • Kunshan Citizen Card • Guangzhou Yang Cheng Tong (CPU card only) • Lingnan Pass • Shenzhen Tong (FeliCa type not supported) • Chengdu Tianfu Tong (CPU card only) • Other T-Union or City Union cards issued across China (some dual-module cards may show T-Union history only) Note: Student cards, senior cards etc. are not supported. This app does not have access to official database. Please use with caution and do not rely on the result.
Smart NFC Tools
Easily read, inspect, and modify NFC tags with this intuitive tool. Write to tags in various formats to trigger actions like opening websites or making calls. Prioritizes user privacy by operating entirely offline.
- Read NFC tag content
- Inspect and modify NFC tags
- Erase, lock, and copy tags
- Write NFC tags in various formats
- Trigger phone calls or open websites
- 100% offline operation
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Smart NFC Tools is the most accessible and easy to use NFC Reader and Writer for mobile devices! With a simple user interface and powerful tools you can interact with NDEF-Formatted NFC cards without any external hardware! - Read, Inspect and modify: Read a tag by touching the back of your device against it and Smart NFC Tools will show you a full report on the tag's content and give you options such as erase, lock and copy. It's super easy! - Write in many formats: Smart NFC Tools enables you to write NFC tags in popular formats that allow for custom interactions such as opening a website or triggering a phone call just by touching the tag with a compatible device! - Note about privacy: Smart NFC Tools works 100% offline, without any personal or content data being sent to an external server or third party server. Your privacy is our priority! Embrace the world of NFC technologies using your phone or tablet! Smart NFC Tools is now available for all iOS devices!
Screenshots
Verdict
Trip Reader (NFC) and Smart NFC Tools both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Trip Reader (NFC)'s written reviews are positive against 30% of Smart NFC Tools's. Trip Reader (NFC) also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Smart NFC Tools's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Smart NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Trip Reader (NFC) asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Trip Reader (NFC) against 4.6 for Smart NFC Tools. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 483 and 476 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Trip Reader (NFC)'s written reviews are positive against 30% of Smart NFC Tools's.
Trip Reader (NFC) ships an update every 2 months, Smart NFC Tools weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Trip Reader (NFC) | Smart NFC Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (483 ratings) — better | 4.6 (476 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 30.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 483 — better | 476 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Domosekai Limited | Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software LTDA. |
Customer experience
Trip Reader (NFC)
Smart NFC Tools
Bugs and requests
Trip Reader (NFC)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Smart NFC Tools
Reported bugs
6 issues- Doesn't work to save contact card
- App glitches
- Doesn't work to read card and fob
- Paid for unlock, but restore doesn't work after iOS update
- Paid for ability to lock tags, but feature does not work
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- App not working after 15 minutes, even after purchase
Requested features
2 requests- Add social media to chips
- Ability to add multiple items to card after paying
In-app purchases
Trip Reader (NFC)
No in-app purchases
Smart NFC Tools
- NFC Tools Premium$1.99
Questions
Is Trip Reader (NFC) free?
Is Smart NFC Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Trip Reader (NFC) or Smart NFC Tools?
Do Trip Reader (NFC) or Smart NFC Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Trip Reader (NFC) or Smart NFC Tools?
Other comparisons
