Comparison

Trip Reader (NFC) vs Now VPN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Read balance and history
  • Show station names
  • Track monthly discounts
  • Display bus route numbers
  • Save travel history
  • Sync to iCloud
Read full description

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.

About

Now VPN

This app provides a secure and private way to browse the internet with a global network of high-speed servers. It offers unlimited time, data, and bandwidth, with an option for an ad-free premium experience. Protect your online activity and connect safely on public Wi-Fi.

Highlights
  • Unlimited time, data, and bandwidth
  • Ad-free premium trial
  • Zero logs policy
  • Automatic fastest server connection
  • One-tap connect/disconnect
  • Strong encryption
Features
Read full description

Now VPN – Fast & Secure Proxy Now VPN is a free VPN proxy for iPhone, offering 200+ high-speed servers worldwide. Download today and enjoy safe, private, and unrestricted online access. KEY FEATURES * Unlimited time, data, and bandwidth (with ads) * Try Premium features free for up to 7 days (ad-free) * Zero logs policy – your activity is never tracked * Automatic connection to the fastest available server * Simple one-tap connect and disconnect * Strong encryption to safeguard your security and privacy WHAT CAN I DO WITH NOW VPN? * Browse the internet safely and anonymously * Stay protected on public WiFi networks * Securely connect to another network over the internet FAST GLOBAL SERVERS Access the fastest VPN servers in 100+ locations, ensuring your connection stays private and protected from online threats. PRIVACY FIRST Your online freedom and security are our top priority. We never log or share your browsing activity. Do you want complete security and peace of mind while browsing? Now VPN is designed to protect your privacy and keep your connection secure anywhere, anytime. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION * Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. * Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. * Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, with renewal cost provided. * Subscriptions can be managed by the user. Auto-renewal may be turned off in Account Settings. * Cancellations and refunds are managed by the App Store. * Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Terms of Service: https://now-vpn.com/termsofService.html Privacy Policy: https://now-vpn.com/privacyPolicy.html

Screenshots

Trip Reader (NFC)4 screens
Now VPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Trip Reader (NFC) at none against Now VPN's 10. Trip Reader (NFC) also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (93% vs 72%). Now VPN's advantage is ratings volume (70K vs 525) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Now VPN sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Trip Reader (NFC) asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Trip Reader (NFC) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Now VPN has 70K ratings behind it against 525, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Trip Reader (NFC)'s written reviews are positive against 72% of Now VPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trip Reader (NFC) ships an update every 2 months, Now VPN every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Trip Reader (NFC) versus Now VPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrip Reader (NFC)Now VPN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (525 ratings) — better4.5 (70K ratings)
Positive reviews92.9% of reviews — better71.8% of reviews
Number of ratings52570K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB167 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDomosekai Limitedworld creation technology limited

Customer experience

Trip Reader (NFC)

All ratings483 ratings
Positive89.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%

Now VPN

All ratings66,052 ratings
Positive85.6%
Neutral6.4%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive71.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative22.4%

Bugs and requests

Trip Reader (NFC)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Now VPN

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login error
  • Subscription issues
  • Slow performance

Requested features

2 requests
  • PC version
  • Clarification on subscription plans

In-app purchases

None

Trip Reader (NFC)

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Now VPN

Subscriptions8
  • 1 Month$2.991 Month
  • 1 Week$3.997 Days
  • 1 Month3 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • 3 Months$7.993 Months
  • 1 Month1 Month trial$7.991 Month
  • 1 Year3 variants$19.991 Year
  • 1 Year Special$59.991 Year
  • 1 Year Special trial7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Trip Reader (NFC) free?
Trip Reader (NFC) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Now VPN free?
Now VPN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Trip Reader (NFC) or Now VPN?
Trip Reader (NFC) is rated higher. Trip Reader (NFC) averages 4.7 out of 5 from 525 ratings, while Now VPN averages 4.5 from 70K ratings.
Do Trip Reader (NFC) or Now VPN have ads?
Now VPN shows ads; Trip Reader (NFC) does not.
Which is updated more often, Trip Reader (NFC) or Now VPN?
Trip Reader (NFC) ships an update every 2 months, and Now VPN every 3 weeks. Most recently, Trip Reader (NFC) was updated on November 3, 2026 and Now VPN on November 4, 2026.

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