Smart NFC Tools vs Arcade Card Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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!
Arcade Card Reader
This utility app uses NFC to scan and save data from various arcade and transit cards. It supports a wide range of card types, including e-amusement passes, FeliCa-based travel cards, and amusement IC cards. All scanned data can be stored within the app for quick retrieval.
- Read card numbers and serial numbers
- Scan access codes
- Identify card types
- Save scanned data
- Supports e-amusement passes
- Supports FeliCa-based travel IC cards
- Supports Amusement IC cards
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Allows you to read card numbers, serial numbers, access codes, card type, and more from various arcade cards using NFC. Once read, the data can be saved to the app for easy access later. Supported cards include: - e-amusement passes (all types) - FeliCa-based Travel IC cards such as PASMO, Suica, ICOCA, Octopus, etc. - Amusement IC cards from Konami, Sega, Taito, and Bandai Namco - Unofficial Amusement IC cards - Other FeliCa-based NFC tags such as Sony XM-series headphones - NESiCA cards
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Smart NFC Tools at 4.6 against Arcade Card Reader's 3.8. Smart NFC Tools also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (478 vs 4). Arcade Card Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (50% vs 30%). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Smart NFC Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Arcade Card Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Smart NFC Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart NFC Tools has 478 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Smart NFC Tools's written reviews are positive against 50% of Arcade Card Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Smart NFC Tools ships an update weekly, Arcade Card Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart NFC Tools | Arcade Card Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (478 ratings) — better | 3.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 30.3% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 478 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Arthur Eduardo Skaetta Alvarez Desenvolvimento de Software LTDA. | Rem Tech AS |
Customer experience
Smart NFC Tools
Arcade Card Reader
Bugs and 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
Arcade Card Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Smart NFC Tools
- NFC Tools Premium$1.99
Arcade Card Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Smart NFC Tools free?
Is Arcade Card Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Smart NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader?
Do Smart NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smart NFC Tools or Arcade Card Reader?
Other comparisons
