Comparison

NFC Commander vs Maintenance by Socket Mobile

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

Head to head
About

NFC Commander

This utility app allows you to read and write data to NFC cards. It supports multiple data reads and writes, various data types, and specific formats for auto-recognition on newer iPhones. An advanced version offers additional features.

Highlights
  • Read NFC card data
  • Write data to NFC cards
  • Multiple data reads/writes
  • Support for multiple data types
  • Specific format writing for auto-recognition
  • Dark mode support
Read full description

NFCommander identifies NFC tags on iPhone, then reads and writes NDEF when the tag has it. Hold a sticker or card to see UID, technology, and capacity. Write a link, text, or vCard, clone a scan onto another sticker, or permanently lock the next tag you hold. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no account. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Identify MIFARE, ISO 15693, FeliCa, and ISO 7816 tags (iPhone 7 and later) • See UID, maker, capacity, and whether a tag is writable or locked • Read NDEF records: links, text, vCard, Smart Poster, and more • Write templates: link, text, email, phone, message, maps, vCard, or a custom NDEF record • Copy a scanned tag and write it to another writable sticker • Permanently lock a physical tag with the system writeLock API • Keep scan history on your iPhone, including UID COMPATIBILITY • Bank cards, secure ID documents, and dynamic-ID transit cards are handled by Apple Pay and cannot be read here • iOS restricts third-party apps from using MIFARE Classic or reading tags in the background • NFC is available on supported iPhones only • Locking a tag cannot be undone PRIVACY FIRST • Identify, read, write, and lock happen on your iPhone • No cloud, no analytics, no tracking, no sign-in • UID and records never leave your iPhone unless you copy or share them FREE AND PREMIUM • Identifying a tag and viewing UID, technology, and capacity is free • Premium unlocks writing, cloning, locking, and every NDEF record on a multi-record tag

About

Maintenance by Socket Mobile

This utility app allows users to upgrade the firmware on Socket Mobile Bluetooth LE NFC readers and barcode scanners. It provides information on current and available firmware, device statistics, and configuration details.

Highlights
  • Firmware upgrade
  • Display firmware information
  • Device statistics
  • Device configuration
  • Identify reader
Features
Read full description

Maintenance by Socket Mobile implements the user interface to upgrade firmware of Socket Mobile Bluetooth LE NFC reader/writer, barcode scanners and perform other maintenance functions. Supported Functionality 1. Display operating firmware (GATT information) 2. Display firmware available for download 3. Perform firmware upgrade (download and flash instructions) 4. Display device statistics (no user information is shared) 5. Display device configuration information 6. Identify this reader This app is intended for advanced users. For questions and help, please contact support@socketmobile.com The Socket NFC readers which combines the latest 13.56 MHz contactless technology with Bluetooth 5 connectivity. They supports ISO 14443 Type A and B smart cards, ISO 15693 tags, MIFARE®, FeliCa®, and most NFC tags and devices compliant with ISO 18092 standard. The Countertop product supports two Bluetooth profiles: HID Keyboard Emulation (for native App support) and App Mode (for custom App development using our CaptureSDK). Please visit https://www.socketmobile.com for additional product information. CaptureSDK information is available at https://www.socketmobile.com/developers

Screenshots

NFC Commander4 screens
Maintenance by Socket Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maintenance by Socket Mobile at none against NFC Commander's 1. Maintenance by Socket Mobile also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). NFC Commander's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NFC Commander sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Maintenance by Socket Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Maintenance by Socket Mobile holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NFC Commander has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NFC Commander ships an update every 34 months, Maintenance by Socket Mobile every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NFC Commander versus Maintenance by Socket Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNFC CommanderMaintenance by Socket Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 19 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer袁杰 张Socket Mobile

Customer experience

NFC Commander

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Maintenance by Socket Mobile

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NFC Commander

One-time1
  • Premium Edition$0.99
None

Maintenance by Socket Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NFC Commander free?
NFC Commander is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Maintenance by Socket Mobile free?
Maintenance by Socket Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NFC Commander or Maintenance by Socket Mobile?
Maintenance by Socket Mobile is rated higher. NFC Commander averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Maintenance by Socket Mobile averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NFC Commander or Maintenance by Socket Mobile have ads?
Neither NFC Commander nor Maintenance by Socket Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NFC Commander or Maintenance by Socket Mobile?
NFC Commander ships an update every 34 months, and Maintenance by Socket Mobile every 19 months. Most recently, NFC Commander was updated on November 3, 2026 and Maintenance by Socket Mobile on November 6, 2026.

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