# Smartcard Reader vs MSR Control

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smartcard Reader at none against MSR Control's 4. Smartcard Reader also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). MSR Control's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MSR Control sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Smartcard Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smartcard Reader ships an update every 2 months, MSR Control fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smartcard Reader | MSR Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.2 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msr-control-read-and-write/id6499517595/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **70** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FEITIAN Technologies Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/398121823) | [新雨 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559932632) |

## What reviewers say

### Smartcard Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartcard-reader/id525954151)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### MSR Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msr-control-read-and-write/id6499517595)

This utility app allows users to manage magnetic cards using a Bluetooth-enabled MSR device. It provides functionality to read, write, and duplicate various types of magnetic stripe cards with a focus on ease of use and secure operations.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth connectivity for MSR devices, Read, write, and copy magnetic cards, User-friendly interface, Wide magnetic card compatibility, Secure transaction operations

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $4.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $9.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smartcard Reader free?

Smartcard Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MSR Control free?

MSR Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Smartcard Reader or MSR Control have ads?

Neither Smartcard Reader nor MSR Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smartcard Reader or MSR Control?

Smartcard Reader ships an update every 2 months, and MSR Control fortnightly. Most recently, Smartcard Reader was updated on June 9, 2026 and MSR Control on September 24, 2026.

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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.*