# Mobile Card Reader Utility vs NFC Mate

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mobile Card Reader Utility at none against NFC Mate's 1. NFC Mate's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NFC Mate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mobile Card Reader Utility asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mobile Card Reader Utility ships an update every 2 months, NFC Mate weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mobile Card Reader Utility | NFC Mate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-mate-nfc-reader-and-writer/id6738902054/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **15** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Advanced Card Systems Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/573447624) | [Isitan SENSOY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1782854522) |

## What reviewers say

### Mobile Card Reader Utility

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobile-card-reader-utility/id6478258371)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### NFC Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-mate-nfc-reader-and-writer/id6738902054)

Manage NFC tags with ease. Read, write, copy, erase, and lock NFC tags quickly. Supports NDEF format and tracks your recent activity for efficient NFC operations.

**Highlights:** Read and write NFC tags, Copy and erase NFC tags, Lock NFC tags to make them read-only, Track recent read/write history, Support for NDEF format

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NFC Mate Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mobile Card Reader Utility free?

Mobile Card Reader Utility is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NFC Mate free?

NFC Mate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Mobile Card Reader Utility or NFC Mate have ads?

Neither Mobile Card Reader Utility nor NFC Mate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mobile Card Reader Utility or NFC Mate?

Mobile Card Reader Utility ships an update every 2 months, and NFC Mate weekly. Most recently, Mobile Card Reader Utility was updated on October 7, 2026 and NFC Mate on October 22, 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.*