# rootshell vs NFC Reader & Writer

The clearest difference is update cadence: NFC Reader & Writer at every 2 days against rootshell's fortnightly. NFC Reader & Writer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and chart position (#84 vs unranked). rootshell's advantage is ratings volume (45 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NFC Reader & Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: rootshell has 45 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, NFC Reader & Writer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | NFC Reader & Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-and-writer-nfc-tool/id6760646021/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#84** |
| Size | 364 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [裕涛 兰](https://appshunter.io/developer/1624361053) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662)

This app provides a powerful, desktop-class terminal emulator with GPU acceleration and native support for SSH, Mosh, and tssh. It offers features like system-wide VPN over SSH, native Git integration, and AI assistance for hands-free command execution and web searches.

**Highlights:** GPU-accelerated terminal, Native SSH and Mosh support, System-wide VPN over SSH, Native Git client, AI voice and text agents, Cloud and Kubernetes integration, Hardware security key support

**In-app purchases:** none


### NFC Reader & Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nfc-reader-and-writer-nfc-tool/id6760646021)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This application allows you to read, write, and manage NFC tags directly from your iPhone. It provides detailed tag analysis, supports various record types for writing, and keeps a history of all your scans.

**Highlights:** Read NFC tag information, Write NDEF records to tags, Manage tags (erase, lock), Scan history with timestamps, Detailed tag analysis, Support for various NFC standards

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is NFC Reader & Writer free?

NFC Reader & Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, rootshell or NFC Reader & Writer?

NFC Reader & Writer is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while NFC Reader & Writer averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do rootshell or NFC Reader & Writer have ads?

Neither rootshell nor NFC Reader & Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, rootshell or NFC Reader & Writer?

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and NFC Reader & Writer every 2 days. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 12, 2026 and NFC Reader & Writer on October 5, 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.*