Comparison

SpoolSense vs SpoolTagWriter

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

Head to head
About

SpoolSense

This app transforms your iPhone into an NFC reader and writer for 3D printing filament spools. It instantly displays filament details and allows you to read, write, and edit tag information. Optional integrations sync with inventory management systems and send spool data directly to your 3D printer.

Highlights
  • NFC reader and writer for filament spools
  • Reads material, brand, color, temperatures, and remaining amount
  • Supports five tag formats (OpenPrintTag, OpenSpool, TigerTag, OpenTag3D, NFC+)
  • Write blank tags or edit existing ones
  • Optional Spoolman inventory synchronization
  • Optional direct sending to compatible 3D printers
  • No account, subscription, server, or cloud required
Features
Read full description

SpoolSense turns your iPhone into an NFC reader and writer for 3D-printing filament spools. Tap a tagged spool and SpoolSense instantly shows you what it is: material, brand, color, nozzle and bed temperatures, filament diameter, density, and how much is left on the roll. No typing, no guessing which spool is which. READ AND WRITE FIVE TAG FORMATS - OpenPrintTag (ISO 15693, ICODE SLIX2) - OpenSpool (ISO 14443A, NTAG215/216) - TigerTag (ISO 14443A, NTAG213/215/216) - OpenTag3D (ISO 14443A, NTAG215/216) - NFC+ - register any blank tag's UID against your inventory Write a blank tag from scratch, or read an existing tag and edit it. SpoolSense verifies every write by reading the tag back. WORKS ON ITS OWN Reading and writing tags needs nothing but your iPhone and a tag. No account, no subscription, no server, no cloud. SpoolSense collects no data whatsoever. OPTIONAL: SPOOLMAN INVENTORY Point SpoolSense at a self-hosted Spoolman server and your whole filament inventory syncs to your phone. Browse every spool, search by material or vendor, see remaining weight at a glance, and get a low-spool warning at a threshold you choose. Scans update Spoolman automatically, and used filament is deducted for you. OPTIONAL: SEND TO YOUR PRINTER Scan a spool and push it straight to the printer you just loaded it into: - Snapmaker U1 - assign the spool to a channel over your local network - Klipper with AFC / Happy Hare / a toolchanger - route through SpoolSense middleware for tool assignment and automatic deductions - Plain Klipper - scans keep Spoolman up to date Pick any combination, or none. A phone can roam between printers. PRIVACY Everything lives on your own devices and your own servers. SpoolSense has no analytics, no tracking, no accounts, and no ads, and it never sends your data anywhere. REQUIREMENTS NFC scanning and writing require a physical iPhone (iPhone 7 or later). Spoolman and printer integration are optional and require software you run yourself on your own network.

About

SpoolTagWriter

Easily read and write NFC tags for 3D printer filament spools using your iPhone. View stored filament data, create new tags with presets or custom settings, and streamline spool management for a faster, cleaner 3D printing workflow.

Highlights
  • Read NFC filament tags
  • View parsed spool data
  • Inspect raw NFC data
  • Write tags with preset profiles
  • Create custom spool settings
  • Streamlined iPhone workflow
Features
Read full description

SpoolTagWriter lets you read and write NFC tags for 3D printer filament spools from your iPhone. Use it to scan existing spool tags, view the stored filament data, and create new tags with either preset profiles or custom settings. The app is designed to make spool setup faster, cleaner, and easier to manage without digging through raw tag values by hand. Features: - Scan compatible NFC filament tags - View parsed spool data including brand, material, color, diameter, weight, and extruder temperature range - Inspect raw NFC page data for supported tags - Write tags using preset filament profiles - Browse presets by brand, material type, and color - Create custom spool settings for your own filament - Choose custom colors visually or by entering a hex value - Write spool data in a streamlined iPhone-first workflow SpoolTagWriter is built for makers who want a simple way to manage filament tag data and prepare spools for supported 3D printing workflows.

Screenshots

SpoolSense4 screens
SpoolTagWriter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SpoolSense at 5.0 against SpoolTagWriter's 1.0. SpoolSense also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SpoolSense holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SpoolSense versus SpoolTagWriter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpoolSenseSpoolTagWriter
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developershane jordanVictor Nava

In-app purchases

None

SpoolSense

No in-app purchases

None

SpoolTagWriter

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SpoolSense free?
SpoolSense is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpoolTagWriter free?
SpoolTagWriter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SpoolSense or SpoolTagWriter?
SpoolSense is rated higher. SpoolSense averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SpoolTagWriter averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SpoolSense or SpoolTagWriter have ads?
Neither SpoolSense nor SpoolTagWriter shows ads.

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