NFC Forge vs Macro Deck Companion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NFC Forge
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NFC Forge is an open-source toolkit for reading, writing, duplicating, and managing NFC tags with your iPhone. No ads, no accounts, no trackers, and no cloud. Everything stays on your device. READ • Identify the chip family and decode NDEF records • Inspect lock status and security configuration • View the raw memory of supported tags and export a full .bin dump WRITE • Web links, plain text, phone numbers, email, locations, and FaceTime or WhatsApp shortcuts • Contact cards (vCard), calendar events, App Store links, and social profiles • Payment links (Venmo, PayPal, Cash App), Wi-Fi network tokens, and Bluetooth pairing records • Small embedded files and custom raw NDEF records • Stage several records and write them together as one multi-record NDEF message, with a capacity check against NTAG213, NTAG215, and NTAG216 DUPLICATE • Scan a source tag, save it to your on-device library, and write it to one or more blank tags TOOLS • Erase and format tags • Lock tags permanently to make them read-only • Password-protect supported NTAG tags • Byte-level memory editor, .bin backup and restore, and a raw command console for advanced users • Optionally use your iPhone as an NFC reader for your Mac over your local Wi-Fi network SAFETY FIRST NFC Forge protects lock bytes, capability containers, and password pages during normal writes to help prevent accidentally bricking a tag, and it warns you before any permanent action. SUPPORTED TAGS • Full read and write: NTAG213/215/216, MIFARE Ultralight, and ISO 15693 (ICODE SLIX and others) • NDEF and command passthrough: ISO 7816 Type 4 tags, DESFire, and FeliCa • MIFARE Classic: UID detection only PRIVACY NFC Forge collects no data. Tags you choose to save stay in the app's on-device storage. The source code is available on GitHub under the MIT License. Requires an iPhone with NFC. Some record types, such as Wi-Fi, write a text token that other apps can scan; iOS does not automatically join a network from an NFC tag.
Macro Deck Companion
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a wireless macro pad and control deck for your PC. Macro Deck Companion is the official native app for Macro Deck 3, the free, open source macro software for Windows, macOS and Linux. Run macros, trigger hotkeys, control OBS and your stream, switch scenes, manage audio and launch apps with one tap on customizable buttons. A NATIVE DECK, NOT A WEBSITE Macro Deck Companion draws your deck natively instead of wrapping a browser. Every button, folder, profile, icon, font and animation looks exactly like it does in Macro Deck, but responds faster, with smooth touch input and haptic feedback on every press. Tap, long press and double tap each run their own action. CONNECT IN SECONDS - Automatic discovery finds Macro Deck on your local network - Scan the QR code shown by Macro Deck to pair instantly - Add a connection manually by IP address and port - Wake your computer with Wake-on-LAN before you connect - Sign in once, your session is stored securely on the device MULTIPLE COMPUTERS, ONE APP Save several Macro Deck hosts and keep them open at the same time. Control your gaming PC, your streaming PC and your work laptop from one phone, and see at a glance which ones are online. Choose which connection opens automatically when you launch the app. FAST GESTURE NAVIGATION - Swipe with one finger to move between folders - Swipe up or down to go into a folder or back out - Swipe with two fingers to switch profiles - Swipe with three fingers to jump to another computer THE PERFECT STREAMING CONTROLLER Use your old phone or tablet as a dedicated stream controller and button box on your desk. Start and stop recording, switch scenes, mute your microphone, play sounds, post to chat, control music and media, and run multi-step automations while you stay live. Great for streamers, content creators, gamers, video editors, developers and anyone who wants a custom macro keyboard for productivity. YOUR DEVICE, PART OF YOUR SETUP Macro Deck sees your phone as a real device. It shows the battery level, charging state, orientation and brightness, so you can use them in your own macros. With your permission, your computer can also: - Set the screen brightness and orientation - Vibrate the device - Turn the screen on or off - Bring the deck to the front - Take a screenshot MADE FOR DAILY USE - Background connection keeps your decks ready - Keep the screen on while a deck is open - Built-in screensaver support - Light and dark theme - Liquid Glass that feels at home on iOS - Works on iPhone and iPad in portrait and landscape DIRECT CONNECTION TO YOUR COMPUTER Your deck talks directly to Macro Deck on your own computer, over your local network. Button presses never take a detour through a remote server, which keeps every action fast and reliable. Your sign-in is kept in iOS's keychain, and the app only asks for the access a companion device needs. TRY IT FREE Start a free 7-day trial. One license unlocks Macro Deck Companion on all your devices: buy it once on iPhone or iPad and your Macro Deck shares it with your other devices. Connection management, discovery and settings always stay free to use. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Install Macro Deck 3 on your Windows, macOS or Linux computer 2. Open Macro Deck Companion on your phone or tablet 3. Pick your computer from the list or scan its QR code 4. Sign in and start pressing buttons Macro Deck is a community driven open source project. Need help or have an idea? Visit macro-deck.app and join the community. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NFC Forge at none against Macro Deck Companion's 1. Macro Deck Companion's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Macro Deck Companion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NFC Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | NFC Forge | Macro Deck Companion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Susan Hamilton | Manuel Mayer |
In-app purchases
NFC Forge
No in-app purchases
Macro Deck Companion
- Macro Deck Companion App License$7.99









