NTAG213 vs NTAG215 vs NTAG216 — Which Tag Should You Buy?

Quick answer

Pick the smallest one that fits your payload. NTAG213 holds 144 bytes — enough for a short URL. NTAG215 holds 504 bytes, which is the sweet spot for a full vCard or Wi-Fi credentials, and the chip Nintendo uses in every amiibo. NTAG216 holds 888 bytes for multi-record payloads. All three are the same chip family from NXP. Same command set, same iPhone and Android support, same NDEF wrapper. The only thing changing is memory and price.

What they all share

NTAG213, NTAG215, and NTAG216 all comply with the NFC Forum Type 2 Tag specification and ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, operating at 13.56 MHz. Every modern phone can read and write them — that's the whole point of the standard. For a refresher on the physics underneath, our piece on how NFC actually works covers antenna coupling and the 13.56 MHz carrier.

Inside the chip, memory is laid out in 4-byte pages. READ (0x30) returns four pages at a time. WRITE (0xA2) updates one page. Each variant ships with a 7-byte UID, an ECC-based originality signature you can verify against NXP's public key, and an optional password (PWD_AUTH) for write protection. Data lives in the standard NDEF wrapper every consumer tag uses — URL records, text records, MIME records, smart posters.

The only thing the family disagrees on is how many of those pages you actually get.

Per-chip user memory — the number that actually matters

NTAG213 — 144 bytes (45 pages)

The smallest of the three, and the cheapest per unit. 144 bytes is comfortable for a short URL, a paragraph of text, or a Wi-Fi record with a 12-character password. Tight for a full vCard. If you're stamping stickers onto event flyers or restaurant tables and the payload is "tap to open this URL," NTAG213 is the right call.

NTAG215 — 504 bytes (135 pages)

NTAG215 is the most-bought consumer NFC sticker on the market, and the chip Nintendo selected for amiibo. 504 bytes fits a complete vCard, a long URL with UTM parameters, full Wi-Fi credentials, or several short records on one tag. For most makers — digital business cards, smart-home triggers, plant-care tags, asset tracking — NTAG215 is the answer.

NTAG216 — 888 bytes (231 pages)

The big one. 888 bytes covers multi-record NDEF payloads, like a smart-poster record that bundles a URL, a localized title, an action hint, and a fallback text record. Worth the extra money for large vCards with embedded photos, signed records, or use cases where you'll keep rewriting and expanding the tag. Honest note — most consumer tags never come close to filling it.

How to choose for your use case

A practical checklist:

• Short URL or shortlink → NTAG213. Cheaper, plenty of room.
• vCard, Wi-Fi tag, iOS Shortcuts trigger, smart-home automation → NTAG215. The safe default.
• Multi-record smart posters, large vCards, headroom for future rewrites → NTAG216.
• Replacing amiibo-style tags → NTAG215 specifically. Other variants won't pass the chip-type check some games perform.

Form factor matters as much as the chip. The NTAG family ships inside PET stickers, PVC cards, epoxy domes, on-metal labels with a ferrite layer, wristbands, and key fobs. For more on where NFC fits next to its cousins, see where NFC sits next to RFID and Bluetooth.

Doing this with NFCore

NFCore reads the chip type from the capability container the moment you tap a tag. No guessing whether the seller actually shipped what they listed. Write Data picks the right page layout automatically for whatever chip you tapped. Memory Dump shows exactly how many bytes are free on the tag in front of you, so you can plan a payload without trial-and-error. Available on the App Store and Google Play.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which NFC tag does iPhone work with?

All three. iPhone 7 and later read NDEF records on NTAG213, NTAG215, and NTAG216 through Core NFC. iPhone XS and later add Background Tag Reading, so a tap on the back of the phone is enough to trigger a tag without opening a reader app first.

What is the most popular NFC tag for stickers?

NTAG215. Partly because of amiibo, partly because 504 bytes fits a full vCard or a long URL with parameters without paying for the larger NTAG216. A starter pack of generic NFC stickers is almost certainly NTAG215.

Can I tell which chip is inside a sticker before I scan it?

Not by looking. Reputable sellers print the chip family on the listing. Once scanned, NFCore reads the capability container and reports the chip type, free bytes, and lock state. If a listing doesn't name NTAG213, NTAG215, or NTAG216 outright, buy from someone who does.