Nowadays, there are many different ways of sharing content between mobile devices. At the top of the list sit NFC and Bluetooth. These are two of the most straightforward ways of sending information and they are both strictly for short-range transfers.

With their similarities, it's hard to see any differences between the two. It's worth taking a dive into what makes these methods different.

Here are the main differences between NFC and Bluetooth.

What Is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth logo in the center of six devices

Bluetooth has been around long before the first smartphones captivated audiences. It was first developed by Swedish telecommunications company, Ericsson, back in 1989.

Originally, Bluetooth was designed for connecting wireless headsets to computers. Though it was established back then, it wasn't until 1998 that it officially got its name.

Bluetooth was first showcased as a consumer technology at COMDEX 1999. It was showcased alongside a wild new technology called the MP3 player. A wireless Bluetooth headset was introduced at that event.

Bluetooth uses electromagnetic radiation. It occupies a certain band or range of radio frequencies. The range is from 2.400MHz to 2483.5MHz—which is in the microwave range and similar to some forms of 5G.

Though they have similar bands, the signal that travels via Bluetooth is more than 1,000 times weaker than the one that travels through the 5G towers.

Bluetooth can have many uses, but there are some core tasks that it's used for the most:

  • Transferring music from a smartphone to a speaker or pair of headphones.
  • Sending files to different devices.
  • Connecting devices such as video game controllers and smartwatches.

What Is NFC?

person holding credit card to pink terminal

NFC stands for "Near Field Communication". It's a technology that, like Bluetooth, is used for the primary task of transferring data over short distances.

NFC is based on the technology called RFID, also known as "Radio Frequency Identification". In 2003, NFC was approved as an ISO/IEC standard.

The core premise of RFID has been retained in NFC. There are two components when it comes to NFC: the reader, and the tag.

The reader is responsible for sending out an electromagnetic signal (13.56MHz), and the tag is a small chip that's surrounded by a coil. When the radio signal hits the tag, the electromagnetic wave causes a small electric current to run through the coil. This current is just enough for the tag to send a small bit of information back to the reader.

This describes one of the more interesting aspects of NFC—the tag doesn't have to be powered. There are powered tags, but items like credit cards use unpowered ones. This makes it possible to place tags on more items.

Related: Does Your Computer Have Bluetooth Built-In?

So, What Are the Differences?

man with white headphones with wooden wall background

 Bluetooth and NFC are both similar and very different. There's quite a large disparity between the frequencies that they operate on. This is significant because the higher the frequency, the more data that can be transmitted per second. Bluetooth's wavelength is about 176.8 times shorter than that of NFC. Because of that, Bluetooth's transfer speed is much faster than NFC's.

NFC's transfer speed averages around 424 kilobits per second (Kb/s). Bluetooth's average transfer speed, meanwhile, has increased with each generation. The average transfer speed of Bluetooth 5 is around two megabits per second (Mb/s), which is over times faster than NFC.

On the other hand, NFC wins out when it comes to power efficiency. Since NFC uses a lower frequency, it consumes less energy when transferring data.

Another thing to think about is security. Believe it or not, hackers can gain access to your phone via Bluetooth. Bluetooth's added range affords hackers a better opportunity to access your phone. This is why it's important to protect your Bluetooth-enabled devices from hackers.

In terms of convenience, there's no clear winner. The charm of NFC is the convenience of simply tapping two items together to initiate the transfer. This eliminates the need to pair devices like in the case of Bluetooth. But if the devices can't be physically put together, then Bluetooth is more convenient because it has a much larger range.

Now the Differences Between Bluetooth and NFC Are Clearer

On the surface, Bluetooth and NFC seem like one and the same. But under the surface, there's a world of difference.

Bluetooth is much faster when it comes to transferring files, but NFC is better when it comes to power consumption and more security.

As for which one is better overall, that's a question that is specific to the individual. Give both a try and see which one you prefer.