| Frequency Range | LF 125 KHz | HF 13.56 MHz | UHF 868 - 915 MHz | Microwave 2.45 GHz & 5.8 GHz |
| Typical Max Read Range (Passive Tags) | < 0.5 m | approx 1 m | 2 - 10 m | 1- 2m |
| General Characteristics | Relatively expensive, even at high production volumes. Least susceptible to performance degradations from metal and liquids, though read range is very short. | Less expensive than LF tags. Relatively short read range and slower data rates when compared to higher frequencies. Best suited for application that do not require long read ranges. | Potentially lower cost than HF and much lower than LF tags. Offers good balance between range and performance. | Similar characteristics to UHF. A drawback to this band is that microwave transmissions are the most susceptible to performance degradations due to metal and liquids, among other materials. |
| Tag Power Source | Generally passive tags only, using inductive coupling | Generally passive tags only, using inductive coupling | Active tags with integral battery or passive tags using propagating E-field coupling | Active tags with integral battery or passive tags using propagating E-field coupling |
| Typical Applications Today | Access control, animal tracking, vehicle immobilizers, POS application including SpeedPass | "Smart Cards", Item-level tracking including baggage handling, libraries and perishable foodstuffs | Pallet tracking, electronic toll collection, baggage handling (US), asset management and high value item tagging | SCM, electronic toll collection |
| Notes | Largest installed base due to the mature nature of low frequency, inductive transponders | Currently the most widely availableą frequency worldwide as it is globally allocated to ISM. Used for contactless smart cards | The USA has the most radio spectrum available, Europe, Japan and the Far East have limited spectrum resulting in slower data rates and the need for smarter system design for dense reader environments. | This band is shared with Blue Tooth, wireless LANs and a plethora of license free devices. Power is limited in most regulatory environments which means reduced read ranges. |
| Data Rate | Slower | «----------------------------------- | -----------------------------------------» | Faster |
| Ability to read near metal or wet surfaces | Better | «----------------------------------- | -----------------------------------------» | Worse |
| Passive Tag Size | Larger | «----------------------------------- | -----------------------------------------» | Smaller |