LF 125–134.2 kHz | ISO 11784/11785 Proprietary 125 kHz formats | Approximately 2–15 cm with passive tags | Low-frequency animal identification tags, access-control key fobs, industrial identification tags | Limited; generally designed for one tag at a time | Reliable near metal, liquids, dirt, and other challenging materials; relatively low sensitivity to tag orientation | Very short range; low data rate; limited memory and relatively large antenna requirements | Animal tracking, vehicle immobilizers, and short-range access control |
HF 13.56 MHz | ISO/IEC 14443 ISO/IEC 15693 NFC-related standards | Approximately 2–10 cm for many 14443 tags; up to about 1 m for selected 15693 systems | Contactless cards, NFC tags, library tags, tickets, smart labels, and high-frequency industrial tags | Low to moderate, depending on the standard and reader design | Strong global standardization; good data security options; suitable for close-range item verification | Not intended for long-distance inventory; performance decreases near conductive materials and liquids | Secure access cards, payment-related systems, smart posters, and short-range asset identification |
UHF 860–960 MHz | EPC Class 1 Gen 2 ISO/IEC 18000-63 EPC Gen2v2 | Typically 3–12 m with passive tags; selected systems may reach approximately 15 m or more under favorable conditions | RAIN RFID labels, pallet tags, hang tags, windshield tags, rugged asset tags, and on-metal UHF tags | High; designed for rapid identification of many tags in the reader field | Best passive-RFID option for long-distance reading, fast inventory, and large tag populations | Performance is affected by liquids, metal, tag orientation, antenna polarization, regional regulations, and reader installation | Warehouses, logistics, retail inventory, manufacturing lines, vehicle tracking, and access gates |
Microwave 2.45 GHz | ISO/IEC 18000-4 Active or semi-active proprietary systems | Approximately 10–100 m or more with active tags; passive range is generally much shorter | Active asset tags, vehicle identification tags, industrial sensors, and specialized tracking tags | High with suitable anti-collision software and system design | Potentially long range; supports higher data rates and sensor-oriented applications | Active tags require batteries; greater sensitivity to obstructions and radio interference; less universal tag availability | High-value asset tracking, vehicle telemetry, industrial monitoring, and specialized location systems |
UHF Regional Variant China: commonly 920–925 MHz | Regional implementations of EPC Class 1 Gen 2 / ISO/IEC 18000-63 | Typically 3–12 m with passive tags, subject to antenna gain, transmit power, tag type, and local regulations | Passive UHF tags configured for the same regional frequency range and protocol | High when the reader supports dense-reader operation and standard anti-collision features | Well suited to deployments in China when the reader, antennas, and tags are configured for local spectrum requirements | Readers intended for other regions may not provide the correct frequency coverage or legal transmit settings | Domestic Chinese warehouse, factory, retail, and logistics deployments |