Attribute

Active Tags

Passive Tags

Power Sources

Built-in Battery

Electromagnetic Induction

Reading Capability

Higher (22 to 102 m)

Lower (Up to 2.5 m)

Required Signal Strength

Lower

Higher

Tag Cost

Higher ($14 to $100)

Lower ($0.15 to $5)

Data Storage

Large read/write data (128 kb)

Small read/write (128 kb)

Size

Larger

Smaller

Weight

Larger

Smaller

Tag Life

Smaller (3 to 8 years

depending upon tag

transmission rate)

Larger (Up to 10 years

depending upon the

environment the tag is in)

Tag Readers

Cheap

Expensive