# TopDecked MTG vs Gauntlet

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gauntlet at none against TopDecked MTG's 6. Gauntlet also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). TopDecked MTG's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 299) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TopDecked MTG sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Gauntlet asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for TopDecked MTG against 4.9 for Gauntlet. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TopDecked MTG has 2.6K ratings behind it against 299, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of TopDecked MTG's written reviews are positive against 83% of Gauntlet's.

TopDecked MTG ships an update fortnightly, Gauntlet weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TopDecked MTG | Gauntlet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topdecked-mtg/id1173388234/reviews) | **[4.9 (299 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 299 |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TopDecked Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1173388233) | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) |

## What reviewers say

### TopDecked MTG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topdecked-mtg/id1173388234)

This app is a comprehensive tool for Magic: The Gathering players. It allows users to build, simulate, and manage decks, track card collections, and stay updated on game trends and tournament results.

**Highlights:** Intuitive deck builder with legality checking, Virtual battlefield for deck simulation, Life counter for up to 6 players, Advanced card search with pricing, Collection tracker with value estimation, Metagame analysis and tournament results, Deck import/export for Arena and MTGO

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spark (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Powered (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Elite (Monthly) | $8.49 | per month |
| Spark (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Powered (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |
| Elite (Yearly) | $84.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic mobile experience
- 👍 Great deck builder and management tool
- 💡 Helpful features like deck simulation and price tracking
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🚀 Responsive and helpful customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy performance, crashes, and data loss issues
- 💰 Subscription model with limited free features
- 🔍 Unintuitive and limited search functionality
- 🔍 Incomplete card database and missing new cards
- 👁‍🗨 Small font size and poor visual accessibility

**Reported bugs**

- Decks disappearing or reverting to previous versions
- Card prices not displaying correctly
- Slow loading times and freezing issues
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Card scanning functionality
- Improved deck sharing and collaboration
- More advanced deck building and analysis tools
- Better integration with other Magic platforms


### Gauntlet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players track game lives, build and customize decks, and record game history. It offers detailed stats for players and decks, supports multiple players, and includes a powerful hand simulator.

**Highlights:** Life tracking for up to 6 players, Deck building and importing, Game history and stats, Hand simulator, Deck customization with card art, Deck organization with folders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great deck builder
- 👍 Excellent life tracker
- 👍 Covers player profiles and match records
- 👍 Useful for tracking win/loss records
- 👍 Good for looking at card collections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Search engine requires precise typing
- 🐛 General load time for cards is slow
- 🐛 Scrolling on the board can be annoying
- 🐛 App appears small on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Does not track win-rate for non-primary deck in matches

**Reported bugs**

- Developers have seemingly given up (according to one review)
- App ruined for jailbroken phones (iOS 14 and up)
- Board scrolls every time life or counters are moved
- Does not track win-rate for the deck not shown as primary in a match
- App is very small on iPad Pro

**Requested features**

- Scan cars to make adding decks easier
- More precise search engine
- Faster card loading times
- Display card prices
- Scan cards in deck building


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TopDecked MTG free?

TopDecked MTG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gauntlet free?

Gauntlet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TopDecked MTG or Gauntlet?

Gauntlet is rated higher. TopDecked MTG averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Gauntlet averages 4.9 from 299 ratings.

### Do TopDecked MTG or Gauntlet have ads?

TopDecked MTG shows ads; Gauntlet does not.

### Which is updated more often, TopDecked MTG or Gauntlet?

TopDecked MTG ships an update fortnightly, and Gauntlet weekly. Most recently, TopDecked MTG was updated on September 22, 2026 and Gauntlet on September 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*