# TopDecked MTG vs Helvault

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TopDecked MTG at 73% against Helvault's 32%. TopDecked MTG also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 293). Helvault's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TopDecked MTG sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Helvault sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TopDecked MTG holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TopDecked MTG has 2.8K ratings behind it against 293, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of TopDecked MTG's written reviews are positive against 32% of Helvault's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TopDecked MTG | Helvault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topdecked-mtg/id1173388234/reviews)** | [4.2 (293 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helvault-mtg-scanner/id6451158920/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 293 |
| Positive reviews | **73.3% of reviews** | 31.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 47 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [TopDecked Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1173388233) | [Vitor Cesco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466963200) |

## 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


### Helvault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helvault-mtg-scanner/id6451158920)

Effortlessly manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection with an AI-powered scanner. Organize, filter, and analyze your cards with detailed stats and pricing information. Sync across devices and export your collection.

**Highlights:** AI-powered MTG card scanner, Unlimited card collection storage, Detailed collection statistics, Card pricing and details, CSV collection export, iCloud syncing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Common Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rare Donation | $4.99 | one-time |
| iCloud Syncing | $4.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Card Export/Import | $6.99 | one-time |
| MTG Card Scanner - Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mythic Donation | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent scanning and recognition
- 👍 Versatile product for managing collections
- 🚀 Quick and easy to use
- 👍 Dedicated developer with good customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent card scanning, struggles with certain card types
- 💰 Expensive, especially for users who already paid for the legacy app
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔀 Difficulty moving cards between binders
- 🔒 No way to restore scans/data on new devices

**Reported bugs**

- Keypad issues when searching
- Disappearing settings icons
- Incorrect set identification for some cards
- Missing card prices and details

**Requested features**

- Deck building and management tools
- Advanced search and filtering options
- Bulk card management and transfer
- Improved support for special card versions and frames
- Seamless data migration from legacy app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TopDecked MTG free?

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

### Is Helvault free?

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

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

TopDecked MTG is rated higher. TopDecked MTG averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Helvault averages 4.2 from 293 ratings.

### Do TopDecked MTG or Helvault have ads?

TopDecked MTG shows ads; Helvault does not.

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

TopDecked MTG ships an update fortnightly, and Helvault fortnightly. Most recently, TopDecked MTG was updated on November 6, 2026 and Helvault on November 3, 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.*