# Spells List 5e vs D&D Beyond

The clearest difference is monetization model: D&D Beyond at free with in-app purchases against Spells List 5e's subscription. D&D Beyond also leads on ratings volume (91K vs 3.3K) and chart position (#62 vs unranked). Spells List 5e's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 54%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spells List 5e sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and D&D Beyond sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Spells List 5e against 4.7 for D&D Beyond. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: D&D Beyond has 91K ratings behind it against 3.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Spells List 5e's written reviews are positive against 54% of D&D Beyond's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spells List 5e | D&D Beyond |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spells-list-5e/id1220380339/reviews)** | [4.7 (91K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3.3K | **91K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.9% of reviews** | 54.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#62** |
| Size | 36 MB | 333 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Ilario Del sorbo](https://appshunter.io/developer/631191336) | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) |

## What reviewers say

### Spells List 5e

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spells-list-5e/id1220380339)

Quickly find Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition spells with a powerful search and filtering system. Organize spells into character spellbooks and even create custom spells. Supports multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Fast spell search, Dozens of filters, Character spellbooks, Custom spell creation, All official 5e sources, Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock all - 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlock all - 1 year | $14.99 | per year |
| Micro Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Filter by Dragonmarks | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Icons | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock infinite Spellbooks | $2.69 | one-time |
| Unlock Import/Export Character | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all - Lifetime | $28.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient spell reference
- 📚 Comprehensive spell list
- 🔍 Helpful filters and search
- 👍 Easy to use and organize spells
- 🎨 Customizable character spellbooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔀 Inconsistent spell descriptions
- 🔒 Paid features locked behind paywall
- 🤔 Missing some spells from newer books
- 🎨 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased premium features not working properly
- Crashes when adding custom spells to characters
- Inconsistent behavior when filtering spells

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit official spell descriptions
- Filter spells by damage type or other criteria
- Automatic tracking of spell slots and concentration
- Support for homebrew classes and races
- Sync spellbooks across multiple devices


### D&D Beyond

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/d-and-d-beyond/id1501810129)

**Currently charting:** #62 Top Grossing · Entertainment (US App Store)

Manage your Dungeons & Dragons characters, access your digital library of adventures and sourcebooks, and roll dice with a built-in dice roller. This app provides offline access to your content and tools to make gameplay faster and more convenient for players and Dungeon Masters alike.

**Highlights:** Digital character sheets, Built-in dice roller, Offline library access, Guided character creator, Monster stat lookup, Spell and item management

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hero Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Master Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Hero Annual | $25.99 | per year |
| Master Annual | $54.99 | per year |
| Valda’s Spire of Secrets:... | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Pugilist Class (2024) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Valda’s Spire of Secrets | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Illrigger Revised | $14.99 | one-time |
| Grim Hollow: Player Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Eberron: Forge of the... | $19.99 | one-time |
| Monster Manual | $29.99 | one-time |
| The Book of Many Things | $29.99 | one-time |
| Dungeon Master's Guide | $29.99 | one-time |
| Xanathar's Guide to Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player's Handbook | $29.99 | one-time |
| Monsters of the Multiverse | $29.99 | one-time |
| Player’s Handbook (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Heliana’s Guide to Monster... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Obojima: Tales from the... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Monster Manual (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| The Griffon’s Saddlebag:... | $29.99 | one-time |
| Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Ravenloft: The Horrors Within | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lord of the Rings Roleplaying | $39.99 | one-time |
| Book of Ebon Tides | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful resource
- 👍 Best fit for purpose
- 🚀 Brilliant idea
- 👍 Crazy useful
- 👍 Great app to help keep track of things

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow online, barely usable offline
- 🔒 Can't play the game
- 🔒 Poor UI for perusing books
- 🐛 Styling broken on iPad
- 🔒 Paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Artificial character creation issues
- Inconsistent character sheet data
- Crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to scan physical books
- More customization options
- Game log tracker
- Integrate ApplePay for subscription
- Ability to manage experience, levels, items, etc. within the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spells List 5e free?

Spells List 5e is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is D&D Beyond free?

D&D Beyond is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Spells List 5e or D&D Beyond?

Spells List 5e is rated higher. Spells List 5e averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while D&D Beyond averages 4.7 from 91K ratings.

### Do Spells List 5e or D&D Beyond have ads?

Both Spells List 5e and D&D Beyond show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spells List 5e or D&D Beyond?

Spells List 5e ships an update every 3 weeks, and D&D Beyond every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spells List 5e was updated on September 22, 2026 and D&D Beyond on September 24, 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.*