# Spells List 5e vs Monster Compendium

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Monster Compendium at none against Spells List 5e's 11. Spells List 5e's advantage is ratings volume (3.3K vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 16.2). 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 $2.49 per month. Monster Compendium asks for nothing beyond the download.

Monster Compendium holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spells List 5e has 3.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spells List 5e | Monster Compendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spells-list-5e/id1220380339/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-compendium/id6763808338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 36 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 9+ |
| Developer | [Ilario Del sorbo](https://appshunter.io/developer/631191336) | [Alexandre Gomes Pereira](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895500192) |

## 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 | $2.49 | per month |
| Unlock all - 1 year | $17.99 | 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 Import/Export Character | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock infinite Spellbooks | $3.99 | 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


### Monster Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-compendium/id6763808338)

This app is a comprehensive resource for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition players, offering detailed monster entries with stat blocks, lore, and images. It features intuitive navigation, a powerful search function, and the ability to organize monsters into custom folders for campaign management.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive monster entries, High-resolution monster images, Detailed spell information, Powerful search function, Customizable monster folders, SRD content and custom content support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spells List 5e free?

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

### Is Monster Compendium free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spells List 5e or Monster Compendium?

Monster Compendium is rated higher. Spells List 5e averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Monster Compendium averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Spells List 5e or Monster Compendium have ads?

Both Spells List 5e and Monster Compendium show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spells List 5e or Monster Compendium?

Spells List 5e ships an update every 3 weeks, and Monster Compendium every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spells List 5e was updated on October 21, 2026 and Monster Compendium on October 18, 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.*