Comparison

Complete Reference for D&D 5 vs ArtGen

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Complete Reference for D&D 5

This app serves as a comprehensive guide for playing tabletop role-playing games, offering quick access to spells, items, and monsters without needing internet. It includes tools for Dungeon Masters and a character sheet manager, with the option to add custom content and print cards.

Highlights
  • Offline access to spells, items, and monsters
  • Searchable SRD 5 content
  • Online Content Creator for custom content
  • Printable spell, monster, and equipment cards
  • DM tools: map, name, loot, encounter generators
  • Character Sheet Manager with export and print
  • Initiative tracker
Features
Read full description

This app is your guide while playing your favorite pen and paper RPG, for both players and DM's. *NOTE: While this app is mainly meant to be used with pen and paper role playing game DnD 5th Edition, it can also be used with different versions. All your spells, items and monsters at hand without Internet or heavy books! Includes all material from the SRD 5, in a searchable handy way. You can add your own content and share content easily by using our Online Content Creator system, check out our forum to find out more details. New! You can also print cards such as spell cards, monster cards and equipment cards directly from the app. Print a complete list at once and customize the card color and icons to your liking. What is in the app: - Over 200 Spells - Over 800 Deities - All base classes - Many monsters completely linked with their spells and skills -1 feat (check our forum) - More than 200 items and even more! The DM section contains a Random dungeon map generator, fantasy name generators, loot and encounter generators, an initiative tracker and much more. If you unlock this section you also remove the adds. The new Character Sheet Manager can be used to manager all your characters. Share and export characters and print characters for a nice overview. Bookmark items, spells, monsters and more to quickly access your favourite items. Internet is not needed to use this application! The internet permission is only used to display some ads in the app. Disclaimer: Deity information is from DnDwiki (homebrew) and wikipedia. All the information provided by the application are bound by the terms of the Open game License v1.1 of Wizards of the Coast. A copy of this license can be downloaded here: http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/SRD-OGL_V1.1.pdf We are not affiliated by any way to Wizards of the Coast.

About

ArtGen

This app helps artists, writers, and creatives overcome creative blocks by generating randomized character concepts. Customize word pools with themed packs and reroll or manually edit attributes. Save your generated characters and attach your artwork, with all data stored locally or privately via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Randomized character concept generation
  • Customizable themed word packs
  • Reroll or manually edit attributes
  • Save generated characters
  • Attach artwork to saved characters
  • Local and private iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

ArtGen is a character idea generator built for artists, writers, and creatives to help push past art/idea blocks. Choose from themed packs to customize your word pool. Tap generate to get a randomized character concept instantly. Reroll any attribute until it feels right, or manually make it your own.  When you're done randomizing, save your character and attach your finished artwork. No AI, accounts. or data collection. Everything stays on your device or syncs privately through your personal iCloud. Your ideas belong to you!

Screenshots

Complete Reference for D&D 54 screens
ArtGen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ArtGen at none against Complete Reference for D&D 5's shown. ArtGen also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (63% vs 50%). Complete Reference for D&D 5's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.2) and iOS requirement (11.2 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Complete Reference for D&D 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and ArtGen sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Complete Reference for D&D 5 holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 273 and 216 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Complete Reference for D&D 5's written reviews are positive against 63% of ArtGen's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Complete Reference for D&D 5 ships an update fortnightly, ArtGen every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Complete Reference for D&D 5 versus ArtGen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterComplete Reference for D&D 5ArtGen
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (273 ratings) — better3.2 (216 ratings)
Positive reviews50.5% of reviews63.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings273 — better216
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB4 MB
Age rating9+17+
Developervan Stein en GroentjesLIONBYTE LLC

Customer experience

Complete Reference for D&D 5

All ratings272 ratings
Positive65.1%
Neutral12.1%
Negative22.8%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral23.8%
Negative25.7%

ArtGen

All ratings216 ratings
Positive52.3%
Neutral12.5%
Negative35.2%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive63.0%
Neutral9.3%
Negative27.8%

User reviews

Complete Reference for D&D 5

From 273 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful reference for D&D players
  • 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
  • 💡 Useful for DMs and new players
  • 🚀 Great for quick lookup of information

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes when trying to access custom content
  • 🐛 Deletes user-created content
  • 🐛 Glitchy character sheet and DM tools
  • 🐛 Missing important information (spells, classes, etc.)

ArtGen

From 216 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for character concepts
  • 👍 Useful for writers/artists
  • 👍 Good for organizing characters
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Good value for in-app purchases

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing issues
  • 🐛 App closes when scrolling
  • 🐛 Cannot delete characters
  • 🐛 Cannot edit pictures
  • 🐛 Confusing format for some

Bugs and requests

Complete Reference for D&D 5

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when trying to access custom content
  • Deletes user-created content
  • Issues with character sheet and DM tools
  • Incomplete information compared to official sources

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more official content (spells, classes, races, etc.)
  • Improve search functionality and organization
  • Allow backing up and restoring user-created content
  • Provide better instructions and tutorials for features

ArtGen

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes when opening edited character
  • App closes when scrolling down character profile
  • Cannot delete characters
  • Cannot edit character pictures
  • App crashes when editing characters
Show 9 more
  • App closes when scrolling
  • Purchased packs not showing up
  • App closes when trying to restore purchases
  • App keeps exiting when opening
  • Application suddenly shuts down
  • Bought packs and nothing happened
  • Scrolling is glitched
  • Profile glitched after removing writing
  • Black screen on launch

Requested features

19 requests
  • Grid view selection
  • More detail options
  • Ability to delete characters
  • Ability to re-roll existing character details
  • More powers/attributes
Show 14 more
  • Add own attributes
  • Sort characters into folders
  • Add cover images to characters
  • Option to choose selections instead of random
  • Ability to choose own choices/type in traits
  • Subcatalog by specific works
  • More realism in generation
  • More attributes (hair, eye color, age, traits)
  • Add own character characteristics to generator
  • Option to insert image or character creation look
  • Additional questions (favorite color, zodiac sign)
  • Sections/dividers for organizing characters
  • Restore purchases button
  • See all characters at once (icon mode)

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Complete Reference for D&D 5

One-time2
  • Character Manager$3.99
  • DM Tools$3.99
6 purchases

ArtGen

One-time6
  • Realistic PackFree
  • Fantasy Pack$0.99
  • Space Pack$0.99
Show 3 more
  • Historical Pack$0.99
  • Comic Book Pack$0.99
  • Unlock All Packs$2.99

Questions

Is Complete Reference for D&D 5 free?
Complete Reference for D&D 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ArtGen free?
ArtGen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Complete Reference for D&D 5 or ArtGen?
Complete Reference for D&D 5 is rated higher. Complete Reference for D&D 5 averages 3.7 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while ArtGen averages 3.2 from 216 ratings.
Do Complete Reference for D&D 5 or ArtGen have ads?
Complete Reference for D&D 5 shows ads; ArtGen does not.
Which is updated more often, Complete Reference for D&D 5 or ArtGen?
Complete Reference for D&D 5 ships an update fortnightly, and ArtGen every 2 days. Most recently, Complete Reference for D&D 5 was updated on September 19, 2026 and ArtGen on September 3, 2026.

Other comparisons