# The Arena Draft vs Magic

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Arena Draft at none against Magic's 10. The Arena Draft also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Magic's advantage is review sentiment (34% vs 0%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. The Arena Draft asks for nothing beyond the download.

Magic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 156K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of The Arena Draft's written reviews are positive against 34% of Magic's.

The Arena Draft ships an update every 4 months, Magic weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Arena Draft | Magic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arena-draft/id1278756625/reviews) | **[4.6 (156K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **156K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **34.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#25** |
| Size | 195 MB | 265 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Robert Burton](https://appshunter.io/developer/974511728) | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) |

## What reviewers say

### The Arena Draft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arena-draft/id1278756625)

Practice building Hearthstone Arena decks and save them to import into the game. Easily share your creations with friends for friendly battles. This companion tool is completely free and ad-free.

**Highlights:** Draft Arena decks, Save decks, Import decks into Hearthstone, Play with friends, Free to use, No ads

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Card, #30 Top Grossing · Strategy, #56 Top Free · Strategy, #62 Top Free · Card, #135 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

Experience the original fantasy collectible card game digitally. Build unique decks, master strategies, and battle friends or AI in various game modes. Discover new cards and unlock rewards through a comprehensive tutorial and engaging gameplay.

**Highlights:** Collect and build unique decks, Master diverse strategies, Battle friends and AI, Explore multiple game formats, Engaging tutorial system, Unlock cards and rewards, Stunning battlefields and effects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 750 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,600 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4x Rare Wildcards | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adventurer Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3,400 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4x Mythic Wildcards | $19.99 | one-time |
| Spark Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| 9,200 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 20,000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great way to play Magic on the go
- 🎨 Excellent visual representation of the game
- 💰 Generous free-to-play model
- 🕹️ Smooth and intuitive gameplay
- 🕰️ Convenient for players who can't meet in person

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🕹️ Clunky UI and navigation
- 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win concerns
- 🔀 Rigged matchmaking and unfair shuffling algorithm
- 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Cards not working as intended
- Inability to select or interact with certain game elements
- Inconsistent behavior when app crashes during matches
- Sync issues between mobile and desktop accounts

**Requested features**

- Ability to trade or recycle unwanted cards
- Improved deck building tools and organization
- Support for multiplayer formats like Commander and Two-Headed Giant
- Option to disable animations and speed up gameplay
- Better integration between mobile and desktop versions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Arena Draft free?

The Arena Draft is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Magic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Arena Draft or Magic?

Magic is rated higher. The Arena Draft averages 4.2 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Magic averages 4.6 from 156K ratings.

### Do The Arena Draft or Magic have ads?

Neither The Arena Draft nor Magic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Arena Draft or Magic?

The Arena Draft ships an update every 4 months, and Magic weekly. Most recently, The Arena Draft was updated on November 3, 2026 and Magic on November 6, 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.*