# Magwa's Magic Item Compendium vs PRD Characters

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Magwa's Magic Item Compendium at 77% against PRD Characters's 56%. Magwa's Magic Item Compendium also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.1). PRD Characters's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magwa's Magic Item Compendium sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PRD Characters sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 148 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Magwa's Magic Item Compendium's written reviews are positive against 56% of PRD Characters's.

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium ships an update every 2 months, PRD Characters every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magwa's Magic Item Compendium | PRD Characters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magwas-magic-item-compendium/id1298604563/reviews)** | [4.1 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prd-characters/id1330667410/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 73 | **148** |
| Positive reviews | **77.1% of reviews** | 56.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 31 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Knights of Vasteel LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1182788016) | [Shiny Button Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/339401189) |

## What reviewers say

### Magwa's Magic Item Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magwas-magic-item-compendium/id1298604563)

Discover and create thousands of unique magic items for your tabletop RPG adventures. This app offers a vast collection of hand-drawn items, random generation, and the ability to save your favorites. Perfect for dungeon masters and players seeking inspiration.

**Highlights:** Thousands of random magic item generation, Create custom magic items, Save favorite items, Over 30 free hand-drawn sketches, Reference ready-to-use items, Compatible with D&D 5e SRD

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| The Master Collection | $0.99 | one-time |
| Elves of Ilfelin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mines of Dimlodir | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gafan's Workshop | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Red Ravens | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Shadow Index | $0.99 | one-time |
| Seas of the Viamaros | $0.99 | one-time |
| Magic Item Hunters | $0.99 | one-time |
| Swords of Vasteel | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Alchemist Shop | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful art style
- 💡 Great for on-the-fly item creation
- ✨ Free version is very useful
- 📚 Excellent for DMs and homebrew items
- 🖼️ Ability to import own artwork

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (missing info)
- 💸 Purchased content not downloading
- 🔄 Updates removing saved items
- 📉 Items can be overpowered/bland
- 🖼️ Some art packs not downloading

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription information missing
- Purchased images/data not downloading
- Un-named magic item groups cannot be deleted/edited
- Saved items lost after updates
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode for iPad
- Improve scrolling between items
- Add a back button for easier navigation
- Include a 'common' rarity selection
- Allow users to choose from personal pictures


### PRD Characters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prd-characters/id1330667410)

Create, level up, and track characters for the Pathfinder gaming system. Get guidance on ability scores, classes, races, and spells. Includes a die roller and iCloud backup.

**Highlights:** Character creation and leveling, Ability score guidance, Class and race selection, Spell slot tracking and preparation, In-app die roller, iCloud backup and sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Month Subscription | $2.49 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $5.49 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful and helpful app
- 👍 Great for theory crafting
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Makes playing easier
- 👍 Digital reference

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Unreadable text
- 😞 Poor color contrast
- 😞 White text on light background
- 😞 Ugly UI choices
- 😞 Not customizable

**Reported bugs**

- Hint system illegible
- Exotic Weapon Proficiency selection issue
- Tips not showing properly in dark mode

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- More books added
- Change text color in tip bubbles
- Fix tips not showing in dark mode
- Ability to edit feats


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magwa's Magic Item Compendium free?

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PRD Characters free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magwa's Magic Item Compendium or PRD Characters?

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium is rated higher. Magwa's Magic Item Compendium averages 4.3 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while PRD Characters averages 4.1 from 148 ratings.

### Do Magwa's Magic Item Compendium or PRD Characters have ads?

Neither Magwa's Magic Item Compendium nor PRD Characters shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magwa's Magic Item Compendium or PRD Characters?

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium ships an update every 2 months, and PRD Characters every 4 months. Most recently, Magwa's Magic Item Compendium was updated on October 24, 2026 and PRD Characters on October 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.*