# CardCastle MTG vs Gauntlet

The clearest difference is update cadence: Gauntlet at weekly against CardCastle MTG's every 2 months. Gauntlet also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5). CardCastle MTG's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Gauntlet holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 378 and 309 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of CardCastle MTG's written reviews are positive against 83% of Gauntlet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CardCastle MTG ships an update every 2 months, Gauntlet weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CardCastle MTG | Gauntlet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (378 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardcastle-mtg/id1403595443/reviews) | **[4.9 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **378** | 309 |
| Positive reviews | **87.6% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 89 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OzGuild Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021548109) | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) |

## What reviewers say

### CardCastle MTG

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardcastle-mtg/id1403595443)

Digitally manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection. Scan cards using your device's camera to add them to your inventory, check real-time prices, and browse your collection. Build decks using the companion web platform.

**Highlights:** Scan cards with camera, Real-time card pricing, Digital card inventory, Browse and edit collection, Deck building (web platform)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick scanning
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔍 Helpful for organizing collection
- 💰 Provides card values
- 🤖 Accurate card recognition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent scanning performance
- 🔍 Difficulty identifying correct card set
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- Scanning issues with certain card types
- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- Login/account problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually add/edit cards
- Improved deck management functionality
- Option to view total collection value
- Compatibility with more card types (e.g. foils, alts)


### Gauntlet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players track game lives, build and customize decks, and record game history. It offers detailed stats for players and decks, supports multiple players, and includes a powerful hand simulator.

**Highlights:** Life tracking for up to 6 players, Deck building and importing, Game history and stats, Hand simulator, Deck customization with card art, Deck organization with folders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great deck builder
- 👍 Excellent life tracker
- 👍 Covers player profiles and match records
- 👍 Useful for tracking win/loss records
- 👍 Good for looking at card collections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Search engine requires precise typing
- 🐛 General load time for cards is slow
- 🐛 Scrolling on the board can be annoying
- 🐛 App appears small on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Does not track win-rate for non-primary deck in matches

**Reported bugs**

- Developers have seemingly given up (according to one review)
- App ruined for jailbroken phones (iOS 14 and up)
- Board scrolls every time life or counters are moved
- Does not track win-rate for the deck not shown as primary in a match
- App is very small on iPad Pro

**Requested features**

- Scan cars to make adding decks easier
- More precise search engine
- Faster card loading times
- Display card prices
- Scan cards in deck building


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CardCastle MTG free?

CardCastle MTG is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Gauntlet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CardCastle MTG or Gauntlet?

Gauntlet is rated higher. CardCastle MTG averages 4.5 out of 5 from 378 ratings, while Gauntlet averages 4.9 from 309 ratings.

### Do CardCastle MTG or Gauntlet have ads?

Neither CardCastle MTG nor Gauntlet shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CardCastle MTG or Gauntlet?

CardCastle MTG ships an update every 2 months, and Gauntlet weekly. Most recently, CardCastle MTG was updated on November 2, 2026 and Gauntlet 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.*