# CardCastle MTG vs MTG Compendium

The clearest difference is rating: CardCastle MTG at 4.5 against MTG Compendium's 3.4. CardCastle MTG also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (88% vs 57%). MTG Compendium's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Compendium sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. CardCastle MTG asks for nothing beyond the download.

CardCastle MTG holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CardCastle MTG has 378 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of CardCastle MTG's written reviews are positive against 57% of MTG Compendium's.

CardCastle MTG ships an update every 2 months, MTG Compendium weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CardCastle MTG | MTG Compendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (378 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardcastle-mtg/id1403595443/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-compendium-deck-builder/id6746125584/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **378** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **87.6% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 89 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OzGuild Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021548109) | [Mark Webb](https://appshunter.io/developer/1331970256) |

## 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)


### MTG Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-compendium-deck-builder/id6746125584)

This app is a comprehensive companion for Magic: The Gathering players. It allows you to scan and collect cards, build and analyze decks with detailed statistics, track your game history, and get personalized advice from an AI deck coach. It also provides tools for exploring game sets and preconstructed decks.

**Highlights:** Card scanning and collection management, Advanced deck building and analysis, Life counter and game log, AI-powered deck advice and insights, Price tracking and history, Set exploration and deck comparison

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Evals and Chat | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Compendium 3 Deck Evaluations | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CardCastle MTG free?

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

### Is MTG Compendium free?

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

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

CardCastle MTG is rated higher. CardCastle MTG averages 4.5 out of 5 from 378 ratings, while MTG Compendium averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do CardCastle MTG or MTG Compendium have ads?

Neither CardCastle MTG nor MTG Compendium shows ads.

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

CardCastle MTG ships an update every 2 months, and MTG Compendium weekly. Most recently, CardCastle MTG was updated on October 22, 2026 and MTG Compendium on October 17, 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.*