Comparison

Magic vs MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Magic

This official app simplifies participation in local store events and personal tournaments for a popular trading card game. It features a life counter, event pairing, standings, and a comprehensive card database. Run your own events for friends or join official store tournaments with ease.

Highlights
  • Built-in life counter
  • Official app for store events
  • Event pairing and standings
  • Home tournament organizer
  • Card database with 17,000+ cards
  • Track match results
Features
Read full description

Introducing the official Magic: The Gathering Companion App, the quickest way to participate in events at your store - Show up. Magic Companion does the rest. - Built in Life Counter - The Official Magic App for Store Events - Get Event Pairs & Standings - Create & Run Personal Events at Home JOIN EVENTS AT YOUR STORE Quickly and easily join limited and constructed events at participating local stores. With Magic Companion you can easily find your next match and be notified when a new round begins. How to participate in an event with Magic Companion: 1. Attend an event at participating local stores. Find one at locator.wizards.com 2. Open Magic Companion and select JOIN EVENT 3. Enter the Event Code provided by your local store. 4. Find your first matchup and get playing! TRACK YOUR PLAY Tracking event play is now easier for stores and easier for you. Check event standings, get notifications on new rounds, report your match results automatically, and use a built-in life counter to chart you play. CARD DATABASE WITH 17,000+ CARDS Browse cards from Magic's entire history and search for the perfect addition to your deck. Keep up with the latest card previews and updated rulings on existing cards. RUN YOUR OWN EVENTS FROM ANYWHERE Stage tournaments for up to 8 friends in the Home Tournament Organizer. Add in their names, then let the app track pairing and standings. Magic Companion is in active development and will continue to release new features. We value your feedback! Note: A Wizards Account is required for in-store events, running events of more than 8 players at home, and unlocking advanced event setting at home.

About

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

This app is a comprehensive tool for trading card game players, offering features like card scanning, deck building, collection management, and multiplayer life tracking. It helps players tune decks for competitive play, discover combos, and find local game stores.

Highlights
  • Multi-device life counter and tracker
  • Card scanner and price checker
  • Collection tracker and manager
  • Smart deck builder for various formats
  • Preconstructed deck browser
  • Deck tuner for competitive play
  • Combo finder
Features
Read full description

MTG CODEX is the all-in-one companion app for trading card game players who want every tool in one place. Scan cards instantly with your camera. Build smarter decks for any format. Tune your deck for competitive play. Find game-winning combos. Multiplayer life counter on every phone. New look. Patent Pending. WHAT MTG CODEX DOES: MULTI-DEVICE LIFE COUNTER AND TRACKER Built for the table. Everyone joins from their own phone with a room code. Life, commander damage, and poison sync for up to six players. Per-player backgrounds and game stats. CARD SCANNER AND PRICE CHECKER Point your camera at any card and get the full picture in seconds. Live prices, card details, format legality, oracle text, and strategy tips from industry sources. Works on any printing, any language. Faster than typing. COLLECTION TRACKER AND MANAGER Build your collection by scanning, importing, or pasting your cards, and carry it with you everywhere. Sort by name, type, price, or rarity, browse by creature type, and track what your collection is worth. The deck builder cross-references your collection as you build, so you can see which cards you already own and build new decks from what you have. SMART DECK BUILDER FOR COMMANDER AND EDH Build, save, and refine decks for every format: Commander, EDH, Modern, Standard, Pioneer, Pauper, Legacy, Vintage, Brawl, and more. Get strategic recommendations. Cloud sync keeps decks safe across devices. Import from Moxfield, Archidekt, or any text list. PRECON BROWSER Browse every official preconstructed Commander deck with its exact, complete decklist. Pull up the real cards in any precon, load it as your starting point, then tune and upgrade it. POPULAR BUILDS See the real community build for any commander, or search by theme like tokens, aristocrats, or madness, and load it in. DECK TUNER FOR COMPETITION Optimize any deck for competitive play. Get specific card swap suggestions to raise your power level. Cross-referenced with community deck data so suggestions are battle-tested. DECK PLAY TESTER Test decks solo and take real turns to gauge your deck's speed and consistency. London mulligan, real card faces, and Commander bracket speed anchors so you know how your build actually performs before game night. DECK GRADING Get your deck rated and graded with detailed feedback on power level, mana curve, win conditions, and weaknesses. COMBO FINDER Discover infinite combos, win conditions, and synergistic interactions. Search by card, by strategy, or by deck. DISCOVER COMMANDERS Browse commander decks by color identity, archetype, or budget. CARD PRICE TRACKER Live pricing from major marketplaces. Track your collection value. Alerts on price changes. LOCAL GAME STORE FINDER Find tabletop-friendly stores near you. Featured partners: Natural 20 Gaming and Stomping Grounds TCG. WHO IT IS FOR: Commander and EDH players who want better deck-building help Competitive players tuning decks for tournaments Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy grinders Casual players learning the formats Collectors tracking card value and prices Local game store regulars Anyone tired of switching between five different apps WHY MTG CODEX: Built by a player who got tired of jumping between half a dozen tabs every game night. One app. Every tool. No clutter. Free with ads by Google AdMob. PRO removes ads. No cross-app tracking. LEGAL: MTG CODEX is a brand of Media Meta Products LLC. USPTO trademark application Serial 99783592, filed April 23, 2026. "MTG" is used here only descriptively as a common abbreviation for the trading card game category. MTG CODEX is unofficial fan-made software, is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast LLC, and makes no claim to any third-party trademarks. All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Privacy Policy: mtg-codex.com/mtg/privacy.html Terms of Service: mtg-codex.com/mtg/terms.html Support: support@mediametaproducts.com

Screenshots

Magic4 screens
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner at 83% against Magic's 40%. MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Magic's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Magic asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magic holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 14K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Magic's written reviews are positive against 83% of MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic ships an update fortnightly, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Magic versus MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagicMTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better4.1 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews39.8% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14K — better9
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size223 MB131 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperWizards of the CoastMarcus Richardson

Customer experience

Magic

All ratings13,917 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews392 reviews
Positive39.8%
Neutral14.8%
Negative45.4%

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Magic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Event scores not properly recorded
  • Card database missing information and images
  • Search function often unresponsive

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to view double-sided card details
  • Improve search functionality and filters
  • Implement deck building and management tools
  • Provide historical event data and player statistics

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Magic

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • MTG CODEX PRO Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • MTG CODEX PRO Annual$54.991 Year

Questions

Is Magic free?
Magic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner free?
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?
Magic is rated higher. Magic averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.
Do Magic or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner have ads?
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner shows ads; Magic does not.
Which is updated more often, Magic or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?
Magic ships an update fortnightly, and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. Most recently, Magic was updated on November 6, 2026 and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner on November 5, 2026.

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