Comparison

MTG Scanner vs MTG Mate

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

Head to head
About

MTG Scanner

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players scan, value, and organize their card collections. Build decks, track card prices, and connect with friends for trading. It's designed for both collectors and competitive players to enhance their game experience.

Highlights
  • Scan Magic cards in any language
  • Real-time card price tracking
  • Organize cards into custom folders
  • Build and export MTG decks
  • Compare trade values with friends
  • Track top card movers
  • Weekly collection statistics emails
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Dragon Shield - MTG Scanner & Card Manager is the ultimate tool for scanning, valuing, organizing, and trading your Magic cards. Instantly recognize cards in any language, build powerful MTG decks, track your collection’s value over time, and connect with friends. Built for collectors and competitive players alike, this app helps you master your Magic: The Gathering™ experience. SOCIAL & FRIENDS Add and connect with friends on the app View your friends' collection, decks, wish and trade list Share your own lists and discover new cards through your network SCAN MAGIC CARDS  Instantly scan cards in any language using advanced image recognition Real-time translation of foreign-language cards  Check daily prices from TCGPlayer, CardMarket, CardKingdom and MTGMintCard Track 30-day price history for any Magic card Find format legality and oracle text and official rulings COLLECTION MANAGER Organize your MTG cards into custom folders Add folder images and track value over time Export your collection to CSV or text for backups and trades Stay informed with built-in card price tracking MULTIPLE SORTING OPTIONS AND FILTERS Get folder statistics (Mana Cost, Card Color, etc.)    MTG DECK BUILDER Build decks with full support for sideboards and filtering Export decks to CSV or text to share with friends or import into tournaments See deck stats like mana curve, color balance, and type spread TRADE TOOL Compare the trade value between two players instantly See exactly who's ahead in the trade and by how much Use wishlists and tradelists to plan and manage your deals TOP MOVERS: WINNERS & LOSERS Track which Magic cards are rising or falling in value Filter by format, date range, or even just your own collection See the top card winners and losers within your collection    WEEKLY COLLECTION EMAILS Get automatic weekly emails with stats about your MTG collection See value changes, new additions, and pricing trends over time

About

MTG Mate

Features
Read full description

MTG Mate is a life tracker and card library for Magic: The Gathering on iPhone and iPad. Use it at the table for Commander, Standard, Two-Headed Giant, or a custom game. Keep decks, collections, and trades on the same device, even if you never create an account. Life tracking Track 1 to 6 players with layouts that fit the table. Commander damage covers partners and companions, with a dedicated view and D-pad navigation. Poison and infect share a combined total. Energy and other counters sit on each player card. Hold +/- to move life quickly, and turn on unlimited life when a combo goes off. You can also stop the app from marking a player dead if they can keep playing at 0. Game night tools Start a game with Commander, Standard, Two-Headed Giant, or your own starting life. Player panels can show commander art. A dice roller and coin flip sit in the game so you are not hunting for a D20. Life history on a player card helps when someone asks what happened two turns ago. Card library Save cards, build collections, and move cards in bulk. Import lists from Manabox, Archidekt, or Moxfield, or paste a text list. Export when you need to share a list elsewhere. Collection value and match history live in the stats hub so you can see how a collection and a play group change over time. Decks Build decks with commander, partner, companion, mainboard, and sideboard. Check format legality, mana curve, and type split. See an estimated deck value. Look up synergies and combos on a card when you are brewing. Card search Search Scryfall for prices, rulings, and legalities. Results collapse reprints so the same card does not appear ten times. Download the card database to search on the device with no signal. Online results keep loading in the background when you have a connection. Friends, trades, and sharing Add friends and set private aliases only you can see. Keep a trade ledger of cards and cash with a person or a friend. Sign in with email if you want Cloud Sync across iPhone, iPad, and the web library at mtgmate.app. Local first Cards, decks, and games stay on the device unless you turn on Cloud Sync. No ads. Free. MTG Mate is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Wizards of the Coast. Magic: The Gathering is a trademark of Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Screenshots

MTG Scanner4 screens
MTG Mate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MTG Mate at none against MTG Scanner's 13. MTG Scanner's advantage is chart position (#188 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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 Scanner sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. MTG Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
MTG Scanner versus MTG Mate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTG ScannerMTG Mate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews44.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.8K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#188 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size230 MB18 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperARCANE TINMEN APSJacob Suchorabski

Bugs and requests

MTG Scanner

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login issues
  • Incorrect card identification
  • Scanning bugs with certain card types

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to import/export deck lists
  • Display deck value in collection
  • Improved scanning for special cards
  • More comprehensive filtering options

MTG Mate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

MTG Scanner

Subscriptions12
  • Mythic Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Rare Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Common Monthly$1.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Uncommon Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Mythic Yearly$9.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Common Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Uncommon Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly1 Month trial$39.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

MTG Mate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MTG Scanner free?
MTG Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MTG Mate free?
MTG Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MTG Scanner or MTG Mate have ads?
Neither MTG Scanner nor MTG Mate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTG Scanner or MTG Mate?
MTG Scanner ships an update every 2 weeks, and MTG Mate every 2 weeks. Most recently, MTG Scanner was updated on October 25, 2026 and MTG Mate on October 2, 2026.

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