# Gauntlet vs MTG Builder

The clearest difference is rating: Gauntlet at 4.9 against MTG Builder's 3.2. Gauntlet also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). MTG Builder's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Builder sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.49 per month. Gauntlet asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gauntlet holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gauntlet has 299 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Gauntlet's written reviews are positive against 67% of MTG Builder's.

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, MTG Builder every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gauntlet | MTG Builder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (299 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews)** | [3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-builder/id1486535102/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **299** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 254 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) | [Yuki Abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1486535101) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### MTG Builder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-builder/id1486535102)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players manage their decks. It offers card searching, deck building, and export options for popular platforms like MTG Arena. Share your deck lists and registration sheets with friends or use them for tournaments.

**Highlights:** Card search by multiple parameters, Deck management and editing, MTG Arena deck list export, Tournament deck registration sheet output, Card image download, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MTG Builder Pro | $2.49 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gauntlet free?

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

### Is MTG Builder free?

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

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

Gauntlet is rated higher. Gauntlet averages 4.9 out of 5 from 299 ratings, while MTG Builder averages 3.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do Gauntlet or MTG Builder have ads?

MTG Builder shows ads; Gauntlet does not.

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

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, and MTG Builder every 2 months. Most recently, Gauntlet was updated on September 28, 2026 and MTG Builder on September 30, 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.*