# Gauntlet vs Magical

The clearest difference is update cadence: Gauntlet at weekly against Magical's every 6 weeks. Gauntlet also leads on ratings volume (309 vs 21). Magical's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Gauntlet against 5.0 for Magical. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gauntlet has 309 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Gauntlet's written reviews are positive against 100% of Magical's.

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, Magical every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gauntlet | Magical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews) | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magical-scoring-for-mtg/id1556520033/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **309** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) | [Diluvium LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556520035) |

## 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


### Magical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magical-scoring-for-mtg/id1556520033)

This app is a companion for Magic: The Gathering players, offering features to track life, poison counters, commander damage, and game history. It supports up to eight players and includes customizable avatars and names.

**Highlights:** Track Life, Poison, Commander Damage, View and Edit Game History, Customizable Avatars and Names, Support for up to 8 Players, Lifelink and Infect Tracking, Smart Game State Management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gauntlet free?

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

### Is Magical free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gauntlet or Magical?

Magical is rated higher. Gauntlet averages 4.9 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while Magical averages 5.0 from 21 ratings.

### Do Gauntlet or Magical have ads?

Neither Gauntlet nor Magical shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gauntlet or Magical?

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, and Magical every 6 weeks. Most recently, Gauntlet was updated on October 25, 2026 and Magical on October 24, 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.*