# Gauntlet vs Cantrip

The clearest difference is rating: Gauntlet at 4.9 against Cantrip's 3.9. Gauntlet also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (83% vs 57%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Gauntlet holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gauntlet has 299 ratings behind it against 15, 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 57% of Cantrip's.

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, Cantrip every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gauntlet | Cantrip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (299 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews)** | [3.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **299** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) | [White Bridge Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647217300) |

## 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


### Cantrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103)

Easily build and manage your Magic: The Gathering decks. Search and filter cards from any set, and quickly add, remove, or sideboard cards with intuitive gestures.

**Highlights:** Powerful deck builder, Card search and filtering, Add/remove cards with swipe, Sideboard management, Supports all card sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gauntlet free?

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

### Is Cantrip free?

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

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

Gauntlet is rated higher. Gauntlet averages 4.9 out of 5 from 299 ratings, while Cantrip averages 3.9 from 15 ratings.

### Do Gauntlet or Cantrip have ads?

Neither Gauntlet nor Cantrip shows ads.

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

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, and Cantrip every 4 months. Most recently, Gauntlet was updated on September 10, 2026 and Cantrip on September 12, 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.*