Comparison

Gauntlet vs StarBuilder

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

Head to head
About

Gauntlet

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
Read full description

Gauntlet is the most feature packed Magic: The Gathering utility app available. It’s a life tracker, deck builder and record keeper of your games. THE BEST LIFE TRACKER: • Select your deck and the decks your opponents are playing. Player tiles will be updated with the cover art of each deck. • Save the results when the game is over. Select a winner, and each player will have their career and deck stats updated immediately. • Full support for up to 6 players with custom life totals, and a turn randomizer to determine who plays first. • Other features include 21 unique tile colours, 15 unique counters, rolling D6, and a game timer. THE BEST MOBILE DECK BUILDER: • Brew on the go or import your decks from other deck building sites. • Customize your deck with art from any card in the multiverse. • Pick a format and your deck screen adapts to show things like your commander or your signature spell. • Bling out the cards in your deck with foils. • Shuffle up and draw an opening 7 with a powerful hand simulator. • Stay ahead of your competition with deck list data. View your mana curve, pip breakdown, and more. • Export your deck lists as text, or share a link to your profile on social media. • Keep your decks organized with folders, and sort them by name, games played, wins, and format. YOUR GAME HISTORY IN DETAIL: • Every game is saved making it easy to go through previous games and see who played, who won, and which decks came to battle. • Track wins and losses for each deck, and see how your career wins and losses change over time. • Follow your friends to stay up-to-date with their latest brews, deck performance, and game history.

About

StarBuilder

Features
Read full description

StarBuilder is the ultimate companion app for real-time strategy enthusiasts! Whether you're a seasoned player or a newcomer to the game, StarBuilder offers expertly crafted build orders from top players to help you enhance your gameplay and climb the ranks! Key Features: 1. Access Professional Build Orders: Browse a wide collection of spawning tool build orders used by professionals. Each build order comes with detailed steps and timings to help you execute them flawlessly. 2. Create Your Own Builds: Develop your unique strategies by creating custom build orders. Your first custom build is completely free! Need more? Unlock additional build slots with a simple in-app purchase. 3. In-Game Audio Playback: Listen to detailed audio instructions and timings while you play, helping you execute your strategies in real-time and adapt to the game as it unfolds. 4. In-App Purchases: Easily purchase additional build slots or professional build orders directly within the app. 5. User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive and clean design allows you to focus on what matters most—mastering the game. 6. Regular Updates: Stay up-to-date with the latest strategies and builds as the game evolves. StarBuilder is designed to help you improve and enjoy your real-time strategy gaming experience. Download now and start your journey to becoming a master! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Gauntlet4 screens
StarBuilder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gauntlet at none against StarBuilder's 3. 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. StarBuilder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Gauntlet asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, StarBuilder every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Gauntlet versus StarBuilder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGauntletStarBuilder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (299 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings299 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScott CampbellGitesh Agarwal

Bugs and requests

Gauntlet

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

19 requests
  • Scan cars to make adding decks easier
  • More precise search engine
  • Faster card loading times
  • Display card prices
  • Scan cards in deck building
Show 14 more
  • Add Android support
  • Add tournament bracket functionality
  • Deeper stat tracking
  • Leave notes about each deck
  • Leave notes about individual cards
  • In-app purchases for donations
  • Add play test cards
  • Better layout for exporting decks to text
  • Feature to track win/loss ratios without starting a game
  • Option for locking board scrolling
  • Android release (mentioned as desired)
  • Manual change of player names when playing 'against yourself'
  • Add friends who don’t use the app to games
  • Add full deck lists

StarBuilder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Gauntlet

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

StarBuilder

Subscriptions1
  • StarBuilder Pro$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pro Build$4.99
  • Custom Build$7.99

Questions

Is Gauntlet free?
Gauntlet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StarBuilder free?
StarBuilder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Gauntlet or StarBuilder have ads?
Neither Gauntlet nor StarBuilder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gauntlet or StarBuilder?
Gauntlet ships an update weekly, and StarBuilder every 6 days. Most recently, Gauntlet was updated on October 7, 2026 and StarBuilder on October 6, 2026.

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