# Gauntlet vs StarBuilder

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.

Both are free to download. StarBuilder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Gauntlet asks for nothing beyond the download.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Gauntlet | StarBuilder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (299 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **299** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 18 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) | [Gitesh Agarwal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1524290447) |

## 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


### StarBuilder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starbuilder/id6670484321)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StarBuilder Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Build | $4.99 | one-time |
| Custom Build | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*