# Gauntlet vs Deck Familiar

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gauntlet at none against Deck Familiar's 1. Gauntlet also leads on ratings volume (309 vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Deck Familiar's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Deck Familiar sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Gauntlet asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Gauntlet against 5.0 for Deck Familiar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gauntlet has 309 ratings behind it against 3, 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 Deck Familiar's.

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, Deck Familiar every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gauntlet | Deck Familiar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gauntlet-mtg-tracker/id1466578932/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deck-familiar/id6791692387/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **309** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 18 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Scott Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1266366249) | [Hello World Devs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1397621436) |

## 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


### Deck Familiar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deck-familiar/id6791692387)

This app is a customizable companion for various card game formats, offering real-time game tracking, deck building, and playgroup statistics. It allows for personalized game boards and detailed analysis of your decks and play history.

**Highlights:** Real-time game tracking for multiple players, Customizable game boards with personal art, Deck import and building with card art, Detailed deck statistics and recommendations, Playgroup stats and win rate tracking, Live game sharing across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Deck Familiar | $2.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gauntlet free?

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

### Is Deck Familiar free?

Deck Familiar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Gauntlet or Deck Familiar?

Deck Familiar is rated higher. Gauntlet averages 4.9 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while Deck Familiar averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Gauntlet or Deck Familiar have ads?

Neither Gauntlet nor Deck Familiar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gauntlet or Deck Familiar?

Gauntlet ships an update weekly, and Deck Familiar every 2 weeks. Most recently, Gauntlet was updated on October 25, 2026 and Deck Familiar on October 16, 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.*