Comparison

Legends of Runeterra vs Magic

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

Head to head
About

Legends of Runeterra

Embark on a roguelite adventure through Runeterra, collecting and evolving champions from League of Legends. Engage in strategic card battles or a single-player journey, facing iconic villains and uncovering new legends.

Highlights
  • Roguelite adventure mode
  • Ranked card battler
  • Collect and evolve 65+ champions
  • Unique champion powers and strategies
  • Adaptable card and relic system
  • World Adventures and Weekly Nightmares
  • Deep lore and universe exploration
Read full description

A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS™ ROGUELITE ADVENTURE Runeterra calls! Choose your champion and pick your path to power: a single-player roguelite romp through the world of League of Legends and Arcane, or a ranked card battler where strategy reigns supreme. Unlock and level up dozens of characters in a hand-crafted love letter to fans of hero collectors and card games alike. THE STORY SO FAR From the back alleys of Zaun to celestial Mt. Targon, forces small and large threaten to forever shift the balance of power—if not unravel the world itself! Star-forging dragon Aurelion Sol plots his cataclysmic revenge, while Lissandra, an even greater menace, lurks in the frozen north. Only champions of Runeterra can follow the path that has been set—alone or as one—with YOU at the helm. CHOOSE YOUR CHAMPION Play as Jinx, Warwick, Caitlyn, Vi, Ambessa, or any of a growing cast of 65+ champions. The many legends of League are yours to collect, evolve, and master as you traverse the map of Runeterra. Each champion brings unique, awe-inspiring powers and loyal followers to the fray. Whether you freeze your opponents where they stand (Ashe), plant fungal surprises for sneaky victories (Teemo), build an elaborate combo engine for a spectacular finish (Heimerdinger), no two champions play the same. ADAPT & EVOLVE Every run is a canvas for your creativity, offering new cards, powers, and relics to augment your strategy and topple menacing foes. But choose wisely! Challenges increase in difficulty over the course of a run, and from one World Adventure to the next. Each champion can be upgraded with Star Powers—permanent augments you can unlock between runs. Completing a champion’s Constellation yields immense power—and all new strategies—for you to command. TOPPLE MIGHTY FOES Test your mettle against iconic villains in World Adventures and Weekly Nightmares that set the stage for your spectacular displays of strategy and skill. Beating the odds against the likes of Lissandra and Aurelion Sol will take experimentation, ingenuity, and maybe a touch of luck. Of course, the tougher the opponent, the sweeter the victory—and the richer the rewards! UNCOVER NEW LEGENDS Delve into the deep lore and rich, ever-expanding universe treasured by players of League of Legends and fans of the Emmy-winning series Arcane. With exclusive characters, story-driven adventures, breathtaking card art, and a staggering cast of new and familiar faces, there’s no better way to experience the breadth and depth of Runeterra.

About

Magic

Experience the original fantasy collectible card game digitally. Discover strategies, build unique decks, and battle friends worldwide. Offers a comprehensive tutorial for new players and various game modes for seasoned veterans.

Highlights
  • Digital collectible card game
  • Deck building and strategy
  • Online multiplayer battles
  • Tutorial for new players
  • Multiple game formats
  • Cosmetic customization
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the digital Multiverse! Magic: The Gathering is the original trading card game- and now you can download and start playing for free with your friends from anywhere! Magic: The Gathering Arena empowers you to discover your strategy, meet the planeswalkers, explore the multiverse, and battle friends around the world. Collect, build and master your unique deck that will become its own legend. Your battle is only the beginning; duel on stunning battlefields, and enjoy Arena’s game changing battle effects and immerse yourself in the game. Start playing for free, challenge your friends, unlock cards, and feel the magic of the original fantasy CCG! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY Never played Magic before? No problem! Magic: The Gathering Arena’s tutorial system takes you through the playstyles so you can find your strategy and decide if you’re the type to overwhelm your opponent with brute strength, if subterfuge is more your style, or anything in between. Meet characters from around the multiverse and try out spells and artifacts that make learning to play the original fantasy collectible card game quick and fun. It’s never been easier to play Magic! Collect cards to build a deck that matches your personality, then master your strategy to battle friends and be part of the TCG that started them all. GAME ON(LINE) The original TCG is now digital! Explore the fantasy worlds of Magic: The Gathering Arena and build your deck, play a variety of game formats to collect cards, master multiple strategies, and hone your skills against friends or the AI. With multiple game formats like Draft and Brawl, 15 unlockable collectible decks, and explosive card combo effects: Your ideal Magic: The Gathering playstyle is at your fingertips! Show off eye-popping cosmetics like avatars, card sleeves, and pets and collect daily rewards to grow your collection and build powerful decks that reflect your personal strategy. CHALLENGE AND PLAY Duel your friends for glory or enter in-game tournaments for exciting prizes! With Draft and Brawl pairing, there is always someone to game with. Special in-game events offer exciting rewards, and with Esports qualifiers your Pro-Magic dreams are closer than you think in the Arena Premier Play League! Queue into casual battles to hone your strategy at your own pace, or battle in Esports qualifiers and frequent tournaments to flaunt your mastery. FANTASY AND MAGIC Dive into the fantasy planes of Magic: The Gathering and write your own legend through Magic’s immersive lore and vibrant card art. Find your path through the multiverse using only favorite characters and their most iconic spells and artifacts, or create a theme deck with a narrative that makes sense only to you. Your story is only just beginning! All prices inclusive of VAT. Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, Magic: The Gathering Arena, their respective logos, Magic, the mana symbols, the planeswalker symbol, and all character names and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. ©2019-2026 Wizards. Please visit https://company.wizards.com/legal/wizards-coasts-privacy-policy to view Wizards of the Coast's privacy policy and https://company.wizards.com/legal/terms to view Wizards of the Coast's terms of use.

Screenshots

Legends of Runeterra4 screens
Magic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Legends of Runeterra at 62% against Magic's 35%. Legends of Runeterra also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Magic's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and chart position (#23 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Legends of Runeterra sells 15 one-off in-app purchases and Magic sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Legends of Runeterra holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 63K and 154K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Legends of Runeterra's written reviews are positive against 35% of Magic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Legends of Runeterra ships an update monthly, Magic weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Legends of Runeterra versus Magic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLegends of RuneterraMagic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (63K ratings) — better4.6 (154K ratings)
Positive reviews61.8% of reviews — better34.6% of reviews
Number of ratings63K154K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#23 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB261 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperRiot GamesWizards of the Coast

Customer experience

Legends of Runeterra

All ratings62,686 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews672 reviews
Positive61.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative32.6%

Magic

All ratings154,496 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral2.8%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews3,904 reviews
Positive34.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative56.0%

User reviews

Legends of Runeterra

From 63K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and animations
  • 💡 Unique and interactive combat system
  • 🎮 Seamless cross-platform experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🤔 Steep learning curve for new players
  • 🔄 Repetitive gameplay in single-player modes
  • 💰 Expensive cosmetic items

Magic

From 154K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great way to play Magic on the go
  • 🎨 Excellent visual representation of the game
  • 💰 Generous free-to-play model
  • 🕹️ Smooth and intuitive gameplay
  • 🕰️ Convenient for players who can't meet in person

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🕹️ Clunky UI and navigation
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win concerns
  • 🔀 Rigged matchmaking and unfair shuffling algorithm
  • 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices

Bugs and requests

Legends of Runeterra

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to play on older iOS devices
  • Freezing and performance issues on iPad
  • Inconsistent login and account issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • More solo/PvE content
  • Improved tutorial and onboarding
  • Customizable UI and settings
  • Expanded social features

Magic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Cards not working as intended
  • Inability to select or interact with certain game elements
  • Inconsistent behavior when app crashes during matches
  • Sync issues between mobile and desktop accounts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to trade or recycle unwanted cards
  • Improved deck building tools and organization
  • Support for multiplayer formats like Commander and Two-Headed Giant
  • Option to disable animations and speed up gameplay
  • Better integration between mobile and desktop versions

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Legends of Runeterra

One-time15
  • 395 Total Coins$2.99
  • 475 total coins2 variants$4.99
  • 1000 Total Coins$7.99
Show 12 more
  • 1020 Total Coins$7.99
  • 1000 Total Coins$8.49
  • 1050 total coins$9.99
  • 1000 total coins$9.99
  • 2125 Total Coins$14.99
  • 2050 Total Coins$16.99
  • 2200 total coins$19.99
  • 2050 total coins$19.99
  • 3975 total coins$34.99
  • 3650 total coins$34.99
  • 5350 total coins$49.99
  • 11000 Total Coins$99.99
17 purchases

Magic

One-time17
  • 750 Gems$4.99
  • Starter Bundle$4.99
  • Jurassic World Lands$9.99
Show 14 more
  • Fallout Companion Bundle$9.99
  • 1,600 Gems$9.99
  • 4x Rare Wildcards$9.99
  • Adventurer Bundle$14.99
  • Pre-order: Pass Bundle$14.99
  • 3,400 Gems$19.99
  • 4x Mythic Wildcards$19.99
  • Spark Bundle$24.99
  • Massacre Girl Pack Pre-order$49.99
  • Pre-order: Oko Pack Bundle$49.99
  • Pre-order: Pack Bundle8 variants$49.99
  • 9,200 Gems$49.99
  • Pre-order: Sorin Pack Bundle$49.99
  • 20,000 Gems$99.99

Questions

Is Legends of Runeterra free?
Legends of Runeterra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Magic free?
Magic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Legends of Runeterra or Magic?
Legends of Runeterra is rated higher. Legends of Runeterra averages 4.8 out of 5 from 63K ratings, while Magic averages 4.6 from 154K ratings.
Do Legends of Runeterra or Magic have ads?
Neither Legends of Runeterra nor Magic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Legends of Runeterra or Magic?
Legends of Runeterra ships an update monthly, and Magic weekly. Most recently, Legends of Runeterra was updated on September 24, 2026 and Magic on September 24, 2026.

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