# MTG Builder vs bgLifecounter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: bgLifecounter at none against MTG Builder's 1. bgLifecounter also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). MTG Builder's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Builder sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.49 per month. bgLifecounter asks for nothing beyond the download.

MTG Builder ships an update every 2 months, bgLifecounter weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Builder | bgLifecounter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-builder/id1486535102/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 254 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuki Abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1486535101) | [Ryo Kurachi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1038411497) |

## What reviewers say

### MTG Builder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-builder/id1486535102)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players manage their decks. It offers card searching, deck building, and export options for popular platforms like MTG Arena. Share your deck lists and registration sheets with friends or use them for tournaments.

**Highlights:** Card search by multiple parameters, Deck management and editing, MTG Arena deck list export, Tournament deck registration sheet output, Card image download, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MTG Builder Pro | $2.49 | per month |


### bgLifecounter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bglifecounter/id1587848423)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MTG Builder free?

MTG Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is bgLifecounter free?

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

### Do MTG Builder or bgLifecounter have ads?

Both MTG Builder and bgLifecounter show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MTG Builder or bgLifecounter?

MTG Builder ships an update every 2 months, and bgLifecounter weekly. Most recently, MTG Builder was updated on September 30, 2026 and bgLifecounter on September 20, 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.*