# Magic vs Payback Arcade

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Payback Arcade at 100% against Magic's 34%. Payback Arcade also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Magic's advantage is ratings volume (156K vs 4) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Payback Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 156K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Magic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic | Payback Arcade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (156K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **156K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 34.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | — |
| Size | 265 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) | [Great Guy Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895016605) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Grossing · Card, #24 Top Grossing · Strategy, #59 Top Free · Card, #62 Top Free · Strategy, #111 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

Experience the original fantasy collectible card game digitally. Build unique decks, master strategies, and battle friends or AI in various game modes. Discover new cards and unlock rewards through a comprehensive tutorial and engaging gameplay.

**Highlights:** Collect and build unique decks, Master diverse strategies, Battle friends and AI, Explore multiple game formats, Engaging tutorial system, Unlock cards and rewards, Stunning battlefields and effects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 750 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,600 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4x Rare Wildcards | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adventurer Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3,400 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4x Mythic Wildcards | $19.99 | one-time |
| Spark Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| 9,200 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 20,000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Payback Arcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497)

Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Digital card game adaptation, Solo practice mode, Online multiplayer matches, Leaderboards, Optimized for phone and iPad, Save profile and progress with Apple ID

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic free?

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

### Is Payback Arcade free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic or Payback Arcade?

Payback Arcade is rated higher. Magic averages 4.6 out of 5 from 156K ratings, while Payback Arcade averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Magic or Payback Arcade have ads?

Neither Magic nor Payback Arcade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic or Payback Arcade?

Magic ships an update weekly, and Payback Arcade weekly. Most recently, Magic was updated on November 7, 2026 and Payback Arcade on November 5, 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.*