# Artificer vs MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner at 83% against Artificer's 31%. MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.3). Artificer's advantage is ratings volume (461 vs 7) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Artificer sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Artificer has 461 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Artificer's written reviews are positive against 83% of MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's.

Artificer ships an update every 2 days, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Artificer | MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (461 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artificer-mtg-card-maker/id1509523552/reviews) | **[4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-codex-life-counterscanner/id6763615089/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **461** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 30.8% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 90 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [IJG LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1766567147) | [Marcus Richardson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895399387) |

## What reviewers say

### Artificer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artificer-mtg-card-maker/id1509523552)

Design custom Magic cards with a vast library of frames and an AI image generator. Save your creations online, share them in public galleries, and connect with other designers. Premium features are available via subscription.

**Highlights:** Online user space for accessible designs, Over 1400 new card frames, AI image generator, Public and private galleries, Printing service integration, Community voting and interaction

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vintage Lands | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip me a Lightning Bolt | $1.99 | one-time |
| Vintage Spells | $1.99 | one-time |
| Adventures | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sagas | $1.99 | one-time |
| Enchantment Spells | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip me a Path to Exile | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip me a Lotus Petal | $9.99 | one-time |
| Monthly Membership | $9.99 | one-time |
| Yearly Membership | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive interface
- 💡 Variety of customization options
- 🎨 Great for creating custom MTG cards

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy after updates
- 🔒 Forced account creation and login
- 💰 Excessive premium features and paywall
- 🗑️ Lost all previously created cards after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Text input issues, cursor jumping around
- Inability to save or edit created cards
- Compatibility problems with older devices
- Persistent crashes and performance issues

**Requested features**

- Add support for double-sided and transforming cards
- Implement folder/album organization for saved cards
- Improve text editing and formatting capabilities
- Expand card type options (e.g. Eldrazi, Planeswalker abilities)


### MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-codex-life-counterscanner/id6763615089)

This app is a comprehensive tool for trading card game players, offering card scanning, deck building, collection management, and life tracking. It provides detailed game statistics, combo discovery, and competitive tuning suggestions. Find local game stores and discover new commanders with this all-in-one companion.

**Highlights:** Instant card scanning with camera, Smart deck building for all formats, Collection management and value tracking, Competitive deck tuning and optimization, Combo finder and deck grading, Life tracker for multiplayer games, Preconstructed deck browser

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MTG CODEX PRO Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| MTG CODEX PRO Annual | $54.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Artificer free?

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

### Is MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner free?

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Artificer or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner is rated higher. Artificer averages 2.3 out of 5 from 461 ratings, while MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Artificer or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner have ads?

Neither Artificer nor MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Artificer or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?

Artificer ships an update every 2 days, and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. Most recently, Artificer was updated on October 24, 2026 and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner on October 28, 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.*