# Magic Spellbook vs Archivist

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Magic Spellbook at 87 against Archivist's 1. Archivist's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic Spellbook sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Archivist sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Archivist holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic Spellbook has 87 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Magic Spellbook's written reviews are positive against 100% of Archivist's.

Magic Spellbook ships an update every 5 weeks, Archivist every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Spellbook | Archivist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-spellbook/id1537509452/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archivist-mtg-scanner/id6770096041/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **87** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 94.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 33 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joshua Birnholz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1106949939) | [Ryan Fontenot](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896715332) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Spellbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-spellbook/id1537509452)

Instantly find Magic card information, including rulings, prices, and all printings. Manage your card lists, compare trade values, and even use voice commands for quick lookups. Explore cards by set and track game progress.

**Highlights:** Complex card search with Scryfall, Card printing and price checks, Save, import, and share card lists, Price difference calculation for trading, Card rulings and format legality, Browse cards by set, Voice search with Siri

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Common Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Uncommon Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Rare Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mythic Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### Archivist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archivist-mtg-scanner/id6770096041)

Digitize your Magic: The Gathering card collection quickly and easily. Scan cards to read details, organize your collection, build decks, and track prices. Connect with other collectors and manage your wishlist.

**Highlights:** Scan cards with camera, Organize by box, condition, foil, language, Build decks with mana curve, Track card prices and set alerts, Wishlist cards with TCGplayer integration, Follow other collectors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Archivist Plus (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Archivist Plus (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |
| Archivist Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Spellbook free?

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

### Is Archivist free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic Spellbook or Archivist?

Archivist is rated higher. Magic Spellbook averages 4.8 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Archivist averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Magic Spellbook or Archivist have ads?

Neither Magic Spellbook nor Archivist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Spellbook or Archivist?

Magic Spellbook ships an update every 5 weeks, and Archivist every 9 days. Most recently, Magic Spellbook was updated on October 15, 2026 and Archivist on October 15, 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.*