# MTG Scanner vs Decksmith

The clearest difference is rating: Decksmith at 5.0 against MTG Scanner's 4.5. Decksmith also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). MTG Scanner's advantage is ratings volume (130 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Decksmith asks for nothing beyond the download.

Decksmith holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTG Scanner has 130 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of MTG Scanner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Decksmith's.

MTG Scanner ships an update every 10 days, Decksmith every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Scanner | Decksmith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (130 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-scanner-lions-eye/id1546754798/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decksmith-mtg-deck-builder/id6756268708/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **130** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 130 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Orlando Gabriel Herrera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541388081) | [Waldemar Schneider](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859657539) |

## What reviewers say

### MTG Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-scanner-lions-eye/id1546754798)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players manage their card collection and build decks. It offers fast searching, intuitive deck building with legalities checks, and collection organization. Discover new cards and build powerful combos with this comprehensive companion.

**Highlights:** Card collection management, Intuitive deck building, Fast and flexible search, Format legality checks, Card information and rulings, Collection organization, Discover new cards

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Most Flexible | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pay-As-You-Go | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Annual | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for organizing the collection
- 👍 Wonderful app, full of features
- 👍 User-friendly and visually appealing
- 👍 Fantastic scanner, best on iOS
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly on macOS
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Scanner issues, pairs wrong cards
- 🐛 Performance issues, lags and freezes
- 💰 Subscription model, no one-time purchase

**Reported bugs**

- Scan feature automatically adds cards
- Incorrect card prices, especially for foils
- Crashes on load, camera issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to change card variants
- Improved deck building experience
- More comprehensive card database
- Better collection analytics and reporting
- Dark mode option


### Decksmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decksmith-mtg-deck-builder/id6756268708)

Effortlessly manage your Magic: The Gathering collection with real-time card scanning and price tracking. Build and validate decks for various formats, analyze their composition, and connect with a community of players. Enjoy offline access and robust privacy controls.

**Highlights:** Real-time card scanning, Automatic price tracking, Format-aware deck building, Collection inventory management, Offline access, Community features, Privacy controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MTG Scanner free?

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

### Is Decksmith free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MTG Scanner or Decksmith?

Decksmith is rated higher. MTG Scanner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 130 ratings, while Decksmith averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do MTG Scanner or Decksmith have ads?

Neither MTG Scanner nor Decksmith shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MTG Scanner or Decksmith?

MTG Scanner ships an update every 10 days, and Decksmith every 3 weeks. Most recently, MTG Scanner was updated on October 2, 2026 and Decksmith on September 17, 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.*