# BG Catalog vs PencilDB

The clearest difference is update cadence: PencilDB at every 10 days against BG Catalog's every 3 weeks. BG Catalog's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BG Catalog ships an update every 3 weeks, PencilDB every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BG Catalog | PencilDB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bg-catalog/id1558147475/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **255** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fco. Javier Perez Pacheco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1477714897) | [ideo Entertainment Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/730082924) |

## What reviewers say

### BG Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bg-catalog/id1558147475)

Organize your board game collection, track plays, and manage game nights with friends. Easily catalog owned games, wishlists, and see detailed statistics on your gaming habits. Share game details and victories via QR codes and social media.

**Highlights:** Manage board game collection, Track game plays and scores, Organize friends and play locations, Game status management (owned, wishlist, etc.), Statistics on games played and usage, Share games and results via QR code, Social media sharing of game rankings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth sync with BGG
- 📊 Comprehensive statistics
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with BGG
- ⚠️ Unable to add games not in collection
- 🔍 Search functionality issues
- 🔒 Requires BGG login

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to open game details
- Crashes and freezes after recent update
- Incorrect game information displayed
- Login/sync failures

**Requested features**

- Add scoring sheets for games
- Connect with friends who use the app
- Customizable collections
- Faction/team tracking for games


### PencilDB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildb/id6798742547)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BG Catalog free?

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

### Is PencilDB free?

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

### Do BG Catalog or PencilDB have ads?

Neither BG Catalog nor PencilDB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BG Catalog or PencilDB?

BG Catalog ships an update every 3 weeks, and PencilDB every 10 days. Most recently, BG Catalog was updated on November 3, 2026 and PencilDB on November 6, 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.*