# MTG Guide vs MTG Ref

The clearest difference is price: MTG Guide at Free against MTG Ref's $2.99. MTG Ref's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

MTG Guide is free to download; MTG Ref costs $2.99 up front. MTG Guide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. MTG Ref asks for nothing beyond the download.

MTG Guide ships an update every 2 months, MTG Ref every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Guide | MTG Ref |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (726 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-guide/id378754271/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **726** | — |
| Positive reviews | 79.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 45 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wybrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/366746485) | [宇 曹](https://appshunter.io/developer/1170885830) |

## What reviewers say

### MTG Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-guide/id378754271)

Access comprehensive Magic: The Gathering rules, card text, and rulings in a searchable offline format. Stay updated with the latest expansions and tournament guidelines for all formats.

**Highlights:** Card text and FAQs/rulings, Complete Comprehensive Rules, Offline database access, Searchable card and rules database, Legality information for formats, Card price and image integration

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $6.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent reference tool
- 🔒 Offline access to rules and cards
- 👍 Comprehensive and up-to-date database
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use interface
- 👍 Helpful for judges and players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited search/filter options
- 📱 Lack of full-screen card art
- 🔍 Truncated search results

**Reported bugs**

- Slow loading of Gatherer text
- Occasional crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Advanced search and filtering options
- Ability to display full-screen card art
- Integration of annotated IPG and MTR
- Option to sort cards by various criteria
- Display of rarity symbols for cards


### MTG Ref

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-ref/id6448774350)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MTG Guide free?

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

### Is MTG Ref free?

MTG Ref costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do MTG Guide or MTG Ref have ads?

Neither MTG Guide nor MTG Ref shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MTG Guide or MTG Ref?

MTG Guide ships an update every 2 months, and MTG Ref every 4 months. Most recently, MTG Guide was updated on October 22, 2026 and MTG Ref on October 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.*