Comparison

iMtG vs Bugko

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iMtG

This comprehensive tool enhances your Magic: The Gathering experience with features like a life counter, deck builder, and extensive card database. Manage your collection, track trades, and connect with a community forum.

Highlights
  • Life counter with multiplayer support
  • Advanced deck builder with statistics
  • Up-to-date card database with pricing
  • Digital binder for collection management
  • Community forum and trading tools
  • Offline cache for prices and features
Features
Read full description

The legendary iMtG is back as probably the most advanced and innovative Magic: the Gathering toolbox and rules reference app in the App Store of 2026. Since 2011 our Life Counter tool supports portrait and landscape modes. It has up to 24 seats multiplayer mode, Commander damage tracking and separate poison counters for 2-Headed Giant team. Multiple iMtG Life Counters can be linked and synchronised over Bluetooth nearby networking. Deck Builder includes sample play / fish tool, mana statistics, export by Email and sharing via Share Sheet. You can use Import from iTunes or Dropbox to upgrade from other MTG deck builders which support .dec file format. Card Database has up to date pricing and advanced collection management. You can set how many you need, own and want to trade of each card. It will add the card to the appropriate report in the Main Menu. As soon as a new expansion is released, you can update your database in Main Menu -> Settings & Tools -> Tools. Magic Binders are digital model of your physical binders, allowing you to keep your collection data always with you, on the move and in the net. Mark your cards as foils, signed, set condition and language version, make notes. Post your collection's trading part online with a press of a button as Private Page on Gathering. Email binders to friends or yourself with CSV file attachment. Gathering is our independent community forum ruled by Ultimate Law and linked to Multiverse. Multiverse is a geolocation feature which allows you to manually update your trading position on Earth map. Multiverse does not track your location continuously, you set your base once and update it when and if you desire. Free Trade module contains quick Price Check and Trading tool integrated with Needed and Trade Binder. Settings can be adjusted for the local market to display prices in local currency while multiplied by configurable factor. Trading is integrated with Potential Trades, an automatic trade matching system for Gathering users. While iMtG is mostly free, in the built-in Shop you can pay to unlock optional functionality. Offline cache enables foil prices, mass update tool and background price fetching on card lists. You can also unlock unlimited decks maintenance and add handy Clone function to test different versions of the same deck, in-app access to card rulings, unlimited scanning, unlimited binders, advanced trading functions and card translations. Please note the Support and Feedback option, the use of which I greatly appreciate. For the latest news and development updates follow the maker on X @iMtGApp You can also contact us on Gathering, where we discuss life and magic in general as Piotr. Prices and some imagery are courtesy of our long time partner TCGPlayer.com and our new partner Scryfall.com Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. Copyright 2009 Wizards. Pokemon content is © 2016 Pokémon/Nintendo. Yu-Gi-Oh! content is © 2014 NAS TV Tokyo. Currency exchange rates courtesy of European taxpayers via Frankfurter (api.frankfurter.app). iMtG app is made and owned by Piotr Farbiszewski and is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, specifically approved or authorized by Wizards of the Coast LLC or Hasbro who are their parent who owns them. All Rights Reserved.

About

Bugko

This fan-made app serves as an all-in-one companion for Magic: The Gathering players and judges. It offers news aggregation, spoiler alerts, deck building tools, and an offline card database with pricing. It also includes specialized features for judges, such as rule references and timers.

Highlights
  • News aggregation from 40+ sources
  • Spoiler alerts with push notifications
  • Offline card database with syntax search
  • Card pricing from TCGPlayer and Cardmarket
  • Life counter for 2-8 players
  • Deck builder with winning decklists
  • Tools for MTG judges (IPG, MTR, timers)
Features
Read full description

Bugko is an unofficial app (fan made) all-in-one companion app designed for Magic: The Gathering (MTG) players and judges. Bugko focused on offering unique core features such as news aggregation, spoiler alert, tournament deck list update, card syntax search and many more. Other familiar features like life counter, wish list, collection tracker, offline card search, random card, comprehensive rule, deck building are also built inside Bugko for a complete experience. Bugko will be the first modern designed MTG app you will truly enjoy. Bugko is the only app that bring together all favorite MTG, MTGO and Arena news sources into one place. News channel currently available including Channel Fireball, MTG Goldfish, Mythic Spoiler, Star City Games and 40+ news sources. You can scroll through all news and spoilers happening right now once you open the app. With push notification in app, you surely will never miss a single important news update from your favorite news channels. Latest spoiled card? Bugko got you covered. Bugko is built with a powerful yet offline accessible cards database. You can choose to search through 30,000+ cards using our blazing fast syntax search designed for power users or simply use the search filter available with user friendly interface. With latest card pricing directly from TCGPlayer and Cardmarket, you can check, buy, trade, or track your collection wherever you are. Are you a Magic judge? Bugko has tools specially designed for judges. Scripted draft timer, Infraction Procedure Guide (IPG) reference, Magic Tournament Rule (MTR) document, offline comprehensive rule with complete search functionality inside etc. Many of the features in Bugko are carefully designed to cater to the needs of judges as well. For example, an offline card database, card text in multiple languages, judge blog or news update and more. Great for judges that travel around the world for events. Features: - Latest MTG news and spoiler from 40+ popular news channels with notification alert. - Life counter support 2-8 players, 15 different counters, counter changes history, mana pool and modern design. - Offline complete database including all latest cards printed, promo cards, 11+ printed languages, 20+ formats banlist, card rulings, reserved list and etc. - Powerful card search engine that support syntax search, 25+ card properties filter, random card and etc. - Latest card pricing including all promo cards, foil cards, different art variety directly from TCGPlayer or Cardmarket. - Auto currency converter available in 30+ currencies. - Track your collection, trading and wish list with up-to-date price wherever you go. - Deck builder with winning decklist from Standard, Modern and Legacy formats. - Tools for judges like offline searchable comprehensive rule, MTG, IPG, quick reference, scripted draft timer, decklist counter, offline documents and etc. Disclaimer: Magic: The Gathering (also known as MTG) card design, text, images, expansions, and symbols are trademark and copyright of Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, LLC. Bugko is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Screenshots

iMtG4 screens
Bugko4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bugko at none against iMtG's 10. Bugko also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). iMtG's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. iMtG sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Bugko asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iMtG ships an update weekly, Bugko every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
iMtG versus Bugko: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriMtGBugko
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (89 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews73.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—89 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB501 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperPIOTR FARBISZEWSKIKeng Siang Ooi

Customer experience

iMtG

Written reviews20 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugko

All ratings89 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

iMtG

One-time10
  • Offline Cache$0.99
  • Card rulings$0.99
  • Scanner$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Card Translations$0.99
  • iMtG Server - Month$0.99
  • No Ads$1.99
  • Unlimited Binders$2.99
  • Unlimited Decks$4.99
  • Upgrade to All$7.99
  • All$9.99
None

Bugko

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iMtG free?
iMtG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bugko free?
Bugko is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do iMtG or Bugko have ads?
Both iMtG and Bugko show ads.
Which is updated more often, iMtG or Bugko?
iMtG ships an update weekly, and Bugko every 2 weeks. Most recently, iMtG was updated on October 9, 2026 and Bugko on October 22, 2026.

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