# Decked Drafter vs Magic

The clearest difference is rating: Magic at 4.6 against Decked Drafter's 2.6. Magic also leads on ratings volume (157K vs 17) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Decked Drafter's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Decked Drafter sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Magic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Magic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Magic has 157K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Decked Drafter's written reviews are positive against 34% of Magic's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Decked Drafter ships an update monthly, Magic weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Decked Drafter | Magic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decked-drafter/id433341409/reviews) | **[4.6 (157K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **157K** |
| Positive reviews | **59.3% of reviews** | 34.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#14** |
| Size | 28 MB | 265 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [TJ Soft](https://appshunter.io/developer/393180447) | [Wizards of the Coast](https://appshunter.io/developer/491192018) |

## What reviewers say

### Decked Drafter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decked-drafter/id433341409)

Practice Magic: The Gathering draft and sealed deck skills with a full simulator. Get expert strategy tips, card ratings, and AI opponents to hone your deck-building abilities. Test your creations and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Draft simulator against AI opponents, Expert card ratings and strategy tips, Practice with various Magic expansions, Deck building and testing tools, Card sorting by color, type, and rarity, View card prices from TCGplayer.com

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mirrodin Besieged Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| New Phyrexia Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2012 Set | $1.99 | one-time |
| Innistrad Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2013 Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Return to Ravnica Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gatecrash Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Magic 2014 Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Theros Set | $2.99 | one-time |
| Shadows over Innistrad Set | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 📚 Expert card ratings and commentary from experienced players
- 🎮 Effective practice tool for improving drafting skills
- ⚡ Works offline without requiring WiFi
- 🤖 Functional AI drafting opponents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive per-set pricing ($2.99-$5.99 each)
- ⏱️ Slow updates for new set releases
- 🤖 AI drafts unrealistically, ignoring color signals
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ❌ Missing card art and image loading problems

**Reported bugs**

- Card art fails to load, showing only card backs
- Database update stuck at version 78
- App crashes when adding lands to decks
- Crashes when clicking feedback button
- In-app purchases not delivering purchased content

**Requested features**

- 4-pack sealed draft mode
- Multiplayer drafting with human opponents
- Locally stored card database and collection system
- Ability to save and review drafted decks
- Landscape mode support


### Magic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-the-gathering-arena/id1496227521)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Card, #20 Top Grossing · Strategy, #53 Top Free · Strategy, #60 Top Free · Card, #86 Top Grossing · Games (US App Store)

Experience the original fantasy collectible card game digitally. Build unique decks, master strategies, and battle friends or AI in various game modes. Discover new cards and unlock rewards through a comprehensive tutorial and engaging gameplay.

**Highlights:** Collect and build unique decks, Master diverse strategies, Battle friends and AI, Explore multiple game formats, Engaging tutorial system, Unlock cards and rewards, Stunning battlefields and effects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 750 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,600 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4x Rare Wildcards | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adventurer Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| 3,400 Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4x Mythic Wildcards | $19.99 | one-time |
| Spark Bundle | $24.99 | one-time |
| 9,200 Gems | $49.99 | one-time |
| 20,000 Gems | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great way to play Magic on the go
- 🎨 Excellent visual representation of the game
- 💰 Generous free-to-play model
- 🕹️ Smooth and intuitive gameplay
- 🕰️ Convenient for players who can't meet in person

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🕹️ Clunky UI and navigation
- 💰 Aggressive monetization and pay-to-win concerns
- 🔀 Rigged matchmaking and unfair shuffling algorithm
- 🕰️ Slow performance on older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Cards not working as intended
- Inability to select or interact with certain game elements
- Inconsistent behavior when app crashes during matches
- Sync issues between mobile and desktop accounts

**Requested features**

- Ability to trade or recycle unwanted cards
- Improved deck building tools and organization
- Support for multiplayer formats like Commander and Two-Headed Giant
- Option to disable animations and speed up gameplay
- Better integration between mobile and desktop versions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Decked Drafter free?

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

### Is Magic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Decked Drafter or Magic?

Magic is rated higher. Decked Drafter averages 2.6 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Magic averages 4.6 from 157K ratings.

### Do Decked Drafter or Magic have ads?

Neither Decked Drafter nor Magic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Decked Drafter or Magic?

Decked Drafter ships an update monthly, and Magic weekly. Most recently, Decked Drafter was updated on November 1, 2026 and Magic on November 10, 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.*