# Awesome Magic Life Counter vs MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

The clearest difference is ads: Awesome Magic Life Counter at none against MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's shown. Awesome Magic Life Counter also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (38 vs 7). MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Awesome Magic Life Counter sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Awesome Magic Life Counter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Awesome Magic Life Counter has 38 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Awesome Magic Life Counter's written reviews are positive against 83% of MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's.

Awesome Magic Life Counter ships an update monthly, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Awesome Magic Life Counter | MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awesome-magic-life-counter/id470458013/reviews)** | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-codex-life-counterscanner/id6763615089/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **38** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **90.8% of reviews** | 83.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jambo Group LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/566812761) | [Marcus Richardson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895399387) |

## What reviewers say

### Awesome Magic Life Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awesome-magic-life-counter/id470458013)

A highly customizable life counter for Magic the Gathering players. Track life totals, poison counters, dice rolls, and commander damage with a clean, user-friendly interface. Supports up to four players and offers advanced EDH features.

**Highlights:** Life total tracking, Poison counter tracking, Dice rolling (up to 4 d20), Commander damage tracking, Customizable background, Animated coin flip

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planechase Features | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy Sean a Drink | $0.99 | one-time |
| Change Background | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎮 Supports multiple game formats (Commander, EDH, Standard, Infect)
- 👥 Multiplayer support for up to 4 players
- ✨ Customizable backgrounds and themes
- 🎲 Built-in dice roller and coin flip features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 In-app purchases feel overpriced and limited in value
- 📺 Small buttons and text that are difficult to tap
- 🔄 Cluttered interface with too much visual flair
- 🚫 Limited to 4 players maximum
- 🎯 Player life counters not oriented for two-player gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and loses score data periodically
- Memory issues on older devices (iPhone 4)
- Poison counter resets when app is closed
- Multiplayer mode occasionally reverts to 2 players only
- App loses data when exited briefly

**Requested features**

- Support for more than 4 players
- Player profile saving to avoid re-entering names
- Screen rotation capability for better two-player viewing
- Timer and alarm functionality for match time limits
- Ability to track individual card counters (e.g., for Hydra decks)


### MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-codex-life-counterscanner/id6763615089)

This app is a comprehensive companion for trading card game players, offering tools for deck building, card scanning, collection management, and life tracking. It helps players tune decks for competitive play, discover combos, and find local game stores.

**Highlights:** Multi-device life tracker for up to six players, Instant card scanning with price and legality, Smart deck builder for all formats, Collection manager with price tracking, Deck tuner for competitive play, Combo finder and commander discovery

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MTG CODEX PRO Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| MTG CODEX PRO Annual | $54.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Awesome Magic Life Counter free?

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

### Is MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner free?

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Awesome Magic Life Counter or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?

Awesome Magic Life Counter is rated higher. Awesome Magic Life Counter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Awesome Magic Life Counter or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner have ads?

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner shows ads; Awesome Magic Life Counter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Awesome Magic Life Counter or MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner?

Awesome Magic Life Counter ships an update monthly, and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner every 4 days. Most recently, Awesome Magic Life Counter was updated on October 23, 2026 and MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner on October 31, 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.*