# Cantrip vs Helvault

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cantrip at none against Helvault's 6. Cantrip also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 32%). Helvault's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and rating (4.2 vs 3.9). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Helvault sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Cantrip asks for nothing beyond the download.

Helvault holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Helvault has 279 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Cantrip's written reviews are positive against 32% of Helvault's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cantrip ships an update every 4 months, Helvault fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cantrip | Helvault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103/reviews) | **[4.2 (279 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helvault-mtg-scanner/id6451158920/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **279** |
| Positive reviews | **57.1% of reviews** | 31.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 142 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [White Bridge Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647217300) | [Vitor Cesco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1466963200) |

## What reviewers say

### Cantrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103)

Easily build and manage your Magic: The Gathering decks. Search and filter cards from any set, and quickly add, remove, or sideboard cards with intuitive gestures.

**Highlights:** Powerful deck builder, Card search and filtering, Add/remove cards with swipe, Sideboard management, Supports all card sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Helvault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helvault-mtg-scanner/id6451158920)

Effortlessly manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection with an AI-powered scanner. Organize, filter, and analyze your cards with detailed stats and pricing information. Sync across devices and export your collection.

**Highlights:** AI-powered MTG card scanner, Unlimited card collection storage, Detailed collection statistics, Card pricing and details, CSV collection export, iCloud syncing

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Common Donation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rare Donation | $4.99 | one-time |
| iCloud Syncing | $4.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Card Export/Import | $6.99 | one-time |
| MTG Card Scanner - Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Mythic Donation | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent scanning and recognition
- 👍 Versatile product for managing collections
- 🚀 Quick and easy to use
- 👍 Dedicated developer with good customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent card scanning, struggles with certain card types
- 💰 Expensive, especially for users who already paid for the legacy app
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔀 Difficulty moving cards between binders
- 🔒 No way to restore scans/data on new devices

**Reported bugs**

- Keypad issues when searching
- Disappearing settings icons
- Incorrect set identification for some cards
- Missing card prices and details

**Requested features**

- Deck building and management tools
- Advanced search and filtering options
- Bulk card management and transfer
- Improved support for special card versions and frames
- Seamless data migration from legacy app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cantrip free?

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

### Is Helvault free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cantrip or Helvault?

Helvault is rated higher. Cantrip averages 3.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Helvault averages 4.2 from 279 ratings.

### Do Cantrip or Helvault have ads?

Neither Cantrip nor Helvault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cantrip or Helvault?

Cantrip ships an update every 4 months, and Helvault fortnightly. Most recently, Cantrip was updated on September 12, 2026 and Helvault on September 23, 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.*