Comparison

Card Buddy vs Campaign Codex

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

Head to head
About

Card Buddy

This app provides a digital corkboard for organizing ideas with index cards. Effortlessly arrange cards, add images, and utilize various text styles to outline stories, plot novels, or manage research. It offers a flexible and intuitive workspace for creative projects.

Highlights
  • Free-form canvas with drag-and-drop cards
  • Two-sided cards with front summary and back details
  • Image support for storyboards and mood boards
  • Multiple text styles including Markdown
  • Kanban layout for column organization
  • Syncs across Mac and iPhone
Features
Read full description

Card Buddy turns your screen into an infinite corkboard for index cards. Drag cards anywhere on the canvas and watch neighboring cards glide out of the way — outlining your story should feel as natural as moving notecards on a desk. Perfect for screenwriters, novelists, and anyone who thinks in cards. Lay out your beat sheet, rearrange plot points, and build your story one card at a time. Features: - Drag-and-drop index cards on a free-form canvas, with neighbors that move out of the way automatically - Two-sided cards — type a summary on the front, details on the back - Add images to any card for storyboards and moodboards - Three text styles: Plain, Auto-style (instant headers and subtitles), and Markdown - Kanban layout to organize cards into columns - Built for Mac and iPhone — your boards go where you do Whether you're breaking a screenplay, plotting a novel, or organizing research, Card Buddy keeps your ideas movable. Terms of use: https://www.ussherpress.com/cardbuddy/terms/ Privacy policy: https://www.ussherpress.com/cardbuddy/privacy/

About

Campaign Codex

This app is a comprehensive campaign manager for Game Masters, designed for iPad. It offers tools for combat tracking, quest management, NPC details, and quick rule references, all accessible offline for seamless live sessions.

Highlights
  • Combat tracking with initiative and HP
  • Campaign journal for notes and prep
  • Quest tracking with status and rewards
  • NPC management and story hooks
  • Party and character reference
  • Loot tracking
  • Quick rules reference
  • Offline-first storage
Features
Read full description

Campaign Codex is an iPad-first campaign manager built for Game Masters who want a serious command center at the table. Designed around the larger iPad screen, Campaign Codex brings combat tracking, campaign notes, quests, NPCs, loot, party details, and quick rules reference into one organized workspace. It is built for live sessions where speed, clarity, and offline access matter. Features include: - Combat tracking with initiative, HP, rounds, and conditions - Campaign journal for session notes, prep, and recap details - Quest tracking for main quests, side quests, status, and rewards - NPC management for relationships, factions, notes, and story hooks - Party and character reference for key player details - Loot tracking for party treasure and character-owned items - Quick reference for common rules during play - Offline-first storage so your campaign stays available at the table Campaign Codex is made for GMs running rich campaigns who need structure without slowing down the game. Whether you are preparing the next session, resolving a combat encounter, checking what happened last week, or tracking the party’s latest treasure, Campaign Codex keeps your campaign information organized and ready. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Card Buddy4 screens
Campaign Codex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Campaign Codex at 5.0 against Card Buddy's 4.3. Campaign Codex also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). Card Buddy's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (44 vs 2). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Card Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Campaign Codex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Campaign Codex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Card Buddy has 44 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Card Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Campaign Codex's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Card Buddy ships an update every 2 months, Campaign Codex every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Card Buddy versus Campaign Codex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCard BuddyCampaign Codex
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (44 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings44 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAllen UssherCommonGroundTech, LLC

Customer experience

Card Buddy

All ratings44 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral6.8%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative12.5%

Campaign Codex

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Card Buddy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Trial mode does not allow saving
  • Images not displaying adequately
  • Double-tap zoom out feature interrupts text selection

Requested features

19 requests
  • Tagging individual cards
  • Apple Pencil support
  • More keyboard shortcuts
  • Support for multiple canvases within a single document
  • More customized options for text formatting, fonts, and colors
Show 14 more
  • Auto update to cloud option
  • Form of auto version number on save
  • Dropping small video clips
  • Templates
  • Fit to window view
  • Grab function for moving the board
  • Linking notes
  • Basic formatting (Bold, Italics, underline, highlight, color)
  • Share outline with others for editing
  • iPhone version
  • Duplicating boards
  • Duplicating cards
  • Disabling double-tap zoom out feature or making it customizable
  • Adding back previous document type options (Storyboard, Kanban, etc.)

Campaign Codex

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Card Buddy

One-time1
  • Non-expiring License$19.99
2 purchases

Campaign Codex

Subscriptions2
  • Campaign Codex Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Campaign Codex Premium Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Card Buddy free?
Card Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Campaign Codex free?
Campaign Codex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Card Buddy or Campaign Codex?
Campaign Codex is rated higher. Card Buddy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Campaign Codex averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Card Buddy or Campaign Codex have ads?
Neither Card Buddy nor Campaign Codex shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Card Buddy or Campaign Codex?
Card Buddy ships an update every 2 months, and Campaign Codex every 2 weeks. Most recently, Card Buddy was updated on November 3, 2026 and Campaign Codex on November 5, 2026.

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