Comparison

MTGCardStack vs MTG Card Scanner

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

Head to head
About

MTGCardStack

Manage your Magic the Gathering collection, build decks, and track game statistics. Discover new sets, monitor collection progress, and analyze deck performance with powerful search and customization options.

Highlights
  • Card search with powerful options
  • Deck and binder building
  • Collection completion tracking
  • Game history and win/loss statistics
  • Customizable interface
  • Import card lists
  • Trade balancing
Read full description

MTGCardStack is the all-in-one utility for managing your Magic: The Gathering collection across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the web. Search over 100,000 cards, build decks, manage collections, track games, record trades, and monitor prices — all synced to your account and accessible at app.mtgcardstack.com. Key Features • Powerful card search with filters for colors, types, rarity, sets, artists, keywords, mana value, and more • Build decks and collections with detailed card tracking (condition, foil, acquired price, notes) • Price tracking with market value charts, set price history, and daily top movers • Collection value over time — watch your portfolio grow with interactive charts • Card scanner — use your camera to identify cards and add them to any list • Import from CSV (Moxfield, Deckbox, TCGPlayer, MTGGoldfish, PriceCharting, MTGStocks, or custom) • Export lists as CSV or PDF (financial inventory or proxy print sheets) • Set completion progress across your entire collection • Deck insights — mana curve, type breakdown, draw probability calculator, and starting hand simulator • Game tracker with life/poison counters, game logs, and win/loss statistics • Trade tracker with per-card values, balance calculator, and trade partner history • Auction tracker for monitoring bids and price history • Sales analytics — revenue, profit, velocity, and top sellers • Booster pack simulator — open randomized packs from any set • Random card browser with filter support • Optimized for iPad and Mac with side-by-side split views • Customizable home page, tab order, and display preferences • Sign In with Apple or email — no passwords required • Full web companion at app.mtgcardstack.com with all features available MTGCardStack Pro is available for $0.99/month, or a one-time lifetime purchase for $2.99. Pro unlocks unlimited lists, cards, trades, games, and exports. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.mtgcardstack.com/privacypolicy/

About

MTG Card Scanner

Instantly scan Magic: The Gathering cards with your camera to check live market values and track price changes. Organize your entire collection, build and analyze decks, and explore MTG sets. Make informed decisions for trading, selling, or investing.

Highlights
  • Instant card scanning
  • Live market value detection
  • Price change tracking
  • Smart collection management
  • Deck balance analysis
  • MTG set exploration
Features
Read full description

Mana Vault – MTG Card Scanner & Collection Manager Turn your camera into a powerful Magic: The Gathering scanner. Instantly detect any MTG card, check its live value, track price changes, and organize your entire collection in seconds. Instant Card Scanning - Scan any Magic: The Gathering card in real time - Automatic recognition of set, rarity, finish (foil/non-foil) - Instant market value detection - Fast, accurate, and built for collectors Live Prices & Market Tracking - See up-to-date card values - Track price changes over time with interactive charts - Monitor daily, weekly, and long-term trends - Spot rising cards before they spike - Perfect for trading, selling, or investing. Smart Collection Management - Organize cards into custom collections - Build and manage decks - Track total collection value automatically - See portfolio performance at a glance - Keep everything structured and easy to access. Deck Balance Analysis - Analyze mana curve and color distribution - View card type breakdown (creature, instant, sorcery, etc.) - Detect imbalances in lands vs spells - Improve consistency and competitiveness - Build smarter decks with data-backed insights. Explore All MTG Sets - Browse existing sets - Discover upcoming and unreleased expansions - Search by set, rarity, type, or color - Explore full card galleries - Stay ahead of new releases and evolving metas. Built for Collectors & Players - Whether you: - Buy and sell cards - Build competitive decks - Collect sealed products - Track long-term value - Mana Vault helps you make better decisions. Whether you're a casual collector or a competitive deck builder, Mana Vault gives you the tools to scan, analyze, and optimize your cards — all in one place. Terms of use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MTGCardStack4 screens
MTG Card Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: MTGCardStack at none against MTG Card Scanner's shown. MTGCardStack also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and device support (3 vs 1). MTG Card Scanner's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (287 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement 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. MTGCardStack sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and MTG Card Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MTGCardStack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTG Card Scanner has 287 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MTGCardStack ships an update every 3 months, MTG Card Scanner every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MTGCardStack versus MTG Card Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTGCardStackMTG Card Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.6 (287 ratings)
Positive reviews—44.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2287 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB251 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNicholas DiodatoGiuseppe Lupo

Customer experience

MTGCardStack

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

MTG Card Scanner

All ratings287 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral2.1%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive44.2%
Neutral7.0%
Negative48.8%

Bugs and requests

MTGCardStack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

MTG Card Scanner

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes/freezes during onboarding
  • Camera functionality not working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Option to view sell-through rates
  • Ability to analyze both sides of a card
  • Export data to CSV/Excel

In-app purchases

4 purchases

MTGCardStack

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Leave a Tip$0.99
  • Lifetime$2.99
4 purchases

MTG Card Scanner

Subscriptions3
  • Premium3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Premium$29.991 Month
  • Premium$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium$99.99

Questions

Is MTGCardStack free?
MTGCardStack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MTG Card Scanner free?
MTG Card Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MTGCardStack or MTG Card Scanner?
MTGCardStack is rated higher. MTGCardStack averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while MTG Card Scanner averages 4.6 from 287 ratings.
Do MTGCardStack or MTG Card Scanner have ads?
MTG Card Scanner shows ads; MTGCardStack does not.
Which is updated more often, MTGCardStack or MTG Card Scanner?
MTGCardStack ships an update every 3 months, and MTG Card Scanner every 3 days. Most recently, MTGCardStack was updated on September 24, 2026 and MTG Card Scanner on September 23, 2026.

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