Comparison

Glimmer Scan vs TCG Archivist

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

Head to head
About

Glimmer Scan

Easily scan and catalog your Disney Lorcana trading card collection. This app uses intuitive recognition technology to track your cards and offers flexible export options. It is currently in beta with ongoing development.

Highlights
  • Card recognition technology
  • Collection cataloging
  • Export to Dreamborn.ink
  • General export format
  • Dark Mode support
  • Active localization
  • Customizable app icons
Features
Read full description

Glimmer.Ink: The Ultimate Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game Scanner Effortlessly scan and catalog your Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game collection with Glimmer.Ink! Our intuitive card recognition technology makes it easy to keep track of your cards. Simply point your camera, and let Glimmer.Ink do the rest. Export your collection to Dreamborn.ink, one of the leading Disney Lorcana card management sites, or export in a general format for ultimate flexibility. Important Notes: • Enchanted and promo cards are currently not supported. • Only English cards are recognized at this time; other languages will be supported soon. • Preloading images in the settings is recommended. • The app is still in beta and is being actively developed and expanded. • At the moment some cards are displayed incorrectly, the recognized and exported card should still be correct. Key Features: • Dark Mode Support: Enjoy a sleek, user-friendly interface in any lighting. • Active Localization: Experience Glimmer.Ink in your preferred language, with new languages added regularly. • Customizable App Icons: Personalize your app appearance for free. Legal Information: This app uses trademarks and/or copyrights associated with Disney Lorcana TCG, used under Ravensburger’s Community Code Policy (https://cdn.ravensburger.com/lorcana/community-code-en). We are expressly prohibited from charging you to use or access this content. This app is not published, endorsed, or specifically approved by Disney or Ravensburger. For more information about Disney Lorcana TCG, visit Disney Lorcana. Join the Glimmer.Ink community and enhance your Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game experience today!

About

TCG Archivist

Manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection without sorting. Scan cards into labeled locations for instant retrieval. Track collection value, build decks from your inventory, and find any card in seconds.

Highlights
  • Scan cards into labeled storage
  • No sorting required
  • Instant card retrieval
  • Real-time collection value tracking
  • Build decks from owned cards
  • Searchable and filterable collection
Features
Read full description

TCG Archivist is the ultimate collection management tool for Magic: The Gathering players. We believe sorting your collection is the wrong approach. Sorting is time consuming, impossible to maintain, and never actually gives you a clear picture of what you own. TCG Archivist is built around a better system. One that the world's most efficient warehouses and retailers have used for decades. Scan your cards into labeled storage locations. No sorting required. When you need a card search the app, find the location, and have it in your hand in under a minute. Your entire collection becomes fully searchable, filterable, and always up to date. Know exactly what you own. Track your collection value in real time. Build decks from cards you actually have. Find any card in seconds. For players with larger collections the CSC100 hardware scanner makes building your digital catalog dramatically faster, but any camera will get you started today. Your collection. Always searchable. Always in reach. Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Glimmer Scan4 screens
TCG Archivist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Glimmer Scan at none against TCG Archivist's 1. Glimmer Scan also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 50%). TCG Archivist's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. TCG Archivist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Glimmer Scan asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Glimmer Scan against 4.2 for TCG Archivist. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 51 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Glimmer Scan's written reviews are positive against 50% of TCG Archivist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Glimmer Scan ships an update every 5 weeks, TCG Archivist every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Glimmer Scan versus TCG Archivist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlimmer ScanTCG Archivist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (21 ratings)4.2 (51 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2151 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size502 MB514 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJannik WortmannTCG Archivist LLC

Customer experience

Glimmer Scan

All ratings19 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative19.0%

TCG Archivist

All ratings51 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative41.7%

In-app purchases

None

Glimmer Scan

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

TCG Archivist

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Sub$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Glimmer Scan free?
Glimmer Scan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TCG Archivist free?
TCG Archivist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Glimmer Scan or TCG Archivist?
TCG Archivist is rated higher. Glimmer Scan averages 4.1 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while TCG Archivist averages 4.2 from 51 ratings.
Do Glimmer Scan or TCG Archivist have ads?
Neither Glimmer Scan nor TCG Archivist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Glimmer Scan or TCG Archivist?
Glimmer Scan ships an update every 5 weeks, and TCG Archivist every 9 days. Most recently, Glimmer Scan was updated on October 30, 2026 and TCG Archivist on November 5, 2026.

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