# Shiny vs Play! Pokémon Access

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shiny at 95% against Play! Pokémon Access's 14%. Shiny also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Play! Pokémon Access's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On price, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shiny sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Play! Pokémon Access asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shiny holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shiny has 3.7K ratings behind it against 90, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Shiny's written reviews are positive against 14% of Play! Pokémon Access's.

Shiny ships an update every 5 days, Play! Pokémon Access every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shiny | Play! Pokémon Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiny-card-value-scanner/id6593663349/reviews)** | [2.1 (90 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-pokemon-access/id6738208583/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 90 |
| Positive reviews | **95.2% of reviews** | 14.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | #162 |
| Size | 110 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shiny Cardboard LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1760262290) | [THE POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/594261408) |

## What reviewers say

### Shiny

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiny-card-value-scanner/id6593663349)

**Currently charting:** #154 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

Identify and value your trading cards instantly with a powerful scanner. Manage your entire collection digitally, track market trends, and even prepare cards for grading. Connect with a global community of collectors.

**Highlights:** Instant card identification, Real-time market value tracking, Digital collection management, Advanced filtering tools, Card grading preparation, Custom price alerts

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shiny Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Shiny Pro - Collector Tools | $7.99 | per month |
| Shiny Pro - Collector Tools | $59.99 | per year |
| Collector Pro Gift Pass | $34.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Collector Pro Pass | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Collector Pro Pass | $119.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User friendly
- 🚀 Efficient and responsive
- 💎 Excellent customer service
- 🔍 Comprehensive database
- 📊 Helpful tracking and analytics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some missing/incomplete data
- 🔍 Difficulty finding certain products

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Wishlist feature
- Grading recommendation system
- Set-based organization
- Total collection value tracking


### Play! Pokémon Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-pokemon-access/id6738208583)

**Currently charting:** #162 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Discover local events and tournaments for Pokémon video games, the Trading Card Game, and Pokémon GO. Connect with the community, find new battles, and forge friendships. This app is your gateway to the Play! Pokémon program.

**Highlights:** Discover local Play! Pokémon events, Search for video game tournaments, Find Trading Card Game tournaments, Locate Pokémon GO tournaments, Connect with the Pokémon community, Find prizes and make friends

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Conceptually a big step forward
- 🔒 Useful tools in one place

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lack of basic functionality like sorting by date
- 🔍 Difficult to find events, limited search radius
- 🔒 Forced to use app, no browser-based event locator
- 🤯 Inconvenient user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Event information not displayed properly
- Functionality downgraded compared to previous website

**Requested features**

- Sort events by date
- Increase search radius beyond 50 miles
- Add events to phone calendar
- Support multiple accounts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shiny free?

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

### Is Play! Pokémon Access free?

Play! Pokémon Access is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shiny or Play! Pokémon Access?

Shiny is rated higher. Shiny averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Play! Pokémon Access averages 2.1 from 90 ratings.

### Do Shiny or Play! Pokémon Access have ads?

Neither Shiny nor Play! Pokémon Access shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shiny or Play! Pokémon Access?

Shiny ships an update every 5 days, and Play! Pokémon Access every 2 months. Most recently, Shiny was updated on November 1, 2026 and Play! Pokémon Access on October 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Shiny or Play! Pokémon Access?

Shiny currently peaks at #154 in the App Store charts, and Play! Pokémon Access at #162. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*