Comparison

MTG Compendium vs Merchants Bag

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

Head to head
About

MTG Compendium

This app is a comprehensive companion for Magic: The Gathering players. It allows you to scan and collect cards, build and analyze decks with detailed statistics, track your game history, and get personalized advice from an AI deck coach. It also provides tools for exploring game sets and preconstructed decks.

Highlights
  • Card scanning and collection management
  • Advanced deck building and analysis
  • Life counter and game log
  • AI-powered deck advice and insights
  • Price tracking and history
  • Set exploration and deck comparison
Features
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Stop passing the phone. Compendium is the Magic: The Gathering companion for your whole pod: a live multiplayer life counter, trades and head-to-head with the people you play, plus a deck builder, card scanner and a deck coach that knows your games. New: the Pod Hub puts your invites, pod mates, games together and possible trades in one place, and a QR code gets everyone at the table into your game (and your pod, if they want). Only one with the app? Add the others as guests. No account needed to scan, build and count life. Sign in (free) to play or trade with your pod. YOUR POD Pod Hub—invites, pod mates, games together and possible trades on one screen, one tap from the Decks tab Join by QR—show a code in game setup and friends join by scanning or typing a six-character code, and can add you to their pod as they join Names and commander art—choose a display name and a signature commander so your pod sees who's who Head-to-head with each pod mate from your live and shared games, on the Hub and on their profile Your pod this week on Discover: recent games, new binder cards and possible trades, plus a Rematch button After a game, "At this table" sends a pod invite to everyone you played with "In your pod" on card pages shows which pod mates have a card for trade or want it One Invites inbox for pod invites and live games, with alerts you control. All free PLAY & IMPROVE Life counter for 1–6 players with commander damage, poison, and custom counters Live Games—every player syncs life, commander damage and counters from their own phone in real time, no passing one device around the table. Works on whatever phone each pod mate has Game log that tracks your wins, losses, commanders faced, and finish position Share a logged game with your pod so everyone can fill in their own side of the story Win/loss trend analysis, play/draw splits, and rival tracking over time Pre-game matchup prep—know what you're up against before you sit down POD TRADING Invite friends into your pod and Compendium spots every card they want that's sitting in your binder, and every card you want that's sitting in theirs—no more "anyone got a...?" in the group chat Once connected, binders stay in sync automatically—no exporting, no back-and-forth messaging MEET MOX Mox knows Magic: The Gathering inside and out—and now it knows your games too. Ask Mox for deck advice, card questions, rules or upgrade ideas Get personalized Game Insights based on your real play history—not generic advice Let Mox build you a deck from scratch or finish your half-built list Add cards to your wishlist, collection, or deck with a tap SCAN & COLLECT Instant card scanning—add cards to your collection in seconds Smart filters, sets, and custom organization Real-time prices from TCGPlayer, CardMarket, and Cardhoarder 90-day price history so you can spot trends at a glance BUILD BETTER DECKS Deck builder for any format: Commander/EDH, Standard, Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and more Set a budget ceiling and Mox will keep your list within it Opening-hand probabilities, mana curve, color distribution, and mana health Deck value tracking with 1-year price history Import from Moxfield, Archidekt, or any text list—export anywhere Browse, compare and import official preconstructed decks Discover feed with Card of the Week, trending decks and recent sets FREE TO START. UPGRADE WHEN YOU'RE READY. Compendium is free to download and use, and pods, Live Games and Pod Trading are free. Pro unlocks advanced analytics, unlimited deck evaluations, Game Insights, syncing your own collection and decks across your devices, and the full power of Mox—including chat, deck creation, and matchup prep. Magic: The Gathering and all related properties are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Compendium is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Merchants Bag

Features
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Merchant's Bag is the ultimate tool for tabletop role-playing gamers. Keep track of every item, weapon, or treasure you collect during your adventures, and access everything in just a few taps. The app supports multiple languages, so players around the world can enjoy a smooth and intuitive experience. Whether you’re a dungeon crawler or adventurer, stay organized and ready for every quest. Terms of Use (EULA): https://merchantsbag.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://merchantsbag.com/privacy

Screenshots

MTG Compendium4 screens
Merchants Bag4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Merchants Bag at 16.4 against MTG Compendium's 26.0. On price, update cadence, 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. MTG Compendium sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Merchants Bag sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MTG Compendium versus Merchants Bag: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTG CompendiumMerchants Bag
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB75 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMark WebbSTARS ENCODING TECNOLOGIA E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE SOFTWARE LTDA

In-app purchases

3 purchases

MTG Compendium

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Evals and Chat7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual Pro Subscription7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Compendium 3 Deck Evaluations$1.99
6 purchases

Merchants Bag

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Annual subscription1 Month trial$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • coffee$1.99
  • Orange cake$4.99
  • credit$5.99
Show 1 more
  • Full lunch$14.99

Questions

Is MTG Compendium free?
MTG Compendium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Merchants Bag free?
Merchants Bag is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MTG Compendium or Merchants Bag have ads?
Neither MTG Compendium nor Merchants Bag shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTG Compendium or Merchants Bag?
MTG Compendium ships an update weekly, and Merchants Bag weekly. Most recently, MTG Compendium was updated on October 17, 2026 and Merchants Bag on October 28, 2026.

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