# MTG Compendium vs Merchants Bag

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Compendium | Merchants Bag |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-compendium-deck-builder/id6746125584/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 74 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mark Webb](https://appshunter.io/developer/1331970256) | [STARS ENCODING TECNOLOGIA E DESENVOLVIMENTO DE SOFTWARE LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1832007166) |

## What reviewers say

### MTG Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-compendium-deck-builder/id6746125584)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Evals and Chat | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Compendium 3 Deck Evaluations | $1.99 | one-time |


### Merchants Bag

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchants-bag/id6769877510)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Orange cake | $4.99 | one-time |
| credit | $5.99 | one-time |
| Full lunch | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*