Comparison

TCG Archivist vs ManaDecks

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

Head to head
About

TCG Archivist

Digitize and manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection effortlessly. Scan cards instantly, track their values, and locate any card in your storage. Keep your entire collection accessible anywhere.

Highlights
  • Digitize card collection
  • Scan cards instantly
  • Track card values
  • Locate cards in storage
  • Manage entire collection
  • Accessible anywhere
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/

About

ManaDecks

Features
Read full description

**ManaDecks – The Competitive Magic Companion** ManaDecks is built for competitive Magic: The Gathering players who want more than a deck builder. Build, refine, and master your decks with powerful tools for sideboard guides, deck versions, primers, metagame insights, and match tracking, all in one place. **Some features require a ManaDecks subscription, available as an in-app purchase.** ### Everything Your Deck Needs Build and organize your decks across your favorite formats while keeping everything you need in one place. * Create and manage unlimited decklists.* * Save multiple deck versions as your list evolves.* * Write deck primers with strategy, mulligan guides, key interactions, and notes.* * Track match results to measure performance and improve over time.* ### Master Your Sideboarding* Great sideboarding wins matches. With a ManaDecks subscription, you can prepare for every matchup with detailed sideboard guides. For every matchup, you can: * Choose which cards to bring in and take out. * Create separate plans for On the Play or On the Draw. * Instantly preview your post-sideboard decklist. * Save multiple sideboard plans for the same matchup or different metagames. No more screenshots, spreadsheets, or scattered notes. Your sideboard plans are always organized and ready when you need them. ### Stay Ahead of the Meta* With a ManaDecks subscription, you can access up-to-date competitive data to make better deckbuilding and sideboarding decisions. * Explore current metagame trends. * Browse successful tournament decklists. * View tournament results and placements. * Analyze the most popular archetypes across supported formats. ### Built for Competitive Play Whether you're preparing for Friday Night Magic, an RCQ, a Regional Championship, an online league, or a major tournament, ManaDecks helps you stay organized, improve your preparation, and make better decisions every round. Build smarter. Sideboard better. Track your results. Improve your game. **ManaDecks. Your deck. Your plan. Your edge.** * Requires a ManaDecks subscription, available as an in-app purchase. Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TCG Archivist4 screens
ManaDecks4 screens

Verdict

The call

TCG Archivist and ManaDecks are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 and ManaDecks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TCG Archivist ships an update every 9 days, ManaDecks weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
TCG Archivist versus ManaDecks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTCG ArchivistManaDecks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size498 MB34 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTCG Archivist LLCFredrik Bjurhager

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TCG Archivist

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Sub$4.991 Month
2 purchases

ManaDecks

Subscriptions2
  • Plus$1.991 Month
  • Premium$4.991 Month

Questions

Is TCG Archivist free?
TCG Archivist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ManaDecks free?
ManaDecks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TCG Archivist or ManaDecks have ads?
Neither TCG Archivist nor ManaDecks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TCG Archivist or ManaDecks?
TCG Archivist ships an update every 9 days, and ManaDecks weekly. Most recently, TCG Archivist was updated on September 23, 2026 and ManaDecks on September 17, 2026.

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