Comparison

TCG Archivist vs Grimoire Study

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

Head to head
About

TCG Archivist

Manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection efficiently without sorting. Scan cards into labeled locations for quick retrieval and real-time value tracking. Build decks from your existing inventory and find any card in seconds.

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

Grimoire Study

Digitally catalog your card collection by scanning them with your camera. Build new decks using your existing cards, track their value, and manage wishlists and binders. Offers deck-building assistance with explanations and rule citations.

Highlights
  • Scan cards with camera
  • Build decks from owned cards
  • Track collection value
  • Deck-building assistant
  • Wishlist and binder management
  • Search card printings
Features
Read full description

Grimoire is where your card collection lives, and where your next deck comes from. SCAN YOUR CARDS IN Point the camera at a card and it goes into your collection — set, printing, finish and condition. No typing, no spreadsheets. BUILD FROM WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN Your collection is the starting point, not an afterthought. See what you own as you build, and what a deck would actually cost you to finish. A FAMILIAR THAT SHOWS ITS WORK Your Familiar is a companion that builds a deck with you, one piece at a time. Every card it suggests comes with a reason. Every cut waits for your say-so. When it leans on a rule, it cites the rule. KEEP TRACK OF WHAT IT'S WORTH Your collection carries real prices, so you know what you're holding — and what you paid for it, kept honest and separate from what it's worth today. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE Wish list, binders, condition, language, notes. Search every printing of every card. Your decks and your collection stay in step, on your phone and on the web. Free to start. Grimoire is built for Magic: The Gathering collections. Grimoire is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Magic: The Gathering is © Wizards of the Coast. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Grimoire Terms of Service: https://grimoirestudy.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://grimoirestudy.com/legal/privacy

Screenshots

TCG Archivist4 screens
Grimoire Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Grimoire Study at 100% against TCG Archivist's 50%. Grimoire Study also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). TCG Archivist's advantage is ratings volume (50 vs 1). 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. TCG Archivist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month and Grimoire Study sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Grimoire Study holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TCG Archivist has 50 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of TCG Archivist's written reviews are positive against 100% of Grimoire Study's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TCG Archivist ships an update every 9 days, Grimoire Study fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
TCG Archivist versus Grimoire Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTCG ArchivistGrimoire Study
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (50 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings50 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size486 MB113 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTCG Archivist LLCBRIAN M BREMGES

Customer experience

TCG Archivist

All ratings50 ratings
Positive82.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative16.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative41.7%

Grimoire Study

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TCG Archivist

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Sub$4.991 Month
8 purchases

Grimoire Study

Subscriptions4
  • Collector$8.991 Month
  • Pro$16.991 Month
  • Collector, Yearly$89.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Pro, Yearly$169.991 Year
One-time4
  • Impulse Mana$3.49
  • Small Mana Pack$6.99
  • Medium Mana Pack$13.99
Show 1 more
  • Large Mana Pack$28.99

Questions

Is TCG Archivist free?
TCG Archivist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Grimoire Study free?
Grimoire Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TCG Archivist or Grimoire Study?
Grimoire Study is rated higher. TCG Archivist averages 4.2 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Grimoire Study averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do TCG Archivist or Grimoire Study have ads?
Neither TCG Archivist nor Grimoire Study shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TCG Archivist or Grimoire Study?
TCG Archivist ships an update every 9 days, and Grimoire Study fortnightly. Most recently, TCG Archivist was updated on October 30, 2026 and Grimoire Study on October 31, 2026.

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