Comparison

CardStack vs CardBrain

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

Head to head
About

CardStack

This app helps you maximize rewards and savings from your credit cards. It tracks perks, statement credits, and points, offering AI-powered advice to ensure your cards always pay you back more than they cost. Get personalized recommendations and automated offer management.

Highlights
  • Maximize cashback and offers
  • Track statement credits automatically
  • Redeem points at peak value
  • AI agent for personalized advice
  • See which card earns the most
  • Track points portfolio
  • Annual fee advisor
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

CardStack helps you save $500+ every year on the credit cards you already carry. Maximize cashback and offers, never miss a statement credit, redeem your points at peak value, and let our AI agent do the heavy lifting — so your cards always pay you back more than they cost. - SAVE MORE WITH CARD-LINKED OFFERS Automatically add Amex and Chase offers to your cards so you earn cashback and statement credits on purchases you're already making. Browse active offers, see personalized picks matched to your spending, and track every redemption — all in one place. - NEVER MISS A STATEMENT CREDIT Track every credit across all your cards automatically — dining, travel, streaming, airline, and more. See which credits are available, which are expiring soon, and which you've already used. Get reminders before you lose them. - USE THE RIGHT CARD, EVERY TIME Instantly see which card earns the most for dining, travel, groceries, gas, and every other category. Whether you're booking a flight or grabbing coffee, CardStack tells you the best card to pull out — so you never miss points or cashback. - STACK AI AGENT — YOUR PERSONAL CARD ADVISOR Meet Stack, a conversational AI agent that knows your entire card portfolio. Ask it anything: "What's the best card for this hotel booking?" "Am I missing any credits this month?" "Compare my Sapphire Reserve vs. Platinum for a trip to Tokyo" "How much value am I leaving on the table?" Stack doesn't just answer — it takes action. It can mark credits as redeemed, set reminders, update your points balances, and generate weekly spending reports showing exactly where you earned and where you missed. - SEE HOW MUCH YOU'RE EARNING (AND MISSING) Connect your bank securely with Plaid and unlock full spending analysis: See points earned vs. points missed on every transaction Get your optimization score — what percentage of spend hit the best card View breakdowns by category: flights, hotels, restaurants, groceries, and more Get "Fix My Stack" recommendations showing exactly which card to swap in - TRACK YOUR POINTS PORTFOLIO Monitor balances across Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou, and more. See estimated cash values, explore transfer partners, and know exactly what your points are worth. - COVER YOUR ANNUAL FEES — OR CANCEL WITH CONFIDENCE CardStack's Renewal Advisor calculates whether each card pays for itself based on your real usage. When your annual fee posts, get a clear verdict: keep, downgrade, or cancel — backed by data, not guesswork. - SMART NOTIFICATIONS THAT SAVE YOU MONEY Credits expiring soon Annual fee renewal approaching Offers about to expire Missed optimization opportunities AI-generated insights based on your spending - CARDSTACK+ UNLOCKS THE FULL SYSTEM Upgrade to unlock powerful automation and intelligence: Stack AI Agent with full conversation history Secure bank sync with Plaid for automatic transaction analysis Auto-detect statement credits from your transactions Earned vs. missed rewards analysis across every purchase Safari extension that shows the best card while you shop Automatically add Amex & Chase offers Weekly AI spending reports and optimization scores Personalized "Fix My Stack" recommendations Sync across all your devices YOUR CARDS ARE COSTING YOU — OR PAYING YOU. KNOW WHICH. CardStack turns your credit cards into a money-saving system. Every credit tracked. Every offer captured. Every purchase optimized. Download CardStack and start saving. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CardBrain

Read full description

Get more value from every card in your wallet. Premium credit cards can include statement credits, category bonuses, travel protections, and other perks—but remembering what is available, what you have used, and which card to choose can be difficult. CardBrain brings your wallet into one clear, private dashboard on iPhone and iPad. Track benefits, compare perks, choose the best card for a purchase, and see whether annual fees are paying for themselves. TRACK BENEFITS Follow monthly, quarterly, semiannual, annual, and multi-year statement credits. Mark a benefit as used or enter a partial amount to see what remains before it resets. FIND THE BEST CARD Search a store or select a spending category to see which card in your wallet is likely to earn the most. Categories include dining, groceries, gas, travel, online shopping, rental cars, and foreign purchases. UNDERSTAND YOUR REAL ANNUAL COST CardBrain calculates effective annual fees using the benefits you have actually redeemed. Review the math by card and use the wallet value audit to make more confident renewal decisions. COMPARE PERKS AND PROTECTIONS Review rental car coverage, trip delay, cell phone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty, foreign transaction fees, and more across your cards. STAY ORGANIZED Add card open dates and private notes for retention offers, downgrade plans, referral bonuses, or anything else you want to remember. You can also add custom benefits. BUILT FOR IPHONE AND IPAD Use a streamlined phone experience or take advantage of spacious iPad dashboards, split views, and side-by-side card details. 230+ CARDS SUPPORTED Explore a growing catalog from major U.S. and Canadian issuers, including American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Discover, and more. CARDBRAIN PRO CardBrain is free to start. The optional CardBrain Pro upgrade adds reminders for expiring credits, card anniversaries, and free-night certificates, plus wallet value audit tools. Choose an annual auto-renewable subscription or a lifetime unlock. PRIVACY FIRST No bank login. No advertising. Your selected cards, benefit progress, notes, reminders, and preferences stay on your device. CardBrain uses RevenueCat to manage purchases and fetches public card catalog data over HTTPS so card information can stay current. CardBrain is not affiliated with any card issuer or payment network. Benefit terms change frequently; always confirm current details with your issuer before making financial decisions. CardBrain Pro Annual renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Manage or cancel in App Store subscription settings. Prices vary by region and are displayed before purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://becky2019.github.io/creditbrain/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

CardStack4 screens
CardBrain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: CardStack at #125 against CardBrain's unranked. 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. CardStack sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and CardBrain sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CardStack ships an update every 2 weeks, CardBrain every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
CardStack versus CardBrain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCardStackCardBrain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (53 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings53 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
Best chart rank#125 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size259 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSPACE ROBOTS INCYishu Gu

In-app purchases

3 purchases

CardStack

Subscriptions2
  • CardStack+7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • CardStack+7 Days trial$89.991 Year
One-time1
  • CardStack+ Lifetime$239.99
6 purchases

CardBrain

Subscriptions1
  • CardBrain Pro Annual7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time5
  • Small thanks$2.99
  • You're awesome$6.99
  • This app rocks$9.99
Show 2 more
  • You're a legend$14.99
  • CardBrain Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is CardStack free?
CardStack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CardBrain free?
CardBrain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CardStack or CardBrain have ads?
Neither CardStack nor CardBrain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CardStack or CardBrain?
CardStack ships an update every 2 weeks, and CardBrain every 10 days. Most recently, CardStack was updated on November 9, 2026 and CardBrain on November 5, 2026.

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