Comparison

Life vs ManaDecks

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

Head to head
About

Life

A streamlined life tracker for competitive 1v1 Magic: The Gathering matches. It offers simple controls, game state tracking for common counters, and integrated note-taking for post-game analysis. Supports deck importing and Scryfall integration for quick card lookups.

Highlights
  • 1v1 life tracking
  • Game state counter tracking
  • Integrated note-taking
  • Deck importing and linking
  • Scryfall card lookup
  • Event history logging
  • Match timer
Features
Read full description

A life tracker for competitive 1v1 Magic: The Gathering. Clean layout, simple controls, and nothing unnecessary. Most players already know how to track a game. A notepad, two columns, a running tally of life totals. It's simple and it works. Life-Pad follows the same structure. The layout uses two columns like a notepad, adjustments happen with a tap, and the interface requires little explanation. This app has been designed to get out of your way so you can focus on the match. Life tracking here works the way you'd expect: every life change recorded in order. Adjustments can be staged before committing, so a complex combat step doesn't require rushed math. Common game counters (poison, monarch, initiative, night/day, and floating mana) are accessible without needing extra dice or separate tracking. For tournaments that require it: notes can be locked to the main screen so they're visible to players at all times. Recording known card information has been designed from the ground-up to be as quick and simple as possible in game - one tap to enter a card and one tap to dismiss it with customizable 'quick card' buttons available as well. Most other apps just can't provide the utility of pen and paper. Whether it's a Commander-focused app with four-player interfaces and a multitude of sub-menus, or a minimal counter with just plus and minus buttons, most life trackers don't offer match structure, notes, or history. Once the game ends, the information is gone. When at a tournament or FNM simply set up the event by giving it a name and every match and game are automatically tracked while they're happening. After the match, Life-Pad supports notetaking while details are still fresh and reviewing past matches across all saved events. It's a practical way to identify patterns or just to simply remember to add more lands. Import decks and link them to events as a snapshot so that you can always reference what was played on that day. Add your decks and track their history by attaching them to events. Scryfall integration provides quick card lookup in deck view or during a game - perfect for confirming modern printings and for the guy who always plays with foreign language cards. Pin up to 5 cards to the side of your play screen for quick reference during a game. All cards in deck or previously searched are stored on device for fast reference even when cell quality isn't perfect. -- Features include: - Clean two-player life tracking built for 1v1 play - Optional top/bottom simplistic tracking for quick games - Full game life total history - Quick access card-name notes for revealed info at a glance - dismiss with a single tap - Game state tracking for player-counters, monarch, initiative, and day/night - Track floating mana in-game - Scryfall integration for fast card lookup - iOS integration allows for Siri and Quick Action card lookup without opening the app - Optional ability to lock notes to main screen if required per tournament rules - Event logging and persistent in-game and post-game notes - Deck importing, editing, and linking to events as snapshots. - Sideboard guide per deck with notes - Event history exporting via JSON for backup, restoring, or additional analysis - Customizable Die roller - Top/Bottom traditional 2-player mode for quick games - Match timer with Dynamic Island and Live Activity support - Pre-Set themes including 6 with the classic Magic: the Gathering card borders - Light mode and dark modes - iCloud data backup for added reliability on updates & phone migration

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

Life4 screens
ManaDecks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Life at none against ManaDecks's 2. ManaDecks's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence and ads 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. ManaDecks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Life asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on August 31, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Life versus ManaDecks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLifeManaDecks
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph BertoliniFredrik Bjurhager

In-app purchases

None

Life

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ManaDecks

Subscriptions2
  • Plus$1.991 Month
  • Premium$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Life free?
Life is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ManaDecks free?
ManaDecks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Life or ManaDecks have ads?
Neither Life nor ManaDecks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Life or ManaDecks?
Life ships an update weekly, and ManaDecks weekly. Most recently, Life was updated on August 31, 2026 and ManaDecks on September 17, 2026.

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