Comparison

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner vs DeckForge

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

Head to head
About

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

This app is a comprehensive tool for trading card game players, offering card scanning, deck building, collection management, and life tracking. It provides detailed game statistics, combo discovery, and competitive tuning suggestions. Find local game stores and discover new commanders with this all-in-one companion.

Highlights
  • Instant card scanning with camera
  • Smart deck building for all formats
  • Collection management and value tracking
  • Competitive deck tuning and optimization
  • Combo finder and deck grading
  • Life tracker for multiplayer games
  • Preconstructed deck browser
Features
Read full description

MTG CODEX is the all-in-one companion app for trading card game players who want every tool in one place. Scan cards instantly with your camera. Build smarter decks for any format. Tune your deck for competitive play. Find game-winning combos. Track life from every phone. New look. Patent Pending. WHAT MTG CODEX DOES: MULTI-DEVICE LIFE TRACKER Built for the table. Everyone joins from their own phone with a room code. Life, commander damage, and poison sync for up to six players. Per-player backgrounds and game stats. CARD SCANNER Point your camera at any card and get the full picture in seconds. Live prices, card details, format legality, oracle text, and strategy tips from industry sources. Works on any printing, any language. Faster than typing. COLLECTION MANAGER Build your collection by scanning, importing, or pasting your cards, and carry it with you everywhere. Sort by name, type, price, or rarity, browse by creature type, and track what your collection is worth. The deck builder cross-references your collection as you build, so you can see which cards you already own and build new decks from what you have. SMART DECK BUILDER Build, save, and refine decks for every format: Commander, EDH, Modern, Standard, Pioneer, Pauper, Legacy, Vintage, Brawl, and more. Get strategic recommendations. Cross-references your collection so you can see the cards you already own while you build. Cloud sync keeps decks safe across devices. Import from Moxfield, Archidekt, or any text list. PRECON BROWSER Browse every official preconstructed Commander deck with its exact, complete decklist. Pull up the real cards in any precon, load it as your starting point, then tune and upgrade it. POPULAR BUILDS See the real community build for any commander, or search by theme like tokens, aristocrats, or madness, and load it in. DECK TUNER FOR COMPETITION Optimize any deck for competitive play. Get specific card swap suggestions to raise your power level. Cross-referenced with community deck data so suggestions are battle-tested. DECK PLAY TESTER Test decks solo and take real turns to gauge your deck's speed and consistency. London mulligan, real card faces, and Commander bracket speed anchors so you know how your build actually performs before game night. DECK GRADING Get your deck rated and graded with detailed feedback on power level, mana curve, win conditions, and weaknesses. COMBO FINDER Discover infinite combos, win conditions, and synergistic interactions. Search by card, by strategy, or by deck. DISCOVER COMMANDERS Browse commander decks by color identity, archetype, or budget. PRICE TRACKING Live pricing from major marketplaces. Track your collection value. Alerts on price changes. LOCAL GAME STORE FINDER Find tabletop-friendly stores near you. Featured partners: Natural 20 Gaming and Stomping Grounds TCG. WHO IT IS FOR: Commander and EDH players who want better deck-building help Competitive players tuning decks for tournaments Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy grinders Casual players learning the formats Collectors tracking value and prices Local game store regulars Anyone tired of switching between five different apps WHY MTG CODEX: Built by a player who got tired of jumping between half a dozen tabs every game night. One app. Every tool. No clutter. Free to use with optional PRO features. No ads in core gameplay. No tracking pixels. LEGAL: MTG CODEX is a brand of Media Meta Products LLC. USPTO trademark application Serial 99783592, filed April 23, 2026. "MTG" is used here only descriptively as a common abbreviation for the trading card game category. MTG CODEX is unofficial fan-made software, is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast LLC, and makes no claim to any third-party trademarks. All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Privacy Policy: mtg-codex.com/mtg/privacy.html Terms of Service: mtg-codex.com/mtg/terms.html Support: support@mediametaproducts.com

About

DeckForge

Instantly identify Magic: The Gathering cards by scanning them with your phone. Track card values, manage your collection, and build decks with ease. Syncs with a web platform for access anywhere.

Highlights
  • Instant card scanning
  • Accurate card identification
  • Real-time market pricing
  • Collection management
  • Deck building tools
  • Web sync
Features
Read full description

DeckForge turns your phone into a Magic: The Gathering card scanner. Point the camera at a card and DeckForge names the exact printing, shows what it is worth right now, and files it into your collection — no typing, no searching. SCANNING THAT EARNS YOUR TRUST • Recognises a card in about a second, one after another • Tells apart printings, promos and alternate artworks • When two artworks look alike, it asks you to pick instead of guessing wrong • Foils wear a ribbon, and double-faced cards flip to their back • Sounds that follow the price: ordinary cards click, treasures go cha-ching YOUR COLLECTION, ALWAYS PRICED • Market prices for every card and foil you own, refreshed through the day • A price history chart for every card • Record each card's condition, from near mint to damaged • See each card's other printings and what they sell for • Binders, boxes and sets, each with its total value at a glance DECKS, FROM WHAT YOU OWN • Build Commander decks and see which cards you already have • Pull & buy: the list of what a deck still needs • Brewmaster builds a deck around your commander, at the power level you choose MORE THAN THE PHONE Your scans sync to your account, and everything you own is waiting for you on the DeckForge website — scan at the kitchen table, build decks at your desk. DECKFORGE PLUS An optional subscription lifts the limits for heavy collectors, including Brewmaster builds and longer price history. Everything else is free. TERMS AND PRIVACY Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://decks.chaosdraft.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner4 screens
DeckForge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DeckForge at daily against MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's every 6 days. MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and DeckForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner against 5.0 for DeckForge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner ships an update every 6 days, DeckForge daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner versus DeckForge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTG CODEX Life Counter/ScannerDeckForge
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB49 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperMarcus RichardsonJoseph Pereira

Customer experience

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

DeckForge

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

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • MTG CODEX PRO Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • MTG CODEX PRO Annual$54.991 Year
2 purchases

DeckForge

Subscriptions2
  • DeckForge Plus7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • DeckForge Plus Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner free?
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DeckForge free?
DeckForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner or DeckForge?
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner and DeckForge are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner or DeckForge have ads?
Neither MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner nor DeckForge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner or DeckForge?
MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner ships an update every 6 days, and DeckForge daily. Most recently, MTG CODEX Life Counter/Scanner was updated on October 15, 2026 and DeckForge on October 16, 2026.

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