# Card Codex vs Cardboard Alpha

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Card Codex at none against Cardboard Alpha's 4. Cardboard Alpha's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cardboard Alpha sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Card Codex asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Card Codex against 5.0 for Cardboard Alpha. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Card Codex ships an update fortnightly, Cardboard Alpha daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Card Codex | Cardboard Alpha |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-codex-card-value-scanner/id6795553555/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardboard-alpha/id6814695483/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 78 MB | 136 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Card Codex Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6795553557) | [RocketAgents](https://appshunter.io/developer/1226258415) |

## What reviewers say

### Card Codex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/card-codex-card-value-scanner/id6795553555)

Instantly identify trading cards by pointing your camera. Get card name, set, number, and current value without typing. All recognition happens on your device for complete privacy.

**Highlights:** Instant card identification, Automatic value lookup, Camera-based scanning, On-device processing, Unlimited free scans, Supports English and Japanese sets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cardboard Alpha

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardboard-alpha/id6814695483)

Instantly identify trading cards and view their market prices using your phone's camera. Track your collection's value, research market trends, and even participate in live card shows and auctions.

**Highlights:** Instant card identification and pricing, Live auction and card show participation, Wireless OBS camera streaming, Collection valuation and management, Market research and price history, Targeted price alerts, Trade building and tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Terminal (Monthly) | $18.99 | per month |
| Pro (Annual) | $49.00 | per year |
| Terminal (Annual) | $149.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Card Codex free?

Card Codex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cardboard Alpha free?

Cardboard Alpha is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha?

Card Codex and Cardboard Alpha are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha have ads?

Neither Card Codex nor Cardboard Alpha shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Card Codex or Cardboard Alpha?

Card Codex ships an update fortnightly, and Cardboard Alpha daily. Most recently, Card Codex was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cardboard Alpha on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*