# Characterize vs Magwa's Magic Item Compendium

The clearest difference is update cadence: Characterize at every 3 weeks against Magwa's Magic Item Compendium's every 2 months. Characterize also leads on ratings volume (344 vs 71). Magwa's Magic Item Compendium's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 68%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Characterize sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Magwa's Magic Item Compendium sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Characterize against 4.3 for Magwa's Magic Item Compendium. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 344 and 71 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Characterize's written reviews are positive against 77% of Magwa's Magic Item Compendium's.

Characterize ships an update every 3 weeks, Magwa's Magic Item Compendium every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Characterize | Magwa's Magic Item Compendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (344 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/characterize-randomize-names/id706661890/reviews) | [4.3 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magwas-magic-item-compendium/id1298604563/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **344** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | 68.3% of reviews | **77.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 295 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Winn](https://appshunter.io/developer/652547902) | [Knights of Vasteel LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1182788016) |

## What reviewers say

### Characterize

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/characterize-randomize-names/id706661890)

Generate unique characters with names, traits, and stats instantly. Explore diverse categories and save your favorites for any creative project. Unlock additional themed packs for even more variety.

**Highlights:** Unlimited name generation, Rich character details (age, traits, etc.), Themed character packs, Save and share creations, Diverse character categories

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heroes & Villains Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wizards & Witches Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gods & Goddesses Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Anime & Manga Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Demons Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Anthros Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Aliens Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kings, Queens, & Nobles Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Apocalypse Survivors Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Assassins Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Angels Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Demigods Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dragons Generator | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fantasy Races Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mythology Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| All Generators | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for character creation
- 🚀 Great for writers and RPG players
- 💡 Lots of creative and random traits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive, many features require purchase
- 🐛 Bugs with saving and restoring purchases
- 🔍 Limited free options

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Issues with custom generators and editing characters
- Purchased content not unlocking properly

**Requested features**

- More free generators
- Ability to edit and customize generated characters
- Sorting and organization options for saved characters


### Magwa's Magic Item Compendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magwas-magic-item-compendium/id1298604563)

Discover and create thousands of unique magic items for your tabletop RPG adventures. This app offers a vast collection of hand-drawn items, random generation, and the ability to save your favorites. Perfect for dungeon masters and players seeking inspiration.

**Highlights:** Thousands of random magic item generation, Create custom magic items, Save favorite items, Over 30 free hand-drawn sketches, Reference ready-to-use items, Compatible with D&D 5e SRD

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| The Master Collection | $0.99 | one-time |
| Elves of Ilfelin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mines of Dimlodir | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gafan's Workshop | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Red Ravens | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Shadow Index | $0.99 | one-time |
| Seas of the Viamaros | $0.99 | one-time |
| Magic Item Hunters | $0.99 | one-time |
| Swords of Vasteel | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Alchemist Shop | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful art style
- 💡 Great for on-the-fly item creation
- ✨ Free version is very useful
- 📚 Excellent for DMs and homebrew items
- 🖼️ Ability to import own artwork

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (missing info)
- 💸 Purchased content not downloading
- 🔄 Updates removing saved items
- 📉 Items can be overpowered/bland
- 🖼️ Some art packs not downloading

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription information missing
- Purchased images/data not downloading
- Un-named magic item groups cannot be deleted/edited
- Saved items lost after updates
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode for iPad
- Improve scrolling between items
- Add a back button for easier navigation
- Include a 'common' rarity selection
- Allow users to choose from personal pictures


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Characterize free?

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

### Is Magwa's Magic Item Compendium free?

Magwa's Magic Item Compendium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Characterize or Magwa's Magic Item Compendium?

Characterize and Magwa's Magic Item Compendium are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 344 and 71 ratings respectively.

### Do Characterize or Magwa's Magic Item Compendium have ads?

Neither Characterize nor Magwa's Magic Item Compendium shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Characterize or Magwa's Magic Item Compendium?

Characterize ships an update every 3 weeks, and Magwa's Magic Item Compendium every 2 months. Most recently, Characterize was updated on October 14, 2026 and Magwa's Magic Item Compendium on October 15, 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.*