# MTG Trades vs Cantrip

The clearest difference is rating: MTG Trades at 4.6 against Cantrip's 3.9. MTG Trades also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 15) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). Cantrip's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Trades sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Cantrip asks for nothing beyond the download.

MTG Trades holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTG Trades has 1.1K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of MTG Trades's written reviews are positive against 57% of Cantrip's.

MTG Trades ships an update every 2 months, Cantrip every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Trades | Cantrip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-trades/id736701892/reviews)** | [3.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **61.2% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 54 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wybrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/366746485) | [White Bridge Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1647217300) |

## What reviewers say

### MTG Trades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-trades/id736701892)

Manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection and trades with real-time pricing data. Evaluate trades, track loaned or borrowed cards, and maintain watchlists of desired cards. Access a comprehensive database with offline capabilities.

**Highlights:** Card price lookup by expansion/name, Trade evaluation, Trade history, Watchlist of wanted cards, Loan/borrow tracking, Offline database access, Foil and non-foil pricing

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $6.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable updates
- 👍 Comprehensive card database
- 📊 Excellent trade tracking features
- 💰 Accurate and up-to-date pricing
- 🗂️ Useful want lists and collection management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🕰️ Slow to add new cards and sets
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 💳 Subscription model concerns
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when deleting cards from lists
- MKM card images not loading properly
- Incorrect pricing for some promo and special cards

**Requested features**

- Integrate with deck building and collection management
- Add more advanced search and filtering capabilities
- Implement market pricing options for trades
- Improve basic lands and foil card handling
- Provide more detailed price history and trending data


### Cantrip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantrip/id6443567103)

Easily build and manage your Magic: The Gathering decks. Search and filter cards from any set, and quickly add, remove, or sideboard cards with intuitive gestures.

**Highlights:** Powerful deck builder, Card search and filtering, Add/remove cards with swipe, Sideboard management, Supports all card sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MTG Trades free?

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

### Is Cantrip free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MTG Trades or Cantrip?

MTG Trades is rated higher. MTG Trades averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Cantrip averages 3.9 from 15 ratings.

### Do MTG Trades or Cantrip have ads?

Neither MTG Trades nor Cantrip shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MTG Trades or Cantrip?

MTG Trades ships an update every 2 months, and Cantrip every 4 months. Most recently, MTG Trades was updated on October 13, 2026 and Cantrip on October 1, 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.*
