# MTG Trades vs TCG Archivist

The clearest difference is rating: MTG Trades at 4.6 against TCG Archivist's 4.1. MTG Trades also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (62% vs 40%). TCG Archivist's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MTG Trades sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and TCG Archivist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MTG Trades holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTG Trades has 1.1K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of MTG Trades's written reviews are positive against 40% of TCG Archivist's.

MTG Trades ships an update every 2 months, TCG Archivist every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MTG Trades | TCG Archivist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mtg-trades/id736701892/reviews)** | [4.1 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tcg-archivist/id6751176846/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | **61.6% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 498 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wybrow](https://appshunter.io/developer/366746485) | [TCG Archivist LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833836395) |

## 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


### TCG Archivist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tcg-archivist/id6751176846)

Digitize and manage your Magic: The Gathering card collection effortlessly. Scan cards instantly, track their values, and locate any card in your storage. Keep your entire collection accessible anywhere.

**Highlights:** Digitize card collection, Scan cards instantly, Track card values, Locate cards in storage, Manage entire collection, Accessible anywhere

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Sub | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MTG Trades free?

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

### Is TCG Archivist free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MTG Trades or TCG Archivist?

MTG Trades is rated higher. MTG Trades averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while TCG Archivist averages 4.1 from 24 ratings.

### Do MTG Trades or TCG Archivist have ads?

Neither MTG Trades nor TCG Archivist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MTG Trades or TCG Archivist?

MTG Trades ships an update every 2 months, and TCG Archivist every 9 days. Most recently, MTG Trades was updated on September 21, 2026 and TCG Archivist on September 23, 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.*