# Life Total vs Decksmith

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Decksmith at 100% against Life Total's 60%. Decksmith also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Life Total's advantage is ratings volume (7.3K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Life Total sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Decksmith asks for nothing beyond the download.

Decksmith holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Life Total has 7.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Life Total's written reviews are positive against 100% of Decksmith's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Life Total | Decksmith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-total-counter-for-mtg/id827735026/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decksmith-mtg-deck-builder/id6756268708/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 91 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [talisman.games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1380170637) | [Waldemar Schneider](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859657539) |

## What reviewers say

### Life Total

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-total-counter-for-mtg/id827735026)

This app helps Magic: The Gathering players track their life totals during games. It offers a streamlined interface with features like two-way screen setup, quick life adjustments, and support for multiple players. Customize your experience with different backgrounds and counter types.

**Highlights:** Two-way screen setup, Tap to add/subtract life, 1-6 player layouts, Dice roll feature, Customizable backgrounds, Poison and generic counters, Game over detection

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Upgrade | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive
- 🎨 Customizable colors
- 🎲 Dice roll feature
- 💯 Works great for 1v1 games
- 🔢 Supports different life totals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🔍 Intrusive/malicious ads
- 🐛 Bugs causing app crashes
- 🔓 Security/privacy concerns
- 🚫 Automatic browser redirects

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading past splash screen
- Randomly opening browser tabs
- Incorrect life total changes
- Music playback issues

**Requested features**

- Support for more than 2 players
- Commander damage tracking
- Planeswalker loyalty counters
- Life total history/logging
- Landscape mode for 2-player


### Decksmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decksmith-mtg-deck-builder/id6756268708)

Effortlessly manage your Magic: The Gathering collection with real-time card scanning and price tracking. Build and validate decks for various formats, analyze their composition, and connect with a community of players. Enjoy offline access and robust privacy controls.

**Highlights:** Real-time card scanning, Automatic price tracking, Format-aware deck building, Collection inventory management, Offline access, Community features, Privacy controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Life Total free?

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

### Is Decksmith free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Life Total or Decksmith?

Decksmith is rated higher. Life Total averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Decksmith averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Life Total or Decksmith have ads?

Life Total shows ads; Decksmith does not.

### Which is updated more often, Life Total or Decksmith?

Life Total ships an update every 3 weeks, and Decksmith every 3 weeks. Most recently, Life Total was updated on October 17, 2026 and Decksmith on October 4, 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.*