# Life Total vs Maker Deck

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Maker Deck at none against Life Total's 1. Maker Deck also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Life Total's advantage is ratings volume (7.4K vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Maker Deck holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Life Total has 7.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Life Total ships an update every 3 weeks, Maker Deck every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Life Total | Maker Deck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-total-counter-for-mtg/id827735026/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maker-deck/id6813142298/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.4K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 91 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [talisman.games](https://appshunter.io/developer/1380170637) | [Matthew Mannix](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778840245) |

## 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


### Maker Deck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maker-deck/id6813142298)

Design and build your own unique party card game. Ideal for friends who share inside jokes and want a personalized gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Customizable card game decks, Ideal for groups of friends, Incorporate inside jokes, Personalized gaming experience, Easy deck creation

**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 Maker Deck free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Life Total or Maker Deck?

Maker Deck is rated higher. Life Total averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.4K ratings, while Maker Deck averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Life Total or Maker Deck have ads?

Life Total shows ads; Maker Deck does not.

### Which is updated more often, Life Total or Maker Deck?

Life Total ships an update every 3 weeks, and Maker Deck every 2 days. Most recently, Life Total was updated on October 29, 2026 and Maker Deck on October 26, 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.*