TCG Vault
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Magic: The Gathering

MTG card scanner for iPhone

TCG Vault works as an MTG card scanner on iPhone. Point the camera at a Magic: The Gathering card and it identifies the card and its set and shows the market price, refreshed daily and shown in your currency. Magic is one of 12 games in the app, so it suits collectors who keep Magic alongside Pokémon, Lorcana or One Piece.

If you mainly build decks or catalog thousands of bulk cards, a Magic-only app like ManaBox or Delver Lens will probably serve you better. We compare them below.

Download on iOS

4.6★ from 105 ratings on the US App Store · iPhone, iOS 16+

How TCG Vault scans a Magic card

  1. Step 1

    Pick Magic and point the camera

    Choose Magic: The Gathering in the game menu at the top of the scanner and hold the card flat in the frame.

  2. Step 2

    The card is read on your iPhone

    On-device text recognition reads the card; TCG Vault matches it against its Magic catalog and shows the card with its set, collector number and rarity.

  3. Step 3

    See the price, save the card

    The market price, refreshed daily and shown in your currency, appears with the card. Add it to a collection and the total updates.

On each card you see the name, set, collector number, rarity and market price. Premium adds 1-, 3- and 6-month price history, more than one collection and a direct link to the card on the marketplace. Auto mode keeps scanning as you swap cards and flags duplicates, which helps with a stack of new pulls.

The Magic catalog in TCG Vault holds about 450 sets and product lines, from Alpha (1993) through 2026 releases, including Commander decks and promos. Recognition runs on your iPhone, and camera images are not stored.

Scanning Magic cards: what helps

  1. 01

    Modern cards: keep the bottom-left corner clear

    Since Magic 2015 (2014), the collector number, rarity, set code and language sit together in the bottom-left corner. Those few characters are what separate one printing from another, so keep them in frame and free of glare.

  2. 02

    Reprints: check the set before you save

    A popular card can exist in dozens of sets and promos at very different prices. Compare the set TCG Vault shows with the set symbol or code on your card.

  3. 03

    Older cards: expect to confirm the printing

    Older cards have no printed set code: just a set symbol (none at all on the earliest core sets) and, from Exodus (1998) on, a collector number. A name alone can match many printings, so the set is worth a second look.

  4. 04

    Foils: fight the glare

    Foil and etched cards reflect light. Use even, indirect light and move the lamp, not the card. Foil and non-foil copies also sell at different prices.

Wondering which cards in the pile are worth scanning first? Start with Magic cards worth money.

When a Magic-only app is the better choice

We make TCG Vault, and for a lot of Magic players it isn’t the right tool. Magic-only apps go deeper into what players do with cards: build decks, test them, trade, and export lists to other sites. TCG Vault has no deck builder and no CSV export.

TCG Vault is the better fit when you collect more than Magic (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Flesh and Blood and more) and mostly want to know what cards are worth and what your collection adds up to, on iPhone.

MTG card scanner apps compared, checked September 19, 2026
App GamesPlatformsHow it charges (US)Built forApp Store rating (count)
TCG Vault (ours) 12 games, Magic includediPhone only (iOS 16+)Free; Premium weekly or yearly (price shown in the app)Prices and collection value across several games4.6 (105)
ManaBox Magic onlyiPhone, AndroidFree; PRO $2.49/mo or $22.99/yrDeck building, with prices from six stores and marketplaces4.6 (1,718)
Delver Lens Magic onlyAndroid (Delver Lens), iPhone and web (Delver)Free; Pro $4/mo on delver.app ($4.99/mo or $49.99/yr in the iPhone app)Scanning piles and exporting them to other sites3.3 (10), iPhone app
Dragon Shield MTG Scanner Magic (other games are separate apps)iPhone, AndroidFree; Premium $3.99/mo or $29.99–$39.99/yrCards in any language, decks and trades4.6 (3,749)
TCGplayer Every game sold on TCGplayeriPhone, AndroidFree (no in-app purchases listed)Scanning and buying on TCGplayer4.1 (14,816)

Checked on September 19, 2026 on each app’s US App Store listing and website. Prices are as listed there.

ManaBox

Best for: deck builders

ManaBox is a Magic-only app with a card scanner, a deck builder and deck simulator, offline search of every card and set, and prices from TCGplayer, Cardmarket, Card Kingdom, Star City Games, Cardhoarder and Mana Pool. PRO is $2.49 a month or $22.99 a year.

  • Searching every card and set is free.
  • Collection import and export, and a trade tool.

iPhone, Android · Free; PRO $2.49/mo or $22.99/yr · App Store 4.6 (1,718) · App Store listing (US) · manabox.app · Google Play listing

Delver Lens

Best for: bulk scanning and exports

Delver Lens is a long-running Magic scanner for Android, now joined by Delver for iPhone and the web. It is built to turn piles of cards into lists and send them elsewhere: Moxfield, Archidekt, Deckbox, TCGplayer Direct and more, plus Card Kingdom buylists. Delver says it is free for most users; Pro is $4 a month on delver.app ($4.99 a month in the iPhone app).

  • The iPhone app is the newer one: 3.3 from 10 ratings, and Delver says it is still adding Delver Lens features.
  • Prices from TCGplayer, Cardmarket, Card Kingdom and Cardhoarder.

Android (Delver Lens), iPhone and web (Delver) · Free; Pro $4/mo on delver.app ($4.99/mo or $49.99/yr in the iPhone app) · App Store 3.3 (10) · App Store listing (US) · delver.app · delverlab.com (Delver Lens) · Google Play listing

Dragon Shield MTG Scanner

Best for: cards in other languages, and trading

Dragon Shield’s MTG Scanner scans cards in any language with real-time translation, checks daily prices from TCGplayer, Cardmarket, Card Kingdom and MTGMintCard, and keeps 30-day price history. It adds a deck builder, a trade tool and CSV export. Premium is $3.99 a month or $29.99–$39.99 a year.

  • Other games are separate Dragon Shield apps.
  • The App Store listing doesn’t say what the free version limits.

iPhone, Android · Free; Premium $3.99/mo or $29.99–$39.99/yr · App Store 4.6 (3,749) · App Store listing (US) · Google Play listing

TCGplayer

Best for: free scanning if you buy on TCGplayer

TCGplayer’s own app scans cards and tracks market prices for every game on its marketplace, Magic included, with no in-app purchases listed. You log in to a TCGplayer account to keep your collection, and buying is built in.

  • Covers every game sold on TCGplayer.

iPhone, Android · Free (no in-app purchases listed) · App Store 4.1 (14,816) · App Store listing (US) · Google Play listing

Comparing scanners for Pokémon or several games? See the best card scanner apps, compared.

Sources — checked

MTG card scanner FAQ

What is the best MTG card scanner app?

It depends on what you do with your cards. ManaBox suits deck builders who want prices from several stores; Delver Lens is built for scanning big piles and exporting them to other sites; Dragon Shield’s MTG Scanner handles cards in any language and has a trade tool; the TCGplayer app is free and tied to its marketplace. TCG Vault fits collectors who keep Magic alongside other games on an iPhone and mainly want prices and collection value.

Is there a free Magic card scanner?

The TCGplayer app lists no in-app purchases, and ManaBox, Delver Lens and Dragon Shield are free to download with paid tiers. TCG Vault is free to download with 3 scans a day; unlimited scanning is part of its premium subscription.

How does a scanner tell Magic reprints apart?

From the printed details. Cards from Magic 2015 (2014) onward carry the collector number, set code and language in the bottom-left corner, which pins down the printing. Older cards have no printed set code, only a set symbol and, from Exodus (1998) on, a collector number, so compare the set a scanner shows with the symbol on your card before you trust the price.

Does TCG Vault have a Magic deck builder?

No. TCG Vault is for identifying cards, checking prices and tracking what your collection is worth. For decks, ManaBox, Delver Lens and Dragon Shield all include deck builders.

Can I export my Magic collection from TCG Vault?

Not at the moment: TCG Vault has no CSV export. If you need to move cards into Moxfield, Archidekt or a store’s buylist, Delver Lens and Dragon Shield export collections, and ManaBox supports collection import and export.

Which Magic sets does TCG Vault cover?

In September 2026, about 450 sets and product lines from TCGplayer's catalog: from Alpha, Beta and Unlimited in 1993 through 2026 releases such as The Hobbit, including Commander decks and promos. Prices come from market data, refreshed daily.

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Card scanners for the other games

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Know what your Magic cards are worth.

Scan a card with your iPhone and TCG Vault shows its market price in seconds, next to the rest of your collection.

Download on iOS