Head-to-head
Magic vs GWENT
Magic
65
Winner
Tie
GWENT
65
Magic (APP A) is better for long-time fans of the franchise who are willing to overlook significant technical issues and monetization concerns, while GWENT (APP B) is a safer bet for a smoother, more reliable experience, though with less review data to fully assess.
Magic (APP A) benefits from a deeply established fanbase and offers extensive card choices, but it's plagued by technical problems like frequent disconnections, slow performance, and large, mandatory updates. GWENT (APP B), with fewer reviews, appears to offer a more stable experience, but a direct comparison on many dimensions is limited by the lack of detailed user feedback.
Head to head
Magic Magic offers a vast card selection, with users appreciating the ability to connect with more people and access more cards digitally than in physical play R5. The game has added modes like Commander with Brawl R18. However, some users note that many staple cards are still missing, limiting deck-building options R18.
GWENT There is insufficient review data to make a detailed assessment of GWENT's features and content.
Magic Magic's tutorials are described as hard R1, and new players struggle with matchmaking, often facing opponents with far superior decks R3. Deck building and understanding different formats can be confusing for first-timers R26.
GWENT There is insufficient review data to make a detailed assessment of GWENT's ease of use or learning curve.
Magic Magic is widely criticized for its technical issues, including constant, large updates that require data instead of Wi-Fi R6, frequent disconnections R12R15, and a lack of clear indicators for opponent status R9. Users report slow frame rates R10, blurry animations R10, and crashes . Some users have lost money due to glitches .
GWENT There is insufficient review data to make a detailed assessment of GWENT's reliability or performance.
Magic Magic is criticized for being too expensive, with a $25 starter pack offering only 8 guaranteed cards R4. Event entries are costly with poor rewards R4. Many feel the game is monetized aggressively and encourages in-app purchases to compete R27R29. However, some users state it's not pay-to-win and can be enjoyed for free R8.
GWENT GWENT is free to download, but there is insufficient review data to assess its in-app purchase model or overall value perception.
Magic Magic's matchmaking is a significant pain point, with new players consistently matched against much stronger opponents R3. Many users believe the game's shuffler and RNG are rigged, leading to unfair land draws R23R31R33R35 and card draws that favor opponents or paying players R33. There are also complaints about opponents using timers to frustrate winning players R7R16.
GWENT There is insufficient review data to make a detailed assessment of GWENT's matchmaking or fairness.
Pick Magic if
You are a long-time fan of Magic: The Gathering and want a digital way to play, are willing to grind for cards, and can tolerate frequent technical issues and a potentially frustrating monetization model R5R8.
Pick GWENT if
You are looking for a card game that is free to download and potentially offers a more stable experience, given the lack of negative technical feedback in the available reviews.
Evidence note: The evidence for GWENT (APP B) is very thin, as there are no specific user reviews provided for it. The comparison is heavily weighted by the extensive feedback for Magic (APP A).
Frequently asked
Is Magic: The Gathering Arena pay-to-win?
Magic: The Gathering Arena receives mixed reviews regarding its pay-to-win aspects; some users claim it's not pay-to-win and can be enjoyed for free R8, while others argue that in-app purchases are almost necessary to compete effectively R27R29 and that the game's algorithms favor paying players R33.
Does Magic: The Gathering Arena have connection issues?
Are Magic: The Gathering Arena's card draws fair?
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 50 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R5] Magic More value on tap.: I stopped buying and collecting cardboard because I connect with more people and I have way more cards to choose from compared to if I had to buy them. Just better.
- [R18] Magic Missing cards: The game is good and I love how they added commander with the brawl mode, but many cards are still missing and it makes it not fun to try and build or recreate decks, when many staples are missing, no atraxa for example, yet others (krenko) are alive and well.
- [R1] Magic Bad: Even the tutorials are hard! it’s so dumb!
- [R3] Magic Where is matchmaking?!?!: I’ve played better matchmaking games designed for small children than this…why am I being matched against players with decks that far out-class what I have a s a newer player? It makes the game far less enjoyable than it is to play in person. I shouldn’t be constantly matched up against players way stronger than me.
- [R26] Magic Great but: Really fun - a little confusing to get into for first timers as far as different formats and actually building decks etc. would be really cool to have a pve mode where you can play against your own decks piloted by an ai. Would make it a 5/5
- [R6] Magic Constant Updates and Data Required but Fun Otherwise: The game play and graphics are really cool, but everytime they want to send out a weekly update that some Exec probably insisted was necessary for engagement (it 1000% isn’t), it requires you to update the app and that doesn’t work on wi-fi. So, you have to use data for no reason.
- [R9] Magic Love Magic, App Needs Work: My biggest problem is I never know if my opponent is thinking, quit, disconnected, or if I disconnected. If I knew I was still connected in the game, I would play arena way more. Hopefully the workers’ strike goes well, and hopefully WOTC gives the app the investment it Desperately needs.
- [R10] Magic Frame rate is garbage: It’s so slow. Ruins the experience. I love magic I wanna put money into this game. But to play it hurts my eyes with how blurry the animations are.
- [R12] Magic Good but can’t finish some games: Fun game but it must lose connection or something easily because I end up waiting on cpu enemies for 5 minutes to make a move and they just sit there so I’m forced to quit and restart the battle, hoping it does t happen a second time
- [R4] Magic Too Expensive: I love Magic and I love arena. However, hasbro is one of the greediest companies in history and it shows in the way they monetize this game. There is a 25$ "starter pack" in the store that is literally just 8 guaranteed cards of your choice. Digital "assets" are not worth this much and youll get this same experience with every progression option in the game. Events entry are too
- [R8] Magic Best card game ever: Definitely not a pay to win and you can have tons of fun’s free of charge.
- [R27] Magic Don’t bother…: If you think this will be like playing Magic on your phone/tablet, then it’s not worth your time. Sure it’s using the same cards, but the game is poorly programmed and doesn’t play like MTG at all… You will almost always need to make in-app purchases for cards if you actually want to do well vs other players. (Not surprising for a TCG app, to be fair.)
- [R29] Magic Too much money and feels like work: Buy the real cards and play with friends. This game is not relaxing and does not deliver for the amount of money you can easily sink into it. The majority of the formats do not encourage casual play. If you like Magic for the artwork, story, and relaxing play, dump money into actual cards. I am not a hater at all and have played the game for years. Strongly reco
- [R7] Magic Timers: Shorten the timers, I should never spend over a hr on 1 single game because of POS players!
- [R16] Magic Waiting game: This game would be great if you didn’t wind up waiting for the other player to run out their timers whenever you started winning.
- [R23] Magic Rigged matches: I can’t there are so many problems with deck shuffles from getting zero to nothing but lands. I can’t talk so much trash about this game but I’m done and give up. I’m going to play Runeterra or hearth stone.
- [R33] Magic Still a long road ahead: Arena is the ugly stepchild of Magic. Paper magic will always be superior in terms of fairness and fun. Arena’s rng is terrible, with mana being feast or famine and card draws always seeming to benefit the opponent more often than you, that’s how it feels to me anyway. This game 100% rewards the players that spend money on it with better card draw and always having the exa
- [R15] Magic Too many updates: Too many updates and the server quits me out
- [R48] Magic Horrible RNG: Horrible App. You spend more time “waiting for server” rather than playing. Constantly kicked from games mid turn. Game might just stop registering your play then kick you out but when you come back you’ve lost 1-3 turns. The “randomness” on card draw is atrocious. There is nothing fun about this app
- [R31] Magic Algorithm for land: Trash .. the fact I have to have 25 to 26 lambs and the 16th minimum deck to try to start out with at least three land or get a land by every third turn so that the game doesn’t hinder your deck and yet because there’s different land types. You have to have it so that the algorithm changes them as different cards not land types and that’s what your algorithm for land is trash i
- [R35] Magic Abysmal: The about of times I’ve never drawn a land or draw the same color land over and over in a 2 color deck. Mind you, I play the exact same deck in real life and have never ran into the issue of drawing 4 mountains back to back when my whole hand is blue. It has to be a problem with the game itself because it has never happened to me in all my years. Somehow it’s happened over 6 times just to
Synthesized from 50 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store