Short answer
Pick Cardstock if you are a sports card collector who wants a deep catalog. It scans cards, looks up eBay sold values, tracks set progress with checklists, shows your total collection value and syncs through iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac. It has been on the App Store since 2020 and is rated 4.5 from about 11,600 ratings as of October 2026. Pick Binder AI if your main question is what a card might grade, or if you want one app for sports cards and trading card games on iPhone, Android and the web. If you want both, many collectors keep a catalog app and a grading app side by side.
Feature and pricing table
| Binder AI | Cardstock | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | AI pre-grading with prices and binders | Sports card cataloging with scanning and values |
| Pricing | Free download; grading included in $1.99/week, $3.99/month or $24.99/year on the website ($4.99/month or $29.99/year in the App Store) | Free download; "Unlimited Access" subscription. Its App Store in-app purchase list shows Unlimited Access at $4.99, $14.99, $19.99, $49.99 and $99.99, plus "Get Annual Access" at $19.99, without billing periods for each |
| Free option | Free download; grading needs a subscription | Free download; the listing does not spell out what is free before Unlimited Access |
| AI grade estimate | Yes, on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale you choose, with subgrades | Not listed |
| Card ID | Front and back photos; the app identifies the card | Camera scanner with AI and OCR detection of player, card number and year |
| Prices and values | eBay sold prices, price history, graded value table | eBay sold values, a raw or graded toggle on each card, total collection and folder value |
| Collection | Binders by game or sport, sharing, wishlists | Nestable folders, sorting by any attribute, set checklists with shared templates, flippable cards, share images |
| Data and sync | Shareable binders; no CSV export | iCloud sync, CSV export |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, web | iPhone and iPad, also listed for Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision; no Android listing found |
| Cards covered | Pokémon, MTG, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Digimon, Lorcana, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, WWE, non-sport | Sports cards (the developer offers separate apps for TCG and MTG cards) |
How each app works
Cardstock is built around cataloging. You scan a card with the camera, the app detects details such as player name, card number and year, and you can edit anything it misses. Its value lookup shows what similar cards sold for on eBay, and since version 3.1 you can switch each card between raw and graded comps. Version 4.2 added a total value for your whole collection and for each folder, and version 4.3 added a search of the full Cardstock database. Checklists track your progress on sets, and the app fills them in from cards you already own. Cards live in folders you can nest as deep as you like, and you can sort by any field.
Binder AI starts from a photo of the front and back of a card. It identifies the card, then gives an overall grade estimate on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale you pick, with centering, corners, edges and surface subgrades and written notes on what it saw. Next to the estimate you see recent eBay sold prices, price history and a graded value table, so you can compare a raw value with what a PSA 9 or 10 might sell for. Cards go into binders by game or sport that you can share.
Where Cardstock is stronger
- Set checklists. Cardstock tracks set completion, with checklist templates uploaded by its team and by other users. Binder AI does not offer checklists today.
- Deep organization. Infinitely nestable folders and sorting by any attribute suit big sports collections.
- Your data. iCloud sync and CSV export give you a copy of your catalog you control.
- Apple devices. It runs on iPhone and iPad and is listed for Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision.
- Track record. It has been updated since 2020 by an independent developer and has about 11,600 App Store ratings.
Where Binder AI is stronger
- Grade estimates. Binder AI gives an AI pre-grade with subgrades on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale. Cardstock's listing and website do not mention grade estimates.
- Grading value in one view. The graded value table sits next to the estimate, which helps you judge whether a submission is worth the fee. The is my card worth grading calculator does the same math on this site.
- Android and web. We found no Cardstock listing on Google Play. Binder AI runs on Android and in a browser as well as iOS.
- TCGs and sports in one app. Binder AI covers Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and more alongside sports cards. Cardstock is for sports cards, and its developer publishes separate apps for other games.
Which to pick by collector type
- Set builder. Cardstock, for its checklists and set progress.
- Collector with thousands of base cards to catalog. Cardstock, for nested folders, sorting and CSV export.
- Collector deciding what to send to PSA, BGS or TAG. Binder AI, since it gives a grade estimate with subgrades.
- Android user, or someone who wants a browser version. Binder AI.
- Collector of both sports cards and Pokémon or other TCGs. Binder AI keeps them in one app.
- Collector who wants both a catalog and a pre-grade. Use Cardstock to catalog and Binder AI to check your best cards before you submit.
For more options, see our roundup of the best sports card scanner apps and our guides to CollX alternatives and Ludex alternatives.
Try both on the same cards
These apps answer different questions, so the best test is to use each for its own job.
- Pick five sports cards, including one or two you think could grade well.
- Scan them in Cardstock and note whether it identifies each card, and what value it shows raw and graded.
- Photograph the same cards front and back in Binder AI, on a dark flat surface with soft light and no glare, and note the grade estimate and centering subgrade.
- Compare the values each app shows, and decide which cards are worth a grading fee.
You will quickly see whether you need a catalog, a pre-grader or both. Binder AI's weekly web plan keeps the cost of a short test low. See the pricing page.
About Binder AI
Binder AI is an AI pre-grading app for iOS, Android and the web. You photograph the front and back of a card and get an overall grade estimate on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale you choose, with centering, corners, edges and surface subgrades and written condition notes. It also has a manual centering tool, identifies the card, shows eBay sold prices, price history and a graded value table, and sorts cards into binders by game or sport with sharing and wishlists. It supports Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Digimon, Lorcana, baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, WWE and non-sport cards. The app is free to download, and grading is included in a subscription: $1.99/week, $3.99/month or $24.99/year on the website ($4.99/month or $29.99/year in the App Store).
