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Grimoire vs Archidekt
A Familiar that argues its case, not just a card catalog
Archidekt is a lovely visual deck builder with a real playtester. Grimoire adds a companion that builds the deck with you, gives a reason for every card, and waits for your say-so.
Fair's fair
What Archidekt does well
Archidekt is one of the nicest visual deck builders around. You decide how your cards stack and sort on the page, switch to text or spreadsheet views when you want density, test the deck in a full-featured playtester, and see prices from four retailers. You can even try the builder without an account.
Side by side
Feature by feature
Both are free to use. Where Archidekt is listed, it's what Archidekt's own pages (or our walkthrough of them) show, and we've left out anything we couldn't confirm.
| Feature | Grimoire | Archidekt |
|---|---|---|
| Deck building | Commander, Brawl, Standard, Modern, Pioneer, Pauper, Legacy and Vintage, with legality checked and a price on every card. | A visual builder where you choose how cards stack and sort, plus text and spreadsheet views. A sandbox works without an account. |
| Help choosing cards | The Familiar proposes cards one pillar at a time, each with a reason, preferring cards you own. Nothing lands until you approve it. | Card recommendation data inside the builder. |
| Collection tracking | Quantity, printing, finish, condition, language and what you paid, organised into binders. | A collection tracker you can import into or add to card by card, then view, sort and filter. |
| Playtesting | Solo playtest in the browser: draw, mulligan and goldfish your deck. | A playtester with a deep suite of features for all kinds of game mechanics. |
| Deck guides | Every deck gets a Codex: a strategy manual written from your actual list. | Primers written by deck authors. |
| Prices | Daily price snapshots, portfolio value over time, and a cost basis that knows pack pulls from purchases. | Prices from TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, Cardmarket and Cardhoarder. |
| What it costs | Free. The Familiar runs on a monthly mana allowance (prices in the questions below). | Free, supported by ads; Patreon supporters can remove them. |
Deck building
- Grimoire
- Commander, Brawl, Standard, Modern, Pioneer, Pauper, Legacy and Vintage, with legality checked and a price on every card.
- Archidekt
- A visual builder where you choose how cards stack and sort, plus text and spreadsheet views. A sandbox works without an account.
Help choosing cards
- Grimoire
- The Familiar proposes cards one pillar at a time, each with a reason, preferring cards you own. Nothing lands until you approve it.
- Archidekt
- Card recommendation data inside the builder.
Collection tracking
- Grimoire
- Quantity, printing, finish, condition, language and what you paid, organised into binders.
- Archidekt
- A collection tracker you can import into or add to card by card, then view, sort and filter.
Playtesting
- Grimoire
- Solo playtest in the browser: draw, mulligan and goldfish your deck.
- Archidekt
- A playtester with a deep suite of features for all kinds of game mechanics.
Deck guides
- Grimoire
- Every deck gets a Codex: a strategy manual written from your actual list.
- Archidekt
- Primers written by deck authors.
Prices
- Grimoire
- Daily price snapshots, portfolio value over time, and a cost basis that knows pack pulls from purchases.
- Archidekt
- Prices from TCGplayer, Card Kingdom, Cardmarket and Cardhoarder.
What it costs
- Grimoire
- Free. The Familiar runs on a monthly mana allowance (prices in the questions below).
- Archidekt
- Free, supported by ads; Patreon supporters can remove them.
Archidekt details come from its public pages (archidekt.com, /landing and /collection), checked on 18 September 2026. If something here has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.
The Familiar
What the Familiar adds
Grimoire's Familiar is your companion for building decks. It doesn't hand you a list; it builds one with you, and shows its work.
Pillar by pillar, not a pasted 99
The Familiar lays out the deck's pillars from your commander (the engine, ramp, card draw, interaction, protection, the mana base) and suggests cards for one at a time. Each card it stages comes with the job it's doing, and you keep or cut it before it touches your list.
It cites the rule
When a rules question comes up, the Familiar answers from the official Comprehensive Rules text and gives you the rule number, so you can check it at the table. The rules page answers any card interaction the same way.
It knows what you own
The Familiar reaches for cards in your collection first and marks everything else as a buy, so the list you end up with is one you can mostly sleeve tonight. Your bracket and legality come from the card data, not from its say-so.
Switching over
Import from Archidekt
Your cards and decks come with you. Here is exactly how, and what each route supports.
Bring a deck
On the web, a pasted text list is the way in.
Export from Archidekt
Export the deck from Archidekt as a text list: one card per line, with a count and the card name. Adding the set code and collector number, like 1 Sol Ring (CMR) 472, pins the exact printing.
Leave the labels off
Grimoire reads everything after the count as the card's name, so a category or tag label on the line stops it matching. Commander and Sideboard section headings are fine.
Paste it into Grimoire
Open Decks, choose Import, name the deck and paste. Cards that can't be matched are reported back to you, not dropped.
Bring your collection
Grimoire imports any CSV that has a Name column, or a pasted list.
Export your collection as a CSV
Grimoire reads the header row. It needs a Name column, and uses Quantity or Count, Set or Edition, Collector Number, Finish, Condition, Language and Purchase Price when they're there.
Import on Grimoire
Open Collection, choose Import, and pick the file, or paste a list instead. Anything that didn't match is listed in the preview before a single card is added.
Straight answers
Questions
- Can I import an Archidekt deck into Grimoire?
- Yes. Export the deck from Archidekt as a text list, one card per line with a count and the card name, and paste it into Grimoire's deck import. Add the set code and collector number, like 1 Sol Ring (CMR) 472, to pin the exact printing, and leave category labels off the lines. Anything that can't be matched is reported back to you.
- Can I bring my Archidekt collection?
- Grimoire imports any collection CSV with a Name column, and uses Quantity, Set, Collector Number, Finish, Condition, Language and Purchase Price columns when they're there. You can also paste a plain list. Nothing is added until you've seen what matched.
- Do I have to stop using Archidekt?
- No. Grimoire exports your collection and your decks as CSV files, and any deck as a plain text list, so you can keep using Archidekt alongside it.
- Does the Familiar just build the deck for me?
- It builds it with you. It lays out the deck's pillars from your commander, stages candidates for one pillar at a time with the reason for each, reaches for cards you own first, and adds nothing to your deck until you approve it. Push back, set a budget or veto a card and the build bends around you.
- Where does the Familiar get its rules answers?
- From the official Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules. When a rules question comes up it answers from the rule text and gives you the rule number, so you can check it yourself.
- What does Grimoire cost?
- The app is free: your collection, your decks, live prices, playtesting and the community pages cost nothing. The Familiar runs on a monthly mana allowance. A new account gets enough mana to try it out, and Collector is $9.99 a month and Pro $19.99 a month. Cancel any time and your collection and decks stay yours.
- Is Grimoire finished?
- No, and we'd rather say so. The web app and the iPhone app are both live. There's a feedback button on every screen, and most of what shipped lately exists because someone used it.
Free to start
Start from the cards you own.
Import your Archidekt collection, pick a commander, and build the rest with the Familiar. Free to start, no card needed.