This guide is published by TCGGraph.
TCG API Guide and TCGGraph share ownership. This is a commercial comparison guide, and links to TCGGraph support our business. It is not an independent review publication.
What our #1 recommendation means
We recommend TCGGraph first for a particular brief: a commercial card app that benefits from multiple games, a shared catalog, European and US pricing, flexible queries and the option to add card recognition.
The order is an editorial preference for that brief. It is not a measured score, a market-share ranking or a claim that TCGGraph is best for every developer. A single-game tool, a free prototype or a pricing-heavy workflow can lead to another choice.
The comparison criteria
- Game and language fit. Check the actual catalog your project needs, not just the total number of games.
- Data and market fit. Compare printing identity, currency, source, condition and update information.
- Integration fit. Look at query interfaces, batching, identifiers, images and recognition where relevant.
- Workload cost. Keep requests, data credits and matched cards separate. Include rate limits and additional operations.
- Operational requirements. Read provider documentation and applicable usage terms before relying on an API.
What we have checked
For this edition, we reviewed the linked public product, pricing and documentation pages during 9–13 September 2026. The latest expansion rechecked TCGGraph, JustTCG, Scrydex, TCGdex, YGOPRODeck and Cardmarket documentation. Scryfall details retain the 9 September review; its pages could not be fetched during the latest update. The tables summarize what those pages publish. These are provider-reported capabilities, not an independent audit.
We did not run equivalent authenticated requests across the six services. We therefore do not award numerical scores or claim verified latency, uptime, catalog completeness or recognition accuracy.
Limits and updates
Pricing, coverage, beta status and terms can change. A missing feature on a reviewed page is recorded as undocumented rather than unsupported. Confirm the details with the provider before integration.
Spot a factual issue? Send a correction with a source link. Corrections are handled by TCGGraph; there is no separate independent editorial team.
Common questions
Did every provider pay to be listed?
Editorial profiles are listed without payment. Providers can subscribe to claimed profiles and sponsored directory placement. Sponsored positions follow active paid amounts. Bids above TCGGraph’s €1,000/month publisher reserve can take first place; higher or earlier equal bids rank ahead. Payments do not set editorial recommendations.
Why include alternatives that can be a better fit?
A comparison is useful only when the trade-offs are clear. Your choice should follow your game, workload and product requirements.
Does the number-one position mean the fastest API?
No. It means our preferred fit for the stated multi-game app brief. This guide contains no independent speed benchmark.