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Apps that claim to be free, but aren't.

If an app is marketed as free and turns out to be only free to download, meters free scans by the day, or is a free trial, it goes on this wall of shame.

23
FAKE FREE
The claim, the reality, a screenshot.

CardsBenchmark cautions readers to steer clear of these apps. An app is either free or it isn't. It's either worth your money or it isn't. We confidently advise you not to spend money on these apps.

AppMisleading claimRealityProof
AI Sports Card Value Scanner FAKE FREEBendt Apps“Free”Free scans are limited, unlimited scans need PremiumIn-app purchases run $8.99 to $49.99 per itemThis happened to meAI Sports Card Value Scanner: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited, unlimited scans need Premium. Paid: In-app purchases run $8.99 to $49.99 per item. Screenshot of https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.benst.cardvalue.scanner.tcg, 2026-11-01.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.benst.cardvalue.scanner.tcgUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
BindeX FAKE FREE“BindeX is a free iOS app to scan, track and manage your Pokémon card collection.”Free scans are limitedWeekly Plan $8.99“Give me at least 10 scans a day without having to pay 😭😭” store reviewThis happened to meBindeX: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited. Paid: Weekly Plan $8.99. Screenshot of https://getbindex.app/, 2026-11-01.BindeX: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited. Paid: Weekly Plan $8.99. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bindex-tcg-card-value-scanner/id6752717160, 2026-11-01.getbindex.appUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
Brickify FAKE FREE“Brickify is free to download.”Some scanning requires Brickify ProPro $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year“First time downloading this app. Signed up for the advertised 3-day free trial and was immediately charged $59.99 for a full year. Multiple reviews report the exact same issue. I canceled and requested a refund. Very misleading billing practices. Apple should investigate.” store reviewThis happened to meBrickify: NOT FREE. No. Some scanning requires Brickify Pro. Paid: Pro $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brickify-collection-tracker/id6758356210, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/brickify-collection-tracker/id6758356210Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
Card Atlas FAKE FREE“Card Atlas is free, and the core features will always be free.”5 scans a day freeThis happened to meCard Atlas: NOT FREE. No. 5 scans a day free. Paid: No paid tier published. Screenshot of https://cardatlas.app/blog/card-atlas-vs-collx-vs-tcgplayer/, 2026-10-31.cardatlas.app/blog/card-atlas-vs-collx-vs-tcgplayerUpdated 2026-10-31Submit a correction
Card Value Scanner - DittoDex FAKE FREEJustin Lok“Free to download.”Free scanning is cappedPro $34.99 a year or $69.99 lifetime“I’m a long time collector and I’ve never come across anything as bad as this. You only get 20 free scans a day. And even if you don’t want to scan a card, it immediately just picks up whatever is in your camera DO NOT PURCHASE” store reviewThis happened to meCard Value Scanner - DittoDex: NOT FREE. No. Free scanning is capped. Paid: Pro $34.99 a year or $69.99 lifetime. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/card-value-scanner-dittodex/id1578380789, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/card-value-scanner-dittodex/id1578380789Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
CardIQ - Sports & TCG Scanner FAKE FREEAndres Felipe Saumet Chilito“Try for free.”1 card scan free, a one-time lifetime limitPremium $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month, or $49.99 a yearThis happened to meCardIQ - Sports & TCG Scanner: NOT FREE. No. 1 card scan free, a one-time lifetime limit. Paid: Premium $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. Screenshot of https://tradingcardsscanner.com/terms/, 2026-11-01.CardIQ - Sports & TCG Scanner: NOT FREE. No. 1 card scan free, a one-time lifetime limit. Paid: Premium $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sports-tcg-scanner-cardiq/id6759487789, 2026-11-01.tradingcardsscanner.com/termsUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
CardSense AI FAKE FREE“Unlimited AI card grading (Free users get limited scans)”Free scans are limitedPremium $1.99 a week or $4.99 a month“Paid for it and just keeps telling me to purchase premium” store reviewThis happened to meCardSense AI: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited. Paid: Premium $1.99 a week or $4.99 a month. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cardsense-ai-sports-tcg/id6748158121, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/cardsense-ai-sports-tcg/id6748158121Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
CardValue.ai FAKE FREECardValue.ai“100% free · no account needed”Scanning is free but slowed if you upload a lot, AI grading is 3 cards a dayThis happened to meCardValue.ai: NOT FREE. No. Scanning is free but slowed if you upload a lot, AI grading is 3 cards a day. Paid: No paid tier. Screenshot of https://cardvalue.ai/ai-grading, 2026-11-01.CardValue.ai: NOT FREE. No. Scanning is free but slowed if you upload a lot, AI grading is 3 cards a day. Paid: No paid tier. Screenshot of https://cardvalue.ai/scan, 2026-11-01.CardValue.ai: NOT FREE. No. Scanning is free but slowed if you upload a lot, AI grading is 3 cards a day. Paid: No paid tier. Screenshot of https://cardvalue.ai/ai-grading, 2026-11-01.cardvalue.ai/ai-gradingUpdated 2026-11-02Submit a correction
CGA: Card Grading AI FAKE FREE“Can I grade Pokémon cards for free? Yes, start grading cards for free. Precision tools and advanced features come with the upgrade.”Free grading is cappedUnlimited Plan $9.99This happened to meCGA: Card Grading AI: NOT FREE. No. Free grading is capped. Paid: Unlimited Plan $9.99. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/card-grading-ai/id6752859834, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/card-grading-ai/id6752859834Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
ChaseDex FAKE FREE“Free download. No account required.”50 free scans in totalPremium $8.99/monthThis happened to meChaseDex: NOT FREE. No. 50 free scans in total. Paid: Premium $8.99/month. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chasedex-tcg-card-tracker/id6758054613, 2026-10-31.apps.apple.com/us/app/chasedex-tcg-card-tracker/id6758054613Updated 2026-10-31Submit a correction
Collectibles.com: Scan + Value FAKE FREECollectbase Inc“Download the app now. It's free!”10 free scans a dayUnlimited plan from $2.99/month“It’s a cool idea, but is limited by a baffling design decision that limits the ability to edit the scan. For example, I scan a signed picture from a film and the AI gets the movie wrong and the actor who signed it wrong. So I should be able to simply edit the incorrect data and have the value adjusted right? Wrong. There is NO option to edit the information. Your only option is to rescan and try over and over hoping the AI correctly identifies the specifics of your item. You can manually add items but the value appraisal seems very off and generalized when doing it that way. Knowing the AI is going to invariably mess up, how the designers thought it would be a good idea to prevent simple editing is beyond my comprehension. A total waste for my purposes, I’ll be canceling my subscription. UPDATE: I canceled my subscription the day I wrote the above review, which was the same day I began my free trial. I was STILL CHARGED even though my subscription was canceled. Buyer beware.” store reviewThis happened to meCollectibles.com: Scan + Value: NOT FREE. No. 10 free scans a day. Paid: Unlimited plan from $2.99/month. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/collectibles-com-scan-value/id1533404340, 2026-10-31.apps.apple.com/us/app/collectibles-com-scan-value/id1533404340Updated 2026-10-31Submit a correction
Collectr FAKE FREECollectr Inc“Unlimited scanning”Free scanning is cappedPRO $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year“Showed annual subscription price of $59.99, after subscribing I was charged $84.78. Just to find out the app doesn’t work with the cards I have.” store reviewThis happened to meCollectr: NOT FREE. No. Free scanning is capped. Paid: PRO $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/collectr-tcg-collector-app/id1603892248, 2026-11-01.Collectr: NOT FREE. No. Free scanning is capped. Paid: PRO $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Screenshot of https://getcollectr.com/pro, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/collectr-tcg-collector-app/id1603892248Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
GradePokemon FAKE FREEGradePokemon“Free Pokemon Card Grading”2 free guest grades a dayNo price is publishedThis happened to megradepokemon.comUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
PokéItem - Cards & Items FAKE FREEHugo Tribet“FREE, no subscription”Free use is capped at 20 scans a month plus one backup scan a day, 1,000 cards and 10 sealed productsPremium is €5.99 a month or €49.99 a year and Premium+ is €8.99 a month or €79.99 a year, with free trials of 3 to 7 daysThis happened to mePokéItem - Cards & Items: NOT FREE. No. Free use is capped at 20 scans a month plus one backup scan a day, 1,000 cards and 10 sealed products. Paid: Premium is €5.99 a month or €49.99 a year and Premium+ is €8.99 a month or €79.99 a year, with free trials of 3 to 7 days. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9item-cards-items/id6764374425, 2026-11-02.apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9item-cards-items/id6764374425Updated 2026-11-02Submit a correction
PokeScope FAKE FREEEndless Loop Apps Inc.“Point your camera in the free app for instant prices, or type a card name below. Free, no sign-up.”Free scans are limitedPremium $7.99 a week or $24.99 a year“Five daily scans? Not even a single pack? Get outta here” store reviewThis happened to mePokeScope: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited. Paid: Premium $7.99 a week or $24.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6739146586, 2026-11-01.PokeScope: NOT FREE. No. Free scans are limited. Paid: Premium $7.99 a week or $24.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pokemon-card-scanner-pokescope/id6739146586, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/id6739146586Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
Pokiframe: Card Value Scanner FAKE FREEARKADIUSZ PICHURSKI“Get the free scanner app”Scans are meteredPokiFrame Annual $39.99“Why do we have to pay” store reviewThis happened to mePokiframe: Card Value Scanner: NOT FREE. No. Scans are metered. Paid: PokiFrame Annual $39.99. Screenshot of https://pokiframe.com/, 2026-11-01.pokiframe.comUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
PriceSnap FAKE FREE“Yes. PriceSnap works as a free sports card value scanner: photograph the card front and the AI identifies the player, year, brand, product line, and parallel, then estimates a value range from recent listings and any sales it can cite... with no account or payment required.”Guests: 3 valuations a day, 10 a monthPro $9.99/monthThis happened to mePriceSnap: NOT FREE. No. Guests: 3 valuations a day, 10 a month. Paid: Pro $9.99/month. Screenshot of https://www.pricesnap.ai/, 2026-10-31.pricesnap.aiUpdated 2026-10-31Submit a correction
Ripdex FAKE FREEAppalex Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag“Yes, completely. Downloading Ripdex and scanning cards is free, with no scan limit and no paywall.”No free scans$39.99 a year after a 3-day trialThis happened to meRipdex: NOT FREE. No. No free scans. Paid: $39.99 a year after a 3-day trial. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ripdex-tcg-card-scanner/id6742319104, 2026-11-01.Ripdex: NOT FREE. No. No free scans. Paid: $39.99 a year after a 3-day trial. Screenshot of https://getripdex.com/, 2026-11-01.Ripdex: NOT FREE. No. No free scans. Paid: $39.99 a year after a 3-day trial. Screenshot of https://getripdex.com/, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/ripdex-tcg-card-scanner/id6742319104Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
SnapCard FAKE FREEHangzhou Impulsio Technology Co., Ltd.“It is free to download and try.”Free scanning is cappedPremium $7.99 a week or $39.99 a year“Let’s you scan one card in then wants you to pay about $40 a month, yea no.” store reviewThis happened to meSnapCard: NOT FREE. No. Free scanning is capped. Paid: Premium $7.99 a week or $39.99 a year. Screenshot of https://trysnapcard.com/faq, 2026-11-01.trysnapcard.com/faqUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
Stash FAKE FREE“Free unlimited scanning · No credit card”30 scanner adds a month, unlimited needs Stash ProStash Pro costs $6.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $99.99 lifetimeThis happened to meStash: NOT FREE. No. 30 scanner adds a month, unlimited needs Stash Pro. Paid: Stash Pro costs $6.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $99.99 lifetime. Screenshot of https://thestash.gg/, 2026-11-01.Stash: NOT FREE. No. 30 scanner adds a month, unlimited needs Stash Pro. Paid: Stash Pro costs $6.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $99.99 lifetime. Screenshot of https://thestash.gg/, 2026-11-01.thestash.ggUpdated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
TCG Stacked FAKE FREEMinner Labs LLC“The basic version of the app is completely free.”No free scan limit is published anywhere on its site or store listingPro $5 a month, $40 a year, or $80 lifetime“Read it was a top notch app, but it took me awhile for it to allow me to create an account. Then, I tried to take photos, it’ll snap, but nothing happens. There was also a 20 limit for free scans.” store reviewThis happened to meTCG Stacked: NOT FREE. No. No free scan limit is published anywhere on its site or store listing. Paid: Pro $5 a month, $40 a year, or $80 lifetime. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tcg-stacked/id6745709195, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/tcg-stacked/id6745709195Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction
TCGCardScanner FAKE FREE“Free to start”5 free scans a weekPrices not publishedThis happened to meTCGCardScanner: NOT FREE. No. 5 free scans a week. Paid: Prices not published. Screenshot of https://tcgcardscanners.com/, 2026-10-31.tcgcardscanners.comUpdated 2026-10-31Submit a correction
TopCard FAKE FREEStarlight Ltd.“Free”No free limit is published anywhere on its store listing, terms, or vendor sitePremium $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month, or $39.99 a year“What good does it do to give a free trial if you are going to limit the # of scans to 50 a week ?!!!!!!!!!!!” store reviewThis happened to meTopCard: NOT FREE. No. No free limit is published anywhere on its store listing, terms, or vendor site. Paid: Premium $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month, or $39.99 a year. Screenshot of https://apps.apple.com/us/app/free-sports-card-tcg-scanner/id6757143415, 2026-11-01.apps.apple.com/us/app/free-sports-card-tcg-scanner/id6757143415Updated 2026-11-01Submit a correction