Scan Magic cards in bulk, right on your desktop

TCG Actana is a desktop app for Windows and Apple Silicon Macs. It reads scanner output and suitable photos, then matches card, set, collector number, and language. You review ambiguous printings before adding them. Your confirmed cards become a collection with market values.

Alpha currently €0. Create your account with an email address and password in the app.

Getting images into the app

TCG Actana deliberately has no live camera. It works with image files, and it takes plenty of them at once:

  • Choose files

    Pick images through a file dialog, one or many.

  • Drag and drop

    Drop scans or photos straight onto the pile.

  • Folder watching

    Connect your scanner's output folder. Image files saved there afterwards are picked up automatically.

  • Multiple cards per image

    Multi-card image separation is being tested during the alpha. Review these results especially carefully.

For a full walkthrough from a scan folder or card photo to a finished collection, readHow to scan Magic cards in bulk.

Scan view of the TCG Actana desktop app with a batch of recognized cards

Card, set, collector number, language, and the right printing

TCG Actana compares each image with its card catalogue. That is how the app identifies the name, set, collector number, and card language.

With Magic, the name alone is rarely enough. TCG Actana uses visible details to determine the right printing. Editions that cannot be distinguished clearly from the image, including certain promo and The List twins, deliberately remain a choice for you. It recognizes Magic cards in English, German, French, and Japanese (for Japan-exclusive printings).

Not every match is clear-cut. Matches classified as uncertain or ambiguous do not enter your collection automatically. They go to a review view with possible matches, and you confirm them before they count.

More than a name on a list

Each collection entry records the printing (set and collector number), the condition on the Cardmarket scale from Mint to Poor, the language, the finish, and the quantity.

Foil is yours to set. Document scanners give no reliable optical foil signal, so TCG Actana does not pretend to detect it. The available finish choices follow the variant data Actana has for the printing.

A collection with market values

Confirmed cards land in your collection. Where matching market data is available, Actana shows values in euros (Cardmarket) or US dollars (TCGplayer). The dashboard shows your collection value history. Filter and sort your inventory, and organise cards in named collections.

Collection view of the TCG Actana desktop app with cards and market values

From inventory to Cardmarket listing

When it is time to sell, TCG Actana exports your inventory as a CSV in the TCG PowerTools import format, with one file per game represented in the export. Actana uses English card names and full set names where available; otherwise the export falls back to the display name or set code. Prices use a decimal point, and foil rows never silently fall back to the regular price. You then run the import in TCG PowerTools, followingtheir own CSV import guide; Actana never uploads anything to Cardmarket itself.

The TCG PowerTools CSV page breaks the format down in detail. For TCGplayer there is also a separate inventory CSV preset in US dollars, still being validated against real seller uploads.

Frequently asked questions

Which computers does TCG Actana run on?
Windows PCs (x64) and Macs with Apple Silicon. Intel Macs and Linux are currently not supported.
Do I need a card scanner?
No. TCG Actana also handles suitable photos. Add scans and photos through the file picker, drag and drop, or a watched folder. Once enabled, folder watching picks up newly added supported image files; import files already in the folder through the file picker or drag and drop.
Does it recognize the exact printing of a Magic card?
The app uses the set, collector number, and other visible details to match the printing. If two editions cannot be distinguished clearly from the image, including certain promo and The List twins, it presents the possible matches for you to choose from.
Does the app detect foils automatically?
No. Foil cannot be read reliably from document scanner images. You set the finish yourself; the available choices follow the variant data Actana has for the printing.
How much does TCG Actana cost?
The alpha currently costs €0. It is not a purchase or subscription and does not promise permanently free access. You create your account in the desktop app.
Can I export my collection?
Yes, as CSV. There is a preset in the TCG PowerTools import format for the Cardmarket workflow, with one file per game represented in the export. A separate, still experimental inventory CSV in US dollars is available for TCGplayer.

Ready for your first stack?

Grab the desktop app for Windows or Mac and run your first scan folder through it. The alpha currently costs €0. Create your account in the app, then confirm your email address.