Pokemon just confirmed its biggest 30th anniversary release yet: an art collection with reprints, alternate arts, and full-set special variants slated to move faster than any previous celebration set. Restocks disappear in minutes, secondary prices swing hard in the first week, and set completion tracking through paper binders is the wrong tool for the pace. We tested seven Android apps that handle Pokemon TCG anniversary set tracking specifically: pull lists, price movement, restock alerts, and collection completion.
What to look for
Anniversary sets stress every part of a tracking app. Five things matter:
- Set data on release day. Card lists have to be complete when the set launches, not two weeks later.
- Scan-to-add. Typing 200 cards into an app is not the pipeline.
- Restock alerts. Set-specific push for boxes and elite trainer boxes is what beats bots.
- Price history. Anniversary reprints move against original arts. A history graph is the difference between a smart trade and a bad one.
- Completion view. A visual “you’re missing 42 cards” beats a spreadsheet.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokemon TCG Live | Digital play with anniversary set drops | Yes | Free | Play the set in-app on release day |
| TCGplayer | Buying, selling, and price tracking | Yes | Free | Watchlist alerts on individual cards |
| Dex - Pokemon TCG | Full collection tracker with completion view | Yes | Modest one-time upgrade | Every set catalogued in a Pokedex-style browser |
| Poke Genie | Companion for Pokemon Go players who collect physical | Yes | Modest subscription | Cross-references digital and paper hobbies |
| TCG Card Scanner | Bulk scanning with database lookup | Yes | Modest subscription | Fast camera scan, live price overlay |
| PriceCharting | Price history for sealed products | Yes | Optional subscription | Multi-year price graphs for booster boxes and ETBs |
| Card Dex | Community-first collection app | Yes | Free | Trading matches with local collectors |
The apps
1. Pokemon TCG Live — Best for anniversary set drops on release day
Pokemon TCG Live is the official app, and Pokemon Company has confirmed the 30th anniversary set drops digitally the same week paper hits shelves. That means the mechanics and the pull rates you will actually see at your local shop are live-testable on release day. It is not a tracker per se, but it is where the set exists first.
Where it falls short: Not a physical-collection tracker. Any paper cards live somewhere else.
Pricing:
- Free: Full app and card acquisition through play.
- Paid: Optional purchases for cosmetic packs.
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, Mac.
Download: Google Play, Aptoide
Bottom line: Install to know the set before you spend money on paper.
2. TCGplayer — Best for buying, selling, and price tracking
TCGplayer is where the North American secondary market actually lives, and its Android app tracks anniversary set cards from day one. Watchlist alerts on percentage moves matter more here than for any other set, because anniversary singles spike fast. The seller-portal side is also on Android for anyone offloading dupes.
Where it falls short: Restock alerts on sealed product from big retailers are not native. You use it for singles.
Pricing:
- Free: Full app.
- Paid: None.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Google Play, Aptoide
Bottom line: The default marketplace app. Pair with a completion tracker.
3. Dex - Pokemon TCG — Best for completion view
Dex - Pokemon TCG catalogues every English and Japanese set in a browser modelled on the Pokedex itself. Add cards by tapping thumbnails or scan them in bulk, and the completion view gives you an at-a-glance “42 cards to go” per set. Anniversary sets appear on Dex within hours of release.
Where it falls short: Prices are read-only, sourced from external APIs. Not a marketplace.
Pricing:
- Free: All sets browsable, up to a modest number of tracked cards.
- Paid: One-time upgrade for unlimited tracking.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Google Play, Aptoide
Bottom line: The completion tracker to install first.
4. Poke Genie — Best for cross-hobby collectors
Poke Genie started as a Pokemon Go IV calculator and grew into a broader hobby companion. For collectors who play Go and hold paper, it consolidates the pieces: game trackers, event alerts, and rough physical-collection notes. Anniversary content is well-covered because the app tracks Pokemon Company promotions.
Where it falls short: Not a specialised card database. Depth is on the Go side, not the TCG side.
Pricing:
- Free: Core Go tools.
- Paid: Modest subscription for full features.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Useful if you already use it for Go. Not worth installing purely for TCG.
5. TCG Card Scanner — Best for bulk scanning
TCG Card Scanner uses the camera to identify Pokemon cards and pull them into a collection at speed. On a decent phone camera it clears a stack of 100 cards in about ten minutes, with the current TCGplayer price overlaid live. Anniversary sets are supported within a week of release.
Where it falls short: Match accuracy on holos with heavy glare drops. Room lighting matters more than the app.
Pricing:
- Free: A modest number of scans per day.
- Paid: Modest subscription for unlimited scans.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: The right tool to catch up an existing collection into an app.
6. PriceCharting — Best for sealed product history
PriceCharting is what serious speculators use for sealed boxes and elite trainer boxes. Its Android app shows multi-year price graphs on every set, including the way older anniversary boxes have moved since release. Restock alerts are not native, but the graphing is the best on Android.
Where it falls short: Interface is dated. Prices are sourced from eBay data and lag a live marketplace by hours.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported.
- Paid: Optional subscription to remove ads.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: The pick if you sit on sealed product long-term.
7. Card Dex — Best for community trading
Card Dex is a community-first tracker with a swap-matching engine baked in. Log the anniversary cards you have and the ones you want, and the app matches you with local collectors holding the reverse. On release week, this is the fastest path to complete a master set through trades instead of packs.
Where it falls short: Community is regional. Not every city has enough active users.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything.
- Paid: None.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Google Play, Aptoide
Bottom line: The trading match tool. Great if the local community is active.
How to pick the right one
Install Dex first for completion tracking and TCGplayer for pricing. Between them you cover 80 percent of anniversary set tracking without paying anything.
Add TCG Card Scanner if you already have a large collection that needs to enter an app. It pays for itself in an afternoon.
For sealed product speculation, PriceCharting is the only pick that shows years of history in a graph. Anyone stacking booster boxes wants this on the second screen.
Card Dex earns a slot if your local community trades in person. Even a mid-size city usually has enough active users to close set gaps through swaps rather than pack pulls.
FAQ
How fast do anniversary cards go up in price?
Singles spike sharply in the first week, then settle. Sealed product tends to rise steadily for a year or two. Watch history graphs on prior anniversary sets for a template.
Can I scan Japanese cards?
TCG Card Scanner and Dex both support Japanese anniversary prints. Match accuracy is slightly lower than English but usable.
Is Pokemon TCG Live worth playing?
Yes. It lets you play the new set the week it releases, at no cost, which is a real preview of paper metagames.
Do these apps track PSA or CGC grades?
Dex and Card Dex both support graded fields per card. PriceCharting graphs grade-adjusted prices for sealed and slabbed items.
Which app has restock alerts for booster boxes?
None of them natively. Pair TCGplayer with a retailer-specific tracker for restocks.
