The Best MTG Card Makers, Compared
Looking for the best way to make custom Magic: The Gathering cards — or a CardConjurer alternative? Here's an honest look at the landscape and where PipGlyph fits: a free, browser-based card maker with a live preview, custom mana pips, an AI assistant, deck building, and proxy export.
What to look for in an MTG card maker
- All card types — creatures, instants, sorceries, planeswalkers, lands, and more
- Accurate mana pips, including custom uploaded pip icons
- Faithful card frames built from original (non-WotC) assets
- High-resolution PNG and print-ready PDF export for proxies
- Deck building around your cards, not just one-off renders
- A community to share, get feedback, and remix designs
- An AI assistant for rules text and flavor
- Respects Wizards' intellectual property and Fan Content Policy
The custom MTG card maker landscape
| Tool | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| PipGlyph | Free · Browser | Live-preview editing, custom mana pips, AI text, deck building, sharing and remixing, and proxy export. |
| MTG Cardsmith | Freemium · Browser | A large, long-running community and quick single-card creation. |
| MTGNexus | Free · Browser | Publishing full custom sets and gathering community feedback. |
| Magic Set Editor | Free · Desktop | Building large sets offline with deep, scriptable templating. |
| CardConjurer | Discontinued (2022) | Was prized for high-fidelity rendering; taken down after a WotC cease-and-desist. |
Tool descriptions are our own neutral summaries for comparison. Each tool is owned by its respective makers.
What happened to CardConjurer, and what it means
CardConjurer was, for years, one of the most popular custom-card renderers, prized for its high-fidelity frames. In November 2022 its creator took it offline after receiving a cease-and-desist from Wizards of the Coast over the use of official intellectual property; the site later returned as a stripped-down template tool without the official frames.
The takeaway for anyone choosing a tool today: custom-card platforms last only if they respect Wizards' IP. PipGlyph is built from original frames, fonts, and mana symbols — not Wizards' proprietary assets — and follows the spirit of the Fan Content Policy, so you can design, share, and print proxies for personal use with confidence. It is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
Where PipGlyph fits
PipGlyph is built for designers who want their cards to look printed, not pasted together — and who want to take a design from idea to a full, shareable set. Coming from Card Conjurer? Start with the Card Conjurer alternative guide. Learn the craft with our custom card design guides, build with the card maker, and dial in costs with the mana pip editor.
- Live-preview editor — your card renders as you type
- The complete mana-symbol vocabulary, plus custom pip uploads
- AI that fills in any field — rules, flavor, stats, art — or the whole card
- Deck builder with decklist import, card remixing, and proxy sheets
- Public gallery with likes, comments, and card remixing
- PNG and print-ready PDF export sized for real cards
- Original frames and fonts — not Wizards' proprietary assets
- Free to start — a free account is all you need
Frequently asked questions
What is the best MTG card maker?
The best MTG card maker depends on what you need. PipGlyph is a strong all-rounder: a free, browser-based editor with a live preview, precise mana pips (including custom uploaded pip icons), an AI assistant for rules and flavor text, deck building with proxy printing, and PNG/PDF export for proxies. MTG Cardsmith and MTGNexus are other popular browser tools with large communities, and Magic Set Editor is a free offline desktop program favored for building whole sets.
Is there a CardConjurer alternative?
Yes. CardConjurer was a popular browser-based card renderer that was taken down in November 2022 after its creator received a cease-and-desist from Wizards of the Coast. PipGlyph is a free, browser-based alternative with a live-preview editor, the full mana-symbol vocabulary, custom pip uploads, deck building, sharing, and high-resolution PNG and PDF export — built on original frames and fonts rather than Wizards' proprietary assets.
Why was CardConjurer taken down?
CardConjurer was discontinued in November 2022 after receiving a cease-and-desist from Wizards of the Coast over the use of their intellectual property. It's a reminder that custom-card tools last only if they respect WotC's IP — which is why PipGlyph uses its own original card frames, fonts, and mana symbols and follows the spirit of the Wizards Fan Content Policy.
Can I rebuild my CardConjurer cards in PipGlyph?
There's no direct file import from CardConjurer, but rebuilding a card in PipGlyph's editor takes a minute or two — you re-enter the name, mana cost, type line, rules text, and art. If the card is based on a real Magic card, PipGlyph's Scryfall import can pre-fill those fields for you to customize.
Are custom MTG card makers legal to use?
Making custom Magic cards for personal, non-commercial use — playtesting, homebrew, gifts, design challenges — is broadly accepted within the Magic community. The lines to avoid are selling cards, passing proxies off as real, and using Wizards of the Coast's copyrighted art or assets without rights. PipGlyph uses original frames and assets and is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
Is PipGlyph free?
Yes. PipGlyph's card maker is free with a free account — every card type, every frame, the live preview, saving, publishing to the gallery, deck building and custom pip uploads, plus 5 AI credits to get started (Free doesn't refill). Plus and Pro add monthly credits, watermark-free hi-res downloads and print-ready PDFs, and Pro adds deck-aware AI design plus whole-deck export.
Make your first card free
A free account takes seconds. Then design your card, watch the live preview, and save, share or build a deck whenever you're ready.
Fan-made tool · Not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast · Original frames and assets