# Cartridge vs Backloggd: your phone or your browser?

We recommend Cartridge if you want an iPhone game tracker that connects your social discoveries, backlog, reviews and shareable collections. Backloggd is a different fit: a browser-based tracker with detailed playthrough logs. Here is how to choose the workflow you will keep using.

Published by Cartridge. First published 16 September 2026. Updated 16 September 2026.
Canonical page: https://insertcartridge.app/blog/cartridge-vs-backloggd

A comparison by Cartridge · Product information checked 16 September 2026

## Core features, side by side

Find, track and share games. Here’s how the core features compare.

Cartridge vs Backloggd — features checked 16 September 2026:
| Feature | Cartridge | Backloggd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Official iPhone app (A native app, not a mobile website) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Save games from social links (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Scan covers and barcodes (Identify games from your physical collection) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Collection image cards (Share a collection as an image, not just a link) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Personalised gaming lore (Your gaming taste, told as a story) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Backlog and play-status tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ratings and reviews | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom game collections | ✓ | ✓ |

✓ Confirmed available · ✕ Unavailable or not verified in the official sources reviewed. A cross is not proof that an undocumented feature is absent.

Cartridge’s scanning and personalised lore require Plus. The other features shown are free; image cards include a watermark unless you have Plus.

Backloggd lists an official iOS app as a future feature, and its FAQ confirms there is no official mobile app today. Its mobile website is available. The roadmap also includes completed work: lists, comments and an activity feed are already shipped, not missing features.

## Why choose Cartridge as a Backloggd alternative?

If your game recommendations arrive on your phone, it helps to keep your backlog there too. Cartridge is an iPhone app with a Library for games you want to play, are playing and have played. Ratings and reviews keep your opinions with those games, while Stacks let you turn a selection into something worth sharing.

The part we would try first is social-link capture. Share or paste a TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or Reddit link into Cartridge, review the identified game and save it. Those four sources are included for free. You can still search by name when you already know what you want to add.

- [Save a game from your social feed: step-by-step guide](/guides/save-games-from-social-media)

## At a glance

Cartridge and Backloggd — official product information checked 16 September 2026:
| What matters | Cartridge | Backloggd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where you use it | iPhone app; iOS 26 or later | Website optimised for mobile; no official mobile app according to its FAQ |
| Logging | Library statuses, ratings and reviews | Separate playthrough logs, calendar journals and play sessions |
| Collections | Unlimited shareable Stacks with your own notes | Game collection, lists and collection filters |
| Social-link capture | Free identification and saving from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Reddit links | Not described in the official pages reviewed; availability not verified |
| Cost | Free core features; optional Plus subscription | Free core tracking; optional Backer support and perks |

## A native iPhone app versus a browser workflow

Cartridge is built for iPhone and requires iOS 26 or later. Choose it when you want your Library close to the apps where you discover games. A public Stack can be viewed in a browser, but the website is not a replacement for the app's Library editor.

Backloggd's official FAQ says it has no official mobile app, and its roadmap still lists iOS and Android apps as future features. Its website is optimised for mobile screens. If you specifically want to manage your collection in a browser, that is a meaningful advantage. Cartridge is not currently an Android or desktop tracking app.

- [Check Backloggd's official feature roadmap](https://backloggd.com/roadmap/)

## What do you want to remember about a game?

Cartridge suits a record built around the game: its place in your Library, your rating, your review and the Stacks it belongs to. A short note about why it stayed with you can be more useful than a long form you never finish filling in. We recommend starting with the smallest record you will actually keep updating.

Backloggd documents separate logs for different playthroughs, along with a calendar journal and play sessions. Those are worth considering if you want to record repeated runs in detail. Our recommendation of Cartridge is for the discovery-to-Library-to-sharing workflow, not a promise of identical logging tools.

## Make your next recommendation a Stack

Imagine a friend asking what to play after finishing a favourite game. With Cartridge, you can build a Stack around your answer: a few games, a name for the collection and your own notes. Share it as a card or public link rather than sending a string of titles without context.

Unlimited Stacks are free. So are your Library, ratings and reviews. This is the combination we recommend Cartridge for: keep what catches your eye, record what you thought and turn your taste into recommendations other people can explore.

## Try the free workflow before moving your backlog

Both products offer free core tracking. Backloggd also offers optional Backer perks. Cartridge's optional Plus subscription adds features such as cover and barcode scanning, personalised lore, watermark removal and no ads; it is not required for the core Library or the four free social capture sources.

You do not need to move years of records to decide whether Cartridge fits. Start with one game you are playing and one saved recommendation. Add a rating or review, create a small Stack and share it. Keep your existing records while you evaluate the new workflow; this article does not promise an automatic import or a like-for-like migration.

For an iPhone owner who wants to save discoveries and share their taste, our recommendation is Cartridge. Start free and decide whether it earns a place in your routine.

- [Looking for Letterboxd for games? Start with the category guide](/blog/letterboxd-for-games)
- [See Cartridge's free features and optional Plus plans](/about#free-and-plus)
- [Comparing mobile apps? Read Cartridge vs Tier](/blog/cartridge-vs-tier)

## Sources and how we compared

This comparison is published by Cartridge, not an independent review site. We checked the official pages below on 16 September 2026. It is a documentation-based comparison, not a hands-on speed or reliability benchmark. In the feature table, a cross covers both confirmed absence and unverified support; it is not a blanket claim that the feature is missing. Features and availability can change.

- [Backloggd FAQ: platform, logging and free features](https://backloggd.com/about/)
- [Backloggd Backer benefits](https://backloggd.com/backers/)
- [Backloggd roadmap: planned and already-shipped features](https://backloggd.com/roadmap/)
- [Backloggd changelog: released features](https://backloggd.com/changelog/)
- [Cartridge: official product, requirements and pricing](https://insertcartridge.app/about)