# Cartridge vs Tier: start with how you find games.

Choose Cartridge if you want to turn game discoveries from your social feed into an iPhone Library you can track, review and share. Tier is worth considering if Android support or its F–S grading system matters more to you. Here is how we would make that choice.

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

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 Tier — features checked 16 September 2026:
| Feature | Cartridge | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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.

## Our pick for saving games from your feed: Cartridge

A good game tracker should fit the moment you decide a game looks interesting. That moment might be a TikTok clip, a YouTube video, an Instagram post or a Reddit recommendation, long before you sit down to play. Cartridge lets you share or paste that link, review the game it identifies and save the match to your Library.

That is why we recommend Cartridge for this workflow: the thing you found and the place you keep your backlog are connected. Social capture from those four sources is free. Identification can miss or misunderstand a game, so checking the match is part of the process—not an optional afterthought.

- [See how social-link capture works](/guides/save-games-from-social-media)

## At a glance

Cartridge and Tier — official product information checked 16 September 2026:
| What matters | Cartridge | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where you use it | iPhone app; iOS 26 or later | iOS and Android apps; public web browsing |
| Logging and reviews | Library statuses, ratings and reviews | Journal, reviews and scores out of 10 mapped to F–S grades |
| Collections | Unlimited Stacks, with notes, share cards and public links | Themed lists and public list links |
| 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 | Advertised as free; Google Play lists ads |

## Do you want a Library or a grading-led journal?

Cartridge brings your backlog, ratings, reviews and Stacks into one Library. You can keep a record of what you are playing, what you finished and what you abandoned, then use your own collections to give those games context. You do not need to build an audience before your Library becomes useful.

Tier's presentation centres on scores out of 10 and letter grades from F to S. Its official site describes a journal, reviews and following other players. If expressing your taste through those grades is the main attraction, that is a real reason to try Tier. If your priority is keeping the games you discover and turning them into recommendations for friends, start with Cartridge.

## Use Stacks to make a recommendation worth sharing

A backlog answers what you might play next. A Stack can answer a more personal question: which games would you recommend to this particular friend? Make a collection for a mood, a genre or a weekend, add your notes, then share a card or public link. Unlimited Stacks are included in Cartridge's free app.

Tier also documents themed lists and links that people can open without an account. With Cartridge, the appeal is the journey from a discovery to your Library to a collection you can pass on. Choose it when you want those steps together on your iPhone.

## Check your phone before choosing

Cartridge requires an iPhone with iOS 26 or later and an account. It is not currently an Android app or a browser-based Library editor. If Android is a requirement, Tier advertises an Android app as well as iOS, with a Google Play listing linked below.

You can use Cartridge's Library, ratings, reviews, unlimited Stacks and the four supported social capture sources without Plus. Plus adds cover and barcode scanning, supported Steam and other link identification, personalised lore, watermark removal and an ad-free experience. Free accounts may see ads. Check the current plan details before paying for an extra you actually need.

- [Cartridge Free and Plus: current features and prices](/about#free-and-plus)

## Try Cartridge with one real discovery

Before moving an entire backlog, try the part of game tracking you want to improve. Find a saved clip or recommendation you have not acted on, send its link to Cartridge and check the match. Add the game to your Library, then make a Stack with two or three games you would recommend alongside it.

If that feels like a better home for your discoveries, Cartridge is the one we recommend using. You can make that decision with the free features; you do not need a subscription to test the workflow.

- [Also considering a web-based tracker? Compare Cartridge and Backloggd](/blog/cartridge-vs-backloggd)

## 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.

- [Tier: product, platforms and ratings](https://www.yourtier.com/)
- [Tier Help Center: journal, reviews and public lists](https://www.yourtier.com/help)
- [Tier's official Google Play listing](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourtier.tier)
- [Cartridge: official product, requirements and pricing](https://insertcartridge.app/about)