№ 01 — Switching from TCG Automate?
TCG Automate is the closest direct competitor — multi-channel publishing AI-powered identification. Where we differ: flat monthly pricing (they meter by AI scan), three-source pricing intelligence, and the only B2B/B2C share-link storefront in the space. They beat us on TCGPlayer direct-API publishing and the “list a sealed-box set with no photos” workflow. Read both columns.
№ 02 — TL;DR
Side-by-side on the dimensions most dealers ask about first. The full feature-by-feature table is below.
| Feature | CardDealer | TCG Automate |
|---|---|---|
Pricing model | Tiers, AI included | Per AI scan |
Free trial | No card | 7 days |
eBay direct-API publishing | ||
TCGPlayer direct-API publishing CSV mass-upload today; direct API on roadmap | ||
Three-source pricing (PC + Collectr + TCGPlayer) | ||
B2B/B2C share storefronts | ||
AI grading prediction |
№ 03 — Honest framing
We’re not going to pretend CardDealer is better at everything. Below: where TCG Automate legitimately wins today, and where we do.
№ 04 — Feature parity
Every feature the average TCG dealer asks about, mapped against both products. Sourced from TCG Automate’s public marketing on May 2026.
| Feature | CardDealer | TCG Automate |
|---|---|---|
AI card identification (Pokémon) | ||
Japanese / Korean / Chinese Pokémon catalogs First-class set + language detection | ||
AI grade prediction | ||
PSA / CGC / BGS cert lookup | Standard+ tier | |
AI-written listing descriptions | ||
Pricing intelligence sources 3 blended (PC + Collectr + TCGPlayer) vs 1 | 3 sources | 1 (TCGPlayer) |
Pricing-spread guard on publish | ||
Nightly Pricing Bot (auto-reprice) Plan-tiered cadence + max-move-% safety rail + daily digest. TCG Automate has Pricing Rules but no scheduled auto-bot. | ||
Sealed product inventory (boxes, ETBs, blisters) TCG Automate just shipped sealed (May 2026) via text-search; ours adds PC URL paste + bulk-receive quantity for distributor batches. | ||
Grader response cache (cross-user) Repeat slab imports hit cache instead of PSA/CGC API; no competitor advertises this. | ||
Sold-below-cost dashboard alert | ||
eBay — direct Inventory + Trading API | ||
Shopify — direct API | ||
TCGPlayer — direct API publish Partner-gated; we ship CSV today | ||
Square POS — direct API | ||
Whatnot integration TCG Automate lists it in hero but absent from /features | ||
B2B/B2C share-link storefronts | ||
Picklist inbox from buyers | ||
Variation-group detection (eBay multi-variation) | ||
Combine existing duplicate eBay listings into one TCG Automate has a polished merge UI; we have detection | ||
List entire sealed-box set with no photos | ||
Bulk relist queue (ended listings) | ||
P&L / fee-aware accounting | ||
In-app shipping label purchase (EasyPost) | ||
PrintNode thermal label printing | ||
Pick list by physical location | ||
Native mobile app Both via web inspector today; dedicated app on our roadmap | ||
Signup methods | Email + Google + Apple | Gmail only |
Demo call required | ||
Money-back guarantee |
№ 05 — Pricing
Sourced on May 2026. TCG Automate pricing page
| Plan | CardDealer 3 tiers. Every feature on each. 600 / 2,000 / 7,500 imports/mo. | TCG Automate 6 tiers. Metered by AI scan/mo; some features gated by tier. |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | See /pricing | $9/mo · 500 scans |
| Standard | See /pricing | $17/mo · 1k scans |
| Pro | See /pricing | $36/mo · 3k scans |
| Elite | See /pricing | $80/mo · 10k scans |
| Ultimate | See /pricing | $155/mo · 20k scans |
| Legendary | See /pricing | $185/mo · 30k scans |
№ 06 — FAQ
Yes — we accept any standard CSV export of a TCG Automate batch and round-trip identification automatically. Your title templates and pricing rules become CardDealer template profiles on first import.
Not yet via API — TCGPlayer's partner API is gated, and our application is in. Today we generate format-correct CSV exports for TCGPlayer's seller portal. Direct-API push is the next channel on the roadmap.
Both of us meter by volume — the difference is structure. TCG Automate runs six scan tiers ($9-$200) and rolls unused scans over (capped at the tier limit); CardDealer keeps it to three (600 / 2,000 / 7,500 imports) with every feature included on each — Cert Lookup, templates, custom fields, all of it — plus never-expiring topups if you exceed your budget. Under ~500 cards/month their $9 Beginner tier edges ours on price; at 600 imports for $10, Sleeve gives more headroom and the full feature set with no per-tier gates.
Yes — we ship variation-group detection that auto-clusters duplicates into multi-variation candidates. TCG Automate has a slightly more mature merge UI for combining existing duplicate listings; ours is in active development.
CardDealer is Pokémon-first and treats Japanese, Korean, and Chinese sets as first-class catalogs with full language + variant detection (Master Ball, Poké Ball, jumbo, sealed). TCG Automate's Pokémon docs explicitly cover English sets only.
Yes — start free with no card required. Trial unlocks every feature; cancel any time. TCG Automate offers a 7-day free trial on the Beginner tier only.
Trial unlocks every feature. Cancel anytime. We never charge a percentage of your sales.
This comparison is for informational purposes. CardDealer.ai is not affiliated with TCG Automate. Comparison data sourced from TCG Automate’s public pricing/features pages on May 2026. Spot something out of date? Contact us.