IGDB vs Pokémon TCG Card Database
IGDB
igdb.comPokémon TCG Card Database
pokemon.comSide by side
| Figure | IGDB | Pokémon TCG Card Database |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 0 |
| Spec score · Game Databases | 8.6 (#2) | 6.9 (#13) |
| Purpose | IGDB describes its goal as gathering relevant information about games in one place, with community contributions to its database. | Pokémon describes the Trading Card Game Card Database as a tool for finding cards. |
| Support | IGDB directs API questions to its Discord community and bug reports to Discord or UserVoice. | Pokémon’s database guide directs users who cannot find what they need to submit a service request form. |
Plans
IGDB
- IGDB APIFree
- IGDB API (commercial partnership)Free
- IGDB API (non-commercial)Free
- Commercial partnershipPriced on request
In their own words
IGDB
IGDB is a video game information database for searching games, companies, and characters. Search results can be sorted by relevance, title, release date, or rating, and the database accepts community contributions. Developers can query game data and related entities through its API, choosing fields, filters, sorting, and other request options. Non-commercial API use is free under the Twitch Developer Service Agreement. Commercial use requires a partnership, and products integrating the API are expected to show visible user-facing attribution. Access requires a Twitch account with two-factor authentication, an application Client ID and Client Secret, and OAuth2 application credentials. The API allows 4 requests per second, up to 8 open requests at once, and at most 500 results per request. Documentation provides daily-updated CSV data dumps and lists wrappers for several languages. Direct browser requests are not supported because the API has no CORS headers; a backend proxy is recommended. IGDB's API is available for free for non-commercial use, while commercial use requires a partnership.
Pokémon TCG Card Database
Pokémon TCG Card Database is a free web tool for finding Pokémon Trading Card Game cards. Basic search accepts a card name or keyword, while advanced filters narrow results by card type, Energy type, rarity, evolution, tournament format, expansion, hit points, retreat cost, attack cost, weakness, resistance, or illustrator. Users can search card descriptions, including attack text and special rules. The format filter identifies the tournament format in which a card is legally playable. Card pages can show HP, attacks, weakness, resistance, retreat cost, expansion, collector number, rarity, and illustrator, with some pages linking to related cards sharing a Pokémon name. The search page lists expansions from Mega Evolution, Scarlet & Violet, Sword & Shield, Sun & Moon, XY, and Black & White, plus older series. Text that is not essential to gameplay cannot be searched. Pokémon says the separate TCG Card Dex app was removed and deactivated on September 20, 2023, while this database remains available for card searches. The service runs on the web and is free to use.