Cartridge

Cartridge is an iPhone app for keeping a video game backlog, ratings, reviews, and collections called Stacks. Its Library sorts games into wanted, playing, and played, with completed and abandoned statuses. It can track titles played on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and other platforms, although the app itself requires iOS 26 or later. Users can make unlimited named Stacks, add notes, and share them as cards or public links; public Stacks can receive likes and comments. The free plan includes the Library and search, ratings and reviews, Stacks, social-link capture, and share cards. You can save game finds from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Reddit through the iPhone share sheet or Cartridge’s Link tab. Plus adds playtime statistics, cover and barcode scanning, game identification from Steam and supported links, and personalised lore. Plus costs $3.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $49.99 once where offered. An account is required to save a Library. Ratings and reviews appear publicly under your handle, while your complete Library and private Stacks are not public.

Cartridge combines backlog tracking, reviews, and customizable collections, with social-link capture on its free plan. Plus adds playtime stats and scanning tools, while public ratings and reviews are visible under your handle.

Cartridge suits iPhone users who want to track games across multiple gaming platforms and organize them into shareable collections. It requires iOS 26 or later and an account to save a Library.

Cartridge is an iPhone game tracker for keeping a backlog, ratings, reviews and curated collections together. It suits players who want one record for games across different systems and like sharing recommendations. Its free plan covers that core job; Plus is aimed at players who want playtime statistics and extra ways to identify games.

Overview

The Library tracks games you want to play, are playing or have played, including whether you completed or abandoned them. It can cover games from PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and other platforms, giving multi-system players a single backlog to maintain. Cartridge itself requires iOS 26 or later, however, and an account is required to save a Library.

Discovery is part of the appeal: save game finds from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or Reddit through the iPhone share sheet or Cartridge’s Link tab, then collect them in Stacks. Ratings and reviews appear publicly under your handle, while your complete Library and private Stacks stay private. That split makes sharing recommendations straightforward, but the app is a poor fit for anyone who wants their opinions kept private.

Key features

Library and Stacks

The Library’s wanted, playing and played states, plus completed and abandoned status, give a backlog useful lifecycle tracking across platforms. Unlimited named Stacks add a more curated layer: add notes, share collections as cards or public links, and let public Stacks receive likes and comments. This flexibility serves both personal organization and recommendation sharing without imposing a collection cap on the free plan.

Capture and Plus tools

Free social-link capture is a practical way to turn a game mentioned in a video or post into something to track. Plus adds playtime stats by week, month and year, cover and barcode scanning, identification from Steam and supported links, and personalized lore. These additions make sense for players who want more context and quicker cataloging; the free tier remains more compelling for straightforward backlog management.

Cover scans, barcodes and submitted links with relevant content may pass through Cartridge’s server to Google Gemini for identification. Cartridge uses PostHog’s European service for account-linked analytics and diagnostics, while excluding search terms, game titles, review text, Stack notes, social URLs and captured video frames from analytics events. Free accounts may see contextual ads; ad personalization is disabled, tracking permission is not requested, and the Library is not sent to Google for ad targeting.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes Library and search, ratings and reviews, unlimited Stacks, social-link capture and share cards. It preserves the main organizing and sharing features, so players who do not need statistics or scanning have a credible long-term option.

Plus Monthly costs $3.99 a month and adds playtime stats, cover and barcode scanning, game identification from Steam and supported links, and personalized lore. Plus Yearly costs $19.99 a year for the same features and includes a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. The annual plan is the lower-cost ongoing option for subscribers willing to pay for a year; the monthly plan avoids that commitment. Plus Lifetime costs $49.99 once, where offered, and does not renew. Apple bills subscriptions, while Apple and RevenueCat handle payment details that Cartridge says it never sees.

Platforms

Cartridge runs on iPhone and requires iOS 26 or later; there is no Android app. Its Library can still track games played on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and other platforms, but that broad game coverage does not remove the iPhone requirement.

Who it's for

Cartridge fits iPhone owners who want a cross-system backlog, unlimited collections and a way to save game recommendations encountered on social platforms. It is less suitable for Android users, people who need to save a Library without an account, or anyone uncomfortable with public ratings and reviews under a handle.

Pros and cons

• Pro: The free plan combines cross-platform tracking, ratings, reviews, unlimited Stacks and social-link capture, so core organization does not require Plus.
• Pro: Completed and abandoned statuses make the Library useful beyond a simple wishlist.
• Pro: Public Stacks can be shared and receive likes and comments, giving curated lists a social purpose.
• Con: iOS 26 or later is required and there is no Android app, excluding players without a compatible iPhone.
• Con: Ratings and reviews are public under the user’s handle, which limits privacy for personal opinions.
• Con: Scanning, identification and playtime statistics require Plus, so the most advanced cataloging tools are outside the free plan.

Alternatives

GameTrack is a better fit for players who need Android or macOS support; its free plan includes unlimited games but caps custom lists at three and tags at three. Logged suits players who want tracking across Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows, with a free plan offering unlimited tracking, ratings, reviews, collections, imports and exports, supported by light ads. MioLog is an option for players seeking free, open-source, offline-first tracking without an account.

Playlogged may suit players who prioritize no-account, offline use and do not need cloud sync. Playloggr is an Android and web alternative with a free plan for an unlimited library and wishlist, up to 10 folders and three rankings, plus a public profile and achievements. Stash offers another freemium option across Android, iOS and web, with paid plans including a one-day purchase at $0.99 once. GG is another freemium choice for Android, iOS and web. Infinite Backlog is a free web-based option, with supporter perks through Patreon.

For more options, browse Game Backlog Trackers.

Verdict

Cartridge is a strong choice for iPhone players who want a free, cross-platform backlog paired with unlimited shareable collections and social-link capture. Its main trade-offs are the iOS-only requirement and public ratings and reviews; look elsewhere if either conflicts with how you play or prefer to share.