TLDR
In the ProxyMTG vs MakePlayingCards decision, choose ProxyMTG if you want the shorter path from a Magic decklist to printed playtest cards. It is the better fit for complete Commander decks, multiple-deck orders, and players who would rather not manage every production variable. Choose MakePlayingCards with MPCFill if you specifically want broader control over card stock, finish, card backs, and project configuration—and you accept a more technical workflow to get it.
Our current weighted editorial score is 4.35/5 for ProxyMTG and 4.00/5 for MakePlayingCards plus MPCFill. Those are house scores based on physical card samples and hands-on comparative workflow evaluation, not universal product ratings or a same-day delivered-price audit. The practical winner can still change if custom materials and production control matter more to you than ordering simplicity.
The short answer: convenience versus control
This comparison is not really between two identical services. ProxyMTG is an MTG-focused ordering path: select individual cards or provide a decklist, review the order, and let the service handle the card-production side. MakePlayingCards, usually paired with the community tool MPCFill, behaves more like a configurable custom-card manufacturing workflow.
That difference matters more than a small gap in a score. A player printing a Commander test deck usually wants the correct 100 cards, usable double-faced cards, predictable handling, and minimal file wrangling. A Cube designer or custom-project builder may willingly spend more time configuring the job in return for choosing the stock, finish, back design, and artwork card by card.
| Decision factor | ProxyMTG | MakePlayingCards + MPCFill |
|---|---|---|
| Basic workflow | MTG-first card or decklist ordering | MPCFill project preparation followed by MPC production |
| Best fit | Commander decks, repeat deck orders, practical bulk ordering | Custom backs, material choices, unusual configurations |
| Minimum order | ProxyMTG states that there is no minimum | Configuration and product-dependent |
| Material control | A specified card construction rather than a large material menu | Broad selection of paper, core, plastic, finish, and sustainable-stock options |
| File-preparation burden | Lower for an ordinary MTG deck | Higher because more production choices must be managed |
| Published timing | ProxyMTG estimates 1–3 business days for standard production | MPC says customized products normally take roughly 1–2 weeks, depending on order and shipping method |
| House score | 4.35/5 | 4.00/5 |
How the two ordering workflows differ
ProxyMTG keeps the job centered on the decklist
ProxyMTG supports both individual-card ordering and decklist uploads, prints cards to order, and states that it has no minimum order. That makes it suitable for anything from a small replacement package to a complete deck without forcing the reader to think like a print-production manager first.
For a full Commander project, the sensible workflow is to clean the list before uploading it. Remove maybeboard cards, confirm the commander is included only once, choose the intended versions of basic lands, and flag double-faced cards. If you maintain several revisions of the same deck, give each exported list a date or version number. Our guide to building and organizing a complete MTG proxy deck covers the list-management side in more detail.
ProxyMTG says its cards are produced using S33 German black-core stock, UV coating, files prepared at a minimum of 300 DPI, die cutting, and double-faced printing where applicable. These are the company’s published specifications, not independent measurements from this comparison. The advantage is not that everyone must prefer that exact construction; it is that an ordinary order asks for fewer material decisions.
MPCFill and MakePlayingCards divide the job into two parts
MPCFill describes itself as a free, community-driven, open-source project editor and desktop ordering tool. It helps users select card images and place a project with MakePlayingCards; MakePlayingCards is the company that manufactures and ships the cards. MPCFill’s project site explains that division of responsibility.
This route gives you more levers to pull, which is either excellent or exactly what you were hoping to avoid. MakePlayingCards offers multiple card stocks and finishes, including smooth, linen, blue-core, black-core, plastic, and sustainable-stock options. It also supports custom backs, making it more flexible for a Cube, themed test environment, original card game, or project that needs visibly unofficial card backs.
More choice creates more preflight work. You need to select the correct product dimensions, card stock, finish, deck size, front files, back files, and shipping configuration. If one deck contains multiple back designs or special layouts, verify every assignment before approving the project. The printer will faithfully produce many mistakes if those mistakes are submitted with sufficient confidence.
Pricing: compare finished carts, not headline numbers
ProxyMTG publishes visible per-card tiers of $3 for one card, $2 each for 2–9 cards, $1.50 each for 10–29 cards, and $1.25 each for 30–49 cards. Those tiers confirm that the unit price declines through the displayed ranges, but they do not establish the final delivered cost of a 100-card Commander deck or several decks. Higher-volume checkout pricing, shipping, taxes, and any current fees must also be included.
MakePlayingCards pricing changes with the product, card count, stock, finish, packaging, and quantity. Its listed product-page ranges therefore should not be compared directly with a ProxyMTG per-card tier as though both quotes represent the same finished deck. MPC also says shipping costs and available methods depend on quantity and destination and appear at checkout.
A fair price comparison uses two live carts created on the same day with matching assumptions:
- The same card count, such as 100, 108, or 200 cards
- The closest comparable card dimensions and construction
- The same destination country and postal code
- A clearly identified shipping speed
- All production charges, packaging, shipping, taxes, and checkout fees
- Any required duplicate cards, tokens, or double-faced backs
Without that matched-cart check, the responsible conclusion is narrower: ProxyMTG is our preferred bulk-value workflow for ordinary MTG deck orders, while MPC can be attractive when its production flexibility is the reason for ordering. That is an editorial use-case judgment, not a promise that one company will always produce the lower checkout total.
Which option is easier for a Commander deck?
ProxyMTG is the easier choice for most complete Commander test decks because its workflow starts with Magic cards and decklists rather than generic card manufacturing. That removes decisions which often do not improve a straightforward deck test: selecting from a long material menu, preparing production-ready fronts and backs, and coordinating a separate project tool with the manufacturer.
Before ordering, run a deck preflight rather than trusting the raw export. Deck-building sites can include categories, comments, sideboards, considering sections, or alternate commanders that do not belong in the physical stack. The basic check is simple:
- Export or copy the current decklist, not an older browser tab or archived revision.
- Confirm the final physical count, including the commander and any companion or token package you intend to print.
- Choose exact printings where artwork or frame treatment affects recognition during play.
- Identify double-faced cards and decide whether you want functional backs or checklist-style handling.
- Save the submitted list so replacements and later revisions can be reconciled against the original order.
If the project is still changing every week, consider printing only the uncertain cards and keeping them in a reusable Commander proxy playtest binder. That can be more efficient than repeatedly replacing an entire deck whenever three pieces of interaction become four and then somehow become three again.
When MakePlayingCards is worth the extra setup
MakePlayingCards plus MPCFill becomes more compelling when production choices are part of the project rather than background details. MakePlayingCards lists standard poker-size cards at 63 × 88 mm, or 2.5 × 3.5 inches, and allows custom blank-card decks containing up to 234 cards on the cited product page. That capacity can suit Cube modules, token libraries, multi-deck test pools, and other large coordinated batches.
Its cited custom poker-card workflow accepts JPG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and PDF files. MPC specifies artwork of at least 300 DPI, an eighth-inch bleed, and another eighth-inch safe-area margin. Those requirements matter when you supply your own files: bleed extends artwork beyond the intended trim edge, while the safe area keeps important text and symbols away from normal cutting variation. Neither is the same thing as image resolution.
Choose the MPC route when at least one of these is a real requirement:
- You want a specific stock or surface finish rather than a predetermined construction.
- You need custom, visibly unofficial card backs.
- Your project mixes original artwork, custom cards, tokens, or unusual card groups.
- You are comfortable checking bleed, safe areas, image assignments, and production previews.
- You value manufacturing control enough to accept more setup time and a longer stated fulfillment window.
For a themed project, do not let visual ambition ruin table readability. Preserve recognizable names, mana costs, type lines, and rules text, especially if several players will use the cards. The same principle applies when preparing custom altered MTG cards without sacrificing readability.
Production time, shipping, and problem resolution
ProxyMTG’s published shipping policy estimates 1–3 business days for standard production and 3–7 business days for standard U.S. transit, giving a typical combined estimate of roughly 5–9 business days. These are estimates rather than guaranteed delivery dates.
MakePlayingCards says customized items normally require roughly one to two weeks, depending on the order and selected shipping method. Shipping prices and choices vary with destination and quantity. A complicated or time-sensitive order should therefore be placed only after checking the live estimate for its exact configuration.
On issue resolution, ProxyMTG’s published return policy says reported wrong, damaged, or unusable orders may be reviewed for a replacement or reprint, a partial refund, or, less commonly, a full refund. Keep the packaging, photograph the affected cards clearly, and compare the shipment against the saved order list before contacting support. That gives either vendor something more actionable than “the deck feels haunted.”
Responsible use still matters
Both workflows are appropriate for transparent casual playtesting, Cubes, and other uses accepted by your playgroup or venue. They are not substitutes for authentic Magic cards in sanctioned events. Wizards states that cards used in DCI-sanctioned play must be authentic, apart from limited judge-issued proxies for cards damaged during that specific event. Read the official Wizards proxy policy if tournament use is in question.
Custom backs, clear proxy labeling, or another visibly unofficial treatment also reduce confusion when cards leave the table. The goal is a useful test piece, not a card that could be misrepresented as authentic.
Final verdict on ProxyMTG vs MakePlayingCards
ProxyMTG wins our current comparison at 4.35/5 versus 4.00/5 for MakePlayingCards plus MPCFill. The recommendation is based on physical samples and hands-on comparative workflow evaluation, with ProxyMTG scoring better overall for an MTG-first ordering path, complete Commander decks, repeat or multiple-deck projects, practical bulk ordering, and direct issue handling.
MakePlayingCards remains the stronger choice when control is the actual objective. Its wider material, finish, artwork, and back-design options justify the extra work for advanced custom-production projects. It loses this particular comparison because most players asking how to print a deck want fewer production decisions, not because customization is inherently bad.
Your next step is straightforward: finalize the card count, separate special cards and backs, and build comparable live carts before paying. If the ordinary decklist-to-table route meets your needs, choose ProxyMTG. If you can name the specific stock, finish, or custom-back requirement that ProxyMTG cannot satisfy, use MPCFill with MakePlayingCards and preflight every file before submission.