ShuffleKit vs Squib
Squib is a Ruby library where your deck is a script, your cards diff in git, and one command regenerates all 200 of them. ShuffleKit gets you the same data-driven result without the Ruby, and adds playtesting and printing. Here is the honest trade.
Keep the game in git, or get the rest of the pipeline
Squib is free, MIT licensed, and runs anywhere Ruby 3.0 runs. If you are a developer, the appeal is real: everything is a text file, so everything diffs, branches and reverts, and rerendering the deck after a balance change is one command. Be clear-eyed about its state, though. Version 0.19.0 landed in April 2023 and the repo only ticks over now, so treat it as stable rather than actively growing. It also stops at rendering: there is no canvas, and nothing in it helps with the rulebook, playtesting or printing. ShuffleKit gives you the same spreadsheet-driven deck through a visual editor, and covers the three things Squib leaves to you.
Feature comparison
Side-by-side, no spin.
| Feature | ShuffleKit | Squib |
|---|---|---|
| How you build cards | Visual editor plus a spreadsheet table view | Ruby code describing each element |
| Prerequisites | A browser | Ruby 3.0 or later installed |
| Pricing | Free plan; paid from $4/month billed yearly | Free, MIT licensed |
| Data source | Built-in table, CSV and Excel import | CSV or XLSX pointed at from a script |
| Version control | Snapshots with per-card rollback in the app | Git, because everything is a text file |
| Regenerate after a balance change | Automatic, the layout is bound to the data | One command |
| Visual canvas | Yes, drag, snap, align | None, positions are written in code |
| AI card generation | Built-in, project-aware AI | None |
| AI card art | Built-in image generation per card | None |
| Online playtesting | Built-in multiplayer playtable, up to 6 players | None |
| Rules documents | Versioned docs beside the cards they govern | None |
| Output formats | PNG, SVG, PDF, Tabletop Simulator, Roll20 | PNG, PDF, print-and-play sheets |
| Print on demand | Direct integration with The Game Crafter | None, export and arrange printing yourself |
| Project activity | Actively developed | v0.19.0 in April 2023, ticking over since |
| Platform | Browser, any OS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Collaboration | Cloud project, share via link | Whatever your git host provides |
How we compared: Checked on 9 September 2026 against the Squib repository's release history and commit activity on GitHub. ShuffleKit's limits come from our published plan configuration. Check Squib directly, since software pricing changes.
Why designers switch
Non-developers on your team can edit cards
A Squib deck is a codebase, so a co-designer or artist needs Ruby to change a card. In ShuffleKit they open a link and edit a spreadsheet.
You still get data-driven cards
The thing that makes Squib good is that layout and data are separate. ShuffleKit keeps that: one layout, bound to properties, applied across the deck.
See the card while you position it
No render-and-check loop. The canvas shows the real card with real data as you move elements.
Playtesting and rules are covered
Squib deliberately stops at rendering. ShuffleKit adds an online playtable and versioned rules documents in the same project.
A maintained print path
Print-ready PDFs with crop marks, bleed and validated safe zones, or publish straight to The Game Crafter and have the deck manufactured.
Nothing to install or keep working
No Ruby version to manage, no gem to pin, no environment to rebuild when you come back to the project in a year.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Still have questions? Contact us
Other comparisons
Still weighing the options? These cover the rest of the field.
- ShuffleKit vs nanDeckThe script-driven desktop classic since 2006, against a browser editor with AI, playtesting and print fulfillment built in.
- ShuffleKit vs DextrousTwo no-code browser editors, closely matched on price. What separates them is AI, playtesting, rules docs and printing.
- ShuffleKit vs CanvaA superb general design app against a tool that treats your deck as data, so one edit updates every card that carries it.
- ShuffleKit vs Tabletop CreatorA $59 one-time desktop app for Windows and macOS, against a browser tool with AI, online playtesting and print on demand.
- ShuffleKit vs Screentop.ggA free browser table your testers join with a link, against designing and playing in the same tab with no upload step.
See for yourself
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