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Boardssey vs nanDECK

Data-driven cards without the scripting, on any computer.

The short answer

nanDECK is free, still maintained and extremely powerful, and designers have used it for years. It asks two things of you: Windows, and learning its scripting language. Boardssey gives you the same spreadsheet-to-deck loop in a visual editor that runs in the browser, on a Mac too, and then takes the deck to a table and logs the playtest.

Side by side

Boardssey
nanDECK
Head to head
Works on Mac
BoardsseyRuns in any browser
nanDECKWindows only
No scripting needed
BoardsseyVisual editor with master pages
nanDECKScript-based
Card data from a spreadsheet
Boardssey
nanDECK
Print-and-play PDF
Boardssey
nanDECK
Tabletop Simulator export
Boardssey
nanDECK
Built-in virtual table
Boardssey
nanDECK
Playtest tracking and versions
Boardssey
nanDECK
Team collaboration
BoardsseyUnlimited teammates
nanDECKShare files by hand
Designing the components
Every kind of component
BoardsseyCards, tiles, tokens, boards, mats, rulebooks, boxes and sheets. Pathfinder and up.
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Import PDF, Illustrator and Photoshop files
BoardsseyPages become editable pages of the component. Pathfinder and up.
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Testing and iterating
Rules and notes kept with the game
Boardssey
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Designer toolkit
3D mockups
BoardsseyFlat artwork to 3D box, card and component renders
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Dieline templates
BoardsseyBoxes, boards, punchboards and more
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Probability calculator
BoardsseyOdds for any dice expression
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Variables distribution
BoardsseySplit elements into balanced groups
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Color-blindness simulator
BoardsseyCheck your palette for every type of color blindness
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Size and scale reference
BoardsseyShow your game next to a person for scale
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Component spec sheets
BoardsseyFor wooden, plastic and other non-paper parts
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Carton marks
BoardsseyLabels for your manufacturing shipping cartons
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Invoices and purchase orders
BoardsseySaved and attached to your games
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Table helpers
BoardsseyCustom dice, score pad, timer, coin flip, starting player
nanDECKNot listed on their site
MCP connector for AI assistants
BoardsseyConnect Claude, ChatGPT and other AI assistants to your games, playtests and components
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Pitching and running the project
Public game catalog for publishers
BoardsseyA live page per game that publishers can browse
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Sell sheets from your game data
BoardsseyBuilt from the same game data, no copy drift
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Publisher pitches and contacts
BoardsseyTrack who you pitched, when, and what happened next
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Tasks and project boards
BoardsseyKanban, calendar and task tables across your games
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Team chat and whiteboard
BoardsseyChannels per game, plus a shared whiteboard
nanDECKNot listed on their site
Plans
Price
Boardssey$15/month or $150/year (Pathfinder, where Prototypes starts)
nanDECKFree

Verified September 2026

Where nanDECK is the better pick

  • You are on Windows, comfortable with scripting, and want total control for free.

  • You have years of existing nanDECK scripts you don't want to rebuild.

Why designers pick Boardssey

  • Works on your Mac. It runs in the browser, nothing to install.

  • See what you design. Place fields on a master page instead of writing a script.

  • Share with your team. Everyone works on the same game, not on copies of a script file.

  • Play it right away. Send the deck to the virtual table and log the session.

Switching

  1. Take the data file your nanDECK script reads (CSV or spreadsheet).

  2. Import it into a Boardssey component and lay out the master page visually.

  3. Generate the cards and export to print-and-play or the virtual table.

Questions

Is nanDECK still maintained?

Yes. It is free and actively updated, and it is a great choice on Windows if you like scripting.

Can I import my nanDECK script?

No. Your data file comes over as CSV; the layout is rebuilt visually once.

Does Boardssey work on Mac?

Yes. It runs in any modern browser.

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