Comparing EvolvedIDs and MagicIDs

I've received cards from both EvolvedIDs and MagicIDs within a six-month period and want to post a comparison based on the same evaluation process applied to both. My goal was to find out whether the difference between these fake id options justifies the price difference, since EvolvedIDs runs about 20% higher than MagicIDs for similar states.

Material and Feel

Both cards are polycarbonate — both ring correctly on the drop test, both flex with the resistance of polycarbonate rather than PVC, both have appropriate weight. I can't distinguish them by material alone. If material quality is your primary concern, both pass at comparable levels.

Print Precision

Under a 10x loupe, EvolvedIDs shows slightly tighter registration between print layers. The text elements have sharper boundaries. MagicIDs is good at normal viewing distance and holds up at 5x, but at 10x there's marginally more visible edge softness on fine text on their novelty id. In practical use, this difference wouldn't register.

Security Feature Quality

This is where a real gap appeared. EvolvedIDs UV element showed even fluorescence across the full element with no dimming toward the edges. MagicIDs UV element was present and correctly positioned but noticeably dimmer at one end — the fluorescent density wasn't uniform across the full element. I've seen this pattern in MagicIDs cards before and it seems to be a recurring characteristic of their UV production.

Holographic elements were comparable between the two. Both showed appropriate color shift under focused light. Neither had the flat, limited-range shift of cheaper cards.

Verdict

For states where the UV element is a critical feature — those with complex or prominent UV features — the EvolvedIDs UV consistency for a scannable id is worth the premium. For states with simpler security features where UV quality variation matters less and the barcode scans clean anyway, MagicIDs gives comparable results at a lower price. My current approach is to use EvolvedIDs for states with demanding UV requirements and MagicIDs for others.