How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- DraftKings and FanDuel still run the deepest salary-cap contest lobbies, with the largest guaranteed prize pools for NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL slates.
- Underdog, PrizePicks, Dabble and Boom suit players who prefer quick pick-style entries or best ball drafts over building full salary-cap lineups.
- Sleeper is the strongest pick for people who want season-long leagues, dynasty formats and social features in the same app as daily contests.
- Every app on this list is free to download, but paid contests cost money and availability changes by state, so check eligibility before depositing.
- Set a strict contest budget before you play. Daily fantasy involves real money, and most entries do not return a profit.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 DraftKings | Salary-cap contests and large tournaments | See website | Yes |
 FanDuel | Single-game contests and beginners | See website | Yes |
 Underdog | Best ball drafts and pick-style entries | See website | Yes |
 PrizePicks | Simple More or Less player picks | See website | Yes |
 Sleeper | Season-long leagues plus daily picks | See website | Yes |
 Dabble | Social pick entries with friends | See website | Yes |
 Boom Fantasy | Pick-style entries with daily promos | See website | Yes |
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The best DFS apps
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
DraftKings remains the default choice for players who want classic daily fantasy. You build a lineup under a salary cap, enter contests that range from free practice games to large-field tournaments, and watch scoring update live. The Millionaire Maker style events draw huge fields, which means the top prizes are large and the odds of finishing near the top are long. Smaller cash games, head-to-heads and 50/50 contests offer a steadier, if less dramatic, alternative.
The depth of the lobby is the real draw. On a busy NFL Sunday you can find contests for the main slate, single games, showdowns and snake-style drafts, plus NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA and MMA slates through the year. Late swap lets you change players whose games have not started yet, which matters when injury news breaks close to kickoff. The catch is the field itself. Big tournaments attract experienced players who use optimizers and large multi-entry strategies, so a casual single lineup faces long odds. Treat the large events as entertainment and use smaller contests if you want a fairer fight.
What we like- Deepest contest lobby across major sports
- Large guaranteed prize pools
- Late swap on many slates
Watch out for- Competition in big tournaments is sharp
- The app also pushes sportsbook and casino products
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
FanDuel is the closest rival to DraftKings for traditional salary-cap play, and many beginners find its app easier to read at first glance. Contests are grouped clearly by sport and slate, scoring rules are shown before you enter, and the single-game format gives you a way to play one primetime matchup without tracking a full slate. Its Sunday Million contest anchors the NFL week, and best ball drafts give you a season-long style team without weekly lineup decisions.
Where FanDuel stands apart is polish rather than raw size. The app feels calmer than a lobby packed with dozens of contest types, and beginners can start with free or low-cost entries before moving up. That said, the same warning applies as with DraftKings. Guaranteed prize pool tournaments pay a small share of entries, and the top of the leaderboard is usually crowded with high-volume players. If you are new, start with single-entry or small-field contests and keep entry fees modest while you learn how scoring and ownership work.
What we like- Clean app layout that is easy to learn
- Strong single-game and best ball options
- Large Sunday contests
Watch out for- Listing status and contest availability vary by state
- Experienced players also dominate big tournaments
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Underdog built its name on best ball, a format where you draft a team once and the app starts your best scorers each week automatically. That removes the Sunday morning scramble over injury news and lineup decisions, which suits people who like drafting but not managing a roster all season. The app also runs daily snake drafts and pick-style entries where you choose higher or lower on player stats, so a single session can be over in minutes.
The mobile experience is the strongest reason to pick Underdog. Draft rooms fill quickly, the interface is built for phones first, and contests cover the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and college sports. The trade-off is patience. Best ball tournaments pay out at the end of the season, not tonight, so this is a poor fit if you want same-day results. State rules also matter here more than with some rivals, because which game types are offered depends on where you are located. Check the app in your state before assuming a format is available.
What we like- Best ball format removes weekly lineup management
- Fast mobile drafting
- Wide sport coverage
Watch out for- Pick-style availability varies by state
- Best ball results take a full season to resolve
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
PrizePicks strips daily fantasy down to one decision repeated a few times. You pick two or more players and choose More or Less on a projected stat, such as points, yards or strikeouts. If your picks are right, the entry pays out at a multiplier that grows with each added pick. There is no salary cap, no opponent lineup and no draft room, which is exactly why it appeals to casual players.
That simplicity cuts both ways. Entries resolve quickly, often the same night, and the learning curve is close to zero. But every added pick makes the entry harder to hit, and a single missed projection sinks the whole lineup. PrizePicks also runs team picks, culture picks and card pack products, which can distract from the core game if you only want player stats. Use it for short, low-cost entries, and treat the advertised multipliers with care, since they describe the payout when every pick lands, not the likelihood that it will.
What we like- Entries take under a minute to build
- Clear More or Less mechanic
- Frequent promos
Watch out for- No full lineup building for traditionalists
- Payouts depend on hitting multiple picks together
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Sleeper started as a season-long fantasy app and still does that job better than any other name on this list. Dynasty, keeper, redraft and guillotine leagues all run here, with deep rosters, taxi squads, draft boards and league chat built in. For a group of friends who play together every year, Sleeper is often the whole clubhouse, not just a contest lobby. Its daily pick-style contests sit alongside the leagues, so you can play a quick entry without leaving the app where your league lives.
The weakness is focus. If you only want daily fantasy, Sleeper's daily contests are thinner than the dedicated pick apps, and the app's many league settings can feel busy on a first visit. The social side is also a double-edged sword. League chat, polls and shared picks make the game more fun, but they can also push you toward entries you would not have made alone. Sleeper fits best when the league is the main event and daily picks are a side game, not the other way around.
What we like- Excellent league management for dynasty and keeper formats
- Active chat and social tools
- Free season-long play
Watch out for- Daily pick-style contests are secondary to leagues
- Scoring and league options can overwhelm new users
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Dabble takes the pick-style format and adds a social feed on top. You can follow other users, copy entries you like, join banter channels and watch livestreams, which makes it feel closer to a sports social network than a plain contest lobby. For players who enjoy talking through picks with friends, that layer is genuinely different from anything DraftKings or FanDuel offer. The app is free to download and its social features work across the United States, even where real-money games are not offered.
The limit is coverage. Real-money games run in roughly 31 states, so a sizable share of readers will only get the social side. The contest menu is also narrower, with pick-style entries as the core and less depth in classic salary-cap tournaments. If your priority is the deepest lobby or the biggest prize pools, Dabble is a companion app rather than a replacement. If you want a lighter, more social way to play picks, it earns its place.
What we like- Copy picks from other users
- Banter feed and social features
- Free social play in more places
Watch out for- Real-money games limited to about 31 states
- Smaller contest menu than the big two
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Boom Fantasy, now branded as Boom Sports, keeps its offer deliberately narrow. You make pick-style entries on player stats, enter daily and weekly contests, and use promos such as discounted lines and a multiplier wheel to change payouts. For someone who finds the big apps noisy, that smaller menu is a plus. You can open the app, build an entry in a minute and be done, without wading through dozens of contest formats.
The cost of that narrowness is liquidity and coverage. Boom is available in fewer states than the market leaders, and its contest fields are smaller, which some players like and others find limiting. Promos also deserve a careful read, since discounted lines and boosted payouts usually come with terms on which entries qualify. Boom fits as a second app for pick-style players who want variety and frequent promos, rather than as the only app for a serious salary-cap grinder.
What we like- Simple pick-style entries
- Regular daily promos
- Multiplier wheel adds variety
Watch out for- Smaller player base than the leaders
- State availability is narrower
How we chose
We compared these apps on the formats they actually offer, the sports they cover, how their contests are priced and entered, state availability, and what public reviews and app store feedback say about day-to-day use. We read each vendor's own homepage and public help pages, checked which formats are live rather than promised, and noted where availability or features differ by state. We did not claim hands-on play as a research method, and we did not rank apps on advertised bonuses, since those change often and carry terms. Note that daily fantasy involves real money and risk. This article is not gambling advice, and you should only play with money you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, contact the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.
What to check before you deposit
Start with eligibility, because it decides everything else. Daily fantasy rules differ by state, and some apps offer only free or social play where you live. Open the app, confirm which game types are live in your state, and check the minimum age, which is 18 in some states and 19 or 21 in others. Then look at entry fees and payout structure before you fund an account. A contest with a huge advertised prize pool may pay only a small share of entries, while a smaller head-to-head or 50/50 contest pays about half the field.
Pick a format that matches your time
Salary-cap contests reward research and weekly attention, best ball rewards drafting skill without weekly management, and pick-style entries reward quick judgment on a few players. Your available time is a better guide than the size of the prize pool. A format you enjoy for ten minutes a week will serve you better than one you resent after a month.
Read the promo terms
Welcome offers and daily promos usually require a deposit, a minimum entry or a play-through condition, and they may apply only to certain contest types. Read the terms page before counting a bonus as value. If a promo only works on entries you would not otherwise make, it is not a saving.
Set limits first
Decide a weekly contest budget and a maximum entry fee before your first deposit, and use the app's deposit and play limit tools if they are offered. Keep records of deposits and withdrawals so you can see the real total, not just the wins you remember. If you find yourself chasing losses or raising stakes to recover, stop and use the responsible play resources in the app or from the helpline above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best DFS app for beginners?
PrizePicks and Dabble are the easiest starting points, because entries involve a few player picks rather than a full salary-cap lineup. FanDuel is a good next step if you want to learn classic contests, since its app layout is clear and it offers low-cost and free entries. Start small in any app until you understand scoring and payout structure.
Are DFS apps legal in my state?
It depends on the state and the game type. Salary-cap contests, pick-style entries and best ball drafts are treated differently in different states, and some apps only offer social or free play in certain places. Check the app's eligibility page for your state before depositing, since availability changes over time.
How much money do I need to start playing DFS?
Most apps are free to download and offer free contests, and paid entries can start at low amounts that vary by contest. The practical answer is to set a small weekly budget you can afford to lose and stick to it. Entry fees add up quickly across a full slate of games.
Can you make a living playing daily fantasy sports?
Very few players do, and the top of large tournaments is dominated by experienced, high-volume players. For most people, daily fantasy is paid entertainment with an uncertain return, not a reliable income source. Treat any winnings as a bonus, not as expected income.
What is the difference between salary-cap DFS and pick-style DFS?
Salary-cap DFS asks you to build a full lineup under a budget and score against other lineups. Pick-style DFS asks you to choose More or Less on a few player stat projections, with payouts set by how many picks you combine. Salary-cap play rewards depth of research, while pick-style play rewards quick judgment and resolves faster.
Sources we checked (7)
- https://www.draftkings.com
- https://www.fanduel.com
- https://underdogfantasy.com/
- https://www.prizepicks.com
- https://sleeper.com/
- https://dabble.com/
- https://boomfantasy.com/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.