UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
Daily fantasy sports is amazingly popular in the US, but which site should you choose – FanDuel or DraftKings? Find out here.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling, and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call/text TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN). 21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. Min $5 deposit. Deposit bonus requires 25x playthrough. Deposit bonus issued as site credits. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Contents
Sign up deals – DraftKings vs FanDuel – the award goes to FanDuel
FanDuel – 5/5
As you will notice when comparing these two offers, they are actually identical in terms of the overall monetary value. But the main reason that we have decided to give the win to FanDuel in terms of new player offers is that it is way simpler to actually claim your bonus. All you need to do is sign up and make your first deposit, which works at a 20% match, and then you can simply use this bonus to enter any fancy contest that you like. As you will see in the information below, this is different from how the DraftKings deal works, despite the fact that each bonus has a $500 value.
Get the latest Fanduel Promo Code here
DraftKings – 4/5
Just to reiterate the point above, you can also get $500 in bonus cash to use in order to enter any of the DraftKings fantasy sports contests. But here is the main difference – while you still need to deposit $2,500 in order to receive the maximum bonus here, you actually need to then wager $12,500 if you are to receive all of the fantasy sports bonus cash. This is because you will only receive $1 in bonuses for every $25 that you spend on the site. As you can see, this makes the DraftKings sign up offer much more restrictive and more difficult to obtain the maximum value.
Get the latest Draftkings Promo Code here
Fantasy sports contests – DraftKings wins
FanDuel – 4.5/5
Out of all of the FanDuel vs. DraftKings categorieswe have discussed here, this one really came down to the wire. However, the main reason that we have shaved half a point off from the FanDuel site is that it doesn’t have the same range of contest that DraftKings does. While it’s true, FanDuel has fantasy contests where you can play for free and with real funds, we do believe that people who use the DraftKings site have a bit more flexibility when it comes to the contests they enter and the prizes that they play for. With this said, it’s not like members of FanDuel will feel like they are being sold short, as it’s still a phenomenal platform for participating in fantasy sports contests.
DraftKings – 5/5
With almost 15 different fantasy sports leagues for members to participate in, as well as an extraordinary range of contests, it is clear that there is a reason why people refer to DraftKings as the home of fantasy sports contests. Once you’ve signed up on this site you can enter leagues relating to football, golf, college sports, and even Esports, and many of the contests consist of six and seven-figure prizes for those that manage to top the leaderboard. Alternatively, if you want to set up a contest among your friends, DraftKings also allows you to do that with ease. This is where you can really create an environment where bragging rights are firmly on the line! Of course, it’s completely up to you whether you want to explore this avenue or not.
Existing player deals – FanDuel wins
FanDuel – 4.5/5
After working your way through the sign-up offer that FanDuel has available, you are then dependent on reload offers to continue extracting value. On that note, FanDuel has a marginally better selection than DraftKings, especially since it is a site that actually allows you to enter all kinds of contests without spending any cash at all. These are particularly prominent for contests relating to baseball and football, with examples like the ‘Home Run Challenge’ and tournament guarantees.
DraftKings – 3/5
We must admit, this one came as a bit of a surprise, and not in a good way. DraftKings is a site that is well known for reload promotions for sports betting, so we were really hopeful and excited about the kind of bonuses that would be on offer for fantasy contests. However, there weren’t many, but then again, with the restrictions associated with the welcome bonus, it’s clear that DraftKings isn’t a huge fan of handing out generous bonuses – like FanDuel is.
FanDuel vs DraftKings – extra features
General site experience – DraftKings wins
FanDuel – 4/5
Both of these platforms have managed to develop great websites, with highly professional interfaces for their fantasy contest players. But with that said, although the aesthetics of the FanDuel site are fantastic, it’s not a site that is quite as player-friendly as DraftKings. When you want to enter a contest, it isn’t quite as self-explanatory as DraftKings, and it’s slightly more difficult to create your own contests, pick your fantasy players, etc.
DraftKings – 5/5
In contrast to FanDuel, DraftKings has made everything as simple as possible on the site. We love that you can apply all kinds of filters to quickly find fantasy contests that will suit your needs. Some examples of this would be filtering by entry prices, type of contest (season long, head to head, etc.), and even filtering by the potential payout. These are factors that really make it feel like you are in control of what’s going on. And the icing on the cake is that the site is absolutely flawless from a technical standpoint, as it is optimised for all devices/platforms, with quick loading speeds.
Banking options – FanDuel wins
FanDuel – 5/5
Naturally, if you are to enter any fantasy contests with real cash, you need to make sure that you get some funds deposited into your account. This is where there is quite a big difference in this FanDuel vs DraftKings review, as FanDuel has many more payment methods compared with DraftKings. This is true for both deposits and withdrawals, as with FanDuel you can manage transactions with methods like PayPal, ACH, debit cards, prepaid cards, and even paper checks are still supported on the platform. With this knowledge, it’s fair to say that you shouldn’t have any problems with either depositing or withdrawing funds from your FanDuel account.
DraftKings – 4/5
It’s still relatively straightforward to process a deposit or withdrawal on the DraftKings site, but here’s the reason we’ve taken a point away – there just isn’t the same range of payment options that you get with FanDuel. In fact, the only supported methods at DraftKings include debit cards, credit cards, or PayPal, which means that you are clearly somewhat restricted if you don’t like using these methods for online transactions. To add to that, since these are the only payment methods available, if and when you want to withdraw funds, it can take quite a while for them to come through.
Customer support – DraftKings wins
FanDuel – 4.5/5
Talk about a close contest, we were pretty close to calling this category as a draw before we actually experimented with the support methods that are available on each site. As you will notice, both platforms offer members access to 24/7 customer support, which is a real credit to the emphasis that each site has placed on the overall user experience. However, we’ve had to be picky in order to determine a winner, and we’ve taken half a point away from FanDuel as the agents are marginally slower to respond through the various methods. If we take live chat as a prime example, it can take quite a few minutes for an agent to join the chat with FanDuel, whereas it’s almost instant with DraftKings.
Some would say that this is splitting hairs, but when you need to help people decide whether FanDuel or DraftKings is the best site, you need to get down to the absolute minute details!
DraftKings – 5/5
We were seriously impressed with the dedication of the customer support team at DraftKings. To start with, members can reach an agent through 4 different methods – live chat, email, phone, and even mail! Sure, there won’t be many of you that choose to send mail for a response in 2021, but you could do so if you felt compelled. Besides the available methods, DraftKings is tireless with its monitoring of these channels, as they are all available on a 24/7 basis. By contacting the team via phone or live chat, you will generally be connected with a support representative instantly.
Naturally, this leads to less frustration and a true feeling that the site cares about your overall experience.
The mobile app – DraftKings wins
FanDuel – 4/5
Both FanDuel and DraftKings have a standalone app that is reserved exclusively for fantasy sports contests. But much like the comparison between the desktop sites, the mobile app available with FanDuel isn’t quite as sophisticated as the one that DraftKings has to offer. It’s great that you can enter all of the available contests through the FanDuel app, as well as access promotions and fund your account, but it just doesn’t feel quite as high-tech as the DraftKings app – hence the 4/5 rating.
DraftKings – 5/5
The DraftKings app can be downloaded for both Android and iOS, and in our opinion, it is one of the top fantasy contests apps available in the market. From this app, you can enter fantasy contests for almost 15 different sports, and you can even enter contests for free thanks to the options that are available. But besides the general offerings on the app, it is super easy to use, you can turn on push notifications to stay on top of everything, and you will even receive updates on how your selected players are performing in real-time!
Pros & Cons
FanDuel | DraftKings | ||
Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
Simple and rewarding welcome bonus | The desktop site can be confusing at first | Huge payouts for certain contests | High wagering for the welcome offer |
Decent for ongoing promotions | Mobile app slow to load at times | 10+ different contests to enter | Support is slow to respond by email |
Licensed provider | Stringent verification process | Awesome mobile app | Reload bonuses aren’t super varied |
Available in many different states | Limited options for withdrawals | Plenty of payment options | Not available in all US states |
Final review – DraftKings edges it for 2021
Before we ran through this DraftKings vs FanDuel review, we were aware that these two were the leading fantasy contests in the US right now. And while we’ve picked different sites for the victory in different categories, it’s undeniable that both FanDuel and DraftKings are sensational platforms for those that enjoy fantasy sports betting. With that said, the promise of this comparison review was to help you decide whether DraftKings or FanDuel was the better site, and for that reason, we believe that DraftKings takes the victory by an absolute whisker.
To highlight some of the major positives for choosing DraftKings over FanDuel – it has an amazing range of contests to enter, the payouts are potentially enormous, and it’s all been blended into a top-notch mobile app too. To add to these points, the DraftKings site is one that doesn’t take a whole load of time to get familiar with, which is why it’s a perfect site for those that just want to get their feet wet with fantasy contests. Of course, these factors are also present on the FanDuel site, although it’s often the case that FanDuel doesn’t provide quite the same quality or standards in these departments.
But whichever site you ultimately end up choosing, whether it be DraftKings or FanDuel, you are sure to have a great deal of enjoyment! On a closing note, if you really want to push the boat out, you could get the best of both worlds by signing up with both providers. This way you can bag the welcome offer at both sites, and ensure that you always have access to some of the better fantasy sports contests in the country. Just make sure that the provider is available in your state of residence before trying to open a new account!
last update : December 2023