DraftKings vs FanDuel is a question countless sports bettors have asked, and is just as relevant today as it was when the platforms released their sportsbooks after PASPA was repealed back in 2018, legalising sports betting across the US. Both sportsbooks are available in the vast majority of states that have legal betting, and neither sportsbook is lacking for betting bonuses, parlay building opportunities, and endless player props.
But there are differences between what you get at DraftKings and FanDuel, and on this page, we will explore those nuances to give you a better idea of how your sports betting game could look like at either book.
Criteria for Rating DraftKings vs FanDuel
On this page, we don’t really want to review the entire set of features, betting markets, or promos at the two top US sportsbooks, as the comparison would take days to read. No, both have a formidable foundation that blows the competition out of the water, and tick off the following boxes with ease:
- Premium betting odds
- Parlay/SGP bets
- Scores of player bets and game props
- Live game trackers and in-play betting
- Regular bonus bets and boosts
- Vast legal state availability
So you can’t go wrong with either. But if we go into the details, DraftKings Sports sources its odds from SBTech, whereas FanDuel’s odds are provided by Flutter Entertainment. DraftKings has a greater scope of niche sports and alternate lines on player bets, props, and so on. Whereas FanDuel Sportsbook tends to have lines that are slightly more favorable for underdog betting, and can have slightly lower juice on its bets than DraftKings. Plus, FanDuel will provide profit boosts more often than DraftKings, but on the flip side, DraftKings has a loyalty program, whereas FanDuel has no palpable loyalty rewards.
The differences are subtle to say the least, but in the following categories, we found that you can pick them out:
| DraftKings vs FanDuel Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sportsbook / Feature | DraftKings | FanDuel |
| State Availability | 25+ States + DC | 20+ States + DC |
| Banking Options | $5 minimum deposit and approved payment gateways | $10 minimum deposit and slightly faster payouts |
| Mobile App Rating | Easy access to promos and parlay builder | Intuitive interface and easier support reach |
| Sports Coverage and Odds | More niche sports Odds by SBTech | Slightly fewer niche sports Odds supplied by Flutter |
| Parlay or SGP Building Tools | Progressive parlays, profit boosts, and easy SGP toggle | Displays Cash Out/SGP markets, more RR and teaser options |
| Game Trackers and Odds Analysis | Odds and lines trackers, more detailed statistic analysis | FanDuel TV+ specials, blog insights |
| Live Streaming and Live Bets | Fewer live streaming, great array of live bets | Has more live streams, and comparable live betting markets |
| Bonus Variety and Frequency | Loyalty program, profit boosts, daily boosts, no sweat bet offers | No loyalty program, but recurring promos and occasional offers after players lose big |
Legal State Availability
As licensed and US based sportsbooks, these are established brands that you can trust. They have to protect your interests as a player, supply you with responsible gambling tools, and ensure that your gaming accounts are fully safe. Of course, that means asking for your SSN to verify your identity when you sign up, but you are getting quality service.
Now both sportsbooks operate in most states where sports betting is legal, but DraftKings is available in slightly more states than FanDuel. Maine, New Hampshire, and Oregon have limited sportsbook contractual partnerships and are DraftKings only states. Practically all the other states have FanDuel and DraftKings. Both books have 20+ retail sportsbooks and have DFS apps that are more widespread across the US, offering sports bettors alternatives if they aren’t living in a state where sports betting is legal.
Mobile App Functionality
FanDuel has a slight edge over DraftKings when comparing their betting apps. The interface has a more structured and intuitive feel, and FanDuel adds SGP icons next to its betting markets, and it also shows you which bets on your slip have cash out functions with the FanDuel Cash Out icon. It is easy to toggle between straight bets, parlays, teasers and round robins, and at the bottom of the slip you can “Add Bonus Bet” to fund your predictions with any bonus you have in your account. Also, the support team is easier to reach, and the payment gateways are better managed on FanDuel.
That is not to say the DraftKings betting app is inferior. Instead of SGP icons, you get a SGP toggle mode, and on the bottom of your bet slip you can click “Turn to SGPx”, and enhance your parlay bet. But the payment options at DraftKings have more of a history of being difficult to use – more DraftKings users have reported connectivity issues than those at FanDuel. While we didn’t experience drastic geo blocks or timeouts on either, the DraftKings app is the more likely of the two to run into any technical issues.
DraftKings Mobile App
- Google Play Rating: 4.3/5
- App Store Rating: 4.8/5
FanDuel Mobile App
- Google Play Rating: 4.7/5
- App Store Rating: 4.9/5
Payment and Support
DraftKings has one big advantage here, in that it sets the minimum deposit limit to $5, whereas FanDuel takes deposits from $10 upwards. At both, you can make deposits using:
DraftKings and FanDuel both have Prepaid Play+ card services, and options to deposit or withdraw cash at physical retail locations (both have 25+ retail locations). The minimum withdrawal limit at both sportsbooks is $1, perfect for bettors on a tight bankroll. FanDuel does have slightly shorter withdrawal processing times, leading to faster payouts.
FanDuel provides customer support through live chat, email, and X or Facebook. You can also check out the Support Home FAQ center, which is packed with insights and guides to help you out. DraftKings also has a live chat and mail support, and you can also make a request for a callback. The DK Assist function on X can also help out with some queries, but no specifics relating to taxation, account verification or bonus bet requests.
In terms of taxation, both DraftKings and FanDuel supply you with Activity Forms, with Win/Loss statements that you can use in your tax payment preparations. They are both bona fide licensed US sportsbooks, but they won’t do your tax forms for you – just supply the figures and documentation you need to calculate your taxes.
Sports Betting Markets and Odds
DraftKings acquired SBTech through a reverse merger (buying the company without publicly listing it) back in 2020. With it, DraftKings basically got its own in-house odds generator, with SBTech aggregating DraftKings’ betting lines and odds prices. FanDuel’s odds are provided by Flutter Entertainment, a multinational gambling company that also owns Betfair, Paddy Power, Sky Bet, and various others. Flutter Entertainment has a market capitalization of around 50 billion dollars and is arguably the biggest gambling conglomerate in the world.
While we won’t say FanDuel has better odds and lines than DraftKings, because it varies heavily depending on the betting market, sports event, and many other factors. But generally, we have found that FanDuel tends to have slightly lower juice (hold) on its standard betting markets. But there is a simple explanation for this. FanDuel tends to give slightly longer odds on the underdogs, thus applying less shade on those bets, whereas DraftKings generally doesn’t. The difference we are talking about here is usually less than half a percentile (0.05%) or less, which is so minuscule even arbitrage bettors won’t bite.
Now in terms of sports covered, both FanDuel and DraftKings have NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, tennis, motorsports, UFC, college sports, and plenty of niche sports. But DraftKings has a tiny edge, with a few additional sports categories. It won’t really affect you, unless you specifically want to bet on any of the following:
- Pickleball
- Power Slap (in selected states only)
- Handball
- Academy Awards (in a few states only)
- Table Tennis
But both have all the, let’s call them popular, niche sports categories, delivering: eSports, Lacrosse, Aussie Rules, Darts, Cricket, Rugby League/Union, and various others.
Parlay or SGP Building Tools DraftKings vs FanDuel
DraftKings and FanDuel both set the bar high for American parlay betting, and are arguably the best parlay betting sportsbooks in the country. Both have tons of betting markets, sophisticated bet slips that can accommodate your parlay wagers, and nifty extra little features to make the parlay betting all the more valuable.
At DraftKings, you can make intricate parlay bets, teasers, round robins, and same game parlays. SGPs can be turned into SGPx bets, where you combine numerous SGPs into one big parlay, for awesome returns. And the DraftKings Progressive Parlays feature is a type of system parlay – in which you can still get some returns if 1 or more of your picks lose. Parlays are easy to build, and there is an SGP toggle mode to conveniently bash up your SGP. DraftKings is also renowned for its profit boost offers, bonus bets, which can be used in your parlays.
FanDuel ticks all of the same main boxes: teasers, round robins, parlays, SGPs and SGP+ wagers. The coverage on the major sports is nearly the same, though DraftKings does tend to have more alternate player markets and game props. FanDuel’s parlays, on the other hand, have more of a user-friendliness about them. There are SGP icons next to each bet, and on your bet slip, Cash Out icons that tell you which bets can be cashed out. The rounds robins are better organised, and the teasers have adjustable lines.
Both have prebuilt parlay betting suggestions, with DraftKings offering different parlays by the odds (+200 to +1000, +1000 to +2500, and so on); whereas FanDuel has prebuilts SGPs and also a Parlay Hub where you can view what other members are betting. You can draw inspiration from these, follow these tips, or even Edit them by adding them to your bet slip (Reuse Selections) and personalising the slip to your liking.
Game Trackers and Odds Analysis
The differences here are more palpable. DraftKings has a specially designed Stats Hub, where you can view how the sportsbook’s odds on a single game have shifted in the last few hours or days, check out the statistical analysis and probabilities, and look for betting trends. The stats hub can help you look for value, or follow the movements until the closing line value. It is like a mini in-house AI sports betting tool, which is neat. Even if it only gives you DraftKings odds and shows a limited amount of game stats, it is still a welcome touch for advanced betting.
At FanDuel, you don’t have such detailed game analytics. The FanDuel Research and FanDuel TV+ services cover various trends and give you ideas, but they don’t present you directly with the stats, odds trackers, and figures. Now we would give DraftKings the edge here – but you have to remember – this is their stats, done by their algorithms, and with their odds. If you are interested in getting an unbiased, and arguably more expansive, service, you can always head to an independent AI sports betting software.
In terms of general analysis, DraftKings does a better job of keeping its users informed. But the FanDuel TV channel and FanDuel Research resources are pretty vast, albeit not as detailed.
Live Streaming and Live Bets
Live streaming is neither DraftKings or FanDuel’s strong suit, in that regard, apps like Caesars Sportsbook or bet365 (both of which have NFL live streaming), have a better offering.
The DraftKings Sportsbook app doesn’t have live streaming, but it provides details game trackers to let you know what is going on. The DraftKings Network mostly has betting insights, podcasts and DFS picks for bettors. Users of FanDuel have the FanDuel TV that provides a similar range of insights and good betting know-how. The FanDuel sports app has some live streams, for example, on selected soccer, basketball, baseball and eSports events.
Alternatively, FanDuel users can subscribe to the FanDuel Sports Network, where they can get live streams of regional professional and collegiate sports events, but they need to pay extra to get them. You can pay for single game access or get season passes, but note that this is an additional service. FanDuel comes out on top in the DraftKings vs FanDuel live betting experience, but neither is especially great on live streaming.
In terms of live betting though, DraftKings and FanDuel are right up there with the very best. The service will occasionally be disrupted, and you will get Suspended Markets for a few seconds, but this is normal. The latency at these sites is kept to a minimum, and you get precise odds on the live games. Plus, both have alternate flash bets or instant live bets, allowing you to bet on the upcoming minutes of action or who will score next. FanDuel and DraftKings both have bets with cash out functions, which can be accessed on desktop or through the mobile apps, which you can also factor into your in-game betting strategy.
DraftKings vs FanDuel – Which Has Better Bonuses
Neither platform falls short in the bonus department; you can get all kinds of profit boosts, bonus bets, as well as an awesome refer a friend offer and even Survivor pools or picking games – the latter generally come during the NBA or NFL regular seasons. Both FanDuel and DraftKings provide generic bonuses and those tied to specific sports or sporting events. For instance, you can get boosts on NFL gameweek bets, March Madness, the NBA Finals, MLB Playoffs, big soccer games, WNBA, and even PGA majors.
Newcomers are welcomed with open arms at DraftKings and FanDuel, and the bonus action starts from the minute they create their account and make a first deposit. To get an enhanced welcome bonus offer at either, be sure to use our bonus promo codes:
DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code
FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code
DraftKings also has a loyalty program, Dynasty Rewards, in which you can earn Crowns and Tier Credits for your gameplay. These can be converted at the DK Shop for discounts on sports merch, or you can use them to enter DFS contests, or convert them to DK Dollars to use in your sports betting. Dynasty Rewards has 5 tiers, from the Bronze up to the Onyx VIP program, which is accessible by invitation only.
FanDuel doesn’t have a loyalty program. However, FanDuel Sports does occasionally give custom bonuses to users who have just lost a big parlay, or spent lots of money without hitting a win. In terms of general bonuses, both provide regular profit boosts and other offers, as well as contests and survivor pools for players to test out.
Bonus: DraftKings vs FanDuel DFS Apps
Before heading to the verdict, we thought it’s important also to throw in the DraftKings vs FanDuel DFS apps. These are separate apps, so you cannot access them directly on your DraftKings or FanDuel Sportsbook app. No, you will have to download:
- DraftKings Fantasy
- FanDuel Fantasy
or
- DraftKings Pick6
- FanDuel Picks
- FanDuel Faceoff
The DraftKings and FanDuel fantasy apps give you those classic fantasy contests, where you can build your lineups, enter tournaments, and rack up the points. Both have GPP contests, weekly competitions to season-long tournaments, and cover loads of sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, Soccer, College Sports, etc). FanDuel Fantasy also gives beginners chances with special tournaments that pit players of similar experience/levels against each other. DraftKings has a more diverse array of DFS contests.
The DraftKings Pick6 doesn’t use the classic DFS, but uses an alternate DFS contest. It has Pick’Em style contests, with player props and 2 to 6 picks. This is just like what you would get at PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, SportsMillions, and other DFS apps or Social Sportsbooks. The FanDuel Picks app has a similar range of DFS Pick’Em games, though it is only available in a handful of states, so DraftKings Pick6 is easily the bigger of the two.
FanDuel Faceoff is quite a new product and features alternate types of games and skill-based sports contests. It is more of a gaming app than sports prediction-related related, but it also has real money and free modes.
Choose Between DraftKings vs FanDuel
It’s far from easy to pick between these two juggernauts; both DraftKings and FanDuel provide an elite range of betting markets and features that really cater to a wide range of bettors. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend one over the other to a bettor based on whether they bet on the NBA or NFL – because DraftKings and FanDuel cover the major sports so extensively. Payment methods, support channels, and app functionability are all top notch at both, making it harder to pick between the two.
The third solution here, or the elephant in the room, is not deciding between these two and signing up at both instead. Holding accounts at multiple sportsbooks is not actually that uncommon, especially as value betting is gaining traction in the US. Of course, there are a few drawbacks to holding 2+ sportsbook accounts, but you can weigh up the pros and cons in our Reasons to Hold Multiple Sportsbook Accounts guide.
Sportsbook Alternatives to DraftKings and FanDuel
The DraftKings vs FanDuel narrative actually makes up 2/3 of the American sports betting industry, but that doesn’t mean they are the only viable options out there. For instance, Caesars Sportsbook is a great contender that merged with William Hill back in 2021, adding a huge range of international sports and features to its already well established sportsbook. BetMGM Sportsbook is another hot book in the US, with an extensive loyalty program and sharp parlay building tools.
The competition is even higher if we throw in other books such as the UK-based bet365 Sportsbook, Fanatics Sportsbook, or ESPN Bet. And then for any bettors living in states where sports betting is not legal (or the options are very limited), we could also throw in DFS apps, social sportsbooks and Peer to Peer betting apps – all of which have different sports betting products. Given the popularity of both books, its no suprise to see there are now many DraftKings alternatives, and FanDuel competitors.
Ultimately, you have to check the options in the state you are living in, weigh up the pros and cons of each, and think about how their bonuses or offerings can fit into your betting strategy. We are here to help you, and you can always read our reviews for more insights into each book, or, follow us on X, @BettingToolsus, for notifications about the latest bonuses or guides on new sportsbooks in the US.
