Both DraftKings and PrizePicks are optimal choices for any sports bettors, but their offerings are very different. Most notably, DraftKings has a conventional sportsbook, that takes your real money bets, whereas PrizePicks is a social betting app that does not require real money to play. DraftKings also covers fantasy sports with an extensive array of games and leaderboard contests to bring the most out of your sports predictions.
We would recommend both, but for different reasons, and it really depends on what types of sports bets or fantasy sports games you want to play. On this page, we will dive straight into what each platform has to offer, highlighting important criteria such as their sports coverage, state availability and provided banking methods.
Summarizing the Best of PrizePicks
PrizePicks makes fantasy sports easy. This social betting app has simple games that can earn users bucket loads of cash. The Pick’Em is a key example of this: you have to bet on more or less on the game stats of 2 to 6 players, for the chance to win up to 1,000x. In Power Play, all your picks have to come through, but you can toggle to Flex Play, in which you are allowed 1-2 misses at the expense of a slightly shorter payout. These games are played against the house, but you can join the Pick’Em Arena to play against your peers and climb the leaderboards.
In addition to Pick’Em, PrizePicks has a relatively new game called PrizePicks Streaks. In this game, players can make daily picks and climb the leaderboards to win a grand prize of $1 million. The daily picks use the same “More or Less” bets on player projections and require users to build winning tickets and stack their wins to progress up the leaderboards.
PrizePicks covers the major US sports leagues, NFL, NBA, and MLB, and it also extends to college football as well as basketball leagues. Even newcomers can learn how to use the intuitive interface within minutes, and enter the arena or play against the house to try to unlock massive rewards. Though we have to point out, that there may be entry for any of the contests at PrizePicks. There are free games, and then there are some that require a $5 entry fee.
Key Takeaways from DraftKings
DraftKings has separate apps for Daily Fantasy Sports, the DraftKings Sportsbook, and even its Pick6 game. The fantasy sports app has a huge scope of sports coverage. It doesn’t just stop at NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and college sports, but extends to soccer, tennis, NASCAR, golf, Formula 1 and even eSports competitions. There are possibilities to enter public contests, create private leagues with your friends, draft new lineups weekl,y and win weekly cash prizes. In terms of Fantasy Sports, there are very few rivals that compete for a variety of games. Head-to-head competitions, In-Game Showdowns, Casual contests and Flash Drafts are just the tip of the iceberg.
DraftKings Pick6 is a simpler interface, closely resembling PrizePicks’ “More or Less” player projection-based Pick’Em game. Only it has a larger coverage. But the most popular of all DraftKings’ products is its impeccable sportsbook. This betting site (and its designated mobile app), is available in the majority of states that have legalized sports betting. It is among the best sportsbooks in the USA, covering over 20 sports categories and supplying virtually every betting market you can possibly hope for.
DraftKings Sportsbook easily competes with the biggest sportsbook brands in the US. The King of Props Betting, DraftKings is noted for its tremendous parlay betting and SGP possibilities. It also has a generous loyalty program that can grant players bonuses and invitations to exclusive contests. The sports bonuses start with DraftKings’ daily odds boosts, and include virtually anything from parlay insurance to profit boost tokens and early cashout offers. It is perhaps the best multi-faceted sports betting brand, with phenomenal opportunities for everyone from daily fantasy sports enthusiasts to the most ardent sports bettor.
PrizePicks vs DraftKings Key Elements
Now that you have a little information on what these two juggernauts have to offer, we can start comparing how they fare in terms of banking, mobile gameplay, bonuses, and the overall sports betting experience.
| PrizePicks vs DraftKings Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Special Features for: | PrizePicks | DraftKings |
| Real Money Betting | No | Yes |
| Fantasy Games | Pick'Em, Pick'Em Arena, Streaks | H2H, Flash Draft, Showdowns, Tournament, Pick6, and more |
| Sports Coverage | NFL, NBA, CFB, CBB, MLB, NHL, PGA | NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, CFB, CBB +20 More |
| Key Sports Betting Features | Regular Leaderboards Player Projections Bets | SGP and Parlay Betting Endless Props Betting Live Bets Cash Out Offers Competitive Odds |
| Bonuses/Contests | Discounted Projections, Picks Insurances, Friend Referral, Free Contests with Real Money Prizes | Odds Boosts, Parlay Boosts, Parlay Insurance, Early Payout, Bonus Bets, Loyalty Program, Friend Referral, Betting Pools, Betting Player Contests |
| State Availability | 40+ States Fantasy Sports | 40+ States Fantasy Sports 20+ States Sports Betting |
| Min Deposit / Withdrawal | $10 / $10 | $5 / $1 |
| Banking Options | Bankcards, Apple Pay, PayPal, ACH | Bankcards, AmEx, Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Giftcards, and more |
DraftKings has an advantage over PrizePicks in that it provides fantasy sports and real money sports betting options. We will run through what you actually get at both in terms of sports betting, and then jump into all the details and conditions.
Sports Betting Options PrizePicks vs DraftKings
DraftKings has an elite sportsbook, fully equipped to meet the needs of every bettor. It houses an impressive array of props bets, which you can combine into same game parlays or even SGPx bets – SGP parlays across multiple sports legs. Parlay bettors have advanced betting tools at their disposal, including the ability to create teaser bets or making successful complex round robin wagers. Your options are not limited to pre-game betting either, as DraftKings has a premium selection of live betting markets and futures bets, encompassing team stats and player accomplishments.
PrizePicks has a smaller sports coverage and it only includes a few types of fantasy sports games. These are built to the highest quality and can award tremendous prizes, and don’t cost much to enter. The games suit both casual and expert bettors, putting their knowledge to the test with thought-provoking player projection based betting.
But then we can argue that you would get the same types of games at the DraftKings DFS app. The DFS app has a larger variety of games, but they are more akin to classic fantasy sports betting. In that, we mean building lineups from a budget and aiming to climb up the leaderboards.
The DraftKings Pick6 games are closer to what you get at PrizePicks. It is a bit more limited in terms of games and variety, but the scope of the sports is once again more diverse than what PrizePicks has to offer.
Banking and Accessibility PrizePicks and DraftKings
While neither PrizePicks nor the DraftKings DFS apps need real money to play, you can always top up your balance to gain more opportunities to stake your tickets and picks. PrizePicks accepts payments from bank cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and instant bank transfers (ACH). When it comes to sportsbook banking options, DK takes the lead. The sheer amount of DraftKings banking options is huge, these include Trustly, Venmo, gift cards, Play+ Prepaid cards and even cash options.
The minimum deposit at PrizePicks is $10, and all deposits carry a 1x playthrough requirement. When you want to cash out your money, the minimum you can withdraw is $10. DraftKings has one of the lowest minimum deposits. You can top up your account with as little as $5, and withdraw from a minimum of $1. Withdrawals at DraftKings are extremely swift, and for both PrizePicks and DraftKings, you can manage your finances from the comfort of your phone.
Both brands have designated mobile apps for iOS and Android, with ease of access to all the sports betting markets, player projections and any promotional offers. Through the apps, player can manage their finances with ease. Deposits are near instant, and both DraftKings and PrizePicks boast some of the fastest payouts.
State Availability for Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports
The DraftKings DFS app is available in all states that allow free-to-play sports betting games. There are only a select few states that have zero tolerance for these games, despite the fact that these games don’t require real money to play. DraftKings DFS is live in 40+ states. The sports betting app is only available in 25+ states, but this is because real money sports betting is still not as widespread across the states as social betting.
As the legalization of sports betting spreads across the US, DraftKings is not far behind the likes of FanDuel and BetMGM in expanding their reach and planting themselves in new legal US sports betting states.
As for PrizePicks, the app is available in 40+ states, but we have to make a distinction here. The Pick’Em free to play games are available in 40+ states and Canada. Streaks at PrizePicks is not as widespread yet, it is only available in 9 states right now.
Bonus Variety PrizePicks vs DraftKings
In terms of fantasy sports picking games, the bonus variety is quite similar at both DraftKings and PrizePicks. They both offer free to play contests in which sports bettors can try to win prizes from gigantic prize pools. PrizePicks gives you good value for your picks through initiatives such as injury insurance, some leeway in case 1-2 of your picks miss, and discounts on preselected picks.
DraftKings Fantasy provides players with a tremendous variety of competitions for fantasy players of all levels. The prizes and conditions vary for each, and your activity can build DK Dollars in the loyalty program. In terms of actual bonuses, the promos vary depending on upcoming sports events and usually highlight key games or matches.
DraftKings Sportsbook has a competitive array of bonuses for sports bettors. These include a variety of different boosts, pertaining to individual bets and parlay wagers. Through no sweat bets, bonus bets, and parlay insurance, DraftKings encourages players to test their betting prowess without the fear of losing. The sportsbook also provides excellent cash out offers and early payouts, to give sports bettors opportunities to make money before the games have settled. New players can claim a substantial welcome bonus on sign-up when using the DraftKings promo code, and the rewards just keep flowing in afterwards.
Concluding PrizePicks vs DraftKings
At the end of the day, both PrizePicks and DraftKings are equally entertaining options for sports bettors who want a piece of the action. They have their own unique features and special tools to deliver a quality means for players to bet on sports, and for social sports bettors, no purchases are necessary at DraftKings Fantasy or PrizePicks.
Climbing weekly leaderboards and picking player projections can pay off big time if you get enough good hits. However, some sports bettors prefer conventional real money sports betting, where you name the terms, pick the bets, stake your money, and try to win. If you are more inclined towards that format of sports betting, then DraftKings is arguably one of the best platforms out there. The sportsbook encourages members to get creative with their parlays, combining all sorts of game props and player bets with well-priced standard betting markets.
There are many apps like PrizePicks that have similar types of social betting games, all without needing any real money deposits. For anyone more interested in apps like DraftKings, there are plenty of established online US sportsbooks with a similar offering. They each have their own strengths and areas in which they can improve – something you can learn more about in any of our independent reviews.
