NextGoal vs Pickup Play
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NextGoal
Easily find and join local pickup soccer games hosted by verified organizers. You can also host your own games, earn money, and build your soccer community.
- Find local pickup soccer games
- Join games instantly
- Host your own soccer matches
- Earn money as a host
- Grow local soccer communities
- Verified organizers
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NextGoal is the easiest way to find a pickup game near you, join on your own, and show up to a full game. FIND A GAME TONIGHT • Browse pickup soccer, basketball, volleyball, pickleball and more in your city • See the time, place, price and spots left at a glance • Filter by sport, free games, open spots, indoor or outdoor JOIN SOLO • See who's playing before you go • Pay in one tap with your card or credits, or join free games instantly • Add the game to your calendar and get a reminder before kickoff • Chat with the group before the game SEE WHICH FIELDS ARE FREE (NYC) • Open Fields shows NYC Parks permits hour by hour, so you know which fields are open • Tap Notify me and hear about it when someone hosts a game there HOST YOUR OWN GAME • Post a game in about a minute: sport, time, field, format and price • Players sign up and pay in the app. No more chasing payments • Keep 90% of what players pay, paid out to your bank • Make it weekly, share an invite link, and create discount codes for your group • See your earnings, your regulars, and which days players want to play RUN A TEAM CUP • Split the roster into colored teams in one tap • Get a round-robin schedule with a final, enter scores, and watch the table update YOUR CITY'S PICKUP COMMUNITY • Look for a game, post open spots, run polls and sell gear • Message players directly from your inbox LEVEL UP • Earn XP when you play, host and invite friends • Climb your city's weekly ranking NextGoal is live in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, the Bay Area, Orlando, Dallas, Charlotte and more. The app is also available in Spanish.
Pickup Play
Instantly connect with local players to organize and join pickup sports games. Easily create games with clear details, recruit last-minute players, and build your sports network. Discover new sports and make new friends in your community.
- Organize games with clear details
- Recruit players in real-time
- Join public games nearby
- Build your sports network
- Sync with existing group chats
- Discover new sports
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Pickup Play: The Real-Time Player Recruitment System for Sports & Games Get out and play! Instantly connect with nearby players and start a game together. Tired of endless group chatter, last-minute bailouts, and the headache of trying to get a game going? Pickup Play removes the friction by helping you organize, find, and join pickup games with ease. Whether you’re into soccer, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, flag football, or just down to move, Pickup Play connects you with local players and fills open spots fast so games can actually happen. __________________ Organize Games with Ease Be the player who makes it happen. Pickup Play gives you the tools to organize games with clarity and confidence. • Create a game with clear details: sport, location, time, and players • Invite friends or open it up to nearby players • Manage RSVPs and chat directly with your roster No more chaos in the group chat. Keep it organized and focused. __________________ Recruit Players in Real-Time Missing a few players? Need a last-minute sub? We’ve got you. • Post your game to nearby players instantly • Get notified when someone joins your game • Ensure you’ve always got enough people to play Your bench just got deeper. __________________ Join the Playground and Get Drafted Let the community know when you’re free to play—and get picked up. • Post your availability: what you want to play and when • Search for public games happening around you • Propose your own game to others available at the same time The Playground is where spontaneous pickup begins. __________________ Build Your Sports Network Had fun playing with someone great? Stay connected to play again. • Add friends and form squads for future games • Remember who plays what sport and their skill level • Create your own teams across multiple sports Run it back with players you trust. __________________ Sync with Your Existing Group Chats Use Pickup Play alongside WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, and more. • Share games directly into any group chat or thread • Let friends view and join—even if they don’t have an account yet • Keep invites, RSVPs, and rosters organized in one place Clean up the group chat clutter. __________________ Discover New Sports & Make New Friends Pickup Play is your passport to a multi-sport, multi-community world of play. • Explore games from dodgeball to ultimate frisbee • Try new sports without the intimidation factor • Be spontaneous with other people looking to do the same Meet new people. Discover new passions. __________________ Sports You Can Play on Pickup Play Soccer · Basketball · Volleyball · Pickleball · Flag Football · Baseball · Softball · Dodgeball · Kickball · Hockey · Spikeball · Ultimate Frisbee · Touch Rugby __________________ Download Pickup Play Today Join a growing community of everyday athletes and weekend warriors who are getting out there and playing. Whether you want to get a sweat in, make new friends, or just relive the sandlot days—your next game is one tap away.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Pickup Play at 8 against NextGoal's 2. Pickup Play also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for NextGoal against 5.0 for Pickup Play. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NextGoal | Pickup Play |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 14 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CloudAlta Consulting Group, LLC | Kinesthete, LLC |
Customer experience
NextGoal
Pickup Play
In-app purchases
NextGoal
No in-app purchases
Pickup Play
No in-app purchases









