Comparison

Bracket Maker vs Contested

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bracket Maker

Easily create and manage tournament brackets for various sports and games. Supports multiple formats, score tracking, and sharing results with participants. Ideal for organizers of any event size.

Highlights
  • Create tournament brackets quickly
  • Multiple tournament formats (round robin, elimination, Swiss)
  • Manage teams, players, and matches
  • Track scores and update tournament progress
  • Share brackets and results
  • Supports various sports and games
Features
Read full description

Create tournament brackets in seconds without spreadsheets, paper charts, or complicated setup. Bracket Maker helps you build and manage real tournaments for sports, games, clubs, school events, office competitions, esports, and casual matchups. Add teams or players, choose a tournament format, track scores, advance winners, and keep the bracket moving from one clean place. Use Bracket Maker to: - create tournament brackets fast - run round robin, single elimination, double elimination, Swiss, league, and 3 game guarantee formats - manage teams, players, matches, rounds, byes, and winners - enter scores and update tournament progress - follow standings, rankings, and match results - share brackets and results with players, teams, or spectators Built for: - pickleball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, ping pong, cornhole, chess, and esports - club nights and social tournaments - school and office competitions - local leagues and playoff brackets - organizers who need a simple bracket maker that works for real events Whether you are planning a quick game night or a full tournament, Bracket Maker gives you a practical way to create the bracket, manage the matches, and keep everyone updated. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Contested

Features
Read full description

Run any tournament, any sport, any format — Contested handles knockout brackets, double elimination, round robins, leagues, group stages, and Swiss pairings, with built-in timers that show live on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, and Apple Watch. WHY CONTESTED Most tournament apps make you choose between a proper bracket tool and a working timer — or charge you per tournament for the privilege. Contested does both, with no per-tournament limits: start a match, and the countdown follows you to your Lock Screen, your Dynamic Island, and your wrist, without needing to keep the app open. TOURNAMENT FORMATS • Knockout — automatic seeding with byes correctly assigned to your top seeds, a clean bracket at every round, and an optional 3rd Place match. • Double Knockout — losers drop into a Losers Bracket instead of being eliminated outright; the Grand Final is set once both the Winners and Losers Bracket finalists are decided. • Round Robin & League — every team plays every other team across as many cycles as you choose, with a live standings table, tie-breakers, and bonus points you can award directly. • World Cup Style (Groups + Knockout) — a group stage feeds a projected knockout bracket that updates as group results come in, so you can see likely matchups before the group stage even finishes. • Swiss — each round pairs players by current standings while avoiding repeat matchups where possible, ideal when a full round robin isn't practical. RUN IT TOGETHER, WATCH IT LIVE • Share a running tournament with an Admin Code or a Spectator Code. • Spectators watch scores and standings update live — completely free, no account, no purchase, ever. • Bring in a co-organizer with an Admin Code and they can enter scores from their own phone too, covered by your subscription. • No one to send a code to? Scan the built-in QR code and get straight to the download. BUILT-IN TIMERS, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK • Sequential mode gives each match its own start/pause timer; Simultaneous mode runs one shared timer for an entire round of matches at once. • Every running timer appears live on your iPhone's Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island — check the clock without unlocking your phone. • A dedicated Apple Watch app mirrors your tournaments and timers in real time, plus a watch face complication for a countdown at a glance. • Your phone (and watch) buzzes when time's up, even locked. RUN IT YOUR WAY • Team or individual competitions, with seeding, photos, and custom tags. • Forfeits and walkovers award a result and advance the winner automatically. • Import participants straight from a CSV file instead of typing every name. • Export finished brackets and standings as a PDF or CSV — perfect for printing or keeping records. • Schedule matches directly into Apple Calendar. • Archive completed tournaments and search across everything, including archived events. Whether you're running a Saturday morning club competition, a multi-week league season, or a full weekend knockout tournament, Contested keeps the bracket, the clock, and the standings all in sync — on your phone, your Lock Screen, and your Apple Watch. Try Contested free for 7 days. No account, no sign-up required. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Bracket Maker4 screens
Contested4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Contested at every 3 days against Bracket Maker's every 4 weeks. Bracket Maker's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bracket Maker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Contested sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bracket Maker ships an update every 4 weeks, Contested every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Bracket Maker versus Contested: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBracket MakerContested
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB5 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTradein IT LTDPawel Pyrz-Brown

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bracket Maker

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Annual Pro7 Days trial$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Contested

Subscriptions2
  • Contested Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Contested Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Contested Lifetime Unlock$99.99

Questions

Is Bracket Maker free?
Bracket Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Contested free?
Contested is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Bracket Maker or Contested have ads?
Neither Bracket Maker nor Contested shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bracket Maker or Contested?
Bracket Maker ships an update every 4 weeks, and Contested every 3 days. Most recently, Bracket Maker was updated on September 9, 2026 and Contested on September 17, 2026.

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