# Bracket HQ vs Bracket Maker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bracket HQ at none against Bracket Maker's 3. Bracket HQ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bracket Maker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Bracket HQ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bracket HQ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 11 respectively.

Bracket HQ ships an update every 9 days, Bracket Maker every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bracket HQ | Bracket Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bracket-hq-tournament-maker/id6789778203/reviews)** | [4.7 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bracket-maker-tournament-pad/id6806978273/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **11** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 44 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CARSON GRANT](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789778205) | [Yvgen Troshchiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763493458) |

## What reviewers say

### Bracket HQ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bracket-hq-tournament-maker/id6789778203)

Easily create, manage, and share tournament brackets for various sports and custom formats. Track live updates, schedule games, and invite others to follow along or help manage.

**Highlights:** Create any bracket format, Sport-specific templates, Custom tournament rules, Live bracket updates, Web-based sharing, Game scheduling, Co-editor invites

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bracket Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bracket-maker-tournament-pad/id6806978273)

Easily create and manage private tournaments for various sports and games. Supports multiple formats like Swiss, single/double elimination, and round robin. Works offline and exports brackets as images or PDFs.

**Highlights:** Multiple tournament formats (Swiss, elimination, round robin), Offline functionality, Private by design, no account needed, Supports 2-256 participants, Export brackets as image or PDF, Undo/redo match results, Customizable appearance (light/dark mode)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Tournament Pass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bracket HQ free?

Bracket HQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bracket Maker free?

Bracket Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bracket HQ or Bracket Maker?

Bracket HQ is rated higher. Bracket HQ averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Bracket Maker averages 4.7 from 11 ratings.

### Do Bracket HQ or Bracket Maker have ads?

Bracket Maker shows ads; Bracket HQ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bracket HQ or Bracket Maker?

Bracket HQ ships an update every 9 days, and Bracket Maker every 8 days. Most recently, Bracket HQ was updated on October 21, 2026 and Bracket Maker on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*