Comparison

Contested vs Bracket Maker

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

Head to head
About

Contested

Features
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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/

About

Bracket Maker

Easily create and manage tournament brackets for various sports. Input participants, track match results in real-time, and share live updates with everyone involved. Supports multiple tournament formats and simultaneous score updates.

Highlights
  • Multiple tournament formats
  • Real-time score updates
  • Live bracket sharing
  • Participant name import
  • Simultaneous organizer updates
Read full description

Pick a sport, add names, create the bracket. Tap winners as matches finish — everything advances itself. Share the code so everyone follows live. • Single elimination, double elimination, round robin, groups, and more. • Type names, paste a list, or import a saved roster. • Players watch live. Multiple organizers update scores at the same time. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm a purchase. Manage or cancel subscriptions in App Store settings. Restore Purchases is available in Settings. Available plans and any introductory offer are shown before purchase. Privacy Policy: https://grey-entree-512.notion.site/Bracket-Privacy-Policy-3b04abc1b1448061b36bd0a1feb2c0a7 Terms of Use: https://grey-entree-512.notion.site/Bracket-Terms-and-Conditions-3b04abc1b14480b09a48d407526c1a11

Screenshots

Contested4 screens
Bracket Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Contested at every 3 days against Bracket Maker's every 8 days. Bracket Maker's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 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. Contested sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Bracket Maker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Contested ships an update every 3 days, Bracket Maker every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Contested versus Bracket Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterContestedBracket Maker
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.5 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.215.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB43 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPawel Pyrz-BrownHaresh Lakhwani

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Contested

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

Bracket Maker

Subscriptions1
  • Bracket Maker Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Bracket Maker Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Contested free?
Contested is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bracket Maker free?
Bracket Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Contested or Bracket Maker have ads?
Neither Contested nor Bracket Maker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Contested or Bracket Maker?
Contested ships an update every 3 days, and Bracket Maker every 8 days. Most recently, Contested was updated on October 4, 2026 and Bracket Maker on October 11, 2026.

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