# Contested vs Bracket Pad

The clearest difference is update cadence: Contested at every 3 days against Bracket Pad's every 8 days. Bracket Pad's advantage is iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Contested sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Bracket Pad sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Contested ships an update every 3 days, Bracket Pad every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Contested | Bracket Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 8 days |
| Size | 5 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **18.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pawel Pyrz-Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896611246) | [Yvgen Troshchiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763493458) |

## What reviewers say

### Contested

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contested-tournament-brackets/id6793043515)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contested Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Contested Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Contested Lifetime Unlock | $99.99 | one-time |


### Bracket Pad

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

**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 Contested free?

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

### Is Bracket Pad free?

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

### Do Contested or Bracket Pad have ads?

Neither Contested nor Bracket Pad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Contested or Bracket Pad?

Contested ships an update every 3 days, and Bracket Pad every 8 days. Most recently, Contested was updated on September 17, 2026 and Bracket Pad on September 21, 2026.

---

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