DraftKings Fantasy Sports vs its rivals

Side-by-side comparison against DraftKings Fantasy Sports's closest competitors — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel.

Core Identity
DeveloperDraftKingsFanDuel, Inc.Hillside Technology LimitedDisneyYahooUnderdog Sports, Inc.Fliff Inc.Score Media and Gaming Inc.Apple
CategorySportsSportsSportsSportsSportsSportsSportsSportsSports
PlatformiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidAndroid, iOSiOSiOS, AndroidiOS
Store Metrics
Rating4.9 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.8 / 54.7 / 5
Ratings Count542,713217,279277,8001,943,362860,484301,519155,635832,815170,137
PriceFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFreeFree
Release DateDec 21, 2013Aug 11, 2014Aug 22, 2019Sep 5, 2012Sep 8, 2009Jul 16, 2020Dec 18, 2019Feb 12, 2019Feb 21, 2024
Last UpdatedApr 15, 2026Apr 7, 2026Apr 15, 2026Mar 12, 2026Apr 30, 2026Apr 16, 2026Apr 7, 2026Apr 22, 2026Mar 23, 2026
Sentiment & Reviews
Sentimentmixedpositive-mixedterrible--mixed-
Score35/10085/100-42/10015/100--45/100-
Praises
  • Core fantasy sports gameplay provides an engaging experience that keeps users invested in live games
  • Intuitive draft interface
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  • Ease of Use
  • Core fantasy sports gameplay remains the primary driver for long-term user retention
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  • Reliable and timely delivery of live sports scores and game statistics
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Complaints
  • Perceived lack of fairness in contest outcomes leads to accusations of rigged algorithms and bots
  • State-specific eligibility restrictions
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  • App Stability and Crashes
  • Delayed Player Status Updates
  • Post-update session expiration loops prevent users from accessing their fantasy teams and lineups
  • Social interaction quality declined after removing dislike buttons and defaulting to popular comments
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  • Aggressive integration of gambling content and betting odds disrupts the core sports experience
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Requests
  • Implementation of more tangible player rewards and physical merchandise for long-term loyal users
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  • Users request the ability to revert to the previous chat and comment interface
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  • Expansion of league coverage to include niche sports like rugby and softball
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Strategic Intel
Strengths
  • #1 download volume in US fantasy sports market
  • Early Exit feature reduces user risk perception
  • Friends Mode social network effects drive organic acquisition
  • Late Swap feature reduces user churn during live games
  • High platform rating sustains organic install velocity
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  • Deep integration with ESPN editorial and expert rankings
  • Exclusive support for Fantasy Women's Basketball
  • High brand trust and massive existing user base
  • Stable draft-day UI sustains high-traffic performance
  • Start Active Players feature reduces lineup abandonment
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  • High-frequency push notification engine drives daily habit
  • Social chat rooms increase session duration via community network effects
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Weaknesses
  • Lack of human support channels for account issues
  • Technical performance lag reported post-update
  • Premium entry fees above casual-app median
  • No integrated casino-sportsbook ecosystem
  • State-specific eligibility limits total addressable market
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  • Critical technical instability (startup crashes in v9.6.1/9.7.0)
  • High data latency for player injury updates
  • Intrusive ad behavior causing device freezes
  • 0.9★ Android-iOS rating gap
  • Session expiration loops in the latest update
  • Polarizing social-feed UI changes
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  • Betting-focused content disrupts core sports experience
  • Notification deep-linking failures erode daily habit
  • Technical instability post-update
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Pricingfreemiumfreemiumfreefreefreemiumfreemiumfreemiumfreefree
MomentumActiveIntenseIntenseMaintenanceActiveIntenseIntenseActiveIntense
Update Cadence4 versions, ~12d avg5 versions5 versions5 versions, ~13d avg5 versions, 3 majors/6mo, ~10d avg5 versions5 versions5 versions, ~7d avg5 versions

Compare DraftKings Fantasy Sports head-to-head

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by DraftKings Fantasy Sports, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

Data licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0