bet365 vs Betfair: Head-to-Head Comparison
Pick bet365 if you want the widest market coverage, a full Bet Builder and stronger live streaming across football, horse racing and tennis. Pick Betfair if sharper prices matter most — our sampled odds show Betfair with a tighter average margin and a much higher share of best prices.
Both are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, both launched in 2000, both support Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Trustly with a £10 minimum deposit and 0–24h withdrawals. The real differences are price competitiveness, product depth and app polish. This page breaks down where each one wins so you can match the bookmaker to how you actually bet.
| bet365 | Betfair | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.3 | 8.9 |
| Licence | UKGC ✓ | UKGC ✓ |
| Best price share | 5% | 79% |
| Avg. margin | 6.2% | 2.2% |
| Min deposit | 10 | 10 |
| Withdrawal time | 0–24h | 0–24h |
| Payments | Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Trustly | Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Trustly |
| Apps | iOS/Android | iOS/Android |
| Find My Best Betting Site | Find My Best Betting Site |
Odds comparison
Odds comparison: both score well in our rating (8.9/10 and 8.8/10) — this one won't decide it.
Markets & coverage
Markets & coverage: we'd point most people to bet365 here — it scores 9.6/10 in our rating, Betfair 8.8/10.
Live betting
Live betting: we'd point most people to bet365 here — it scores 9.4/10 in our rating, Betfair 8.7/10.
Payments & payouts
Payments & payouts: both score well in our rating (8.8/10 and 8.4/10) — this one won't decide it.
Withdrawal time
Withdrawal time: both score well in our rating (8.9/10 and 8.5/10) — this one won't decide it.
App & mobile
App & mobile: we'd point most people to bet365 here — it scores 9.3/10 in our rating, Betfair 8.4/10.
Bet Builder
Bet Builder: we'd point most people to bet365 here — it scores 9.0/10 in our rating, Betfair 7.4/10.
Licence & safety
Licence & safety: both score well in our rating (9.5/10 and 9.2/10) — this one won't decide it.
bet365 — Pros / Cons
- ✓ Polished, easy app
- ✓ Licensed and regulated locally
- ✓ Responsive customer support
- ✗ Support is solid rather than standout
Betfair — Pros / Cons
- ✓ Licensed and regulated locally
- ✓ Responsive customer support
- ✓ Solid live betting section
- ✗ No real bet builder
Quick Verdict: bet365 or Betfair?
The two operators are close, but they lean in different directions.
- Choose bet365 if you value market coverage (rated 9.6 vs 8.8), sports depth (9.5 vs 8.6), a full Bet Builder (listed among its features) and stronger in-play tools and streaming.
- Choose Betfair if you prioritise raw price. In our sampled odds, Betfair posted the best available price in roughly 49% of markets and carried a lower average margin (about 4.6%) than bet365 (about 7.4%).
If you bet a wide range of sports and want everything in one polished app, bet365 is the more complete sportsbook. If you shop for value and concentrate on major markets like the Premier League, ATP and NBA, Betfair's pricing edge is worth having.
Odds and Margins Compared
Price is where Betfair separates itself. Across our sampled markets, Betfair returned the best available price in about 48.6% of cases (278 markets sampled) with an average margin near 4.6%. bet365's sample (30 markets) showed a higher average margin of roughly 7.4% and did not top the best-price count in that set.
Our editorial ratings are closer than the raw numbers suggest — bet365 scores 8.8 for odds and Betfair 8.9 — because bet365 makes up ground with the sheer breadth of prices it offers. In practice: for headline markets and shorter-priced favourites, Betfair is more likely to hold the sharper number. For niche markets and deeper selections, bet365 simply has more prices on the board.
Note the sample sizes differ, so treat the margin figures as indicative rather than absolute. Anyone chasing value should still line up individual selections on our betting odds pages before staking.
Market Coverage and Sports Depth
bet365 leads on breadth. It rates 9.6 for market coverage and 9.5 for sports depth, against Betfair's 8.8 and 8.6. That gap shows up most on secondary competitions and the number of individual markets per event.
Both cover the sports UK bettors care about — football, horse racing, tennis, darts, cricket, rugby, golf and basketball. For football you'll find the Premier League, Championship, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Champions League and Europa League, Copa Libertadores and the World Cup across both. Basketball covers the NBA and EuroLeague; tennis spans the ATP and WTA Tours; cricket includes Test matches.
Where bet365 pulls ahead is the depth within each match — more player props, more corners and cards markets, more request-a-bet style options. If you like drilling into a single fixture with many angles, bet365 gives you more to work with. Betfair's core coverage is strong but shallower once you leave the headline markets.
Bet Builder, Cash Out and Live Streaming
This is a clear split on product features.
bet365 lists Live Betting, Cash Out, Bet Builder, Live Streaming and Mobile Betting. It scores 9.0 for Bet Builder and 9.4 for live capability. If combining several outcomes from the same match into one bet is central to how you play, bet365 is the stronger choice here.
Betfair lists Live Betting, Cash Out, Live Streaming and Fast Payout, and scores 7.4 for Bet Builder — the lowest of its feature ratings and below bet365 on this metric. Both offer Cash Out and live streaming, so for in-play betting and streaming coverage the two are broadly comparable, with bet365 edging live capability (9.4 vs 8.7).
Bottom line: for Bet Builder depth, bet365. For a clean in-play experience with fast payouts, Betfair is competitive.
Apps and Usability
Both bookmakers offer iOS and Android apps. bet365 rates 9.3 for its app against Betfair's 8.4, reflecting a smoother, more feature-complete mobile experience — which matters given how much in-play betting happens on phones.
On support, bet365 scores 8.6 and Betfair 7.9. Neither figure is poor, but bet365 has the edge if responsive help is a priority for you. If you mostly self-serve and rarely contact support, this gap is unlikely to affect your day-to-day betting.
For a wider look at mobile options, see our betting apps United Kingdom rankings.
Payments and Withdrawals
The two are almost identical on banking. Both accept Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Trustly, both set a £10 minimum deposit, and both quote withdrawal times of 0–24 hours.
On our ratings, bet365 edges payments (8.8 vs 8.4) and withdrawals (8.9 vs 8.5), though Betfair specifically lists Fast Payout among its features. If quick cash-outs to a supported method are your priority, both are well set up; Betfair's Fast Payout label and bet365's slightly higher withdrawal rating make this close to a draw.
If your banking method is the deciding factor, we have dedicated pages for PayPal betting sites, Apple Pay betting sites and Trustly betting sites.
Licence and Safety
Both operators hold UK Gambling Commission licences, and the minimum age to bet is 18. bet365 operates under UKGC licence number 39563; Betfair is UKGC-licensed and can be verified on the Commission's public register.
On our safety rating, bet365 scores 9.5 and Betfair 9.2 — both high. This reflects licensing and consumer-protection standing rather than any first-hand account testing on our part. Either way, you are betting with a regulated UK operator subject to Gambling Commission rules on fair play, fund protection and responsible gambling tools.
For context on regulation, see our legal betting sites United Kingdom guide.
Who Should Choose Which
- Value hunters and major-market bettors: Betfair. The tighter average margin and higher best-price share in our sample give it the pricing edge on headline selections.
- Multi-sport and deep-market bettors: bet365. Stronger market coverage (9.6) and sports depth (9.5) mean more to bet on within each event.
- Bet Builder fans: bet365, which lists Bet Builder and rates 9.0 for it versus Betfair's 7.4.
- Mobile-first bettors: bet365, on the strength of its 9.3 app rating.
- Fast-payout seekers: either — both quote 0–24h withdrawals, with Betfair explicitly listing Fast Payout.
Many UK bettors keep accounts with both: Betfair for line shopping on big markets, bet365 for coverage, Bet Builders and streaming. That combination covers most bases.
FAQ
Is bet365 or Betfair better for odds?
In our sampled markets, Betfair had the lower average margin (about 4.6% vs bet365's 7.4%) and topped the best available price in roughly 49% of cases, so it edges the pricing comparison on major markets. bet365 counters with far broader market coverage. Our editorial odds ratings are close: bet365 8.8, Betfair 8.9.
Does Betfair have a Bet Builder?
Betfair's listed features are Live Betting, Cash Out, Live Streaming and Fast Payout, and it rates 7.4 on our Bet Builder metric — lower than bet365, which lists Bet Builder among its features and scores 9.0. For Bet Builder depth, bet365 is the stronger option.
Are both bet365 and Betfair legal in the UK?
Yes. Both are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. bet365 operates under licence number 39563, and Betfair is UKGC-licensed and verifiable on the Commission's public register. The minimum betting age is 18.
Which has faster withdrawals?
Both quote withdrawal times of 0–24 hours and support Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Trustly. Betfair lists Fast Payout as a feature, while bet365 scores slightly higher on our withdrawals rating (8.9 vs 8.5). In practice this is close to a tie.
What is the minimum deposit at bet365 and Betfair?
Both operators set a £10 minimum deposit, and both accept Debit Card, PayPal, Apple Pay and Trustly.
Which app is better?
bet365 rates 9.3 for its app against Betfair's 8.4, and both offer iOS and Android versions. If a polished, feature-complete mobile experience matters to you — especially for in-play betting — bet365 has the edge.