Football is the biggest online betting sport in the UK by a distance. Like many places, Britain is becoming an increasingly smartphone-dominated country. As such, it is crucial to look not only at the regular football betting sites that bookies have to offer, but at their football betting apps too.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all about the very best betting apps for football out there right now. We’ll explain how we made these rankings, help you find the perfect app for your needs, and explain exactly how you can get your hands on a football betting app for yourself.
Our Top Recommended Football Betting Apps in the UK
- Bet365 – Top All-Round Bookie
- William Hill – Outstanding Track Record
- Betfred – Excellent Live Streaming Tools
- 888sport – Plenty of Free Bet Offers
- SBK – Mobile-Only Sportsbook
- Betfair – Betting Exchange and Sportsbook
- Virgin Bet – Free-to-Play ‘Fives’ Game
- Paddy Power – Excellent ‘Rewards Club’
- Ladbrokes – ‘The Grid’ Mobile Integration
- BetVictor – Constant Stream of Bet Boosts
- MansionBet – Various ‘Insurance’ Deals
- BoyleSports – Brilliant for Horse Racing
- SpreadEx – Spread Betting Markets Available
- Kwiff – Innovative Special Offers
The Top 10 Football Betting Apps Reviewed
In the UK alone, there are dozens of football betting apps to choose between. That amount of choice can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve curated your options into the list above. Now, let’s focus on what makes our top 10 football betting apps so special.
1. Bet365 – Best Football Betting App Overall
Over the past couple of decades, Bet365 has established itself as one of the biggest and best brands in the entire UK. It was an early innovator in mobile betting technology, and continues to provide one of the best all-round football betting apps to this day.
The list of features for football fans here is enormous. Live streaming is the headliner, covering leagues and cups from all around the world, and the range of football betting markets is equally strong. Mobile users can also customise the interface to their liking, log in quickly using Face and Touch ID, use both full and partial cash outs, set up push notifications to be alerted about the latest goings-on, and plenty more besides. If you want a ‘feature-packed’ football betting app, look no further.
Pros
- Extremely popular brand for football betting
- Big-time welcome offer
- Excellent live streaming
- Several mobile-only features
Cons
- Not the widest selection of ongoing promotions
2. William Hill – #1 Football Betting App
William Hill has a track record which few other brands can match, with a history going all the way back to 1934. One of the keys to staying relevant over the decades has been its ability to move with the times, and the outstanding William Hill betting app is one of the best examples.
Quite simply, this has everything you could possibly need from a football betting app. Live streaming is in place, as are in-play and cash out functions, top-notch football coverage, a wide range of bet types, and excellent customer service. The performance levels are fantastic, on both iOS and Android devices, the app looks fantastic, and the user-interface is exemplary. This is, quite simply, the best all-round football betting app you can get right now.
Pros
- Great all-round app
- Huge selection of football markets
- Speedy performance levels
- Attractive interface
Cons
- Not the widest selection of free bet offers
3. Betfred – Best Football Betting App with Top Live Streaming Option
Like William Hill, Betfred has a highly impressive track record. This brand has been around since 1967, and remains privately-owned to this day. Also like William Hill, Betfred’s current football betting app is a perfect example of how it is able to move with the times.
The Betfred app boasts not only a wide range of football betting markets, and highly competitive odds, but also a few extra features too. These include a #PickYourPunt bet builder, daily price boosts, and a top-notch cash out tool. Perhaps most impressive of all, however, are the live streaming options. Matches from a wide variety of competitions are covered, including some of the top leagues in Europe, such as the German Bundesliga. Streams are straightforward to access within the app, and the quality is extremely high, making matches clear and easy to watch even on a smaller screen.
Pros
- Customised wagers via #PickYourPunt
- Excellent selection of football streams
- Repsonsive cash out tool
- Top-notch odds
Cons
- Withdrawals could be faster
4. 888sport – Plenty of Free Bet Offers
888sport haven’t actually been around that long, with the brand only being founded in 2008. It has made remarkable progress since then though, establishing itself as one of the most popular – and simply one of the best – football betting apps.
The 888sport app is particularly easy to use, and has strong linive betting features for football. Where it really distinguishes itself, however, is in the sheer volume of free bet promos on offer. Even after claiming £30 in free bets via the welcome offer, mobile users can get further tokens for placing wagers on specific competitions, or at certain minimum odds. Add in plenty of enhanced odds on football each day, and the free-to-play football predictor game ‘Up For 8’, and the amount of extra value you’re offered here becomes almost ridiculous.
Pros
- Plenty of free bet offers
- User-friendly interface
- Very good live steams
- Lots of enhanced odds
Cons
- Occasional performance issues
5. SBK – Mobile-Only Specialists
SBK has made a seriously big call to be a mobile-only brand. Considering not only how popular on-the-go football betting is nowadays, but also the sheer quality of this app, that looks like a pretty good decision to us.
The SBK football betting app was created by Smarkets, one of the best betting exchanges around right now. Like Smarkets, SBK is incredibly transparent about how its odds are calculated, and even tells you exactly when a price for a market is superior to that on other apps. SBK also implements some social features here. You can compete against your friends, or against strangers via community leaderboards, and both finding and following the most successful tipsters is easy too.
Pros
- Fully-focused on mobile features
- Data-driven approach
- Social features in place
- Cool, user-friendly interface
Cons
- Relatively small welcome offer
6. Betfair – Blend of Sportsbook and Betting Exchange
Betfair changed the industry by taking the ‘betting exchange’ model mainstream. Nowadays, football fans can choose to either place exchange wagers, or regular sportsbook bets, all from the same Betfair account. Betfair even provides different standalone apps for both of their main offerings.
In both cases, you’ll have thousands of football markets to choose from. You can back or lay any of these markets on the exchange (assuming your bet gets matched), giving you unparalleled control over your football odds. The odds on the sportsbook are highly competitive by default. Whichever app you choose, you’ll also get access to live football streaming, a bet builder, Face ID login, live push notifications, and more.
Pros
- Place exchange bets and sportsbook wagers
- High quality live streams
- Plenty of liquidty for football exchange bets
- Use Face and TouchID for speedy logins
Cons
- Need to download separate apps for exchange and sportsbook sections
7. Virgin Bet – An Up-and-Coming Football Betting App
While the Virgin brand was already famous in the UK, Virgin Bet itself is actually relatively new, only launching in 2019. There’s plenty of experience behind it though, with both the desktop site and app being controlled by the Gamesys Group, and developed by SBTech. The popularity of this app has already increased rapidly, and it’s not hard to see why.
Live streaming is already in place on the app, as are a series of other excellent football betting features. This includes highly-responsive in-play betting tools, constant price boosts, a bet builder, and even virtual football. Virgin Bet also shows a flair for innovation with ‘Fives’. This game blends fantasy football and sports betting, and can deliver some seriously big rewards.
Pros
- Free and fun Fives game
- Good live odds for football wagers
- Live football streaming is in place
- Constant virtual football matches
Cons
- Relatively short track record
8. Paddy Power – Best Football Betting App with a Top-Notch Loyalty Program
Paddy Power’s track record goes back decades, but – in recent years – most of its publicity has been generated by tongue-in-cheek marketing campaigns. Look beyond these though, and you’ll find one of the best sportsbooks around right now, who also provide one of the top football betting apps.
The performance levels are fantastic here. It’s easily one of the quickest football betting apps we’ve used, and is extremely stable too. The quality of the live football streaming feature is also very good, the in-play tools are responsive, and you can navigate the interface very easily indeed. Paddy Power also routinely has one of the best selections of ongoing promotions for football fans, which is headlined by the Paddy Power Rewards Club. Amongst other bonuses, this can give you a £10 free bet each week if you place five wagers of £10 or more.
Pros
- Get constant rewards via the rewards program
- Helpful and responsive customer support
- Smooth and extensive streaming options
- Very fast performance levels
Cons
- Welcome offer is fairly small
9. Ladbrokes – Mobile and In-Person Betting Combined
Ladbrokes is the oldest bookie on this list by a distance, having first been created all the way back in 1902. Like William Hill though, it has shown a remarkable ability to stay relevant over the years. Its current football betting app, for example, is as advanced as any you’d care to measure it against.
Ladbrokes is particularly strong on its acca features. Full and partial cash outs are both available for your football betting, as is an acca insurance deal. You can also boost your own football odds here, stream a great selection of live matches, and opt-in to the free-to-play ‘1-2-Free’ predictor game. Ladbrokes is also one of the few brands which lets you link your mobile betting account with your betting shop one. This is done via ‘The Grid’, which lets you physically place wagers in-person using your online account, or cash out football bets via the app which were placed in-person.
Pros
- Exemplary track record
- Best-in-class acca features
- Use your online account in-person (and vice versa)
- Free-to-play predictor game
Cons
- Bigger welcome offers are available elsewhere
How We Rank Our Best Betting Apps for Football
Our list of the very best football betting apps, at the top of this page, wasn’t thrown together at random. Instead it is the result of extensive testing and analysis, with these being five of our key criteria.
- Welcome Offers
A good welcome offer can give your account a massive kick start. In turn, you can carry this momentum forward in your football betting towards short-to-medium term success.
Whether a bookie provides a Bet X, Get Y, Deposit Match, or Risk-Free Bet welcome offer, we’ve held them to the same standard. In particular, we’ve checked whether they offer genuine value, and whether the terms and conditions are fair. Aside from that, it was generally a case of ‘the bigger, the better’ when analysing bookies’ bonuses.
- Ongoing Promotions
If welcome offers are designed to get your account going, ongoing promotions are there to keep the momentum rolling for the long-term. These should reward customers for their ongoing loyalty in a few different ways.
Ideally, we like to see some good variety amongst a bookie’s ongoing deals for football punters. Odds boosts, acca boosts, promo codes, insurance offers, early payouts, free bet clubs, and more all provide slightly different benefits for bettors. Again though, the most important thing is that the T&C’s are clear, and that good value is being given.
- Football Markets
Just about every sportsbook nowadays will offer markets on the biggest competitions – the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, and so on. We’ve looked for bookies who have moved beyond this.
Firstly, we’ve rewarded brands offering plenty of breadth in their football markets. In short, if professional football is taking place at any time, in any place in the world, you should ideally be able to wager on it. Secondly, we’ve looked at the depth of these markets. A top bookie should go far beyond simple Match Result wagers, providing the likes of handicaps, player and team props, outright markets, and so on.
- Special Features
Quite simply, the more special features a football betting app has, the better. Live streaming is one of the best features of all, not only enhancing your enjoyment of football gambling, but also helping to inform your live picks. The likes of bet builders, betting tips, statistical information, partial cash out tools, push notifications, customisable interfaces, and so on are also all welcome.
- Safety
It goes without saying that – when using a football betting app – you want to be sure both your data and payment details are safe. A few different things go into this.
Firstly, we check that the appropriate security measures are in place. These should include SSL encryption, firewalls for the brand’s servers, anti-fraud checks, a separation between company and customer funds, and so on. Secondly, we check that respected and secure payment methods are provided. Last but not least, the brand should hold at least one license with a regulatory body, such as the UK Gambling Commission.
Our Top Football Betting Apps Compared
As noted above, it’s generally a case of ‘the more, the better’ when it comes to special features. While some are simply nice to have though, others can genuinely improve your chances of turning a profit. We’ve listed three of the best examples below, and you can see how all our chosen bookies stack up in each of these areas, and with their welcome bonuses.
| Betting App | Live Football Streaming | Bet Builder | Cash Out | Welcome Bonus |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Bet £10, Get £30 |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Bet £10, Get £30 |
 |
No | No | Yes | Bet £10, Get £30 |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Bet £50, Get £50 |
 |
No | Yes | Yes | Bet £10, Get £30 |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | £20 Risk-Free Bet |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to £100 in Free Bets |
 |
Yes | No | Yes | Bet £10, Get £20 |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | £10 Risk-Free Bet |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Bet £5, Get £20 |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Bet £5, Get £30 |
 |
No | Yes | Yes | Bet £10, Get £20 |
 |
No | Yes | Yes | Up to £25 in Free Bets |
 |
Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 x £5 Free Bets |
 |
No | No | Yes | Bet £10, Get £20 |
Football Betting App vs Football Betting In-Browser
As a football punter who wants to wager on the go, you have two main choices. Firstly, you can use a standalone app, which is obviously what we’re focusing on here. Alternatively, you can bet using your mobile browser instead. Aside from a couple of app-only options, all our recommended brands also have mobile versions of their main websites available.
Let’s look at the main pros and cons of using an app for your football betting, rather than simply wagering in-browser.
Advantages
- Special Features
While most of a brand’s most important features will be available in both cases, some are reserved solely for the mobile app. The likes of Face/Touch ID Login, push notifications, and interface customisation are all key examples.
- Performance
Generally speaking, mobile betting websites work just fine, but football betting apps are often noticeably quicker. This makes them both more convenient to use, and more practical when it comes to sticking down a quick in-play wager.
- App-Only Offers
Major brands like 888sport have been known to provide sizable special offers for football bettors, which can only be claimed via the app.
Disadvantages
- Storage Space
Football betting apps take up room on your mobile device, which is obviously not the case when simply using your mobile browser. If you’re truly struggling for space, therefore, you’ll need to either clear room or forgo the app entirely.
- More Demanding
If you’re using an older mobile device, it may struggle to meet the performance levels required by a modern football betting app. Mobile websites tend to be a little less demanding.
Best Football Betting Apps on iOS
iOS is the most-used mobile operating system in the UK, by a narrow margin. We’d also
assume this was the case with football bettors, and we’re pleased to say that – if this includes you – there’s a whole lot of choice available here.
Each of our recommended football betting apps has an iOS version, and all of these are available directly from the App Store. Many of these will allow you to fund your account using Apple Pay, and use either Face or Touch ID to log in.
These are our free favourite iOS football betting apps, at the time of writing:
Best Football Betting Apps on Android
Android might only be the second-most used mobile operating system in the UK, but – as
mentioned – it’s very close to iOS in this regard. And again, we’re pleased to say that the vast majority of top brands will have iOS apps in place, alongside their Android counterparts.
You’ll usually be able to acquire Android betting apps straight from Google Play. In certain cases though, you’ll need to download them from the bookie’s website. Either way, you will sometimes be able to use Google Pay to fund your account, and be able to enable push notifications.
Here are our top trio of Android football betting apps right now:
How to Download a Football Betting App
It’s not only easy to use the best betting apps for football nowadays but to acquire them in the first place too. These are the few steps you’ll need to take, depending on whether you’re using iOS or Android.
Downloading an iOS Football Betting App
- Go to the App Store
- Search for your chosen brand
- Select the right result
- Hit the download button (a cloud, with a downwards arrow)
- Wait until the download has finished
- Tap the new icon in your interface to open the app
How to Download an Android Football Betting App
- Open Google Play
- Search for a bookie
- Pick the sports betting app, open its page, and install it
- Grant permission, if necessary
- Wait for the download to be completed
- Open up your new betting app
Best Betting Apps for Each Category
As touched upon, while all our recommended football betting apps give you a well-rounded experience, some definitely excel in certain areas. Here are our recommendations for apps which are best in five key categories, to help you narrow down your options.
Best Football Betting Apps for Live Streaming
Live streaming serves a few important roles. Firstly, it’s a cost-effective alternative to a cable TV subscription. Secondly, it helps you to find in-play opportunities or identify the perfect time to cash out. Last but not least, it simply makes football betting much more fun.
Generally, live streaming is only available on bigger bookies. You can check the ‘Top Football Betting Apps Compared’ table to see which of our brands has this feature, and we’d recommend Betfredas the very best of the bunch.
Best Football Betting Apps for Cash Out
All modern-day sportsbooks should not only allow you to place live football wagers, but to cash them out too. A few factors distinguish the best from the rest here, though.
At a base level, your bookie should offer you fair prices for your cash out. These will ideally update regularly, and truly reflect the probabilities of the current situation. In the best cases though, your bookie will also let you pick between a regular full cash out, and a ‘partial’ cash out. The latter lets you remove some of your stake while leaving the rest in. Bet365lets you not only do this, but even set up an ‘Auto Cash Out’ too.
Best Football Betting Apps for Accumulator Betting
The accumulator isn’t the safest or most sensible of bet types, but it’s definitely one of the most fun.
All modern football betting apps will let you place accas. The best ones will not only give you good odds though, but may also boost these odds or insure certain selections via special offers. Ladbrokes– our top pick here – takes this a step further, by even letting you edit your accumulators while they’re still in-play.
Best Football Betting Apps for Free Bets
The value of free bet tokens is obvious. You can use them instead of your regular account balance, to help your cash go further.
Most of our chosen brands will give you ways to claim free bets. Ideally this will not just be via a one-time welcome offer, but through using ongoing promotions too. On 888sport, for example, you can not only claim £30 in free bets when signing up, but keep getting these tokens from your football betting for the long haul.
Best Football Betting Apps for Customer Service
Use any football betting app for long enough, and you’re likely to encounter a problem. That’s perfectly normal, but it’s still important that you get this issue solved as quickly as possible.
Live chat is the most convenient method for doing so, but phone and email support can also be useful. Whichever route you take, the support should be quick, friendly, and – obviously – helpful. Most of our brands excel here, but the support on Paddy Poweris especially good.
Explore Our Betting Site Guides
Final Thoughts
If you’re interested in on-the-go gambling for the beautiful game, you’ll find dozens of football betting apps out there. Not all of these are created equal, however. We’ve provided 15 excellent options at the top of this article, with our number one choice below. We’ve also told you how we arrived at these rankings, and provided recommendations for specific needs. All that remains for you to do is pick a brand, download its app, boot it up, and have fun.
