Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-07-06
What Makes a Good Racing App
What makes a good racing app
Most "best betting apps" lists rank whoever pays the most. Ours can't: every app score on this page is the Platform & app criterion from our published ranking model, computed the same way for every bookmaker we review — partner or not — from documented evidence. You can read exactly how on our how we rank page.
For a racing punter, a good app comes down to four things:
App-store ratings. Thousands of real users rating the thing daily is better evidence than any reviewer's afternoon with it. Where iOS and Android ratings are published, they anchor our score — and a sharp split between the two stores is itself a warning sign.
In-app racing streams. The single biggest practical difference between racing apps. Some stream most UK and Irish racing once you've had a small bet on the race; others stream nothing at all, which means switching to the TV or a separate service every time the stalls open.
Cash out that works. Racing prices move fast between the show and the off. An app with reliable full and partial cash out gives you options mid-race that a clunky one doesn't.
The racing-specific catch
A brilliant football app can still be a mediocre racing app. Bet Builders and same-game multis are sports features; what matters on a raceday is how quickly you can get from the card to a priced-up each-way slip, whether the stream starts without a fight, and whether early prices and boosts are surfaced or buried. Our comparison below weighs the app as a racing tool first.
How to read the scores
Each operator's score out of 5 comes from its review and is recomputed whenever the evidence changes — the same number you'll see on its review scorecard. Where we haven't yet verified something (a newer brand with thin app-store data, say) we score conservatively and say so rather than guessing. And one honest note before the rankings: the top of this list includes bookmakers we don't yet have a partnership with. They rank where the evidence puts them.
The App Rankings
The rankings, by our Platform & app score
Bet365 — 5.0. The benchmark. Widely regarded as the best app in the market, with industry-leading racing streams and in-play integration built into one place. We don't currently have a partnership with Bet365 — it tops this list because the evidence says it should.
Paddy Power — 4.5. An excellent, modern app with distinctive features like What Odds Paddy and a polished Bet Builder. Racing streams are in-app and the interface is one of the cleanest of the big brands. Also not currently a partner.
LiveScore Bet — 4.1. The best app among our current partners. Built on the Kambi platform with strong native apps — rated around 4.7 on the Irish App Store and roughly 4.3–4.4 on Android — plus live racing streaming, full and partial cash out, and the real-time data heritage you'd expect from LiveScore. See our LiveScore Bet review.
Betfred — 3.5. Solid store ratings (iOS 4.6, Android 4.3) and in-app UK and Irish racing streams — the full card at most meetings once you qualify. The polish trails Bet365 and Paddy Power, and there's no auto cash-out — manual only. Full detail in our Betfred review.
Coral — 3.5. Clean and straightforward, with racing streams available once your account is funded or you've bet recently. Not currently a partner.
QuinnBet, 10bet, BetGoodwin, William Hill, Ladbrokes — 3.0. The competent middle. QuinnBet's apps work well but have fewer independent store ratings to lean on; 10bet's ratings split sharply between iOS and Android and there's no in-app racing streaming; BetGoodwin relaunched on EveryMatrix's platform in late 2025 with a native app whose store profile is still thin; William Hill's app feels dated next to the leaders; Ladbrokes' is cluttered with promotions and its stream quality varies.
Star Sports and Spreadex — 2.5. Star Sports' app is rated 3.1–3.2 on both stores, significantly behind the majors — the brand's strengths are its trading desk and ante-post book, not its app. Spreadex's apps are capable but the spread-betting interface is steep and unforgiving; not where a beginner should start.
HighBet — 1.5. No native app at all: mobile-optimised website only, and no confirmed racing streams. If the app experience is what you care about, look elsewhere on this list.
The quick comparison
| Bookmaker | App score | Native app | Racing streams in-app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bet365 | 5.0 | Yes | Yes |
| Paddy Power | 4.5 | Yes | Yes |
| LiveScore Bet | 4.1 | Yes | Yes |
| Betfred | 3.5 | Yes | Yes |
| Coral | 3.5 | Yes | Yes |
| QuinnBet | 3.0 | Yes | Yes |
| 10bet | 3.0 | Yes | No |
| BetGoodwin | 3.0 | Yes | No |
| William Hill | 3.0 | Yes | Yes |
| Ladbrokes | 3.0 | Yes | Yes |
| Star Sports | 2.5 | Yes | Yes |
| Spreadex | 2.5 | Yes | No |
| HighBet | 1.5 | No | No |
Matching the App to How You Bet
Match the app to how you actually bet
You watch every race you bet on. Streaming is your deciding factor, so stay in the top half of the table: Bet365 sets the standard, and among our partners LiveScore Bet and Betfred both stream UK and Irish racing in-app once you've had a bet on the race or hold a funded account. 10bet, BetGoodwin and Spreadex don't stream racing in-app at all — fine if the TV is already on, frustrating if it isn't.
You bet small and want simple. Coral's app is the cleanest of the traditional brands, and QuinnBet keeps things straightforward with the bonus of money-back racing specials. Neither will overwhelm you the way a promotions-heavy interface can.
You're a serious ante-post or big-stakes punter. Star Sports is the honest exception to app-first thinking: its app is well behind the majors, but the reasons to use Star Sports — the trading desk, published ante-post liabilities, taking a proper bet on the phone — were never in the app to begin with. Read our Star Sports review for that trade-off in full.
You want the newest platforms. LiveScore Bet (Kambi) and BetGoodwin (EveryMatrix, relaunched late 2025) are the most modern stacks on the list — cash out variants, boosts and Bet Builders included — though BetGoodwin's app-store record is still too thin for a confident score.
One to avoid if apps matter to you. HighBet has no native app and no confirmed racing streams. Its racing concessions are genuinely strong — see our HighBet review — but as a mobile experience it's the weakest on this page, and we score it accordingly.
Don't pick on the app alone
The app is where you'll spend your time, but it isn't the whole decision: Best Odds Guaranteed, each-way terms and how an operator treats winners matter more to your bottom line than interface polish. Our full bookmaker rankings weigh all six criteria together, and the Offer Power Rankings rank the live sign-up deals if you're opening a new account either way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Share this article
More betting guides
Gamble Responsibly
Gambling should be entertaining and not seen as a way to make money. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help and support is available.