Choosing a competition website platform

Last reviewed 29 October 2026 · Competition Brands guides

Your platform decides how quickly you can launch and how much you pay per entry. It also decides how easily you can meet the DCMS Code and run fair, auditable draws. This guide explains why we recommend a dedicated hosted competition platform, what to check before you choose, and how the hosted platforms in our directory compare on what they publish.

Our recommendation: a dedicated hosted platform

We recommend building on a dedicated hosted competition platform: software built specifically for comps and run by the provider for a monthly fee, a per-order fee or both. Draws, instant wins, free entry handling, spend limits and payment integration usually come built in, and the provider handles hosting, security and updates. Compare the options in the table below and on our platforms page.

The trade-offs are real, so weigh them up: you have less control, you depend on the provider, and with some providers the code is closed and cannot be moved elsewhere. Check data ownership and export terms before you sign (see the checklist below).

Why we don't recommend WordPress/WooCommerce

We ran a competition site on WordPress/WooCommerce ourselves, and we don't recommend it. These were the main problems we hit:

Poor performance. The site was slow for players and for us in the admin area.
The database grew huge. In our set-up every entry, ticket and order was stored as WooCommerce orders and post meta. That bloated the database, and a bloated database can slow down pages, admin screens and draws.
Server problems under heavy traffic. Traffic peaks when a big competition launches and at draw times put the server under strain at exactly the moments that matter most.

The plugin model can cause other problems too:

Plugin dependencies and update conflicts. A comp site often relies on several plugins working together, such as the competition plugin, WooCommerce, the payment gateway, caching and security. An update to one can break another.
Security and maintenance fall on you. You are responsible for hosting, patching WordPress core, themes and plugins, and backups.
Compliance features have to be bolted on. Monthly spend limits (including £0), age checks, suspension, credit card rules, recording postal free entries, instant wins with an equivalent free route, and transparent, auditable draws often need extra plugins or custom development, and then ongoing upkeep.

If you already run on WordPress, several hosted providers say they offer migration from WordPress/WooCommerce.

What to check before you choose

Draw integrity: how winners are selected, whether results are verifiably random and auditable, and whether there is a public draw record (DCMS 2.2; CAP 8.24).
Free entry: how postal entries are recorded and entered into the same draw.
Player protection: age checks, spend limits including £0, 6-month suspension, credit card caps and blocking credit cards on instant wins (DCMS 1.1–1.5).
Instant wins: how they work, and whether free entries get equivalent access (DCMS 1.10).
Payments: which acquirers are supported, and whether the money goes to your own merchant account.
Total cost: monthly fee, per-order fee, VAT treatment and set-up or build fees.
Ownership and exit: your customer data, domain and the ability to export if you leave.
Support and uptime around draw times.

Hosted platforms compared

Here is what each provider says on its own website. We have not tested the software and have no way to verify the claims independently. This table does not rank or endorse anyone.

Platform	Published pricing	Payments (as stated)	DCMS “other relevant signatory”
RaffleHub	Site states: £59/month + 10p per confirmed order, no VAT charged; optional done-for-you build £795 one-off.	Site states: ticket payments go to your own Cashflows or Paytriot account.	No
RaffleX	Site states: DIY plan £89/month inc. VAT + 17p per order ex. VAT; RaffleXpert build £1,999 then £74.17/month + 17p per order ex. VAT.	Site states: you need a Cashflows account to take card, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments.	Yes
Comps.gg	Site states: from £499/month + VAT, 0% order fees.	Site states: Cashflows and DNA Payments built in.	Yes
Turbo IT	Site states: from £99/month + 19p per paid order on the Launch tier.	Site states: embedded Cashflows checkout with Apple Pay and Google Pay.	No
Basecomp	Site states: no monthly fee, no per-order fee.	Site states: your own Cashflows account (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay) or Fena (pay by bank).	Yes
Rokker Prio	Pricing not published.	Not stated on the pages we checked	No
ByteStack	Pricing not published on the home page.	Not stated on the pages we checked	No

From each provider's own website, checked 29 October 2026. Prices change: confirm with the provider before you sign anything.

Pricing models differ a lot: some charge a flat monthly fee with no order fees, others a lower monthly fee plus a fee per order, and one states no monthly or per-order fee. Model your expected order volume before comparing. Some providers include VAT in their prices and some don't.

Notes on individual providers

Comps.gg states a flat monthly price with 0% order fees and offers migration from WordPress/WooCommerce.
Turbo IT states tiered monthly pricing plus a per-order fee on its entry tier, with an embedded Cashflows checkout.
Basecomp states no monthly or per-order fee and offers a paid done-for-you set-up.
RaffleHub describes server-side draws with public draw-check pages and an open-source draw engine. It lists player-protection tools including spend limits that can be set to £0 and take-a-break options.
RaffleX describes a no-code builder with a range of instant-win game types and help migrating from WordPress. It says its software is closed source and cannot be self-hosted.
Rokker Prio offers white-label, code-sale or managed options; we found no published pricing.
ByteStack offers a platform and a plugin for embedding competitions in an existing site; we found no pricing on its home page.

See every listing, with links, on our platforms page. Platform providers can advertise to UK operators with us.

Before you sign

Ask for the contract and the service-level terms. Check who owns customer data, the notice period and how you get an export. Ask how the platform supports the DCMS Code. If the provider is a DCMS “other relevant signatory”, it has committed to the Code too. Ask for live example sites you can test as a player, including the free entry route.

Frequently asked questions

Should I build my competition site on WordPress?

We don't recommend it. We ran a competition site on WordPress and had poor performance, a database that grew huge (every entry, ticket and order stored as WooCommerce orders and post meta) and server problems under heavy traffic at launches and draw times. Plugin conflicts, security upkeep and adding compliance features (spend limits, age checks, free entry handling, instant wins and draw transparency) can make it harder still. We recommend a dedicated hosted competition platform instead. See the comparison table and our platforms page.

I already run on WordPress. What should I do?

Several hosted providers say they offer migration from WordPress/WooCommerce. Ask how they move customers, order history and open competitions, and plan the switch between draws.

Which competition platform is cheapest?

It depends on your volume. Compare the monthly fee plus the per-order fee multiplied by your expected orders, plus VAT and any set-up fee. Published prices are in the table above and on our platforms page.

Do platforms handle payments for me?

Most integrate with a payment provider, but you typically need your own merchant account with that provider. Approval is separate from the platform. See payments for competition sites.

Does using a DCMS-signatory platform make me compliant?

No. The Code applies to operators. A platform can give you the tools, but you are responsible for how you use them.

Sources

Sources checked 29 October 2026.

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