How We Rank UK Competition Sites

Last updated: 30 May 2026

Most "best UK competition sites" lists are vague at best and pay-to-play at worst. We built Prize Comparison because we couldn't find a single ranking system that explained how its scores were calculated.

This page does that. Below you'll find exactly how we evaluate each operator, what data we use, and why our ranking sometimes contradicts our quality score.

The Short Version

We assess every UK competition site on two separate dimensions:

Quality Score (out of 100) — how good is the operator on objective metrics?
Popularity Score (out of 100) — how big, established, and well-known are they?

Our final ranking combines both, weighted 60% quality and 40% popularity. This means a smaller, excellent operator can outrank a bigger, mediocre one — but not by much. And a huge, well-known operator can outrank a smaller excellent one — but again, not by much. The weighting reflects what we think most readers actually want: a balance between "well-known and trusted" and "objectively excellent."

Why Two Scores Instead of One

We separated quality from popularity because they measure different things, and lumping them together hides useful information.

If a site scores 85 on quality but only 40 on popularity, that tells you it's a hidden gem — small but genuinely well-run. If a site scores 60 on quality but 95 on popularity, that tells you it's a big established brand with average standards.

You might value one over the other depending on what you're looking for. We show both so you can decide for yourself.

The Quality Score — How It's Calculated

Our Quality Score is made up of five components, each worth 20 points, totalling 100. Each component focuses on something readers actually care about.

1. Trust & Legitimacy (20 points)

Is this operator legitimate? Will they pay out winners? Are they regulated where they need to be?

We assess:

Independent trust ratings — third-party assessments of operator reliability
DCMS Voluntary Code signatory status — operators who've signed up to industry self-regulation get a bonus
Company structure — publicly listed operators (BOTB, Goodlife Plus) get additional weight because they're subject to financial audits and shareholder scrutiny
Operating history — operators running for 5+ years without scandal get bonus weight

2. Trustpilot Reputation (20 points)

What do real customers say about this operator?

We use Trustpilot's star rating multiplied by 4 to convert their 5-star scale to a 20-point scale. So:

5.0 stars = 20 points
4.5 stars = 18 points
4.0 stars = 16 points
3.5 stars = 14 points

Operators with fewer than 100 Trustpilot reviews get a 5-point penalty regardless of star rating — small sample sizes aren't statistically meaningful, and most legitimate operators have substantial review volumes after a year or two of operating.

3. Customer Base Scale (20 points)

How many real customers does this operator have?

We use total Trustpilot review count as the best available proxy for customer base size. This isn't perfect — some operators encourage reviews more aggressively than others — but it's the most consistent comparable metric across the industry.

Scoring bands:

20,000+ reviews = 20 points
10,000-20,000 = 17 points
5,000-10,000 = 14 points
1,000-5,000 = 11 points
100-1,000 = 7 points
Under 100 = 3 points

Scale matters because larger operators have more financial stability to deliver promised prizes and weather difficult quarters.

4. Prize Range & Value (20 points)

What kinds of prizes does this operator actually deliver, and how reliable is delivery?

This component is more editorial than the others — we assess prize variety, average prize value, delivery track record, and whether cash alternatives are routinely offered for non-cash prizes. We weight each operator on these factors based on our own review.

An operator running 50 small instant-win competitions weekly scores differently from one running monthly £100,000+ dream car draws. Neither is inherently better — they suit different players — but they earn points in different ways.

5. Accessibility & Entry Barriers (20 points)

How accessible is this operator to new players?

We evaluate:

Free entry route — does the operator clearly offer a free postal entry route, as UK law requires? (+10 points if accessible, -5 if buried or obfuscated)
Low entry prices — are there entry options under £1? (+5 points)
Mobile experience — does the operator have a mobile app or strong mobile UX? (+3 points)
Customer support — is help readily available when needed? (+2 points)

The Popularity Score — How It's Calculated

Our Popularity Score uses two equally weighted signals, scored out of 50 each (totalling 100).

Trustpilot Review Count (50 points)

How many people have publicly reviewed this operator? More reviews = more customers = more popularity.

25,000+ reviews = 50 points
10,000-25,000 = 40 points
5,000-10,000 = 30 points
1,000-5,000 = 20 points
100-1,000 = 10 points
Under 100 = 5 points

Brand Search Volume (50 points)

How often do UK users search Google for this brand specifically? We use monthly search volume on the operator's brand-plus-"review" keyword (e.g. "BOTB review" or "Omaze review") as the metric.

3,000+ monthly searches = 50 points
1,500-3,000 = 40 points
700-1,500 = 30 points
300-700 = 20 points
100-300 = 10 points
Under 100 = 5 points

Brand search volume captures awareness in a way that other metrics can't. An operator can have moderate Trustpilot numbers but huge brand search volume — meaning they have a recognised name even if not everyone leaves reviews.

The Final Ranking

Once we have a Quality Score and Popularity Score for each operator, the final ranking is calculated as:

Final Score = (Quality × 0.6) + (Popularity × 0.4)

The 60/40 weighting toward quality reflects our editorial judgement that what an operator actually delivers matters slightly more than how well-known they are.

This is why our ranking sometimes contradicts the Quality Score shown on each card. A site might score 91 on quality but rank lower because their popularity is modest. Another might score 79 on quality but rank higher because they're a household name in UK competitions.

If you're looking for the "objectively best" operator, sort by Quality Score. If you're looking for the most popular and recognised, sort by Popularity. The Final Ranking is our best balanced answer.

The Featured Slot

Our ranking page also includes a separate Featured Partner slot above the main top 15 list. This is a clearly labelled, editorially selected operator that we believe deserves visibility despite not necessarily topping the main ranking — typically because they're newer, smaller, or differentiated in a way the main scoring doesn't fully capture.

The Featured slot is always clearly labelled and never affects the main ranking calculation. We always disclose if any commercial arrangement is involved.

What We Don't Score

To be transparent about our limitations, here's what our methodology does not measure:

Odds of winning — every legitimate operator publishes their odds in their terms. We can't verify these independently.
Random number generator integrity — we can't audit the technical fairness of each operator's draw mechanism. We rely on operators' published verification (live streams, external auditor letters, etc.).
Individual customer service quality — experiences vary by operator and by interaction. Trustpilot ratings approximate this but aren't perfect.
Future financial stability — we assess current health, but corporate situations change.

Where these factors are particularly relevant for a specific operator, we mention them in the individual review.

How Often We Update

We refresh our scoring data regularly. Specifically:

Trustpilot data (review counts, star ratings) — updated quarterly
Search volume data — updated twice yearly
Independent trust ratings — checked at each quarterly review
Major events (acquisitions, regulatory changes, controversies) — updated within 14 days of becoming aware

Each operator's review page shows when it was last updated. The Top 15 ranking page reflects the most recent quarterly assessment.

Commercial Relationships

Prize Comparison earns commission from affiliate relationships with some featured operators. We have a formal commercial relationship with BOTB through their Confido affiliate programme, and may have similar relationships with other operators over time.

These relationships do not influence our rankings or scores. Specifically:

We do not increase scores or improve rankings in exchange for higher commissions
We score and rank operators with no affiliate relationship by the same methodology
We may rank operators we have no commercial relationship with above those we do
Critical reviews of affiliate partners are published when warranted

For full details on our affiliate relationships, see our Affiliate Disclosure.

Editorial Independence

No operator has ever requested or received changes to their score or ranking on our site, and we wouldn't accommodate such requests if made. Our methodology is published on this page precisely to make our scoring transparent, defensible, and consistent — for both readers and operators.

If you spot an error in our scoring or have updated information about an operator, we'd welcome the correction — contact us via our Contact page.

Questions or Suggestions?

We're open about our methodology because we think transparency matters. If you think we're missing something important, or our scoring approach could be improved, get in touch — we'd genuinely like to hear it.