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What to look for in a free pool site
We make Comped, so we're obviously not neutral. Instead of a scored matchup against sites we don't run, here's the checklist we'd use on any free pool site — including this one — with Comped's own position stated plainly on each row, verified against how the product actually works.
The checklist
| WHAT TO CHECK | COMPED |
|---|---|
Player caps Many free tiers are free up to a certain number of entries, then ask the commissioner to pay. Check where the cap sits before your group outgrows it. | No paid tiers at any size. Comped never flips a pool to paid at an entry count, and it never will be "free up to N players." |
Signup friction Many sites require every player to create an account — or install an app — before they can make a pick. Check what the slowest person in your group chat has to do. | Players tap the pool's link and type a name. That's the whole signup — no account, no app, no invite codes. |
Price, and what's actually gated "Free" can mean a free tier with the useful settings behind a paywall. Check which features — pool sizes, formats, settings — actually cost money. | Everything is free. There is no payment path anywhere on Comped — no subscription, no paywall, no feature that costs money. |
Ads A free site has to pay for itself somehow — often with ad banners around the picks. Check what the page looks like on a phone before you send the link. | No ads. There are no ad scripts or ad networks anywhere on the site. |
Money handling Some sites collect entry fees or hold the pot. Check who is holding your group's money, and what that means where you live. | Never. Comped pools never handle money — groups that play for stakes settle up between themselves. |
Playoff continuation Some pools quietly end at week 18. Check whether the site keeps scoring through the playoffs, or leaves January to a spreadsheet. | NFL pools continue through the playoffs — Wild Card through the Super Bowl are just the next weeks on the schedule, scored like any other week. |
Game variety Many sites run one format well. Check whether the formats your group actually plays are all in one place, or spread across different sites. | Eight games today — pick'em, survivor, squares, and more — each run from one shareable link. |
Printable sheets Someone in every office pool still picks on paper. Check whether the site gives you a clean printable sheet, or leaves you rebuilding one in a spreadsheet. | Free printable NFL sheets — weekly pick'em sheets with the lines, team schedules, and more — built from the live schedule. |
Prefer paper? The printable NFL sheets are free too.
Common questions
Is there a player limit?
No — pools of any size. Comped never flips a pool to paid at an entry count, and it never will be "free up to N players."
How do people join?
They tap your link and type a name. That's the whole signup — no account, no app, no invite codes.
Do my friends need to create an account?
No. Joining and picking only needs a name — no email, no password, no app to download.
Does the pool handle money?
No, never. We just run the picks and the standings. If your group plays for stakes, you settle up between yourselves however you normally would.