Betfair vs William Hill

Odds and margin: where the value sits

Value is the deciding metric on this page, and the sampled figures point one way.

Betfair's average margin of 4.64% is roughly 2.5 percentage points tighter than William Hill's 7.19%. In practical terms, a lower margin means less is baked into the price against you, so the same selection typically pays more at Betfair.

Best-price share reinforces that. Betfair posted the top available price on 48.6% of its 278 sampled markets; William Hill did so on 14.7% of its 266. That is a wide gap for two established UK operators — Betfair is more than three times as likely to hold the leading price in this sample.

Our odds ratings track the same pattern: Betfair 8.9 versus William Hill 7.7. If your primary filter is return on stake, the numbers favour Betfair before any other feature is considered.

Head-to-head data table

• Odds rating: Betfair 8.9 | William Hill 7.7
• Average margin: Betfair 4.64% | William Hill 7.19%
• Best-price share: Betfair 48.6% | William Hill 14.7%
• Markets sampled: Betfair 278 | William Hill 266
• Market coverage: Betfair 8.8 | William Hill 8.5
• Sports depth: Betfair 8.6 | William Hill 8.6
• Live capability: Betfair 8.7 | William Hill 8.2
• Bet Builder: Betfair 7.4 | William Hill 7.9
• Licence & safety: Betfair 9.2 | William Hill 9.3
• Payments: Betfair 8.4 | William Hill 8.4
• Withdrawals: Betfair 8.5 | William Hill 8.2
• App: Betfair 8.4 | William Hill 8.5
• Features: Betfair 8.6 | William Hill 8.3
• Support: Betfair 7.9 | William Hill 8.2
• Founded: Betfair 2000 | William Hill 1934

Market coverage and sports depth

Sports depth is level at 8.6 for both, so on the breadth of events available across football, horse racing, tennis, darts, cricket, rugby, golf and basketball there is little to separate them.

Market coverage edges to Betfair 8.8 against William Hill 8.5. Combined with the higher live-capability score (8.7 vs 8.2), Betfair holds a marginal edge in the depth of markets per event and its in-play offering.

For football specifically — Premier League, Championship, Serie A, Ligue 1, Champions League and Europa League are all covered — the coverage difference is small, but the margin advantage still means Betfair prices tend to return more on standard match and outright markets. Racing punters get a comparable spread across both, and both list ATP Tour, WTA Tour, Test cricket and NBA markets.

Bet Builder and in-play features

This is where William Hill closes ground. Its Bet Builder rating of 7.9 sits above Betfair's 7.4, and William Hill's feature set explicitly lists Bet Builder alongside Live Betting, Cash Out and Live Streaming.

Betfair's listed features are Live Betting, Cash Out, Live Streaming and Fast Payout. If combining same-match selections is central to how you bet, William Hill has the stronger rating here.

Both offer Cash Out and Live Streaming, so for cashing out positions or watching in-play the practical difference is minimal. Betfair's higher live-capability score (8.7) and Fast Payout tag give it an edge for in-play volume and turnaround, while its features composite of 8.6 outscores William Hill's 8.3 overall.

Payments and withdrawal speed

Both operators accept Debit Card, PayPal and Apple Pay, take a £10 minimum deposit and quote withdrawal times of 0–24 hours. Payments ratings are identical at 8.4.

The one difference in supported methods: Betfair additionally lists Trustly. If you use Trustly for deposits or cash-outs, that is a point in Betfair's favour. Betfair also scores marginally higher on withdrawals (8.5 vs 8.2) and carries the Fast Payout feature tag.

For most bank-card and e-wallet users the day-to-day banking experience is broadly equivalent across the two.

Licensing and safety

Both are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the regulator for the United Kingdom, with an 18+ minimum age. Licence and safety scores are effectively level: William Hill 9.3, Betfair 9.2.

William Hill, founded in 1934, is one of the longest-established names in the market; Betfair launched in 2000. Both scores sit at the top end of our safety band, so on regulatory standing neither carries a meaningful risk premium over the other.

Apps and support

Both operators offer iOS and Android apps. App ratings are close — William Hill 8.5, Betfair 8.4 — so mobile experience is near-parity on the scoring.

Support is the one area where William Hill leads more clearly: 8.2 against Betfair's 7.9. If responsive customer service weighs heavily in your choice, that gap sits with William Hill.

Taken together, William Hill's advantages cluster around Bet Builder, app polish and support, while Betfair's advantages cluster around pricing, market coverage, live capability and payout speed.

Verdict: which one and for whom

For value hunters, Betfair is the clearer pick on this data. A 4.64% average margin and a 48.6% best-price share across 278 sampled markets mean more of your stake stays working, and the odds rating (8.9) reflects that.

William Hill is the stronger fit if your priorities are Bet Builder (7.9 vs 7.4), app experience (8.5 vs 8.4) and customer support (8.2 vs 7.9). Its licence-and-safety score is also fractionally higher at 9.3.

Many bettors hold accounts at both and line-shop, betting into whichever posts the leading price on a given market. On the sampled evidence, that would land on Betfair more often than not.