Matchbook has been running as a betting exchange since 2004, but the app only arrived in 2018. In the years since, it has grown into one of the highest-rated betting apps in the UK — 4.7 stars on the App Store and 4.4 on Google Play, with a combined average across more than 2,000 reviews that puts it ahead of most competitors in both the exchange and traditional bookmaker space.
The app carries the full Matchbook product: the peer-to-peer exchange, the sportsbook, the casino, live streaming for racing, and Matchbook Zero for commission-free fixed odds. It is not a stripped-down companion to the desktop platform. Everything you can do on the website, you can do here, with the added convenience of biometric login and a colour-coded interface that makes back and lay betting immediately readable on a small screen.
This review covers how to download the Matchbook mobile app, what it does well, where it falls short, and whether the mobile experience matches the strength of the desktop platform. If you already trade on Matchbook and are wondering whether the app is worth installing, or you are new to the platform and want to know what the mobile experience looks like before signing up, this page has the full picture.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Available on | iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play) |
| Cost | Free |
| iOS rating | 4.7 stars (1,600+ ratings) |
| Android rating | 4.4 stars (700+ reviews) |
| iOS requirement | iOS 15.0 or later, 68.8 MB |
| Product | Betting exchange, sportsbook, casino, live casino |
| Commission | 2% on net winnings |
| Key feature | Matchbook Zero — 0% commission fixed odds |
| Live streaming | UK & Irish horse racing and greyhounds |
| Colour coding | Blue for back bets, red for lay bets |
| Welcome offers | NEW30 (£30 free bets) or COMMFREE110 (0% commission 110 days) |
| Operator | Matchbook, founded 2004 |
| Licence | UK Gambling Commission |
How to download the Matchbook app
The app is available from both official stores, and the download is straightforward on either platform. Matchbook also provides direct download links on the website, but the App Store and Google Play routes are the simplest and safest. No sideloading, no APK files, no reason to look anywhere else.
How to download the Matchbook iOS app (iPhone / iPad)
- Open the Apple App Store on your device.
- Search for “Matchbook Betting Exchange” — the official app from Matchbook will be the top result.
- Tap Get and authorise the download with Face ID, Touch ID or your Apple ID.
- The app is 68.8 MB and requires iOS 15.0 or later, so any iPhone from the 6s onwards will run it.
- Once installed, open the app and log in with your existing Matchbook credentials, or tap Join to register a new account.
The app works on iPad too, though the interface is designed primarily for phone-sized screens.
How to download the Matchbook Android app
- Open the Google Play Store on your device.
- Search for “Matchbook” and select the official listing.
- Tap Install and wait for the download to complete.
- Open the app and either log in or register a new account.
UK users can download directly from the Play Store without any additional steps. The app runs on modern Android devices without issues.
Your Matchbook account is the same everywhere. Desktop, mobile browser, and app all share one login, one balance, and one set of open positions. A bet placed on the desktop exchange at lunchtime is sitting in your My Bets tab on the app by the time you leave the office. There is nothing to re-register, no fund transfer, and no separate casino account — everything carries over seamlessly.
Matchbook mobile app features
The app carries the complete Matchbook platform, and for an exchange that handles real-time peer-to-peer trading, getting the mobile experience right is not optional — it is the difference between hitting a price and watching it drift. Matchbook has built the app around speed, clarity, and the one design decision that makes exchange betting work on a phone: the blue-for-back, red-for-lay colour-coding system that makes every price on the screen immediately readable without squinting at labels.
The core feature set covers everything the desktop platform offers:
- Full betting exchange — back, lay, and trade on every market available on the desktop site, with the same 2% net-win commission.
- Sportsbook and multiples — traditional fixed-odds betting alongside the exchange for players who want both.
- Casino — the full Matchbook Casino, including slots, progressive jackpots, and live dealer tables, accessible within the same app.
- Live streaming — all UK and Irish horse racing and greyhound events, streamed directly in the app with a funded account.
- In-play betting — rapid odds updates as events unfold, with the bet slip clearly showing your potential liability on every lay.
- My Bets — a dedicated tab for managing open positions, checking settled bets, and tracking your activity.
Navigation runs through tabs at the bottom — Home, Sports, Live, My Bets, and Menu — with Promotions easily accessible from the menu. You can swipe between back and lay odds rather than displaying both simultaneously, which keeps the screen clean on a phone where space is tight. It is a small design choice that makes a genuine difference to usability.
Matchbook Zero
The feature that sets Matchbook apart from every other exchange app deserves its own mention. Matchbook Zero offers fixed-odds bets on selected football and horse racing markets with 0% commission and no bookmaker margin. The odds are genuinely the sharpest available — no exchange commission, no traditional overround.
| Matchbook Zero detail | What it means |
|---|---|
| Commission | 0% — nothing deducted from winnings |
| Bookmaker margin | None — true probability pricing |
| Markets | Selected football and horse racing |
| Maximum stake | £20 per bet |
| Availability | Limited window (48 hours before football, 1 hour before racing) |
The trade-off is the stake limit and the restricted availability. You cannot bet thousands at Matchbook Zero prices, and the markets are only open for a window before each event. But for bets up to £20 on the covered sports, you are getting the mathematically fairest price on the market. No other exchange or bookmaker app offers anything equivalent.
The Matchbook mobile app also supports push notifications for market changes and bet confirmations, multiple odds formats, and the bet slip clearly displays your potential liability on every lay bet — a detail that matters for exchange newcomers who need to understand what they are risking before confirming.
Matchbook app vs mobile browser vs desktop
As with any exchange, the platform you use shapes the experience. The desktop gives you the most screen space for reading markets. The app gives you speed and portability. The mobile browser sits in between. Here is how the three compare for Matchbook specifically.
| Feature | App | Mobile browser | Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back and lay betting | Full | Full | Full |
| Matchbook Zero | Full | Full | Full |
| Casino and live casino | Full | Full | Full |
| Live streaming (racing) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colour-coded back/lay | Yes (swipe) | Yes | Yes (side by side) |
| Speed of access | Fastest (biometric login) | Slower (manual login) | Depends on setup |
| Push notifications | Yes | No | No |
| Multi-market view | Limited by screen | Limited by screen | Best (wide screen) |
| Bet slip liability display | Clear | Clear | Clear |
| Provider filter (casino) | No | No | Yes |
| Works without install | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | On-the-go, in-play, quick access | Occasional mobile use | Analysis, multi-market trading |
The good news is that Matchbook does not lock any feature behind the app. Every market, every casino game, every streaming event, and every Matchbook Zero opportunity is available on all three platforms. The difference is purely about how you interact with them.
The app wins on speed and convenience. Biometric login means you are into your account in a second. Push notifications alert you to market movements and bet settlements. The swipe interface for back and lay keeps the screen clean in a way that the browser cannot match. For in-play exchange trading, where prices change by the second and getting a bet on quickly matters, the app is the clear best option on mobile.
The desktop wins on visibility. Back and lay prices sit side by side without needing to swipe, multiple markets can be monitored at once, and the casino section has a provider filter that the Matchbook mobile app lacks. For pre-event analysis, studying form across several markets, or any situation where screen space helps you make better decisions, the desktop remains the stronger tool.
The mobile browser fills a narrow gap. It works for a quick bet or a market check without installing anything, but it loses the biometric login, push notifications and the native feel of the app. For anyone who uses Matchbook more than occasionally on mobile, the app replaces the browser entirely.
Matchbook app design, navigation and performance
The design follows the same philosophy as the desktop platform: clean, minimal, and business-focused. There are no flashy animations, no cluttered promotional banners fighting for attention, and no visual noise competing with the odds. The interface is built for function, and for exchange users who need to read prices quickly and act on them, that restraint is the right call.
The colour-coding system is the single most important design decision. Back prices are blue, lay prices are red, and the distinction is immediately obvious on every screen. You swipe between the two rather than cramming both onto the display simultaneously, which keeps the interface readable on a phone where space is limited. Combined with a bet slip that clearly shows your potential liability on every lay bet, the app handles the inherent complexity of exchange betting as well as any mobile interface can.
Navigation runs through five bottom tabs — Home, Sports, Live, My Bets and Menu — with Promotions and account settings accessible from the menu. Moving between the exchange, the sportsbook and the casino requires a single tap. The layout is logical, and finding a specific market rarely takes more than two or three touches.
The ratings reflect a well-received Matchbook mobile app:
| Platform | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| iOS (App Store) | 4.7 stars | 1,600+ ratings |
| Android (Google Play) | 4.4 stars | 700+ reviews |
Those are strong numbers. The iOS score of 4.7 is exceptional by any measure and puts Matchbook alongside Smarkets at the top of the UK exchange app rankings.
Where the honest picture gets more complicated is performance under pressure:
- Freezing on return — a widely reported issue where the app freezes when you navigate away and come back, requiring a force-close and reopen to continue. For an exchange where timing matters, this is a genuine frustration.
- Peak-period lag — during high-traffic moments on major events, odds updates can slow down, and the responsiveness that works well in quieter markets takes a hit.
- Steep learning curve — the app does not hold your hand. There is no guided first-bet experience and no educational section for exchange newcomers. If you do not already understand backing, laying, and liability, the app expects you to figure it out yourself.
The casino section on mobile works smoothly — games load quickly and swiping through categories is responsive — but the lack of a provider filter means you cannot browse by studio the way you can on desktop.
The honest summary: for experienced exchange users, this is one of the best betting apps available in the UK, and the ratings confirm that. For newcomers, the performance issues and the lack of onboarding create a steeper entry than a traditional bookmaker app. Both things are true at the same time.
Claiming offers on the Matchbook app
Both welcome offers work identically whether you register on the app, the mobile browser, or the desktop site. The code is tied to your account, not the device you use. If you are signing up through the Matchbook mobile app for the first time, enter your chosen promo code during registration, and the offer activates from your first qualifying deposit.
The two options in brief:
- NEW30 — Bet £20, get £30 in free bets. Place and settle two qualifying bets (£10 exchange at 2.0+, £10 Bet Builder/Multiple at 3.0+ with 3+ legs), and three £10 free bets arrive within 72 hours.
- COMMFREE110 — 0% commission for 110 days on all sports. No qualifying bets needed, just deposit £10 minimum and the zero-commission window starts immediately.
The casino welcome offer — 200 free spins on 9 Masks of Fire King Millions — activates automatically when you deposit £20 and does not require a code. It works on the app the same as anywhere else.
Existing customers can opt into ongoing promotions directly from the app’s Promotions tab, including the weekly multiples free bet, the PGA Tour stake-back, and the Greyhound Track Club. No codes needed for any of these — you opt in, and the offers activate.
Matchbook app pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 4.7-star iOS rating from 1,600+ reviews | Freezes when navigating away and returning |
| Clean, colour-coded back/lay interface | Can lag during peak trading periods |
| Full exchange, sportsbook and casino in one app | No guided onboarding for exchange newcomers |
| Live streaming for UK & Irish racing and greyhounds | No casino provider filter on mobile |
| Matchbook Zero — 0% commission fixed odds | Matchbook Zero limited to £20 stakes |
| Biometric login and push notifications | Customer support not available 24/7 |
| Swipe between back and lay keeps the screen clean | Visual design functional rather than polished |
| Same account and positions as desktop | Android ratings lower than iOS |
| Two welcome offer options (NEW30 / COMMFREE110) | — |
The pros list reflects an app that does the hard things well. Putting a full peer-to-peer exchange on a phone screen is more complex than building a standard bookmaker app, and Matchbook handles it with a clarity that most competitors do not achieve. The colour-coding, the swipe mechanic, and the clean liability display are all genuine strengths. Adding Matchbook Zero, live streaming, and the casino on top makes it one of the most complete betting apps in the UK market.
The cons centre on reliability and accessibility. The freeze-on-return bug is a real frustration for active traders, the peak-period lag can cost you a price at the worst possible moment, and the app makes no effort to welcome new exchange users who have not used this kind of platform before. These are solvable problems, and the ratings suggest most users work around them, but they are honest marks against an otherwise strong app.
Matchbook app: the verdict
The Matchbook app is one of the strongest betting exchange apps available in the UK, and the ratings from over 2,000 users confirm that this is not just a marketing claim. It takes a genuinely complex product — peer-to-peer exchange trading with back and lay pricing, liability calculations, and real-time odds movement — and puts it on a phone screen in a way that works. The colour-coded interface, the swipe mechanic, and the clean bet slip make exchange betting on mobile feel natural rather than cramped.
Adding the full casino, live racing streams, and Matchbook Zero into the same app makes it one of the most complete mobile betting products in the market. No other exchange app gives you 0% commission fixed odds, progressive jackpots from the WowPot network, and live dealer tables alongside the core exchange, all behind one login.
The rough edges are real. The freeze-on-return bug needs fixing, peak-period lag can frustrate in-play traders, and the Matchbook mobile app does nothing to help newcomers learn exchange betting. These are not minor issues, and for users who hit them regularly, they temper what is otherwise an excellent experience.
For most active Matchbook users, the app earns its place on the home screen. Desktop for analysis and multi-market setup, app for speed, streaming, and on-the-go trading. Download it free from the App Store or Google Play, register with NEW30 or COMMFREE110 if you are new, and see how the exchange feels in your pocket. As always, set your limits and only bet what you can afford to lose.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Matchbook app free?
Yes. The app is free to download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. You only pay the standard 2% commission on net winnings when you trade on the exchange, or nothing at all on Matchbook Zero bets.
What is the Matchbook app rated?
The iOS version holds a 4.7-star rating from over 1,600 reviews. The Android version scores 4.4 stars from 707 reviews. The combined average of around 4.5 stars across more than 2,000 reviews makes it one of the highest-rated betting exchange apps in the UK.
Does the Matchbook app have live streaming?
Yes. The app streams all UK and Irish horse racing and greyhound racing events. You need a funded account to access the streams, but there is no qualifying bet requirement — just log in with money in your account and the streaming is available.
What is Matchbook Zero?
Matchbook Zero offers fixed-odds bets on selected football and horse racing markets with 0% commission and no bookmaker margin. Stakes are limited to £20 per bet, and markets are available within a limited window before each event. No other exchange or bookmaker app offers equivalent pricing.
Can I use the casino on the Matchbook app?
Yes. The full Matchbook Casino is available within the app, including slots, progressive jackpots from the WowPot network, and live dealer tables. The casino shares the same account and balance as the exchange. The only limitation is that there is no provider filter for browsing games on mobile.
Can I claim a welcome offer on the app?
Yes. Enter NEW30 during registration for £30 in free bets, or COMMFREE110 for 0% commission for 110 days. The casino welcome offer of 200 free spins activates automatically when you deposit £20. All offers work identically on the app, mobile browser and desktop.
What do the blue and red colours mean on the Matchbook app?
Blue indicates back bets and red indicates lay bets. This colour-coding system runs throughout the app and makes it immediately clear which side of the exchange you are betting on. You swipe between back and lay views rather than displaying both at once.
