Short answer: Betfair has far deeper liquidity, more markets per event, wider sport coverage and support from more trading software. Betdaq charges 2% flat commission with no premium charge. Pick Betfair if you trade in-play, stake more than £100 a trade or trade niche markets. Pick Betdaq if you pay Betfair's premium charge, lay small stakes for matched betting, or trade mainstream markets at modest stakes. Some traders hold both.
5% standard commission, lower for some accounts through discounts. The deeper of the two exchanges, with native support from every Betfair trading software. A premium charge applies to some consistently profitable accounts.
2% commission flat. No premium charge. Owned by Ladbrokes/Entain since 2013. Much thinner liquidity than Betfair, but a simpler pricing structure.
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Feature comparison table
| Feature | Betfair | Betdaq |
|---|---|---|
| Commercials | ||
| Standard commission | 5% | 2% flat |
| Premium charge | Yes (some profitable accounts) | No |
| Lowest commission rate | 2% (some accounts) | 2% (everyone) |
| Liquidity and markets | ||
| Liquidity | Much deeper | Thinner |
| Markets per horse race | More | Fewer |
| Markets per football match | More | Fewer |
| Niche sports (esports, GAA, snooker) | Yes | Limited |
| Software | ||
| Bet Angel support | Yes | Yes |
| Geeks Toy support | Yes | No |
| BetTrader support | Yes | Yes |
| Cymatic Trader support | Yes | No |
| Fairbot support | Yes | Yes |
| API | ||
| API documentation | Excellent | Good |
Liquidity
Liquidity is the biggest difference between the two exchanges. Betfair's markets are much deeper across every sport and market type; Betdaq's are thinner.
What that means by stake size:
- £10 to £50: both exchanges usually fill without difficulty in mainstream markets.
- £50 to £200: Betfair fills more readily. On Betdaq a larger order can be part-matched, with the rest waiting in the queue at your price.
- £200 and above: Betfair copes better. Betdaq's depth thins outside the leading selections, so expect to chase prices.
For most traders at reasonable stakes Betdaq is workable. For full-time traders putting meaningful money into each market, Betfair is the practical choice. See how to read the Betfair market for how liquidity affects fills.
Commission and fees
Both exchanges charge commission on net market winnings only. You pay nothing on a losing market.
- Betfair: 5% standard commission. Some accounts pay less through discount schemes. A premium charge applies to some consistently profitable accounts (below). Full Betfair commission breakdown here.
- Betdaq: 2% flat. No premium charge and no graduated structure.
Betfair (5% commission): £200 - £10 = £190 net
Betfair (2% discounted rate): £200 - £4 = £196 net
Betdaq (2% flat): £200 - £4 = £196 net
At a discounted 2% rate Betfair matches Betdaq on cost and keeps its liquidity advantage. If you pay Betfair's premium charge, Betdaq is much cheaper.
Sport coverage
Betfair's coverage is wider and deeper:
- Horse racing: both cover UK, Irish, US, French and Australian racing. Betfair adds Hong Kong, Japan and South Africa.
- Football: both cover the top European leagues. Betfair adds smaller leagues (Polish second division, Korean K-League, Bundesliga 3) and more correct-score, BTTS and minute-of-first-goal markets.
- Tennis: both cover the ATP and WTA tours. Betfair adds the Challenger and ITF circuits and set-by-set in-play markets.
- Cricket: Betfair covers the IPL, internationals and county cricket. Betdaq's coverage is patchy.
- Greyhounds: Betfair covers nearly all UK meetings. Betdaq covers fewer.
- Esports, GAA, snooker, darts: Betfair covers them; Betdaq mostly does not.
If you trade only Premier League football, Cheltenham, Wimbledon and Aintree, Betdaq's coverage is adequate. For niche markets, where smaller crowds can mean larger edges, Betfair is the realistic venue.
Trading software support
Most major trading software supports Betdaq, with gaps. Geeks Toy and Cymatic Trader are Betfair-only. Bet Angel supports Betdaq through a separate Betdaq licence (£14.99/month extra). BetTrader supports both in one subscription.
If Geeks Toy is your platform, Betdaq is effectively off the table. With BetTrader, or Bet Angel plus the add-on, you can reach both exchanges from one interface. See the best Betfair trading software guide for the wider picture.
API access and bots
Betfair's API is the industry benchmark for documentation, with a larger developer community and more open-source examples. Betdaq's API is the cheaper route for high-volume automation. Check each exchange's current API terms and fees before building a high-frequency bot.
The strategy decides the exchange:
- Automated matched betting or bookmaker-to-exchange arbitrage: Betdaq's 2% commission makes it structurally cheaper.
- Pre-race scalping bots: Betfair, because they need a deep order book at the off.
- Lay-the-draw automation and in-play tennis bots: usually Betfair, because Betdaq lacks the in-play depth.
If you are new to exchange APIs, start with the Betfair API guide. Once you are comfortable with one exchange API, adding the other is straightforward.
Betfair's premium charge
The premium charge is Betfair's most controversial policy and a common reason traders move to Betdaq. It applies to accounts that are consistently profitable over a long period and have paid relatively little commission against their winnings. Betfair then bills extra so the account's effective commission rate rises well above the standard 5%.
Betdaq has nothing equivalent: 2% flat, with no thresholds. For consistent winners the difference adds up. The exact thresholds and rates are set out in the Betfair commission guide.
In-play trading
In-play depth is one of Betfair's strongest advantages. In-play horse racing on Betfair is a credible market, with meaningful liquidity close to the off and through the race. In-play tennis has real depth set by set, game by game and even point by point. The in-play trading strategies guide covers this in depth.
Betdaq in-play is much thinner. Its pre-race horse racing markets thin out sharply just before the off, and in-play tennis rarely has the depth for meaningful trade sizes. For in-play traders, Betfair is the practical choice.
Verdict
You trade in-play. You stake more than £100 per trade. You trade niche sports or markets. You use Geeks Toy or Cymatic Trader. You are not paying the premium charge. You want the deepest liquidity available.
You pay Betfair's premium charge. You stake under £100 per trade in mainstream markets. You are a matched bettor laying small stakes. You are building a high-volume bot where cost matters more than depth. You value predictable commission over liquidity.
Using both exchanges
Some traders run accounts on both. A typical split:
- Pre-race horse racing scalping: Betfair, where liquidity matters most.
- Sportsbook arbitrage and matched betting lays: Betdaq, where commission matters most.
- Niche markets (cricket, esports, GAA, smaller football leagues): Betfair, the only realistic venue.
- High-stake mainstream football: whichever has the tighter spread that day.
Running both is overkill at £10 to £100 stakes. It starts to make sense once the 3-point commission saving is worth more than £100 a month.
Both exchanges follow UK Gambling Commission identity checks and ask for proof of identity, address and payment method. If you plan to use both, open the accounts at the same time and complete verification in parallel. See opening a Betfair account.
Open a Betfair Exchange account for the deepest liquidity of the two.
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Is Betdaq better than Betfair?
Betdaq is cheaper on commission (2% flat against Betfair's 5%) but has much thinner liquidity. For stakes under £100 in mainstream markets, Betdaq's commission saving can outweigh the liquidity gap. For higher stakes or in-play trading, Betfair's depth wins.
What commission does Betdaq charge?
Betdaq charges 2% flat on net market winnings, with no premium charge and no graduated structure.
Which exchange has better software support?
Betfair. Bet Angel, Geeks Toy, BetTrader and Cymatic Trader all support it natively. Betdaq is supported by BetTrader and Bet Angel (with a separate licence) but not by Geeks Toy or Cymatic Trader.
Can I use both Betfair and Betdaq?
Yes. The accounts are independent. Some traders use Betfair for liquidity-sensitive trades and Betdaq for commission-sensitive ones. BetTrader can run both in the same interface.
Does Betdaq have a premium charge?
No. Betdaq's 2% commission applies however successful you are, which is a structural advantage for consistent winners.
Who owns Betdaq?
Ladbrokes Coral Group acquired Betdaq in 2013, and the business is now part of Entain plc (formerly GVC Holdings). Betdaq runs as a separate exchange within the group.