- Bracket makers compared
- Ten bracket makers to look at
- Which bracket maker fits your tournament
- The March Madness field is getting bigger
- Single elimination, double elimination or round robin?
- Six questions before you build the bracket
- Signs your bracket needs another look
- My plain advice on running a fair tournament
- Frequently asked questions
A bracket maker builds a tournament bracket from your list of teams or players, then lets you record results, print it or share a live version online. Some are made for sports clubs and leagues, some for esports and gaming, and some for fun votes and office pools. Ten options follow in no particular order.
A bracket turns a messy list of entrants into a story everyone can follow. Clubs use them for cup competitions, offices for sports pools and creators for fan votes on everything from snacks to songs.
The ten tools below cover all of those. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If your tournament is part of a team day, my guide to workplace wellness events and activities has more ideas for the day itself.
Bracket makers compared
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bracket HQ | Online bracket maker | Brackets of any size, fully customised | Not stated |
| BracketFights | Bracket maker for fun votes | Fan votes on anything | Yes |
| Brackets Ninja | Online bracket and tournament maker | Brackets with images, voting and predictions | Yes |
| Challenge Place | Tournament creator and league manager | Running leagues and knockouts together | Yes |
| Challonge | Tournament bracket generator | Swiss and round robin formats | Not stated |
| LeagueLobster | League and tournament schedule generator | Round robin fixtures for a league | Yes |
| Match Play Events | Pinball tournament software | Pinball leagues and tournaments | Not stated |
| PrintYourBrackets | Printable brackets and pools | Paper brackets and office pools | Yes |
| Toornament | Esports tournament platform | Esports competitions and leagues | Not stated |
| TourneyKeeper | Tabletop wargaming tournament organiser | Warhammer and wargaming events | Not stated |
Ten bracket makers to look at
Bracket HQ
Best for: Organisers who want to make a bracket of any size, customise how it looks and manage the tournament from one page.
BracketFights
Best for: Communities and creators who want a free bracket for anything, from snacks to movies, that people can vote on and share.
Brackets Ninja
Best for: Businesses and creators who want online brackets with images, voting, predictions and real-time updates, including March Madness formats.
Challenge Place
Best for: Clubs that run a league and a knockout cup and want both managed in one free tournament creator.
Challonge
Best for: Gaming groups that want single or double elimination, round robin, Swiss or free-for-all brackets generated for them.
LeagueLobster
Best for: League organisers who want a free round robin fixture generator, then scores, standings and updates for teams.
Match Play Events
Best for: Pinball communities that want over a dozen tournament formats, from simple brackets to pinball-specific ones.
PrintYourBrackets
Best for: Offices and families that want printable single or double elimination brackets, blind draws or office pools.
Toornament
Best for: Esports organisers and game studios that want to run tournaments and leagues on any game with a wide choice of formats.
TourneyKeeper
Best for: Tabletop gaming clubs that organise Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar and similar tournaments for their players.
Which bracket maker fits your tournament
- Brackets of any size, customised: Bracket HQ.
- Fan votes and fun brackets: BracketFights or Brackets Ninja.
- A league and a cup together: Challenge Place or LeagueLobster.
- Swiss and round robin formats: Challonge.
- Pinball competitions: Match Play Events.
- Paper brackets and office pools: PrintYourBrackets.
- Esports leagues: Toornament.
- Tabletop wargaming events: TourneyKeeper.
The March Madness field is getting bigger
NCAA.com says the 2027 men's tournament will be the first with 76 teams, up from 68. The change adds 12 Opening Round games before the 64-team First Round.
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That matters if you run an office pool. Printable brackets and templates built for 68 teams won't show the new opening games, and a pool that only starts at the round of 64 leaves people guessing about the teams still to qualify. Check that your bracket maker supports play-in games, or start the pool once the field is set.
Single elimination, double elimination or round robin?
Single elimination is the classic bracket: lose once and you're out. It's quick and dramatic, but half the entrants only play one match.
Double elimination gives everyone a second chance through a lower bracket. It takes longer but feels fairer, which is why gaming communities like it.
Round robin means everyone plays everyone. It's the fairest format for small groups and leagues, and many tournaments use it for a group stage before a knockout.
Six questions before you build the bracket
- How many entrants do you have, and will some need a bye?
- Will you seed entrants or draw them at random?
- Does everyone need a second chance?
- Will results be entered live or at the end?
- Do people need to see it on their phones?
- Who settles disputes about a result?
Signs your bracket needs another look
- The two strongest entrants meet in round one. Seed the draw.
- Entrants can't find their next match. Share a live link.
- The draw has gaps. Add byes.
- Results arrive by text message. Let organisers enter them online.
Do you make a bracket maker? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on running a fair tournament
Publish the rules before the draw, not after the first argument. Write down how seeding works, what happens if someone doesn't turn up and who has the final say on a disputed result, and share it with every entrant. A clear page of rules saves more goodwill than any bracket design.
Running it as a community event? My community event programming template helps you plan the rest of the day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bracket maker?
It's a tool that builds a tournament bracket from your entrants, then lets you record results, print it or share it online.
Are bracket makers free?
Several are free to use or offer a free version. Check the free plan column above, then confirm on each vendor's site.
How many teams are in the 2027 NCAA men's tournament?
NCAA.com says 76 teams, up from 68, with 12 Opening Round games before the 64-team First Round.
What is a bye in a bracket?
A bye lets an entrant skip a round when the number of entrants doesn't fill the bracket evenly.
What is double elimination?
It's a format where an entrant is only knocked out after losing twice, thanks to a lower bracket.
Can I make a bracket for a fan vote?
Yes. Some bracket makers let people vote on each match, so you can run a bracket on anything from films to food.
