Weekend angler
You want to compete this weekend, for free
Slams run every day and cost nothing to join. Your Verified catches count from the moment you join.
CobiaFind a Slam →
Compare
The best fishing tournament apps, compared
Updated Nov 3, 2026
Facts checked Nov 3, 2026
In short
Most fishing tournament apps are tools for a director. You send in a photo and someone judges it later. Cobia checks the catch the moment it's shot in the Cobia camera, so tournaments run every day, on any water, with no judge and no weigh-in. Slams are free to join. FishDonkey, TourneyX and Fishing Chaos run dated events for directors, and Fishbrain has no tournament mode.
Why anglers pick Cobia
CobiaChecked when it's shot. No judge working through a photo queue after the fact.
Always on. Slams run every day on your own water, and repeat weekly.
Any water. From a farm pond to the Gulf Stream, fresh or salt.
Free to join. Slams and Duels cost nothing to enter.
Anyone can host. Five screens to a live board, results and medals.
More than a contest. A daily briefing for your water, AI that names your fish, and a Fishdex to fill.
- Apps compared
- Cobia, FishDonkey, TourneyX, Fishing Chaos, Fishbrain
- Where facts come from
- Each app's own website and store listings, linked at the bottom
- Cobia price
- Free. Slams and Duels are free to join
- Cobia platforms
- iPhone and Android
- How Cobia checks catches
- Only catches shot live in the Cobia camera count
- Who runs Cobia tournaments
- Any angler, club or shop, in five screens
- Who judges Cobia catches
- No one has to. The check runs when the catch is shot
The comparison
How does Cobia compare to other fishing tournament apps?
The big difference is when a catch gets checked. Director tools check it after, by hand. Cobia checks it the moment it's shot, which is what lets a tournament run every day on any water.
Highlight
| Checked Nov 3, 2026 | Our appCobia | FishDonkey | TourneyX | Fishing Chaos | Fishbrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How catches are checked | Only catches shot live in the Cobia camera count (Verified). Imported photos never count C2 | Date and time stamped photos and videos with anti-cheating tools. The director verifies the board 1 2 | A photo showing the event's 4 digit identifier. The director accepts or denies each catch 8 10 | Photo entries with location checks and real time judging, or a live weigh-in on connected scales 13 | Not applicable, no tournament mode 20 |
| Who reviews each catch | No one has to. The check runs in the Cobia camera when the catch is shot C2 | The director verifies the board 1 2 | The director accepts or denies each catch 8 10 | Real time judging by the event 13 | Not applicable, no tournament mode 20 |
| Always on or set dates | Always on. Slams run every day and can repeat weekly, and Duels run up to 7 days C1 | Set dates chosen by the organizer. Events can run all year or repeat weekly or monthly 1 2 | Set dates, with a start and end time for each event 7 | Set dates chosen by the organizer, from an hour to a full year 13 | Not applicable 20 |
| Free or paid to join | Free. Slams and Duels are free to join C1 | Free to host. Anglers pay the entry fee the organizer sets, plus a service charge 2 3 | Free to sign up. The director sets the entry fee, and TourneyX charges a fee per angler 9 10 | Anglers buy tickets in the app. Price and fees depend on the tournament 12 13 | Free app with a paid Pro tier. No tournament entry 17 18 |
| Who runs the events | Any angler, club or shop builds a Slam in the app in five screens. Cobia runs Slams too C1 | Organizers such as clubs, leagues, school teams, businesses and parks departments 1 2 | Tournament directors, who register on the site and run their own events 7 8 | Tournament directors and organizations, set up with the Fishing Chaos team 13 | No events. Its site says it has no dedicated tournament mode 20 |
| What it is | A free fishing app with tournaments that never close (Slams), 1 v 1 Duels and tools to fish smarter C1 | An app for creating and running fishing tournaments 1 2 | A fishing tournament management system with a companion app, TourneyX PRO 6 8 | A tournament management app that also does charter booking and a catch log 12 13 | A fishing app for spots, a logbook, forecasts and community 18 19 |
| How it's scored | By verified catch count. Most fish, Checklist, Hunt or Bag C1 | Length or weight, such as biggest fish, stringer or grand slam 1 | Length, with AutoCull keeping your best fish 6 10 | Weight at a live weigh-in. Photo event scoring [CHECK] 13 | Not applicable 20 |
| Fresh or salt | Both, from bass lakes to blue water C1 | Both appear. Lake and ice events, and saltwater species in its Master Angler contest 2 4 | Both appear in its event list, from bass and crappie to redfish and speckled trout 7 | Both appear, from bass events to a Florida redfish series 13 15 | Any water, per its site 18 |
| Platforms | iPhone and Android C3 | iPhone and Android. Web for joining and boards, but fish are entered in the app 1 2 5 | iPhone, iPad and Android, plus a phone browser 6 10 11 | iPhone, iPad and Android, plus a web login 12 14 16 | iPhone, iPad and Android 17 21 |
[CHECK] means we could not confirm it on the app's own site or listing
Cobia's row comes from our own help center
Spotted a change? We update the table and the date
All sources
Fishbrain alternative
Is there a Fishbrain alternative with tournaments?
Yes. Fishbrain's own site says it has no dedicated tournament mode, and Cobia is a free fishing app with tournaments built in.
- Join a Slam on your water, or start one in five screens.
- Challenge one angler in a 1 v 1 Duel for up to 7 days.
- Only catches caught live in the Cobia camera count.
- The top three in a Slam take home gold, silver and bronze.
And you keep the fishing tools: a daily briefing for your water, Strike Zones on the map, and AI that names your fish.
By need
Which fishing tournament app is right for you?
If you'd rather fish than send photos to a judge, there's a Cobia game for the way you fish.
Kayak and small boat
You fish from your own launch
Join a Slam on your water and fish it from wherever you put in. No check-in, no ramp, no photo to send to a judge.
CobiaKayak Slams →
Offshore crew
You want a tournament without the weigh-in
Every catch is checked on the boat the moment it's shot, so the board moves while you're still out there.
CobiaOffshore Slams →
Friends and crews
You want a private game for your group
Make a private Slam that only people with the link can join, and the live board keeps score for you.
CobiaHost a Slam →
Club, shop or league
You run your club's tournament
Build it in five screens. Cobia checks every catch, keeps the live board and hands out medals when the clock runs out. No photo queue to judge.
CobiaHost a Slam →
Head to head
You want to settle it with one angler
Call them out in a Duel for up to 7 days. Most Verified catches wins, and the record follows you both.
CobiaStart a Duel →
Questions
Tournament app questions
What is the best fishing tournament app?
For tournaments you can fish any day on your own water, Cobia. Every catch is checked the moment it's shot in the Cobia camera, so there's no judge and no weigh-in, and Slams are free to join. FishDonkey, TourneyX and Fishing Chaos are director tools for dated events. Fishbrain has no tournament mode.
Is there a free fishing tournament app?
Yes. Cobia is free, and Slams and Duels are free to join. Director tools usually charge anglers the entry fee the organizer sets, plus a service fee.
How do fishing tournament apps check catches?
Most check after the fact. A director reviews photos sent in during the event, like TourneyX's photo with a 4 digit code or FishDonkey's time stamped photos. Cobia checks when it's shot. Only catches taken live in the Cobia camera count, with the time locked and the species named by AI. How Cobia verifies a catch.
What is the best fishing tournament software for a club?
A Cobia Slam takes five screens to set up. Cobia checks every catch when it's shot, so there's no photo queue to judge, and the live board, results and medals run on their own.
Does Cobia do weigh-ins?
No, and it doesn't need them. Every catch is checked on the water the moment it's shot, so there's no line at the scales and no judge. Slams are scored by Verified catches.
Does Fishbrain have fishing tournaments?
Fishbrain's own site says it has no dedicated tournament mode. If you want tournaments in the app you fish with, Cobia has them built in, along with a daily briefing for your water.
Is Cobia on Android?
Yes. Cobia is on iPhone and Android, free on the App Store and Google Play.
Method and sources
How we checked the facts
On Nov 3, 2026 we read each app's own website and its store listings, and wrote down only what they say about themselves. No reviews, forums or press, and no fee amounts, which change. Cobia's row comes from our own help center. If a fact couldn't be confirmed, the cell reads [CHECK].
