Best PokerStars Alternatives in 2026 – Sites Like PokerStars
PokerStars alternatives have come a long way, and many now offer bigger bonuses, softer games, and faster crypto withdrawals than the industry giant itself. Whether you can’t access PokerStars, want to try something new, or are put off by the FanDuel tie-in, there’s no shortage of strong options out there.
We’ve reviewed and rated the best sites like PokerStars so you know exactly where to start.
Top Sites Like PokerStars
In This Guide
- Top Sites Like PokerStars
- 5 Best PokerStars Alternatives in 2026
- Alternative to Pokerstars Compared
- PokerStars Joins FanDuel
- How to Register an Account at PokerStars
- How We Pick The Best PokerStars Alternatives
- Why Should You Play at PokerStars Alternatives?
- Rake at PokerStars Alternatives
- Tournaments at Sites Like PokerStars
- Cash Games at PokerStars Alternatives
- FAQs
5 Best PokerStars Alternatives in 2026
If you’re specifically looking for a site like PokerStars, which has similar traits and features, like a busy MTT schedule with big guarantees, these online poker rooms are what you’re after.
1. Best PokerStars Alternative for Crypto: CoinPoker
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
CoinPoker scores super high as one of the best credible PokerStars alternatives. With software built on blockchain technology, every hand can be publicly verified as fair and random.
There’s a great mix of new poker enthusiasts, more serious grinders, and top professionals. CoinPoker was an early adopter of crypto payments and instant withdrawals and has increased its reach by now accepting fiat payment methods, too.
Why Choose This Poker Site?
- Crypto Payments: USDT, USDC, ETH, BTC, BNB + more accepted
- Instant Cashouts: Fastest withdrawals with crypto, with most transactions taking, at most, half an hour
- Public Blockchain RNG: 100% transparency on every hand
- Big Bonuses: 150% up to $2,000 & 33% rakeback
- Licensed & Trusted: Anjouan license & has public proof of cash reserves
What Could Be Improved?
- No regular withdrawal methods: While you can deposit using bank cards, crypto is the only withdrawal option
- Quicker Support: Response times can be inconsistent
CoinPoker User Review
“I love the blockchain technology behind CoinPoker. It makes everything transparent and secure. The 33% rakeback is a great perk!” Kevin Morson – Trustpilot
2. Best PokerStars Alternative for Tournaments: ACR Poker
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There are no PokerStars sister sites, but ACR comes closest in terms of traffic, cash games, and, particularly, tournaments. With $10 million in weekly tournament guarantees and a $50 million GTD special series, ACR Poker is one of the best alternatives to PokerStars for tournaments.
Boasting lots of small buy-ins (supplemented by freerolls and satellites to the bigger events like the Venom series) and enough big-money tickets to keep bigger-staking poker competitors happy, ACR Poker has a well-established reputation for quality multi-table tourney action.
Why Choose This Poker Site?
- Tourney Choice: Sit & Go’s, Bountys, Lightnings, Turbos, PKOs, Freezeouts + more
- High Limits: Large deposit and withdrawal limits, up to $25,000 with crypto
- Quick Cashouts: Faster processing than most rival sites
- Top Ambassadors: WSOP ME winner Chris Moneymaker is one of several pros
- Promo Bonanza: Scores of bonuses, promos, and leaderboards live every week
What Could Be Improved?
- Tough Standard: Big guarantees attract high-quality competitors
- Fast Blind Levels: Reduced tourney times might not suit everyone
ACR Poker User Review
“Been playing for a couple of years. When I cash out it usually only takes a couple of hours, if that”, Joel Benke – Trustpilot
3. Best PokerStars Alternative for Soft Games: Stake.us
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PokerStars doesn’t allow a real-money option in US states where online gambling isn’t allowed or in a legal grey area. Stake.us offers a perfect alternative for players in the US, in particular, with its sweepstakes model that uses Stake Cash and Stake Gold as “currency.” But you can then convert that and withdraw it as cash.
Cash games start at the micro-stakes, $0.01/$0.02, and that’s where you’ll find most of the action. Similarly, tournament prize pools typically don’t exceed $1,500. But the generally soft player pool gives you plenty of opportunities to boost your bankroll.
Why choose this poker site?
- Soft Games: Lots of players lack poker experience
- Game Variety: Play rare poker variants like OFC
- Fun Features: Run It Twice, straddle in cash games, and more
- Fast Withdrawals: It’s a crypto site, so you can cash out quickly
What could be improved?
- More tournaments: MTT prize pools aren’t huge just yet
- Higher stakes: Most of the action is at the micro- and low-stakes cash tables
User review:
“This has the possibility to be the site with the most fish, so I’m kinda interested.” – YoyoDevo, Reddit
4. Best PokerStars Alternative for Provably Fair Games: BCPoker
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
BCPoker stands out among PokerStars alternatives for one key reason: every hand is provably fair. The shuffle is influenced by data from everyone at the table, making it impossible for anyone, including BCPoker itself, to predetermine the outcome. After each hand, you can verify exactly how the deck was shuffled directly through the client.
It’s a crypto-first room with anonymous tables, fast withdrawals, and a clean, no-fuss interface. We found the cash game action steady, and the lack of HUD tracking keeps the games surprisingly soft for the stakes.
Why Choose BCPoker?
- Provably Fair: Blockchain-verified shuffle for every hand you play
- Full Anonymity: No persistent usernames, clean slate every session
- Fast Cashouts: Crypto deposits and withdrawals are processed quickly
- Soft Action: No HUD tracking keeps the cash game pools approachable
- Simple Interface: Clean, no-fuss platform with no unnecessary bloat
What Could Be Improved:
- Lighter Schedule: Fewer tournaments than the bigger alternatives to PokerStars
- Crypto Only: No fiat payment options available
User Review
“Honestly I lost in all poker sites, but this one is fair.”
5. Best PokerStars Alternative for Anonymous Tables: Ignition Casino
Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Ignition Casino runs fully anonymous cash tables so that you can play without having to hand over any of your personal information. Our usernames reset every session and there was no HUD tracking, with far fewer pros targeting weaker players.
The anonymity really changed the feel compared to Pokerstars, and we noticed it most at $0.25/$0.50 and $1/$2 NLHE. Where you’d normally face reg-heavy pools elsewhere, instead there were looser, splashier lineups here.
Add fast-fold Zone Poker, a simple Bitcoin-friendly cashier, and regular soft MTT fields, and Ignition becomes a go-to if you just want fun, beatable and completely anonymous games.
Why Choose This Poker Site?
- True Anonymous Poker: No screen names carried over between sessions, no HUD farming or data mining
- Quick Deposits: Instant deposits with Crypto
- Soft MTT Fields: Smaller but beatable tournaments
- High Value Tournaments: Weekly tournaments with guarantees of up to $2 million
- Softer Player Pools: Lots of recreational-heavy cash games at low-mid stakes
What Could Be Improved
- Limited high stakes: Action thins out above mid-stakes cash and majors
- Basic software: Lacks the polish and deep filters that can be found elsewhere
User Review
Best experience so far, Ignition Casino USA gave me solid bonuses and good gameplay. – Dackler M. Trustpilot
Top Tip
Before you play your first hand, take a minute to explore the hand history tool. Being able to verify the shuffle yourself is a rare and genuine edge when it comes to trusting where you play.
Alternative to Pokerstars Compared
To save you time, here’s a quick side-by-side look at the top PokerStars alternatives and what each one brings to the table in bonuses and rakeback:
| Casino | Welcome Bonus | Rakeback |
| CoinPoker | Win up to $25m | 33% |
| ACR Poker | 100% Deposit Bonus up to $2,000 | 27% |
| Stake.us | 25 Stake Cash & 250,000 Gold Coins | 25% |
| BCPoker | 10% on Your 1st Deposit up to $200 | 27% |
| Ignition Casino | 100% Poker + 100% Casino | N/A |
PokerStars Joins FanDuel
It could be a perfect time to join a site like PokerStars because the popular site will never be quite the same after moving its North American users to the FanDuel platform in March 2026. Due to the move, if you’re a PokerStars member based in the US or Ontario in Canada, you’ll need to create a new account on FanDuel to keep playing poker.
One of the positives of this change is you’ll have access to a bigger player base, with everyone from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan now grouped together.
It was announced that PokerStars members would stop earning rewards from March 13, 2026, instead claiming cash payments for unopened chests and for incomplete progress bars.
If you’re not convinced about PokerStars’ new identity, it might be time to find an alternative where you’ll feel at home again.
How to Register an Account at PokerStars
Now that PokerStars is part of the FanDuel platform, you’ll need to create a new account before you can keep playing. Here’s what to keep in mind and how to join.
- First, make sure to claim any cash payments you’re owed from the old PokerStars platform for unopened chests or incomplete progress bars that you can’t access after the move to FanDuel.
- You won’t be able to access your hand history now that PokerStars has moved.
- You must create a new account on the FanDuel platform, so go to PokerStars.net and download the app. You should get at least 15,000 welcome chips when you sign up.
- The PokerStars app might take a while to download, so try to be patient.
- Once the client loads, click ‘Join’ to create your account.
- Create a username and password, confirm your location, and opt in or out of marketing, and then confirm to complete your registration.
- You’ll then be able to access tables like Spin & Go and Kick-Off, and the P & R tab for promotions and rewards, including a chip boost and Play Money poker tickets bonus.
How We Pick The Best PokerStars Alternatives
For the best alternatives to PokerStars to stand out, they must offer something new, better, different, or unique. Plus, now that PokerStars has moved to the FanDuel platform, those of you who aren’t happy with the change might want a site like PokerStars that feels more familiar.
Below, you can find out how we pick the best PokerStars alternatives.
Games and Traffic
Both game choice and traffic are essential considerations. New and inexperienced poker enthusiasts will likely appreciate a smaller player base with many similar-level competitors rather than regular grinders and professionals.
Texas Hold ’em remains by far the most popular variant. While it’s great to see Omaha, Stud and other games, there is little point in any site offering tons of games if there is zero appetite for them.
Safety and Security
This is non-negotiable. We’d only ever recommend safe, secure poker sites like PokerStars. We recommend licensed best online poker rooms where your data and payment information are encrypted. Look out for licenses from the likes of the Government of the Autonomous Island of Anjouan.
Naturally, the biggest fear in online poker is rigged or unfair games. All PokerStars alternatives here use externally tested random-number generators (RNG) to ensure fair games.
For example, our top pick, CoinPoker, uses blockchain technology to guarantee fairness and transparency.
Cash Games and Tournaments
From micro-stakes to high rollers, our PokerStars alternatives look after all types of grinders.
We want to see a range of cash games, Sit & Go’s, daily and weekly tournaments, freerolls, satellites, and the chance to win packages to live events.
Banking Methods
One downside of PokerStars is the lack of non-traditional payment methods. Cryptocurrency has exploded in popularity in the last few years, and many of the top PokerStars alternatives accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other tokens.
If you’re unfamiliar with crypto, a good mix of card payments like Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, e-wallets like PayPal, and bank options, combined with fast withdrawal times where you can receive your winnings within hours, is crucial.
Bonuses and Rewards
Bigger welcome offers are standard at the best sites like PokerStars. A decent first deposit is great, but we also want to see sites looking after their regular customers.
Reload bonuses, uncomplicated rakeback and loyalty programs, freerolls, races, competitions, and more are standard at our top poker sites like PokerStars.
Customer Support
Given their size, customer service is one of PokerStars’ main downsides. No live chat and slow email response in 2026 are just strange!
Most of the PokerStars competitors have live chat support and standard email help, where responses are received in a matter of minutes. Many offer social media support, including dedicated Reddit and Telegram channels which are available 24/7.
Why Should You Play at PokerStars Alternatives?
PokerStars is one of the oldest and most recognized poker sites. For many new poker enthusiasts, joining PokerStars is a natural first step. But there are now many more excellent options for players. By some metrics, the best PokerStars alternatives have even overtaken them in some departments.
What’s more, PokerStars moved to the FanDuel platform in March 2026 and you might not be totally sure about this move. So sites like PokerStars offer you further options that might be closer to what you want.
PokerStars has switched its focus to casino-style poker games and cross-sells poker fans to its casino. It has also changed its rake and VIP setup, and has a lot of very talented players. These are all legit reasons you might want to try a PokerStars alternative.
Here are more reasons to consider playing at PokerStars alternatives:
Softer Fields
Lesser-known poker sites will be less reg-heavy and have a better poker ecosystem. This is because many pros have spent years playing at PokerStars, and it’s become well-known as one of the toughest sites to beat.
Sites similar to PokerStars are more focused on recreational players and have a better mixed player pool, making it easier to win in general.
Bigger Welcome Bonuses
All our best sites, like PokerStars, offer higher first-deposit bonuses.
CoinPoker offers 150% up to $2,000, BetOnline 100% up to $1,000 + tournament tickets, and ACR Poker 100% up to $2,000, as a few examples.
Higher Rakeback
Rakeback is one of the most important things to consider when choosing an online poker site. PokerStars does deliver on rakeback, but some players might feel it has a complicated formula
CoinPoker, on the other hand, offers a flat 33% rakeback to all users – no need to opt into any program, no minimum or maximum limits, and rakeback is paid every Monday.
Wider Range of Promotions
Having accounts at different PokerStars competitors gives you access to a better rewards system and promotions. You can benefit from high rakeback, loyalty points, reload bonuses, rake races, and other leaderboards to crypto-only benefits.
Crypto Options
PokerStars doesn’t accept crypto, but most of our best alternatives do. Many sites like PokerStars offer instant, fee-free, anonymous payments and withdrawals in Bitcoin, Tether, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and more tokens, for increased privacy, security, and faster cashouts.
Rake at PokerStars Alternatives
CoinPoker has a flat 5% rake on all cash games, capped at $0.3 to $25, depending on the game, so the effective rate works out better in the long term. MTT Tournaments have an 8% rake, but many series and regular events charge just 5%.
Every tourney includes the rake in the buy-in figure, so a $10 entry, for example, is all you will pay.
CoinPoker refers to rake as “Community Contributions” and promises the majority is reinvested in prize pools and player experience, with only a small percentage used for expenses.
No Limit Poker and Omaha at BCPoker and ACR Poker use an attractive weighted methodology. All stakes up to and including $1/$2 charge just $0.01 for each $0.20 in the pot, with a maximum rake of $3 when a table has 5-9 participants.
Rake at fixed-limit games is 1-4.5%, depending on stakes and the number of players at the table. At the lower end, caps are as low as $0.01 to $0.04.
Bovada has a fixed 5% rake, capped at $4. Many featured PokerStars alternatives employ the same “no flop, no drop” policy as PokerStars – no rake if the hand ends before the flop.
Rake at PokerStars
PokerStars made major changes to its rake structure in 2024, upsetting some regulars. This opened the door for PokerStars alternatives to claim a slice of the action, and traffic is booming outside PokerStars.
For no-limit games, the rake is a flat 5.5%. The highest buy-in levels of $5/$10, $10/$20, and $25/$50 are charged at a slightly lower 5%.
Fixed-limit cash games from $0.02/$0.04 to $0.50/$1.00 also have a 5% rake. Levels above these see a drop to 2.5%.
With these latest rake changes, most tables rose – micro stakes increased from 3.5%.
Most PokerStars tournaments charge a rake on top of the buy-in, typically 10%. For example, $30 + $3 ($30 buy-in plus $3 rake).
Tournaments at Sites Like PokerStars
There is tons of tournament action at sites like PokerStars.
It doesn’t matter what your bankroll is; opportunities are available. From free tournament tickets at Bovada to lots of daily satellites and freerolls to bigger events, disciplined grinders playing balanced poker can win big.
Sit & Gos are a massive part of the poker landscape, and many PokerStars alternatives here have softer fields than elsewhere. Stick to a solid Sit & Go strategy to build your bankroll.
Many of us dream of qualifying for a huge live event and facing off against the pros. CoinPoker, ACR Poker, and BCPoker, among others, offer the chance to play live poker. The WPN offers packages worth $12,500 each to the WSOP Main Event – and you can even win your way up from freerolls.
PokerStars WSOP
PokerStars was traditionally the go-to poker room for online satellite tournaments to the legendary live WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. Many of you will know the incredible story of Chris Moneymaker winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event after qualifying via a PokerStars $86 satellite.
Since PokerStars now operates in only a few US states in 2026, its focus has shifted. Now, PokerStars focuses on its online series and the live events it operates, such as the European Poker Tour.
Cash Games at PokerStars Alternatives
Cash games are the bread and butter of the online poker world. The top PokerStars competitors do a great job of providing 24/7 action at a range of stakes.
Hold ’em remains the king, but we were pleasantly surprised to see great traffic on Omaha tables and even some Stud games, too.
CoinPoker’s first Cash Game World Championship made headlines across the poker world. Running as a cash game leaderboard on the $50-$100 and $100-$200 tables, Owen Messere’s winnings of $590,000 saw him take the crown and a special Rolex Daytona watch.
