Compare
Both put games on your bar's TVs and let guests play from their own phones. Buzztime brings tablets for the tables, a national leaderboard, arcade games and sports predictions, on a six-month commitment. Nightcap is one $49 plan with an AI host that speaks and sports bingo that follows the live game.
Pick Nightcap if you want every game for $49 a month, a host that reads the questions out loud, Football Bingo that follows the live NFL or college game, and a free month with no credit card. Pick Buzztime if you want tablets on your tables, your bar's name on a national leaderboard, arcade games and sports predictions, and a six-month commitment suits you.
Try Nightcap free for 30 days →Side by side
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Nightcap | Buzztime | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49 per venue per month for every game, and every game added later. The crowd games are free. | Bronze $199/mo, Silver $249/mo (5 Buzztime Arcade tablets included), Gold $299/mo (10 tablets included). |
| Contract | Cancel anytime. Join at $49 and keep that price for as long as you stay. | Six-month commitment; cancel anytime after. |
| Free trial | 30 days free, every game. No credit card. | No free trial mentioned. They offer a 15-minute demo. |
| Hardware | None to buy. Any TV with a browser: a smart TV, a Fire TV Stick or a laptop. | Plug-and-play setup on any TV. Silver and Gold include tablets for the tables. |
| How guests play | Scan a QR code and play on their own phone. Nothing to download, no account. | Their own phones or tablets, or Buzztime tablets at the table. |
| Games | Trivia Night, 24/7 Trivia, Bingo, Poker, Game Day Bingo, Sketch and Specials TV (beta), plus 8 free crowd games. | Trivia, live trivia, bingo, poker, Bets (free-to-play sports predictions) and arcade games. |
| Voice host | Yes. An AI host with a real voice reads the questions, calls the numbers and crowns the winners. | Live-hosted trivia nights “with a mic”. |
| Always-on trivia | Yes. 24/7 Trivia runs by itself all day: a new round every few minutes and a bar leaderboard. | Yes. Always-on trivia that “runs at tables all day with no staff needed”, and venues compete on a national leaderboard. |
| Sports bingo | Yes. Game Day Bingo for football, hockey, basketball and baseball. Squares mark themselves from the live play-by-play. | Not listed. Bets offers free-to-play sports predictions on game day. |
Buzztime details are from its own website, buzztime.com, as of October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check their site for what is current. Nightcap details are from our pricing page.
Be honest
Neither one is right for every bar. Here is where each one fits best.
At the prices each lists as of October 2026, six months of Buzztime Bronze is $1,194, and Gold is $1,794. Six months of Nightcap is $294, and the first 30 days are free. Nightcap’s plan covers every premium game, so there is no tier to choose.
Buzztime’s Silver and Gold plans put tablets on your tables, which helps if some of your crowd would rather not use their own phone. Nightcap has no hardware at all: guests scan the QR code on the TV and play on their own phones, with nothing to download, so there is nothing to charge, store or replace.
Buzztime runs live-hosted trivia nights with a mic, and always-on trivia at the tables. Nightcap’s AI host speaks in a real voice every night: it reads each trivia question, calls the bingo numbers and crowns the winners, so a hosted night does not need anyone on the mic. In a loud bar nothing depends on hearing the host. The trivia question and its answers are on the TV, bingo keeps its call box on the screen, winners are checked automatically, and Game Day Bingo cards mark themselves.
Buzztime’s Bets lets guests make free-to-play predictions on the game. Nightcap’s Football Bingo gives every guest a bingo card of plays that marks itself from the live play-by-play, a little behind the broadcast so a phone never spoils a play. Game Day Bingo also covers hockey, basketball and baseball.
Questions
At the prices each lists as of October 2026, yes. Nightcap is $49 per venue per month for every game. Buzztime lists Bronze at $199, Silver at $249 and Gold at $299 a month, with a six-month commitment.
No. Guests play on their own phones by scanning a QR code on the TV, with nothing to download and no account. The bar needs a TV with a browser, such as a smart TV, a Fire TV Stick or a laptop.
Yes. Game Day Bingo plays along with NFL and college football, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college basketball and MLB games. Squares mark themselves from the live play-by-play, a little behind the broadcast so phones never spoil a play. Buzztime’s website lists Bets, free-to-play sports predictions, rather than sports bingo.
Yes. 24/7 Trivia runs by itself on the bar TV, with a new round every few minutes and a bar leaderboard.
Yes. Every game is free for 30 days with no credit card, and you can cancel anytime.
Every Nightcap game is free for 30 days, no credit card. Put trivia, bingo or Football Bingo on your TV tonight, then decide. After that it is $49 a month for all of them.