Best PokerStars Alternatives: Top Picks for 2026

Author
Vargoso
Updated
1/17/2026

PokerStars did not have rakeback for many years. Therefore, offering sites like PokerStars became an obligation for affiliates. However, in 2026, they redesigned their StarsReward program, and everything changed, although many players still prefer other online poker sites. If you want to avoid opening more chests, our article gives you the best alternatives to PokerStars.

Pokerstars Alternatives

Sites like Pokerstars

The poker industry has evolved dramatically over the last few years. There are increasingly more competitors on the market and what we could call “sister sites of PokerStars” because they remind us of the rise of the Red Spade Room in the last decade: hundreds of tables, high rakeback, and a friendly atmosphere for players from different countries.

As of 2026, the online poker landscape offers a diverse range of experiences. You can now compete for WSOP bracelets, engage in high-stakes Spin&Go games, use cryptocurrencies for betting, qualify for the World Poker Tour, and even embark on a poker cruise. This variety is a testament to the healthy competition among the top poker rooms.

In the following table, we have compiled the best alternatives to PokerStars:

CategoryPoker siteWelcome bonus
⭐ Best alternative to PokerStarsGGPoker
100% up to $600
✅ Best high-rakeback alternative to PokerStarsACR Poker
100% up to $2000
✅ Best crypto alternative to PokerStarsCoinPoker
150% up to $2000
✅ Best casual-friendly alternative to PokerStarsWPT Global
100% up to $3,000
✅ Best full-ring alternative to PokerStarsBetOnline
100% up to $1000
✅ Best HUD-friendly alternative to PokerStarsRedStar Poker
100% up to $2000

Do you still have questions? Request our round-table service from our manager:

Got a question?
Let's chat:
Anton Manager Wpd
Anton
online
Head of Sales

GGPoker - best alternative to PokerStars

 PokerStarsGGPoker
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
100% up to $600 or $100 tickets
Rakeback15%-60%24%-80%
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
Monthly Giveaway $10M+
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)
Rush& Cash (up to NL500$)
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLO
Spin&Gold 3-, 6-max
HUD support✅ Yes❌ No
Crypto cashier❌ No
✅ Yes (BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC)

After GGPoker overtook PokerStars in player traffic, the gap between the two platforms continued to grow. In 2025, GGPoker set a new world record by reaching a peak of 600,000 simultaneous connections.

Currently, the main similarity between GGPoker and PokerStars may be the size of their welcome bonuses: both offer 100% up to $600.  However, GGPoker also gives new players an alternative option at first deposit: a $100 ticket bonus. In addition, newly registered users gain immediate access to 30 daily missions with a combined prize pool of $350.

ggpoker

So what else sets the online poker market leader apart from its main competitor?

  • Loyalty program rakeback from 24% to 80% with additional bonuses for Gems.
  • Races with prize pools of several million dollars per month in all  poker formats.
  • Wide selection of modern action formats: Spin&Gold, PLO5, Rush&Cash, AoF, Flip&Go, Mystery Battle, Shortdesk.
  • Fully featured client with modern functionality, including a built-in HUD software.
  • Deposits and withdrawals in cryptocurrency.

Finally, thanks to its partnership with the World Series of Poker, GGPoker is the only online platform outside the US where players can win an actual WSOP bracelet.

ACR Poker

 PokerStarsACR Poker
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
100% up to $2,000
Rakeback15%-60%27%, or 10-65%
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
The Beast, Sit&Crush Races
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)
Blitz (up to NL100$)
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLOSpinz
HUD support✅ YesYes
Crypto cashier❌ No
✅ Yes (BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC)

PokerStars exited the US online poker market many years ago, and today ACR Poker is widely regarded as the primary platform where US players can compete with opponents from around the world.

Many longtime PokerStars players who transition to ACR experience a strong sense of nostalgia when they encounter the room’s loyalty program. The Elite Benefits system closely mirrors the core concepts of the former  PokerStars' Supernova program.

Americas Cardroom

Just as importantly, ACR Poker provides enough traffic to support meaningful rakeback. During peak hours, the platform regularly features more than a hundred active cash tables, including the fast-paced Blitz format.

Finally, an interesting note: Chris Moneymaker, one of PokerStars’ most iconic ambassadors who represented the brand for 17 years, has been a Team Pro at ACR Poker since 2021.

CoinPoker

 PokerStarsCoinPoker
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
150% up to $2,000
Rakeback15%-60%33% + VIP
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
$12K Daily Cash, $5K Weekly MTT Races
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)No
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLONo
HUD support✅ Yes✅ Yes
Crypto cashier❌ No
✅ Yes (BTC, USDT, USDC, WEPE, CHP)

CoinPoker is one of the main alternatives to PokerStars in the field of modern, blockchain-based poker rooms, offering anonymous gameplay without the need for verification.

Key features of CoinPoker include:

  • Games in USDT and support for deposits and withdrawals in cryptocurrencies.
  • The native CHP token, which is used to pay the rake.
  • Decentralized RNG.
  • Proof of Reserves is a public verification mechanism that allows a poker room to demonstrate that all player balances are fully backed by actual reserves and can be withdrawn at any time.

When it comes to game structure, CoinPoker largely follows the classic PokerStars model: low rake combined with solid rakeback. Players receive a flat 33% rakeback each week, and the regular World Cash Game Championship runs on rake-free tables. There is also a dedicated rake race for high-volume grinders.

CoinPoker also mirrors PokerStars in its approach to high-stakes action. Nearly every evening, the lobby features games with stakes reaching 1K/2K₮ at 7-max tables and up to 2.5K/5K₮ in heads-up formats.

Overall traffic is concentrated at 7-max Hold’em tables, with limits up to $500NL. During peak evening hours, more than a hundred of these tables are typically running.

WPT Global

 PokerStarsWPT Global
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
100% up to $3,000
Rakeback15%-60%
30% PLO, 40% Table starter NL10K+
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
Super Giveaway (Tickets Lottery)
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)
Flash (up to NL60$)
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLOGlobal Spins
HUD support✅ Yes❌ No
Crypto cashier❌ No✅ Yes (20 Coins)

WPT Global is the newest online poker site in our top list, but also one of the fastest-growing. In just a few years, the poker room has managed to surpass PokerStars in terms of player traffic.

WPT Global is heavily oriented toward recreational players. Poker tracking software is not supported, and a proprietary AI system conceals tables in the lobby that already have two or three strong winning players seated.

Mandatory straddles and antes add extra action, with 8-max tables being the most popular format. WPT Global’s game lineup is fairly standard, featuring NLH, PLO, PLO5, and Fast Poker. Among the less common options, Short Deck is also active, a format only otherwise available at GGPoker.

Rakeback is distributed selectively: 30% is allocated to Omaha players, while 40% goes to players opening high-stakes Hold’em tables. Rake across all cash games is set at just 4%.

A standout feature of WPT Global is its satellite system, which allows players to qualify for WPT events around the world.

Overall, for players seeking a genuinely different alternative to PokerStars, WPT Global stands out as one of the most compelling choices.

BetOnline Poker

 PokerStarsBetOnline
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
100% up to $1,000 and satellite tikets
Rakeback15%-60%10%-30% +VIP
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
Jackpots, Rake Races
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)
Boost (NL10-50$)
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLO
Windfall NLH, OFC
HUD support✅ Yes✅ Yes
Crypto cashier❌ No✅ Yes (15+ Coins)

BetOnline doesn’t offer massive traffic or especially generous bonuses, but it remains a solid alternative to PokerStars for players who prefer a smaller, more specific poker room with a modern client, weaker player fields than the major sites, and a wide selection of cryptocurrencies.

BetOnline Poker does not offer microstakes, with cash games starting at $0.05/$0.10. At the same time, BetOnline is not geared toward high rollers, as maximum limits are capped at NL/PLO $1,000. The client supports a wide range of table formats:

  • Texas Hold'em in 6- and 9-max formats, as well as fast Boost tables.
  • Omaha in 4-, 5- and 6-card versions.
  • Exclusive Sit & Go tournaments with Bomb Pot.
  • Spin & Go in Hold'em and Chinese Poker.
  • Another standout element of the tournament schedule is the Mystery Bounty MTT, which features a shared jackpot for individual buy-ins, which is used to pay out bounties.

All BetOnline cash tables include a jackpot feature, with random bad beat prizes that can reach tens of thousands of dollars.

In addition, the poker room automatically credits a 100% first-deposit bonus of up to $1,000 with the bonus code "POKER1000", and rewards regular play with 10–30% rakeback, along with the chance to earn extra payouts through multiple leaderboard races.

RedStar Poker (iPoker Network)

 PokerStarsRedStar
Welcome Bonus100% up to $600
$200 up to $2,000
Rakeback15%-60%20% or 35%
Regular promosEarly Bird Zoom (2x Points NL500$)
Twister Races, Lottery $25,000, Reload
Fast PokerZoom (up to NL500$)
Speed (no trafic)
SpinsSpin&Go NLH, PLO
Twister, Age of The Gods
HUD support✅ Yes✅ Yes
Crypto cashierNo✅ Yes (10 Coins)

The iPoker network, which includes RedStar, has experienced strong traffic growth in recent years and now offers almost the same number of tables as PokerStars.

Thanks to its distinctive action distribution, RedStar is particularly well-suited to PokerStars players who are accustomed to grinding large volumes of 6-max tables at mid-stakes (NL20–$200) while earning a solid 35% rakeback. During peak hours, up to two hundred tables are active at these limits alone.

Notably, RedStar is the only poker room where players have access to both a built-in and external HUD software.

Additional features include a generous 200% first-deposit bonus of up to $2,000, an exclusive monthly lottery with a $25,000 prize pool, reload bonuses, and €12,500 Weekly Twister Races.

FAQ

✅ What other sites are there like PokerStars?
✅ Is PokerStars still the best in 2026?
✅ Which online poker room is better than PokerStars?
✅ Can I play on PokerStars and other poker sites simultaneously?
Related posts