Nera Marketing vs RaffleLabs: Which Is Right for Your UK Competition Website?

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The two providers sell different things. Nera Marketing builds a bespoke competition website the operator owns outright, with the compliance framework, payment application and tracking prepared inside the same project. RaffleLabs offers a hosted Starter platform on a proven template for a lower setup price and a monthly platform charge. Ownership, design freedom and how much is handled before launch are the differences that matter most.

Nera Marketing vs RaffleLabs at a glance

	Nera Marketing	RaffleLabs
Published results	£14.5 million+ in client sales, with named revenue and acquisition case studies	Named VaultNine Competitions testimonial with a link to the live website
Compliance delivery	Entry structure, free entry route, player controls, core policies and website wording prepared as part of the build	Skill question and free entry routes, legal guidance and responsible-play controls
Design	Brand-adapted Launch package, tailored Scale design or a fully custom Elite build	Template-based Starter package, or a bespoke design priced to requirements
Included features	30+ built-in features in every package, with custom development available	Standard Starter feature set, with specialised features through bespoke work or bolt-ons
Website ownership	The client owns the WordPress and WooCommerce website outright	Starter is hosted and managed by RaffleLabs, and bespoke hosting terms differ
Payments	Merchant application preparation, integration and checkout testing, including the Cashflows route	Payment gateway setup and integration included
Games	Branded Nera Games including Scratch Card and Slots	Instant wins as standard, with slots, scratchcards and custom mechanics available
Reporting	Platform reporting and GA4 integration	Basic reporting on Starter, advanced reporting available
Starting price	£2,995 one-off build fee	£1,495 setup, then £99 a month for Starter
Per-order platform fee	None	0p per order on Starter
Hosting	Separate competition-grade hosting plan	Included in the hosted Starter platform
Post-launch support	30, 60 or 90 days included by package, with ongoing services available	Ongoing platform support, with dedicated support as an optional bolt-on
Launch time	Three to four weeks	RaffleLabs says Starter can launch in a matter of weeks

Which provider handles more before launch?

Nera Marketing handles more. One specialist team prepares the website, the compliance framework, the payment application, the analytics and the launch setup together, and every package includes more than 30 built-in competition features. The operator chooses a proven launch structure, a more tailored design or a fully custom build, and the finished WordPress and WooCommerce platform belongs to the operator.

RaffleLabs Starter suits an operator whose main priorities are the lower advertised setup price and a hosted, managed template. An operator considering a bespoke RaffleLabs build should ask for a detailed proposal and compare its scope, ownership, hosting, support and ongoing costs against a Nera Marketing package.

When Nera Marketing is the better fit

• The operator wants to own the WordPress and WooCommerce platform
• The compliance framework should be prepared as part of the website project
• More than 30 competition features are wanted from launch
• The design should be adapted around the brand, or built fully to requirement
• The merchant application, payment integration and checkout testing need supporting before launch
• A one-off build fee is preferred over a compulsory platform subscription
• The operator wants the freedom to change hosting or development support later
• Named commercial results from live UK competition operators matter to the decision
• One team is wanted for the website, RMG approval, paid acquisition, email and SMS

When RaffleLabs is the better fit

• A lower initial setup cost is the immediate priority
• A hosted and managed Starter platform is preferred to an owned one
• The standard Starter features already match how the operator plans to trade
• The operator is comfortable paying £99 a month for the platform
• The chargeback assistance tool, funding route or current bolt-on structure is valuable
• The operator wants to launch on a proven platform template

What is the main difference between Nera Marketing and RaffleLabs?

The main difference is how much of the launch is connected inside one project, and what the operator owns when it is complete.

Nera Marketing designs the brand experience, builds more than 30 competition features into every package, prepares the website compliance framework, supports the payment application and connects the tracking needed for growth. The WordPress and WooCommerce website then becomes the client’s asset. The domain, website, customer database and platform stay under the operator’s control.

RaffleLabs Starter is a hosted and managed platform. The RaffleLabs public website states that self-hosting is not available on this version. RaffleLabs manages the platform while the operator pays the ongoing monthly charge.

RaffleLabs also offers a bespoke package. Its website says businesses that need to manage the platform in-house can do so through the bespoke route. The ownership and hosting position for a bespoke RaffleLabs build may therefore be different from the Starter package.

RaffleLabs Starter prioritises a lower setup price and managed hosting. Nera Marketing prioritises ownership, design freedom and a launch that connects the website to compliance preparation, payments and growth. The decision comes down to the asset the operator wants to build, and how much control they want after launch.

Is WordPress the right platform for a competition website?

RaffleLabs markets its builds as “fast, reliable, and free of WordPress bottlenecks”. It is a fair question to put to any provider that builds on WordPress, so it deserves a direct answer rather than a dismissal.

The underlying concern is real, and it is worth stating plainly. A generic WooCommerce store assembled from a pile of unvetted plugins does struggle with competition traffic. Draw nights are not steady load. They are a flat line followed by a vertical spike as a countdown closes, and a shop built for ten orders an hour will fail at a thousand orders in ten minutes. Operators have lost draws that way.

That failure mode comes from how a site is assembled, not from WordPress itself. Nera Marketing does not bolt competition mechanics onto a general ecommerce theme. The ticketing, entry caps, draw logic, instant wins, free entry route and checkout are purpose-built for competitions and run on competition-grade hosting sized for spike traffic rather than average traffic.

The load evidence is public. Rusboy Competitions grew to more than 40,000 active players and generated over £4.5 million in its first 12 months on a Nera Marketing platform. LR Luxe Competitions runs a TikTok Live model, which produces the most concentrated traffic pattern in the sector, and its rebuilt platform supported more than 10,000 players live at peak. Those are the conditions the objection describes, handled on the stack the objection criticises.

The honest trade runs in both directions. A managed platform removes the plugin question by removing the operator’s control over the platform, which is a genuine benefit for an operator who does not want that responsibility. WordPress and WooCommerce keep the operator in control, and the price of that control is that hosting, updates and maintenance need an owner. Nera Marketing can hold that role, or the operator can appoint anyone else, because the platform belongs to the operator either way.

An operator who wants nobody at all to own that responsibility should take the managed route seriously. An operator who wants to own the asset, shape it around a specific brand, and keep the option to move supplier later is better served by a purpose-built WordPress and WooCommerce platform.

Which provider gives operators more design freedom?

Nera Marketing gives more design freedom, and it offers three levels of it.

• Launch uses the proven Nera Marketing competition layout, adapted with the operator’s brand, content, prizes and customer journey
• Scale tailors page layouts, conversion journeys and supporting content around the business
• Elite is a fully custom design and development project for operators with distinct creative or technical requirements

The design route can therefore match the launch plan and the budget. The platform can also develop as the business grows, because the client owns the WordPress and WooCommerce build.

RaffleLabs describes Starter as a template-based platform. Its bespoke package provides custom layouts and specialised features for businesses that need more control. When comparing bespoke proposals, an operator should ask both providers to show the homepage, the competition page, the account area, the checkout, the mobile journey and the administration experience included in the price.

Better design should mean more than visual preference. The test is whether the design makes prizes clear, keeps the entry route easy to understand, works well on mobile, supports trust and gives the operator a practical administration experience.

How do Nera Marketing and RaffleLabs prices compare?

The Nera Marketing Launch package costs £2,995 as a one-off build fee. It provides a complete competition website using the proven Nera launch structure, adapted around the operator’s brand. Competition-grade hosting is a separate ongoing service.

RaffleLabs currently advertises its Starter package at £1,495 setup, reduced from £2,495, followed by £99 a month. RaffleLabs states that this package has no per-order platform fee. Hosting and management are included within the Starter model.

Based on those advertised figures, the RaffleLabs Starter platform charges total £2,683 across the first 12 months and £5,059 across 36 months. Those figures exclude payment processing, optional bolt-ons and any later price changes.

That is not a complete like-for-like comparison. Nera Marketing hosting sits outside the £2,995 build fee. RaffleLabs includes hosting inside its £99 monthly charge. Payment processing is charged separately by the selected provider under either route.

Public cost	Nera Marketing Launch	RaffleLabs Starter
Initial build or setup	£2,995	£1,495 advertised setup price
Compulsory platform subscription	None	£99 a month
Per-order platform charge	None	0p stated
Hosting	Separate hosting plan	Included in Starter
Payment processing	Set by the approved payment provider	Set by the approved payment provider
Optional marketing or support	Priced separately	Optional bolt-ons
12-month platform cost	None beyond hosting	£2,683
36-month platform cost	None beyond hosting	£5,059

RaffleLabs has the lower advertised entry cost. Nera Marketing gives the operator an owned platform for a fixed build price.

Operators should ask both providers for a written breakdown covering VAT treatment, hosting, payment gateway setup, transaction fees and reserves, games and bespoke functionality, post-launch support, marketing services, data export, and ownership at the end of the relationship.

The lowest setup figure is only one part of the decision. The full cost depends on what the proposal includes, and on what the operator owns when the work is complete.

See what every Nera Marketing package includes

Who owns the website and the customer data?

Every competition website Nera Marketing builds is delivered on WordPress and WooCommerce, and the client owns it outright. That includes the platform, the content and the customer database, subject to any separately licensed third-party software used in the build.

The operator can keep the platform with Nera Marketing, move it to another suitable host, or appoint another developer. WordPress and WooCommerce are widely supported, so the business is not dependent on one agency to keep its core platform running.

RaffleLabs describes its Starter package as fully hosted and managed. Its public FAQ says self-hosting is not available on this version. That gives RaffleLabs responsibility for hosting and platform management, and it also means the operator needs the ongoing service to keep using that Starter platform.

RaffleLabs says in-house hosting is available with its bespoke package. An operator considering that route should confirm the following in the proposal and the contract:

• Who owns the source code and the design
• Who controls the domain
• Where the customer database is stored
• Whether all customer and competition data can be exported
• Which software licences can be transferred
• Whether the website can run without an active RaffleLabs service
• What happens to live competitions if the relationship ends

These questions should be answered before a deposit is paid. Platform ownership affects future development, migration, business valuation and the operator’s options if circumstances change.

How do the payment options compare?

Payment approval should begin before the website is ready to launch.

Competition businesses are treated as a restricted or higher-risk merchant category by many mainstream payment providers. Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments all decline competition sites. Underwriting can involve the company structure, the directors, the website terms, the competition mechanics, prize sourcing, expected volume and customer location.

Nera Marketing prepares the website and the merchant application together, which gives the underwriter a clearer view of the business before launch. Nera Marketing then integrates the approved gateway and tests the checkout before the first competition goes live. Nera Marketing payment routes include Cashflows, which supports payments from customers in the UK and Ireland for this model. A company director does not need to live in the UK, but the operator still has to pass the provider’s underwriting process.

RaffleLabs includes payment gateway setup and integration in its Starter package. Its website says the platform uses trusted gateways, supports fraud protection and includes a PCI-compliant checkout. The RaffleLabs service page does not name every available gateway.

Operators should ask RaffleLabs to confirm which providers are currently available, whether the provider accepts a new operator with no trading history, setup charges, transaction rates, rolling reserves, settlement times, Apple Pay and Google Pay availability, supported customer countries, and the process if the first provider declines the application.

Under either model the gateway makes the final underwriting decision. No website agency can guarantee merchant approval.

Read the Nera Marketing competition website payment gateway guide

How does each provider approach UK competition compliance?

Nera Marketing prepares the website compliance framework as part of the build. The entry structure, the free entry route, the skills question flow, the core policy pages, the player protection controls, the draw records and the required website wording are prepared alongside the design and development.

Nera Marketing handles the website implementation. The operator remains responsible for how each promotion is structured, advertised and administered, and should obtain legal advice for its specific business where required.

Both providers publish compliance and responsible-play features. The difference is how those requirements are scoped, evidenced and delivered inside the priced project.

The Nera Marketing compliance structure

Nera Marketing builds the selected competition model into the website from the start.

For a genuine prize competition, the process must meet the skill, knowledge or judgement test under Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005. The Gambling Commission says the requirement must be reasonably likely to discourage a significant proportion of people from entering, or prevent a significant proportion of participants from winning. It also warns that multiple-choice questions rarely meet the test.

For a chance-based prize draw with paid and free routes, the free route must meet the requirements of the Act. Gambling Commission guidance says the free route must be no more expensive and no less convenient than the paid route, and it must be promoted at the same level. The prize system must not treat paid and free entries differently.

Nera Marketing also prepares the platform around clear competition terms, prize and closing-date information, eligibility rules, age verification, customer spend controls, account suspension and closure, complaints handling, auditable draw records, winner communication, UK GDPR data handling and CAP Code requirements for promotions and advertising.

Nera Marketing is named by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as an other relevant signatory to the Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators. The Code came into effect on 20 May 2026. It covers player protections, transparency and accountability for chance-based prize draws with both paid and free entry routes. It includes age verification, credit card controls, spend limits, account suspension, harm monitoring, clear free entry information, fair draw records and restrictions on changing prizes or draw dates because of low ticket sales.

The Code does not replace the Gambling Act, consumer law, data protection or the CAP and BCAP Codes. Its scope also differs for businesses that run only genuine skill-based competitions.

The RaffleLabs compliance structure

RaffleLabs says its platforms support UK prize competition and skill-question rules. Its Starter package lists responsible-play controls, payment setup and what it describes as a Facebook (Meta) RMG licence. The page also names free-entry and skill-question routes, spend limits, cool-off periods, self-exclusion, fraud protection, fair and transparent draws, and legal and compliance guidance.

RaffleLabs recommends that operators take their own legal advice about their specific competitions. That is a sensible distinction. Platform controls can support compliance, but the operator remains responsible for the way each competition is structured, advertised and administered.

When comparing proposals, an operator should ask both providers to state which controls are included, which require a bolt-on, and which actions remain the operator’s responsibility.

See the compliance controls included in a Nera Marketing build

Which provider has the right competition website features?

Nera Marketing includes more than 30 built-in competition features in every package, with custom development available when the operating model needs something specific. That foundation covers the customer journey, competition administration, compliance controls, marketing data and reporting. The package then determines the level of design, support and custom development.

Selling entries and running competitions

Nera Marketing builds include ticket allocation, customer accounts, countdowns, competition management, skills questions, free entry routes and winner tools. The platform sits inside WordPress and WooCommerce, so each operator manages competitions through an administration system they own.

RaffleLabs Starter includes live draw reveals, automatic draws, instant wins, site credit, wallets, discount codes and an administration dashboard.

Games and instant wins

Nera Marketing builds branded Nera Games into the same customer account and reward journey. Current formats include Scratch Card and Slots, with more formats released as the library grows. Artwork, colours and campaign presentation are designed around the operator’s brand.

RaffleLabs offers instant wins as standard. It also lists slots, scratchcards and custom mechanics as game options.

The better route depends on the desired format, the artwork, the reward logic, and whether the game is included, optional or bespoke.

Player wallets and site credit

Both providers support wallets and site credit. These tools help operators issue prizes, refunds or promotional credit without creating a separate manual process.

The operating rules still matter. Operators should ask how balances are recorded, whether cash and promotional credit are separated, what happens when credit expires, and how the controls align with the Voluntary Code.

Reporting and analytics

Nera Marketing connects the website to GA4 and the relevant marketing platforms, and reporting requirements can be shaped around the build and the package.

RaffleLabs includes basic reporting on Starter, and offers advanced reporting for deeper analysis of entries, revenue and player behaviour.

Before choosing, an operator should ask to see the exact reports. A label such as advanced analytics is only useful when it answers real questions: revenue by competition, ticket sales velocity, average order value, repeat purchase rate, player acquisition source, payment failures, wallet and site-credit activity, and responsible-play events.

Explore more than 30 Nera Marketing competition website features

How do launch time and post-launch support compare?

Nera Marketing advertises launch in three to four weeks. The exact timing depends on design scope, content, payment underwriting, client approvals and custom development. The Launch package includes 30 days of post-launch support, Scale includes 60 days and Elite includes 90 days. Ongoing hosting, development and growth services are available separately.

RaffleLabs says its Starter package can launch in a matter of weeks. The hosted model lets it begin from an established platform and feature set. Bespoke builds can take longer because the scope is tailored.

RaffleLabs describes ongoing support as part of its Starter offer, and lists dedicated support as an optional bolt-on. Its public page does not state a guaranteed response time, so an operator should confirm that in the proposal.

Operators should ask both providers what support covers: technical faults, software updates, hosting incidents, payment gateway issues, competition setup questions, compliance changes, new features, conversion work, and advertising and customer acquisition.

Nera Marketing supports the business beyond the website build. That can include performance hosting, Meta RMG approval, paid acquisition, email, SMS, SEO and conversion work. These ongoing services are scoped and priced clearly before work starts.

See Nera Marketing competition-grade hosting

What evidence has each provider published?

Published features explain capability. Published results show what happened after a website went live.

Nera Marketing results

Nera Marketing competition website clients have generated more than £14.5 million in sales across the platforms Nera Marketing has designed and built.

Rusboy Competitions started with a focused motocross audience and no competition platform. Nera Marketing built the website, the compliance structure, the payment integration and the performance setup. Rusboy generated more than £4.5 million in competition sales during its first 12 months and grew to more than 40,000 active players.

Read the Rusboy Competitions case study

LR Luxe Competitions had an existing website that was limiting performance and confidence. Nera Marketing rebuilt the platform for its TikTok Live model. LR Luxe generated £30,000 in the first month after relaunch, supported more than 10,000 players live at peak, processed its first payout within five days, and now runs at around £110,000 a month.

Read the LR Luxe Competitions rebuild case study

These are provider-published case studies. Each one names the client, explains the starting point, states what was delivered, and gives the result and the timeframe. Nera Marketing also holds a 5.0 rating from 175 verified Trustpilot reviews.

RaffleLabs results

RaffleLabs publishes a named testimonial from VaultNine Competitions. The testimonial credits RaffleLabs with a straightforward launch, instant wins, site credit, an easy administration system, stable busy draw days and ongoing support. It also links to the live VaultNine website.

The current RaffleLabs service page does not publish a revenue figure, a transaction volume or a measured conversion result for that client. That does not mean those results do not exist. It means they are not visible on the page reviewed on 8 September 2026.

An operator should ask either provider for a reference from a client with a similar starting point, prize category and intended scale.

Which provider is right for which operator?

Nera Marketing is the stronger fit for an operator who wants the website compliance framework prepared as part of the build, a design shaped around the brand and customer journey, more than 30 built-in features in every package, payment application support and gateway testing before launch, a WordPress and WooCommerce platform they own, one team for the build, RMG approval, paid acquisition, email, SMS and SEO, and evidence from clients that have generated £4.5 million in year one and £30,000 in the first month after relaunch.

RaffleLabs Starter suits an operator who wants the lower advertised setup price and prefers a hosted platform with ongoing management. Its standard features cover many common requirements. Its chargeback assistance, funding and dedicated support options may also matter to some operators.

An operator who needs a fully bespoke platform should compare both proposals and ask each provider to document the design and development scope, every initial and ongoing cost, website and code ownership, data export rights, hosting and uptime responsibilities, payment gateway options, compliance controls, included games and integrations, launch dependencies, post-launch support and marketing deliverables.

For operators who want compliance preparation, design, features, payment readiness, ownership and growth support connected from the outset, Nera Marketing is the stronger fit.

How this comparison was researched

Nera Marketing reviewed the public Nera Marketing and RaffleLabs service pages, pricing statements, FAQs, feature descriptions and linked evidence on 8 September 2026.

The comparison uses the same areas published on the main Nera Marketing agency comparison page: price, ownership, platform, payments, compliance, launch time, support and published evidence. Current Gambling Commission guidance, CAP guidance and the DCMS Voluntary Code were also checked.

Where this page says a detail is not publicly stated, it means the information could not be verified from the sources reviewed. It does not mean RaffleLabs does not offer it.

This page is reviewed every three months. Anyone who represents RaffleLabs, or who believes a factual detail has changed, can contact Nera Marketing with the relevant source and it will be reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Is RaffleLabs cheaper than Nera Marketing?

RaffleLabs Starter has the lower advertised setup price. It currently advertises £1,495 setup followed by £99 a month, which totals £2,683 over 12 months and £5,059 over 36 months. The Nera Marketing Launch package is £2,995 as a one-off build fee, with hosting priced separately. The two services use different ownership and hosting models, so an operator should compare the complete proposal rather than the setup figure alone.

Does an operator own a RaffleLabs website?

RaffleLabs says its Starter package is hosted and managed by RaffleLabs, and that self-hosting is not available on that version. It also offers a bespoke route for businesses that want to host and manage the platform in-house. Operators should confirm code, design, data and licence ownership in the specific proposal and contract.

Does Nera Marketing charge a monthly platform fee?

No. There is no compulsory platform subscription on a Nera Marketing website build, and the client owns the platform. Hosting, payment processing and any optional ongoing marketing, development or support services are separate costs.

Does RaffleLabs charge a fee on every order?

RaffleLabs currently states 0p per order for its Starter package. The £99 monthly platform charge and the payment processor transaction fees still apply. Operators should confirm the current terms directly with RaffleLabs before signing.

Can RaffleLabs build a bespoke competition website?

Yes. RaffleLabs advertises a bespoke package for businesses that want more control over design, specialised features, advanced reporting and tighter ongoing support. Its price is provided after discussing the requirements.

Can Nera Marketing migrate an existing competition website?

Yes. Nera Marketing can rebuild and migrate an existing competition platform onto an owned WordPress and WooCommerce setup. The scope depends on the source platform, the customer data, live competitions, payment integration, the domain, SEO and required functionality. LR Luxe Competitions is a named example of a Nera Marketing platform rebuild.

Which provider helps with payment gateway approval?

Both providers advertise payment gateway support. Nera Marketing prepares the merchant application, integrates the approved provider and tests the payment journey before launch. RaffleLabs includes gateway setup and integration in its Starter package. The payment provider makes the final underwriting decision in both cases.

Which provider supports responsible-play controls?

Both providers publish responsible-play features. RaffleLabs names spend limits, cool-off periods and self-exclusion. Nera Marketing platforms include age verification, spend and credit controls, account suspension, complaints processes, auditable draws and clear free entry routes. Operators should ask each provider to demonstrate the controls included in the priced package.

Which provider is better for a new competition business?

Nera Marketing is better for an operator who wants compliance preparation, payment readiness, brand, tracking and growth infrastructure handled as one project, and who wants to own the finished platform. RaffleLabs Starter is better when the lower setup price and a hosted, managed template matter more. The right decision depends on capital, audience, launch plan and long-term ownership preference.

Sources

• RaffleLabs service page, pricing, features and FAQs
• Nera Marketing competition website service
• Nera Marketing comparison method
• Nera Marketing platform features
• Nera Marketing compliance guidance
• Nera Marketing payment provider guide
• Gambling Commission guidance on free draws and prize competitions
• Section 14 of the Gambling Act 2005
• ASA guidance on promotional marketing
• DCMS Voluntary Code of Good Practice for Prize Draw Operators

See the other Nera Marketing UK competition website agency comparisons