Hockey Line vs BenchApp
BenchApp grew from a team-management app into league features. Hockey Line Leagues started from the rink and league side. Here's where each one actually wins.
The short answer
Choose by who's doing the organizing. BenchApp is excellent for captains and team managers — RSVP, team chat with SMS, lineups, even beer-duty tracking — and its league tier layers divisions and standings on top at roughly $10 per team per month. Hockey Line Leagues is built for the person running the league or the rink: every league in one dashboard, live scoring feeding public league pages, AI-assisted season setup, and one flat rate no matter how many teams you add. Many adult teams keep using a team app for chat while their league runs on Hockey Line.
Choose Hockey Line Leagues if…
- You run multiple leagues or an entire rink and want one dashboard, one bill, and a public hub at /r/your-rink.
- Per-team pricing stings: at ~$10/team/month, a 24-team league costs more than our whole-rink flat rate.
- You want live in-game scoring that instantly updates public standings, player stats, and box scores.
- You want AI to build the season — leagues, divisions, teams, and a round-robin schedule from a plain-English description.
- You want teams on a free polished app with schedules, live scores, line management, and player hockey cards.
Choose BenchApp if…
- You mainly manage one team and RSVP/attendance tracking is your top priority.
- You need built-in team chat and SMS alerts that reach players who won't install an app.
- You need online registration and payment collection handled inside the platform.
- You like extras built for beer leagues, like drink-duty and volunteer tracking.
Pricing compared
Hockey Line Leagues: $150/month flat (or $105/month billed annually) for unlimited leagues, teams, and players — or Starter at $20/month for one league up to 10 teams. Players never pay.
BenchApp: free for basic team use; league functionality is priced around $10 per team per month, so costs scale directly with league size.
Feature by feature
League operations
| Feature | Hockey Line | BenchApp |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-league per rink (one dashboard) | Only us | Partial |
| Divisions & seasons | Yes | Yes |
| Playoff brackets | Yes | Yes |
| AI league setup assistant | Only us | — |
| Round-robin schedule generator | Yes | Partial |
| Suspensions & discipline | Yes | Partial |
| Registration, waivers & payments | — | Yes |
| Prospect rinks (pre-built + claim link) | Only us | — |
Live scoring & stats
| Feature | Hockey Line | BenchApp |
|---|---|---|
| Live in-game scoring | Yes | Yes |
| Goals, assists & penalties | Yes | Yes |
| Shots on goal by period | Yes | Partial |
| Goalie stats (SV%, GAA) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto standings & leaderboards | Yes | Yes |
| Play-by-play & advanced stats | — | Partial |
| Offline rink-side scoring | — | Partial |
Public web & fans
| Feature | Hockey Line | BenchApp |
|---|---|---|
| Public league hub | Yes | Yes |
| Live game pages | Yes | Partial |
| Box scores & player pages | Yes | Yes |
| Full custom league website | — | Partial |
| Embeddable stats widget | — | — |
Teams & mobile
| Feature | Hockey Line | BenchApp |
|---|---|---|
| Free mobile app for teams | Yes | Yes |
| Simple team join flow | Yes | Partial |
| Schedule & live scores in-app | Yes | Yes |
| Line management & shareable lineups | Yes | Yes |
| Game RSVP & attendance | Partial | Yes |
| Team chat & SMS alerts | Partial | Yes |
| Practice planning | Yes | Partial |
| Player hockey cards | Only us | — |
Pricing & onboarding
| Feature | Hockey Line | BenchApp |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate per rink (unlimited leagues) | Yes | — |
| Players never pay platform fees | Yes | Yes |
| Pointstreak migration guides | Yes | — |
| Concierge / hands-on setup | Yes | — |
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Hockey Line Leagues and BenchApp?
BenchApp is team-first — it started as a team management app (RSVP, chat, lineups) and added league features priced per team. Hockey Line Leagues is league-first — built for rinks and league admins with live scoring, public league pages, AI season setup, and flat pricing that doesn't grow with team count.
Is Hockey Line Leagues cheaper than BenchApp for a league?
Usually, once you pass about 15 teams. BenchApp league features run roughly $10 per team per month, so 24 teams is about $240/month. Hockey Line Leagues is $150/month flat (or $105/month billed annually) for unlimited teams and leagues.
Can my teams keep using BenchApp for chat while the league runs on Hockey Line Leagues?
Yes. Plenty of teams keep a chat tool they like. Your league's schedule, live scores, standings, and stats live on Hockey Line Leagues and the free Hockey Line app; nothing stops captains from also running their own team chat elsewhere.
How do I switch from BenchApp to Hockey Line Leagues?
Export or copy your rosters and schedule from BenchApp, then paste them into the AI setup assistant — it rebuilds leagues, divisions, teams, and the schedule. Teams join through a code in the free app. Most leagues complete the move in an afternoon. See the BenchApp migration guide for the step-by-step.
Switching from BenchApp?
The step-by-step guide covers exporting rosters and schedules, rebuilding with AI setup, and moving teams over with join codes.
See it live
Browse the demo rink or start your own — flat pricing, unlimited leagues and teams on the rink plan.
Competitor capabilities and pricing are based on public product pages and help docs as of June 2026. Vendors change plans and features — check each vendor for current details.