What are the best pickup basketball apps?
There is no single best app. Pickup (Pickup LLC) is Atlanta-first for organized runs with a roster cap, a waitlist and payment when you reserve. GoodRec and Fullcourt lead on multi-city coverage, and HoopMe, Ball Up and ItsCrowded lead on outdoor court maps.
Last checked 29 October 2026
Quick pick
| App | What it does well | Coverage | Best for | |---|---|---|---| | Pickup | Roster cap, waitlist, pay when you reserve. 4.7 stars from 26 ratings on the App Store (Pickup: Basketball Runs, by Pickup LLC) | Listed public games in metro Atlanta; organizer tools anywhere in the US | Organized runs with payments | | Fullcourt | Says it maps 60K+ courts; active in LA, NYC, SF and Miami | Multi-city | Games plus a big court map | | GoodRec | Runs in 50+ cities, with Atlanta basketball listed | Strong multi-city | Multi-sport games and operations | | HoopMe | Check-in map of who's at the park | Map and social | Seeing who's at the court | | Ball Up | Live outdoor court map | Map-first | Outdoor discovery | | Squadz | Social squads, with Atlanta listings | Present in Atlanta | Running with a regular crew | | ItsCrowded | No-signup map of how crowded courts are, Atlanta visible | Map | Checking crowding before you go |
Where each app is stronger
If you're in Atlanta and want a run that actually fills, Pickup is built for that: every listed game has a capped roster, a waitlist that fills drop-outs, and payment at sign-up so people show up. See this week's games, like the Core 4 Friday run ($10 per player, capped at 15 per court, Varsity high school+).
If you travel or live outside Atlanta, GoodRec and Fullcourt are ahead on multi-city coverage today. That's the honest answer.
If you hoop outdoors and just want to know who's at the park, HoopMe, Ball Up and ItsCrowded lead on outdoor maps and check-ins.
If you're hosting your own run anywhere in the US, Pickup's organizer tools work nationwide. Here's how to organize a pickup basketball game.
How we compared
We looked at each app's own listing and site for what it says it does and where. We only cite ratings we checked ourselves — Pickup's App Store rating as of 29 October 2026. We make Pickup, so weigh that.
Answers
Other questions, answered
- Where can I play open gym basketball in Atlanta?
About two dozen metro Atlanta gyms publish open gym basketball times.
- Where can I play basketball in Marietta, GA?
Custer Park Sports & Fitness Center is the only Marietta gym with open play basketball on a published rate: $2 a visit, $1 under 18, or $50 a year for Cobb County residents.
- Can I play basketball at a church gym in Atlanta?
Sometimes, but rarely without asking first.
- Where can I play basketball for free in Atlanta?
Four metro gyms publish genuinely free adult drop-in basketball: Dunbar Recreation Center in Atlanta, Tuesday to Thursday 10am-2pm for ages 18 and over at $0; Brookhaven's Briarwood and Lynwood community centers; and Acworth Community Center.
- How do I find a pickup basketball game in Atlanta?
There are three ways, in order of reliability: check a rec center that publishes its open-gym schedule, show up at a lighted public park court in the evening, or use an app to see runs before you drive.
- Where can I play open gym basketball in Gwinnett County?
Gwinnett County runs open gym at six county gyms — Bogan Park, George Pierce Park, Rhodes Jordan Park, Best Friend Park, Lucky Shoals Park and Lenora Park.
- Where can I play basketball in Gainesville, GA?
Hall County sells an Open Gym Membership for basketball specifically — $12 a month plus a one-time $5 card fee — valid at East Hall, North Hall and Mulberry Creek community centers, or $10 for a three-visit pass.
- Where can I play basketball in Roswell, GA?
Roswell is one of the few metro cities that publishes adult basketball open-play times.
- Where can I play basketball during the day on a weekday in Atlanta?
Five metro gyms publish weekday daytime basketball: Dunbar Recreation Center, Tuesday to Thursday 10am-2pm, free; Kennesaw Recreation Center, 7:00-8:45am daily on its dated open-play calendar; Ebster in Decatur, Tuesday and Thursday 10am-2pm, $5 residents; Hembree Park in Roswell, Monday and Wednesday 10am-8pm, $4 residents; and First Baptist Gainesville, Monday and Wednesday 11am-3pm.
- Where can I play basketball on a Sunday in Atlanta?
Six metro gyms publish Sunday basketball access: Ebster in Decatur 3:00-5:45pm and Oakhurst 3:00-6:00pm ($5 residents, $10 non-residents), Sugar Hill's E Center noon-6:00pm ($2), Custer Park in Marietta 1:00-7:00pm ($2), Kedron Fieldhouse in Peachtree City 1:00-5:00pm ($3 residents) and BRXND Sportsplex in Atlanta ($10 a session).
- How much does open gym basketball cost in Atlanta?
Between free and $10 a session, depending on which city runs the gym.
- Where can I play indoor basketball in Atlanta?
Indoor basketball in metro Atlanta lives in four places: city and county rec centers, church family-life centers, school gyms rented by the hour, and private training facilities.
- Where can I play basketball in Decatur, GA?
Decatur has the best-documented open gym in metro Atlanta.
- Where can I play pickup basketball on a weeknight in Atlanta?
Four metro gyms publish weeknight basketball: Oakhurst Recreation Center in Decatur on Thursdays 7–9pm, Roswell's Bill Johnson Community Activity Building on Tuesdays and Thursdays 6–7:30pm, Kennesaw First Baptist on Mondays 6:30–9pm for men 16 and over, and Hembree Park in Roswell on Mondays and Wednesdays until 8pm.
- How do I rent a gym for basketball in Atlanta?
Almost every school gym in metro Atlanta rents by the hour through its district's facility-use portal — Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton each run their own.