RaceMetrics is made by Proform Racing, so we are not neutral. We have kept this to facts from each site's own pages, checked in October 2026, and said where Timeform is the better choice.
The short answer: Timeform sells expert opinion: its own ratings, symbols and analysts' comments on every British and Irish race, from £10 for a day. RaceMetrics is a research database: ratings for horses and their connections, and on RaceMetrics Pro a System Builder that back-tests your own rules on every UK and Irish run since 2018 at Betfair Starting Price. If you want to be told what an expert thinks, Timeform. If you want to test what you think, RaceMetrics.
Side by side
| Timeform | RaceMetrics | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Race Pass: £10 a day, £15 for 3 days, £20 for 7 days, £30 a month (recurring, by PayPal) or £50 for 28 days | Free; Basic £10 a month; Enterprise £25; RaceMetrics Pro £75; Proform Premium £97.50 |
| Free option | A free example Race Pass each day, and free My Timeform tools and the Analyst's Verdict on every race | A free account with a full racecard meeting every day, Fast Results and the RM7 competition |
| Ratings | Timeform Ratings in pounds, with the p / P and squiggle symbols, and Timefigures for speed | RaceMetrics Ratings for horses, trainers, jockeys, sires, dams, damsires and owners, earned by beating rated opponents and updated after every race |
| Expert comment | Analysts' comments, flags and in-play symbols on every runner | Data first; RaceMetrics Pro and Proform Premium add RMP View, a one-line comment on every runner |
| Sectional times | Sold separately, £100 per archive as Excel files; UK Flat data from Total Performance Data from May 2026, hand-timed before that | Sectional timing analysis on the form lines, a £50 a month add-on on RaceMetrics Pro and Proform Premium |
| Back-testing your own rules | Not found on Timeform's pages; its Filter works on today's runners | System Builder on RaceMetrics Pro and Proform Premium: 400+ filters, 150+ breakdowns, every UK and Irish run since 2018, returns at Betfair SP |
| Data export | Not found for subscribers | Data Export on Proform Premium: runner-level CSV files since 2018, plus daily files |
| Coverage | Every race in Britain and Ireland, plus selected international meetings | Every race in Britain and Ireland |
Where Timeform is stronger
- Expert reading of every race. Timeform has rated horses since 1948, and its analysts' comments, symbols and in-play notes are a language many punters trust. RaceMetrics does not try to replace that.
- Short-term access. £10 for a day or £20 for a week is cheap for a big meeting.
- International racing. Timeform covers selected meetings abroad, such as the Dubai World Cup Carnival; RaceMetrics covers Britain and Ireland.
Where RaceMetrics is stronger
- Testing your own ideas. The System Builder answers "has this ever made money?" for any combination of rules: a trainer at a course, a draw at a track, a horse returning from a break. Every result is at Betfair SP after commission, and a hold-out test checks the rules on races they were not built from.
- Ratings for the connections. Trainers, jockeys, sires, dams, damsires and owners each carry their own RaceMetrics Rating, not only the horse.
- The data itself. Proform Premium members can export runner-level CSV files of every UK and Irish race since 2018 for their own models.
- Ask in plain English. On RaceMetrics Pro and Proform Premium, Ask RaceMetrics answers questions such as "how do Willie Mullins' runners do at Cheltenham after a break?" straight from the database.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Timeform if you want an expert's view of each race and you do your thinking from that.
- Choose RaceMetrics if you want to check an angle against years of results before you back it, or build your own ratings and systems.
- Many serious punters use both: Timeform for the read of the race, RaceMetrics to test whether the angle has paid.
Frequently asked questions
Is Timeform worth it for UK racing?
For punters who want expert ratings and comment on every British and Irish race, yes: it is the long-standing benchmark, and a Race Pass costs from £10 a day or £30 a month. It is less suited to testing your own rules over past results, which we could not find on its pages; that is what the RaceMetrics System Builder does.
Is RaceMetrics cheaper than Timeform?
It depends on what you need. A RaceMetrics free account and Basic (£10 a month) cost less than a Timeform monthly Race Pass (£30), but they are racecards and ratings, not expert comment. The System Builder starts with RaceMetrics Pro at £75 a month.
Does Timeform have sectional times?
Yes, sold separately at £100 per archive as Excel files, mainly for Flat and all-weather racing. On RaceMetrics, sectional timing analysis sits on each runner's form lines as a £50 a month add-on to RaceMetrics Pro or Proform Premium.
Can I back-test a system on Timeform?
We could not find a back-testing tool on Timeform's pages; its My Timeform Filter lists today's runners that match your criteria. RaceMetrics Pro and Proform Premium include the System Builder, which back-tests rules on every UK and Irish run since 2018.
Prices and features checked on each site's own pages in October 2026. Prices change; check the site before you buy. RaceMetrics provides data analysis only: we do not accept bets.
