LotteryPowerball and Mega Millions are the two biggest multi-state lottery games in the U.S., and they're similar enough — both draw 5 main numbers plus 1 bonus ball, both regularly produce nine- and ten-figure jackpots — that the differences are easy to overlook. Here's how they actually compare, side by side.
At a Glance
| Powerball | Mega Millions | |
|---|---|---|
| Main numbers | 5 from 1-69 | 5 from 1-70 |
| Bonus ball | 1 Powerball from 1-26 | 1 Mega Ball from 1-24 |
| Ticket price | $2 | $5 |
| Draw days | Mon, Wed, Sat | Tue, Fri |
| Jackpot odds | 1 in 292,201,338 | 1 in 290,472,336 |
| Multiplier add-on | Power Play | Megaplier |
Full current numbers for each game, including every prize tier, are on the Powerball and Mega Millions pages.
Which Has Better Odds?
Mega Millions has a very slightly better jackpot probability — 1 in 290,472,336 versus Powerball's 1 in 292,201,338 — but the difference (about 0.6%) is small enough that it shouldn't be a deciding factor. For context, that gap is roughly the same as the odds difference between two similarly long-shot events; neither game is meaningfully "easier" to win in any way a player would notice. For a full explanation of how these numbers are calculated in the first place, see How Lottery Odds Actually Work.
The Ticket Price Difference Matters More Than the Odds Difference
Mega Millions costs $5 per line versus Powerball's $2 — a 2.5x difference that has a bigger practical effect on your entertainment budget than the marginal odds difference does on your chances. If you're playing a fixed budget per drawing, that $2 ticket price means Powerball lets you play more lines (or the same number of lines more times) for the same spend.
Which Produces Bigger Jackpots?
Both games have produced jackpots north of $1-2 billion historically, and which one is "bigger" at any given moment is mostly a function of how long it's been since each game's jackpot last hit — both roll over and grow when nobody matches all the numbers, and both reset to a smaller starting jackpot after a win. There's no structural reason one game trends larger than the other over time; it comes down to recent draw history, which you can check on either game's results archive.
Power Play vs. Megaplier
Both games offer an optional $1 add-on that multiplies non-jackpot prizes:
- Power Play (Powerball): Multiplies non-jackpot winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or (when the jackpot is below a certain threshold) 10x, randomly selected each drawing.
- Megaplier (Mega Millions): Multiplies non-jackpot winnings by 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x, also randomly selected each drawing.
Neither multiplier affects the jackpot itself — only the lower prize tiers — and neither changes your underlying odds of winning anything. It's purely a bet on a bigger payout if you do win a smaller tier.
So Which Should You Play?
Given how close the odds are, the more useful questions are usually:
- Budget: Powerball's lower $2 price point stretches further if you're playing multiple lines.
- Draw schedule: Powerball draws three nights a week (Mon/Wed/Sat), Mega Millions two (Tue/Fri) — playing both effectively gives you five draw nights a week to follow.
- Current jackpot size: Some players simply chase whichever game currently has the bigger advertised jackpot, which is a perfectly reasonable approach given how close the underlying odds are.
Whichever you choose, our number generator supports both games (plus Millionaire for Life), and the tax calculator works the same way regardless of which game's jackpot you're estimating.