Prediction market guidesJune 23, 20268 min read
Best Prediction Markets in 2026: Quick Comparison
Compare the best prediction markets in 2026 across availability, market breadth, fees, friction, and ideal use cases in one quick reference table.
prediction marketsKalshiPolymarketcomparison2026
Best Prediction Markets in 2026: Quick Comparison
| Platform | What it is | Availability | Market breadth | Trading fees | Other costs / friction | Best reason to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | Broad U.S.-regulated event-contract exchange | 18+, verification required; accessible internationally, with restricted jurisdictions | Broad regulated coverage: sports, politics, economics, finance, crypto, weather, culture, and major current events | Price-sensitive fee based on expected earnings; toss-up contracts generally cost more to trade than near-certain outcomes; some markets have different fees | KYC, bank funding, spreads, market-specific fee differences | Best default for U.S. users who want broad, regulated, dollar-based prediction trading |
| Polymarket US | Polymarket's regulated U.S. product, separate from international Polymarket | Built for eligible U.S. residents; verify current state/product availability before making exact claims | Newer and currently more sports-led; official docs list politics, culture, finance, and economics as coming soon | Price-sensitive taker fee; maker rebate for liquidity providers | U.S. KYC/regulatory flow; not the same market universe as international Polymarket | Most direct Kalshi-style competitor for U.S. users who want Polymarket's brand/interface |
| Polymarket International | Global crypto-native prediction market | Non-U.S. users in permitted jurisdictions; U.S. order placement is blocked | Very broad global coverage; strongest for fast-moving politics, geopolitics, crypto, sports, tech, culture, and breaking news | Category-based taker fees; makers generally pay no trading fee; geopolitics/world-events markets are fee-free | Crypto wallet/funding friction, regional restrictions, stablecoin mechanics, resolution-rule risk | Best for global breadth, fast market creation, and internet-native topics |
| PredictIt | Older politics-focused prediction market | U.S.-oriented, politics-focused | Narrow: mainly elections, candidates, government, nominations, and public affairs | 10% fee on profitable trades | 5% withdrawal fee; narrower market universe; less attractive for frequent trading | Still worth checking for U.S. politics and election-market comparisons |
| Robinhood Predictions | Event contracts inside Robinhood | U.S. residents with approved Robinhood Derivatives access; not available in every state | Broad consumer categories inside the Robinhood app: sports, elections, economics, crypto, commodities, entertainment, politics, tech, and more | Probability-weighted Robinhood commission, capped at $0.01 per contract, plus exchange fees up to $0.01 per contract | Brokerage wrapper, state restrictions, less useful for cross-platform discovery | Best if you already use Robinhood and want the easiest way to try event contracts |
| Coinbase Predictions | Event contracts inside Coinbase | U.S. residents only, excluding Nevada | Developing app-layer product, not yet a broad standalone discovery venue like Kalshi or Polymarket | Fee shown before order confirmation | Coinbase account/KYC; USD and USDC only; contract limits may apply | Best if your money is already in Coinbase and you want prediction markets beside crypto |
| Interactive Brokers Prediction Markets | Broker interface for multiple regulated event-contract venues | Eligible IBKR clients; some contracts, including U.S. election contracts, have additional eligibility limits | Broad by aggregation: Kalshi, ForecastEx, and CME event contracts in one interface | Venue-specific: ForecastEx can be $0 IBKR commission plus $0.01 exchange fee; Kalshi/CME can be $0.01 IBKR commission plus $0.01 exchange fee | More complex brokerage UX; less consumer-friendly discovery | Best for serious traders who want multi-venue comparison, execution, and portfolio reporting |
| ForecastEx | Regulated exchange/clearinghouse for forecast contracts | Usually accessed through brokers or members | Focused: economic, political, climate, and public-data-style contracts | $0.01 transaction fee per contract per side | Less consumer-native; narrower topic universe | Best for clean, data-driven macro, climate, and benchmark-style contracts |
| DraftKings Predictions | DraftKings-branded prediction-market app/distribution layer | Must be physically located in an eligible U.S. state, D.C., or U.S. territory; availability varies by location | Medium and state-dependent; sports, crypto, and other real-world events | $0.01 DraftKings fee per contract bought or sold, plus exchange fees | State-by-state restrictions; not available on tribal land; app-layer product | Best for DraftKings users who want prediction markets in a familiar betting-style interface |
| FanDuel Predicts | FanDuel/CME prediction-market app | Available nationwide according to FanDuel, but markets vary by state | Medium and expanding: sports, culture, financials, crypto, and more | 2% transaction fee based on potential payout; also applies if cashing out early | Newer product; state-by-state market differences; separate from sportsbook wallet/product | Best for FanDuel users and mainstream sports/culture-style event contracts |
| Fanatics Markets | Fanatics-branded prediction-market app connected to exchange infrastructure | U.S. residents 21+; not available in all states | Early-stage and sports/fan-heavy, with categories including sports, crypto, politics, culture, economy, and companies | Total trading fee varies by contract price; generally highest near 50c and lower near 1c or 99c | State limits; possible debit/Apple Pay deposit fee; affiliated liquidity-provider disclosure | Best for sports/fan-commerce users, not broad market discovery yet |
| Crypto.com Prediction Trading | Crypto.com's U.S. prediction-contract product | U.S. only | Medium: sports, politics, economics, finance, and selected global events | For $1 contracts: $0.02 to open or close early; in-the-money settlement fee waived. $10 contracts have higher exchange/technology fees | Crypto.com account, USD cash account setup, possible slippage, app/ecosystem friction | Best for existing Crypto.com users who want event exposure inside the app |
| Manifold | Free/play-money social prediction market | Broadly accessible | Extremely broad because users can create markets | No real-money trading fee | Not real-money trading; prices are signal, not executable financial odds | Best for weird/niche questions and learning how prediction markets work |
| Metaculus | Forecasting platform, not a trading exchange | Broadly accessible | Broad in forecasting terms, especially AI, science, geopolitics, policy, and long-range questions | No trading fees because it is not a trading venue | No real-money trading or arbitrage | Best for serious forecasts, not trading |
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