# The best Betfair Exchange alternatives in the UK

> Betfair Exchange has the most users, but its most profitable customers can pay an Expert Fee of 20% or 40%, and its licensee settled with the Gambling Commission for £2 million in 2025. These licensed exchanges have clean records and simpler charges, or a different way to bet.

- URL: https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/betfair-exchange-alternatives/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/betfair-exchange-alternatives/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-22 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
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## Why look for a Betfair Exchange alternative?

- No Expert Fee: Smarkets' most profitable customers move to a 3% commission tier instead.
- Published payment terms: Smarkets lists every method's limits, charges no fees and processes withdrawals within 6 hours.
- A clean record: we found no regulatory action against Smarkets' or Matchbook's operator on the Commission's register.
- Yes/no markets: Matchbook Predictions prices outcomes as percentages, on sports and politics.

## The best Betfair Exchange alternatives

### 1. Smarkets — Best overall (8.7/10)

Smarkets publishes every charge: 2% commission on net winnings, no Expert Fee, free deposits and withdrawals, and withdrawals processed within 6 hours. It has far fewer users than Betfair, but its politics markets, branded Smarkets Predictions, cover elections around the world.

[Smarkets review](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/smarkets-review/)

### 2. Matchbook — Prediction-style markets (7.6/10)

Matchbook runs an exchange with bet builders, multiples and live racing streams, and Matchbook Predictions for yes/no markets on sports and politics. We couldn't read its commission rates from outside the UK.

[Matchbook review](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/matchbook-review/)

## Other options

- **Spreadex:** Not an exchange: Spreadex offers fixed-odds betting under a Gambling Commission licence (account 8835) and sports spread betting, where you can lose more than your stake, as a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Commission fined it £2,022,000 on May 7, 2025 over anti-money laundering and customer-interaction failings between September 2022 and November 2023.

## Why Polymarket and Kalshi aren't alternatives

Neither holds a Gambling Commission licence, and both keep UK users out: Polymarket lists the United Kingdom among the places where users can close positions but not open new ones, and Kalshi lists it among its restricted jurisdictions. Offering or advertising unlicensed gambling to people in Great Britain is a criminal offence.

Our guides explain more: [is Polymarket legal in the UK?](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/is-polymarket-legal-in-the-uk/) and [are prediction markets legal in the UK?](https://safebet.ai/uk/guides/are-prediction-markets-legal-in-the-uk/)

## When to stick with Betfair Exchange

Stick with Betfair Exchange if you want the most people on the other side of your bets and markets from racing's biggest festivals to election results, and you won't come near the £25,000 of gross profit over 52 active weeks that can trigger the Expert Fee.

## Comparison

| # | Betting exchange | Score | Gambling Commission licence | Commission | Markets | Politics markets | Deposits | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | [Betfair Exchange](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/betfair-exchange-review/) | 8.6/10 | TSE Malta LP, account 39561 | 2% on the Basic package (Betfair's example); Expert Fee for big winners | Football, racing, tennis, cricket, golf, rugby & more; MatchMe; API (£499 live key) | Yes, politics and election results | Not checked (site blocked outside the UK) | iOS 4.7 · Android 4.3 |
| 1 | [Smarkets](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/smarkets-review/) | 8.7/10 | Smarkets (Malta) Limited, account 39173 | 2% of net winnings per market (Standard tier) | Sports, politics, current affairs & TV; trade out; API (£150 setup) | Yes, branded Smarkets Predictions | Open banking, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Trustly, PayPal; no fees | iOS 4.8 · Android 2.8 |
| 3 | [Matchbook](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/matchbook-review/) | 7.6/10 | Triplebet Limited, account 39504 | Not checked; "low commissions", says its app listing | Football, racing, darts, boxing & more; bet builder; racing streams; API free to start | Yes, in Matchbook Predictions (per its app listing) | Not checked (site blocked outside the UK) | iOS 4.7 · Android 4.4 |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best alternative to Betfair Exchange?

[Smarkets](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/smarkets-review/), for its published 2% commission, free payments and clean record, or [Matchbook](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/matchbook-review/) for yes/no prediction markets.

### Is there an exchange without Betfair's Expert Fee?

Yes. Smarkets has no Expert Fee: customers with more than £25,000 of net profit over 12 months pay a 3% Select commission tier, charged on every settled bet. See our [Smarkets vs Betfair Exchange comparison](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/smarkets-vs-betfair-exchange/).

Full ranking: [Best betting exchanges in the UK](https://safebet.ai/uk/prediction-markets/)