Our picks in detail
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1. Kalshi: best overall
9.6/10 Kalshi is the biggest prediction market in the US and the benchmark the others are measured against. It runs its own CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse, lists everything from NFL games and combos to economics, weather and elections, and handled about $53 billion of volume in September 2026. Taker fees top out at 1.75¢ per contract, most maker orders are free, and cash and positions earn a 3.25% variable APY on balances of $250 or more. You can fund by bank transfer, debit card, PayPal, Venmo or crypto. The drawback is legal: court orders block its sports contracts in Nevada, Michigan and Washington. Pick Kalshi if you want the most markets and the best liquidity.
Full Kalshi review Kalshi alternatives
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2. Robinhood: best for investors
9.0/10 Robinhood Prediction Markets puts event contracts inside the app millions of people already use for stocks and crypto. Robinhood acts as a CFTC-registered broker, routing orders to Kalshi, ForecastEx, its own Rothera joint venture and, for some football contracts, Crypto.com's exchange, and its customers traded a record 13.6 billion contracts in the second quarter of 2026. Markets cover sports, politics, economics and crypto, with custom football and basketball combos of up to 10 legs. The downsides: a commission of up to 1¢ per contract on top of exchange fees, app-only trading and no sports in four states. Pick it if you want prediction markets next to your investments.
Full Robinhood review Robinhood alternatives
OG 8.6/10
OG is Crypto.com's prediction-market app and website, launched in February 2026 on the company's CFTC-regulated exchange, North American Derivatives Exchange (NADEX), which has also supplied contracts to FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics and Robinhood. It stands out for funding: PayPal, Venmo, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay with no OG deposit fee, and a $1 minimum by ACH. You can trade sports, politics, crypto and financial contracts, including sports combos of up to 8 legs. The drawbacks: makers pay fees, liquidity is hard to measure, and OG doesn't publish a state-by-state list. Pick OG if flexible, low-cost deposits matter most.
Full Crypto.com (OG) review Crypto.com (OG) alternatives
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4. Polymarket: best for low fees
8.5/10 Polymarket US is the CFTC-regulated US exchange of Polymarket, the prediction-market brand best known for its international crypto site, which is close-only for US users. It lists sports, including player props and combos of up to 10 legs, plus politics, crypto and economics, and traded about $8.5 billion in September 2026, according to DeFi Rate data. Fees are its strength: takers pay at most 1.74¢ per contract, makers earn a rebate, and deposits and withdrawals are free. The drawbacks: funding by debit card, ACH or wire only, no interest, and legal fights, including a Nevada injunction and a New York lawsuit. Pick it if low trading costs matter most.
Full Polymarket review Polymarket alternatives
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5. Interactive Brokers: best for earning interest
8.1/10 Interactive Brokers' ForecastTrader, now branded IBKR Prediction Markets, lets you trade yes/no contracts on economic data, weather, elections and more, mainly on ForecastEx, the CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse Interactive Brokers owns. Its draw is cost and yield: no commission, a flat 1¢ per contract, and an interest-like coupon of 3.38% APY on your positions. Since May 2026 it can also route orders to Kalshi and CME. The drawbacks: ForecastEx has listed no sports since February 2026, its volume has fallen sharply, you must be 21 or older, and funding is by ACH, wire, check or USDC. Pick it if you want to earn interest while you hold positions.
Full Interactive Brokers review Interactive Brokers alternatives
What is a prediction market?
A prediction market is an exchange where you buy and sell contracts on the outcome of a future event — a game, an election, an interest-rate decision, tomorrow’s high temperature. Most contracts are yes/no questions that pay $1 if the answer is yes and nothing if it’s no, so a contract trading at 62¢ means the market puts the chance at roughly 62%.
Unlike a sportsbook, the platform doesn’t set the odds or bet against you. Prices come from other traders, and the platform earns a small fee on each trade. You can also sell before the event is decided, locking in a profit or cutting a loss. Our guide to how prediction markets work walks through a full example.
Are prediction markets legal in the US?
Event contracts listed on an exchange regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are legal under federal law, and every platform in our ranking operates under CFTC oversight. What’s contested is sports: many states argue that sports event contracts are unlicensed sports betting.
As of September 30, 2026, the federal appeals courts are split. The Third Circuit sided with Kalshi against New Jersey in April 2026, while the Ninth Circuit (Nevada, August 28) and the Sixth Circuit (Ohio and Tennessee, September 25) sided with the states. Three petitions asking the Supreme Court to settle the question are pending, and none had been granted at the time of writing. Meanwhile the CFTC under Chairman Michael Selig has sued or joined suits against nine states to defend federal oversight, and proposed new event-contract rules in June 2026.
The practical upshot: platforms remain available in most states, but sports contracts are switched off in a growing number of them. Check the app for your state, never use a VPN to get around a restriction, and read our full guide to whether prediction markets are legal.
Availability changes week to week as courts rule and platforms respond, so treat this table as a snapshot and confirm in the app before you deposit.
How much do prediction markets cost?
Fees are small but add up. Most exchanges charge a fee per contract that depends on the price — highest at 50¢, lower near 1¢ or 99¢ — while brokers add a commission on top of the exchange’s fee.
Makers — traders whose limit orders wait in the order book — usually pay less: nothing on most Kalshi markets, a rebate on Polymarket US. Deposit and withdrawal fees matter too, especially card deposits and instant withdrawals. Our prediction market fees guide has every fee schedule and more worked examples.
Prediction markets vs sportsbooks
A sportsbook sets the odds, builds in a margin (the vig), and can limit customers who win too often. A prediction market matches you with other traders and charges a visible fee, and you can sell your position before the game ends. On the other hand, sportsbooks are licensed by your state, while sports event contracts are still in legal limbo in many states. Our comparison of prediction markets vs sportsbooks goes through the differences, including how to convert contract prices to American odds with our odds calculator.
How to choose the right prediction market
- Check your state first. Sports contracts are unavailable on some platforms in Nevada, Michigan, Washington and Maryland, and more states are enforcing.
- Match the platform to what you trade. For sports and the widest choice, Kalshi. For economics and interest on positions, Interactive Brokers. For politics, Kalshi or Polymarket US.
- Compare the total cost. Add trading fees, deposit fees and withdrawal fees for the way you’ll actually fund your account.
- Think about where your money lives. Robinhood and Interactive Brokers keep event contracts next to your investments; Kalshi, OG and Polymarket US are standalone accounts.
- Read the contract rules. Every market names its resolution source. If the wording is ambiguous, skip it.
Trading responsibly
Event contracts are real money on uncertain outcomes, and most short-term traders lose money after fees. Set a budget, use the deposit limits and self-exclusion tools the platforms provide, and stay away from offshore sites that aren’t regulated in the US. If trading stops being fun, see our responsible gambling guide.