USA · Prediction markets · Alternatives

The best Interactive Brokers ForecastTrader alternatives in 2026

Interactive Brokers' ForecastTrader is cheap and pays interest on positions, but ForecastEx lists no sports, you must be 21 or older, and its volume has fallen sharply since sports trading stopped. These four CFTC-regulated platforms each fill at least one of those gaps.

By SafeBet.ai Research Team Updated September 30, 2026 3 min read

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Best Interactive Brokers alternatives

Checked September 2026

The best Interactive Brokers alternative for most people in the USA is Kalshi. Kalshi is the natural step up: a CFTC-regulated exchange like ForecastEx, but with sports, combos, far more markets and much deeper liquidity, open to traders from 18.

1 Kalshi Best overall 9.6 /10
2 Robinhood Best for investors 9.0 /10
3 Polymarket Best for low fees 8.5 /10
4 Crypto.com (OG) Best for flexible deposits 8.6 /10

Why look for a Interactive Brokers alternative?

You want sports: ForecastEx has listed no sports contracts since February 2026, while Kalshi, Polymarket US, Robinhood and OG offer them in most states.
You're 18 to 20: Interactive Brokers requires you to be 21 for event contracts, while the other four platforms we rank generally accept 18-year-olds.
You want deeper order books: by our tally of ForecastEx's public data, its volume fell from about 197 million contracts in December 2025 to about 19 million in September 2026 (through the 29th).
You want to deposit by debit card, PayPal or Venmo, which Kalshi and OG accept; IBKR funding runs through ACH, wire, check or USDC.
You want a dedicated prediction-market app: we found no standalone ForecastTrader app, and it runs inside IBKR's platforms.

The best Interactive Brokers alternatives in the USA

Kalshi

Best overall

9.6 /10

Kalshi is the natural step up: a CFTC-regulated exchange like ForecastEx, but with sports, combos, far more markets and much deeper liquidity, open to traders from 18. It also pays interest, a 3.25% variable APY on cash and positions for balances of $250 or more, though its taker fee reaches 1.75¢ per contract at a 50¢ price versus ForecastEx's flat 1¢.

Regulation: CFTC exchange + clearinghouse
Markets: Sports, politics, economics, crypto +
Fees: Up to 1.75¢/contract (taker)

Deepest liquidity in US prediction markets: about $53 billion traded in September 2026
Runs its own CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse; you trade directly
Widest market choice, from sports and combos to weather, economics and elections

Visit Kalshi Kalshi review 18+ · Availability varies by state

Robinhood

Best for investors

9.0 /10

Robinhood is the closest match if you like trading from a brokerage account: its app routes orders to Kalshi, ForecastEx, its Rothera joint venture and Crypto.com's exchange, and you only need to be 18. Its commission of up to 1¢ per contract comes on top of exchange fees, trading is app-only, and sports contracts aren't available in Maryland, Nevada, Michigan or Washington.

Regulation: CFTC-registered broker (FCM)
Markets: Sports, politics, economics, crypto +
Fees: Up to 2¢/contract incl. exchange fee

Trade event contracts in the same app as your stocks and crypto
Routes to several CFTC exchanges, including Kalshi, ForecastEx and Rothera
Huge volume: a record 13.6 billion contracts traded in Q2 2026

Visit Robinhood Robinhood review 18+ · Availability varies by state

Polymarket

Best for low fees

8.5 /10

Polymarket US offers the sports, politics and crypto markets ForecastEx lacks, with a taker fee of up to 1.74¢ per contract and a rebate for makers, and it accepts users from 18 in most states. It pays no interest, though, takes only debit card, ACH and wire, and isn't available in Nevada.

Deposit $10, get a $25 trading credit Polymarket US's own new-user offer from October 1, 2026 (it was $50 until September 30). One per person. Credits can't be withdrawn; only the proceeds of trades made with them can be, once your deposit has cleared. Checked Sep 30, 2026.

Regulation: CFTC exchange + clearinghouse
Markets: Sports, politics, crypto, economics +
Fees: Up to 1.74¢/contract (taker); maker rebate

Taker fee tops out at 1.74¢ per contract, just below Kalshi's 1.75¢
Makers earn a rebate of up to 0.31¢ per contract
No deposit or withdrawal fees on card, ACH or wire

Visit Polymarket Polymarket review 18+ · Availability varies by state

Crypto.com (OG)

Best for flexible deposits

8.6 /10

OG, Crypto.com's prediction-market app, suits you if you want sports and easy funding: PayPal, Venmo, cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay with no OG deposit fee, and a $1 minimum by ACH. Takers and makers both pay formula-based fees, and OG doesn't list any interest on balances.

Regulation: CFTC exchange + clearinghouse (NADEX)
Markets: Sports, politics, crypto, financials +
Fees: Up to 1.75¢/contract; makers pay too

No OG fees on PayPal, Venmo, card, ACH or wire deposits
Low minimums: $1 by ACH, $10 by card, PayPal or Venmo
CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse offering sports contracts since December 2024

Visit Crypto.com (OG) Crypto.com (OG) review 18+ · Availability varies by state

Other options worth knowing

These aren’t in our top 5, but they can make sense in specific situations.

PredictIt
A politics-only market that runs under a CFTC staff no-action letter rather than as a regulated exchange, open to US users 18 and older. You can hold up to $3,500 per contract, it keeps 10% of profits, and it dropped its 5% withdrawal fee on September 23, 2026.
Webull
Another brokerage route into prediction markets: Webull offers Kalshi-listed contracts in a separate Events account for a 1¢ commission plus Kalshi's 1¢ exchange fee on each opening and closing trade. It offers API access for algorithmic traders, but sports contracts aren't available in Nevada, Maryland, Connecticut or Michigan.

When to stick with Interactive Brokers

Stay with ForecastTrader if you mainly trade economic data, weather and elections and want cheap mid-priced trades: no commission, a flat 1¢ per contract and a 3.38% APY coupon while you hold. It's also the most convenient option if you already keep your investments at Interactive Brokers.

Visit Interactive Brokers Read our Interactive Brokers review

Interactive Brokers vs the alternatives

Interactive Brokers compared with its best alternatives
	#5 Interactive Brokers	#1 Kalshi	#2 Robinhood	#4 Polymarket	#3 Crypto.com (OG)
SafeBet score	8.1/10	9.6/10	9.0/10	8.5/10	8.6/10
Best for	Best for earning interest	Best overall	Best for investors	Best for low fees	Best for flexible deposits
Regulation	CFTC exchange + clearinghouse (ForecastEx)	CFTC exchange + clearinghouse	CFTC-registered broker (FCM)	CFTC exchange + clearinghouse	CFTC exchange + clearinghouse (NADEX)
Availability	All states; no exclusions found	Most states; limits in NV, MI, WA	Most states; no sports in MD, NV, MI, WA	All states except NV, per Polymarket US	All states per OG; some contracts vary
Markets	Economics, climate, elections; no sports	Sports, politics, economics, crypto +	Sports, politics, economics, crypto +	Sports, politics, crypto, economics +	Sports, politics, crypto, financials +
Fees	Flat 1¢/contract; no commission	Up to 1.75¢/contract (taker)	Up to 2¢/contract incl. exchange fee	Up to 1.74¢/contract (taker); maker rebate	Up to 1.75¢/contract; makers pay too
Deposits	ACH, wire, check, USDC	ACH, card, PayPal, Venmo, crypto	ACH, instant transfer, debit card, wire	Debit card, ACH, wire	ACH, card, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay
Apps	IBKR Mobile (iOS, Android), web, desktop	iOS, web; Android not verified	iOS, Android; web is view-only	iOS, web; Android rollout unclear	iOS, Android, web
Min. age	21+	18+	18+	18+	18+
Links	Visit Review	Visit Review	Visit Review	Visit Review	Visit Review

Head-to-head: Kalshi vs Interactive Brokers ForecastTrader

Interactive Brokers alternatives FAQ

What is the best alternative to Interactive Brokers for prediction markets?

For most people, Kalshi: it's also CFTC-regulated and pays interest, and it adds sports, combos and far deeper liquidity. If you'd rather stay with a broker, Robinhood offers Kalshi and ForecastEx contracts in one app.

Which ForecastTrader alternative is open to 18-year-olds?

Kalshi, Robinhood and OG accept traders from 18, and Polymarket US does too once you've reached the age of majority in your state. Interactive Brokers requires you to be 21 for event contracts.

Which alternative pays interest like ForecastEx?

Kalshi: its help center lists a 3.25% variable APY on cash and open positions for eligible US accounts with $250 or more. We found no interest on event-contract balances at Polymarket US, Robinhood or OG.

Is ForecastTrader cheaper than Kalshi?

On mid-priced contracts, yes: ForecastEx charges a flat 1¢ per contract with no commission, while a Kalshi taker pays up to 1.75¢ at 50¢. Near 10¢ or 90¢, Kalshi's taker fee falls to about 0.63¢, and most Kalshi maker orders are free.

Compare the 5 best prediction markets in the USA Ranked on regulation, fees, features and payouts · Kalshi, Robinhood, Crypto.com (OG) and more See the ranking

The facts on this page come from our full reviews, which list their sources: Kalshi, Robinhood, Polymarket, Crypto.com (OG) and Interactive Brokers.