USA · Prediction markets · Alternatives

The best Robinhood prediction market alternatives in 2026

Robinhood makes event contracts easy if you already invest there, but trading is app-only, its commission sits on top of exchange fees, and sports are unavailable in four states. These CFTC-regulated alternatives each fix at least one of those problems.

Best Robinhood alternatives

Checked

The best Robinhood alternative for most people in the USA is Kalshi. Kalshi is the exchange behind many of Robinhood's contracts, and trading there directly skips Robinhood's commission.

  1. 1 Kalshi Best overall 9.6 /10
  2. 2 Polymarket Best for low fees 8.5 /10
  3. 3 Crypto.com (OG) Best for flexible deposits 8.6 /10
  4. 4 Interactive Brokers Best for earning interest 8.1 /10

Why look for a Robinhood alternative?

  • You want to trade on the web: Robinhood's website is view-only for event contracts.
  • You want lower costs: Robinhood adds a commission of up to 1¢ per contract to the exchange fee, so trading on Kalshi directly is usually cheaper.
  • You want to fund with PayPal or Venmo, which Kalshi and OG accept and Robinhood doesn't list.
  • You want interest on your positions: Kalshi pays a 3.25% variable APY and ForecastEx a 3.38% coupon, while Robinhood lists none on event contracts.
  • You don't want to wait up to 2 weeks for a derivatives account approval.

The best Robinhood alternatives in the USA

Rank #1

Kalshi

Best overall

9.6 /10

Kalshi is the exchange behind many of Robinhood's contracts, and trading there directly skips Robinhood's commission. You also get web trading, more deposit methods and a 3.25% variable APY on balances of $250 or more.

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
Rank #2

Polymarket

Best for low fees

8.5 /10

Polymarket US offers a similar mix of sports, politics and crypto contracts with a taker fee of up to 1.74¢ per contract and a rebate for makers. It works on the web as well as iOS, but it isn't available in Nevada and takes only debit card, ACH and wire.

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
Rank #3

Crypto.com (OG)

Best for flexible deposits

8.6 /10

OG, Crypto.com's prediction-market platform, already supplies some of Robinhood's football contracts, and you can trade on it directly on iOS, Android or the web. It accepts PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay and Google Pay with no OG deposit fee, though makers pay a trading fee.

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
Rank #4

Interactive Brokers

Best for earning interest

8.1 /10

If you like trading from a brokerage account, Interactive Brokers is the closest match, with no commission on ForecastEx contracts, a 1¢ exchange fee and a 3.38% APY coupon on positions. It has no sports contracts, and you must be 21 or older.

Get $10 when you open a Prediction Market account Interactive Brokers' own offer, as stated on its ForecastTrader site. We couldn't find full terms at the time of writing, so check the conditions before you apply. Checked Sep 30, 2026.

Regulation
CFTC exchange + clearinghouse (ForecastEx)
Markets
Economics, climate, elections; no sports
Fees
Flat 1¢/contract; no commission
  • 3.38% APY incentive coupon on open positions, paid monthly
  • No commission and a flat 1¢ per contract on ForecastEx
  • Beats Kalshi's and Polymarket US's standard taker fees from about 18¢ to 82¢
Visit Interactive Brokers Interactive Brokers review 21+ · Availability varies by state

Other options worth knowing

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

  • Webull

    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, with API access for algorithmic traders. Sports contracts aren't available in Nevada, Maryland, Connecticut or Michigan.

  • Coinbase

    Coinbase offers Kalshi-listed event contracts inside its app through Coinbase Financial Markets, a CFTC-registered broker. It is winding down sports contracts in Michigan, and its event-contract fees couldn't be verified for this article.

When to stick with Robinhood

Stay with Robinhood if you already keep your investments there and want event contracts without opening another account. Its routing across Kalshi, ForecastEx, Rothera and OG gives you deep liquidity, and Gold members pay half the commission rate on low- and high-priced contracts.

Robinhood vs the alternatives

Robinhood compared with its best alternatives
#2 Robinhood #1 Kalshi #4 Polymarket #3 Crypto.com (OG) #5 Interactive Brokers
SafeBet score 9.0/109.6/108.5/108.6/108.1/10
Best for Best for investorsBest overallBest for low feesBest for flexible depositsBest for earning interest
Regulation CFTC-registered broker (FCM)CFTC exchange + clearinghouseCFTC exchange + clearinghouseCFTC exchange + clearinghouse (NADEX)CFTC exchange + clearinghouse (ForecastEx)
Availability Most states; no sports in MD, NV, MI, WAMost states; limits in NV, MI, WAAll states except NV, per Polymarket USAll states per OG; some contracts varyAll states; no exclusions found
Markets Sports, politics, economics, crypto +Sports, politics, economics, crypto +Sports, politics, crypto, economics +Sports, politics, crypto, financials +Economics, climate, elections; no sports
Fees Up to 2¢/contract incl. exchange feeUp to 1.75¢/contract (taker)Up to 1.74¢/contract (taker); maker rebateUp to 1.75¢/contract; makers pay tooFlat 1¢/contract; no commission
Deposits ACH, instant transfer, debit card, wireACH, card, PayPal, Venmo, cryptoDebit card, ACH, wireACH, card, PayPal, Venmo, Apple PayACH, wire, check, USDC
Apps iOS, Android; web is view-onlyiOS, web; Android not verifiediOS, web; Android rollout uncleariOS, Android, webIBKR Mobile (iOS, Android), web, desktop
Min. age 18+18+18+18+21+
Links Visit Review Visit Review Visit Review Visit Review Visit Review

Head-to-head: Kalshi vs Robinhood · Polymarket vs Robinhood

Robinhood alternatives FAQ

Is Kalshi cheaper than Robinhood?

Usually, yes. On Kalshi-listed contracts, Robinhood adds its commission (up to 1¢ per contract) to a 1¢ exchange fee, while a Kalshi taker pays at most 1.75¢ per contract and most maker orders are free. See our Kalshi review for details.

Which Robinhood alternative lets me trade on the web?

Kalshi, Polymarket US, OG and Interactive Brokers all let you trade in a web browser. Robinhood shows event contracts on its website but only lets you trade them in its mobile app.

Which Robinhood alternative is best for sports?

Kalshi, for its liquidity, sports combos and web trading, as long as your state allows sports contracts. Interactive Brokers' ForecastEx lists no sports at all.

Do I need a brokerage account to trade prediction markets?

No. Kalshi, Polymarket US and OG let you open an account directly with the exchange. Robinhood and Interactive Brokers are brokers, so you trade through a brokerage account there.

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, Polymarket, Crypto.com (OG), Interactive Brokers and Robinhood.