Best of 2026 · updated July 2026
Best prediction market platforms in the US
An independent ranking of the regulated event contract exchanges American traders can actually use. We weigh regulation, market breadth, fees, liquidity and user experience.
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Up to 2% per trade
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- 1 cent per contract
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Free
- US access
- ● Restricted
- Fees
- 0% trading fees
#05
Manifold MarketsPlay-money prediction market platform with real communities and calibration data.
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Free (play-money)
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Standard DFS rake
#07
Interactive Brokers Forecast ContractsCFTC-regulated event contracts inside the IBKR trading platform.
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- $0.02–$0.10 per contract
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Low per-contract fees
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Zero vig, spread-based
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Low per-contract fees
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- 1–2% commission
- US access
- ● Restricted
- Fees
- Varies by market
- US access
- ● Available
- Fees
- Withdrawal + profit fees
- US access
- ● Restricted
- Fees
- Onchain fees + spread
| # | Platform | Rating | Best for | Regulation | US access | Fees | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Kalshi The first CFTC-regulated event contract exchange in the United States. | 4.7/5Read review | Regulated US event contracts | CFTC-regulated | ● US available | Up to 2% per trade | Visit Kalshi |
| 02 | ForecastEx An exchange-grade forecast market owned by Interactive Brokers. | 4.4/5Read review | Brokerage-grade access via Interactive Brokers | CFTC-regulated | ● US available | 1 cent per contract | Visit ForecastEx |
| 03 | Metaculus Community forecasting platform focused on calibration and long-horizon questions. | 4.4/5Read review | Serious forecasters | Non-profit / educational | ● US available | Free | Visit Metaculus |
| 04 | Polymarket The largest crypto-settled prediction market for global events. | 4.3/5Read review | Deepest liquidity and largest market variety | Offshore | ● Restricted in US | 0% trading fees | Visit Polymarket |
| 05 | Manifold Markets Play-money prediction market platform with real communities and calibration data. | 4.3/5Read review | Forecasters and researchers | Play-money / sweepstakes | ● US available | Free (play-money) | Visit Manifold |
| 06 | Underdog Fantasy Daily fantasy and pick-em products, adjacent to event contracts. | 4.2/5Read review | Sports pick-em fans | DFS regulator patchwork | ● US available | Standard DFS rake | Visit Underdog |
| 07 | Interactive Brokers Forecast Contracts CFTC-regulated event contracts inside the IBKR trading platform. | 4.1/5Read review | Existing IBKR clients | CFTC-regulated | ● US available | $0.02–$0.10 per contract | Visit IBKR |
| 08 | Robinhood Prediction Markets Event contracts inside the Robinhood app powered by Kalshi. | 4.0/5Read review | Existing Robinhood users | CFTC-regulated (via partner) | ● US available | Low per-contract fees | Visit Robinhood |
| 09 | Novig Peer-to-peer sports exchange with no vig. | 4.0/5Read review | Vig-free sports trading | State-by-state (sweepstakes model) | ● US available | Zero vig, spread-based | Visit Novig |
| 10 | Fanatics Markets Emerging Fanatics-branded event contract product. | 3.9/5Read review | Sports-first US users | CFTC-regulated (exchange partner) | ● US available | Low per-contract fees | Visit Fanatics Markets |
| 11 | ProphetX Peer-to-peer sports betting exchange. | 3.9/5Read review | Exchange-style sports bettors | State-by-state | ● US available | 1–2% commission | Visit ProphetX |
| 12 | Crypto.com Sports & Markets Crypto-native event contracts and sports markets from Crypto.com. | 3.7/5Read review | Crypto-first users | Varies by jurisdiction | ● Restricted in US | Varies by market | Visit Crypto.com |
| 13 | PredictIt Academic political prediction market operating under CFTC no-action relief. | 3.6/5Read review | US political markets | CFTC no-action | ● US available | Withdrawal + profit fees | Visit PredictIt |
| 14 | OG Onchain event markets platform. | 3.5/5Read review | Onchain traders | DeFi / offshore | ● Restricted in US | Onchain fees + spread | Visit OG |
#01
Kalshi
The first CFTC-regulated event contract exchange in the United States.
Kalshi is a CFTC-regulated exchange that lets US residents trade Yes/No contracts on real-world events. Founded in 2018 and approved as a Designated Contract Market in 2020, it pioneered the modern, fully compliant US prediction market.
Pros
- ✓Fully regulated by the CFTC as a Designated Contract Market,Clear settlement rules and audited market resolution,Wide coverage of politics, economics and sports event contracts,Polished iOS and Android apps with real-time pricing,USD-denominated; no crypto required
Cons
- −Fees are higher than peer-to-peer offshore venues,Position limits apply on some markets,Sports event contracts have faced state-level legal challenges
#02
ForecastEx
An exchange-grade forecast market owned by Interactive Brokers.
ForecastEx is a CFTC-regulated exchange majority-owned by Interactive Brokers. It offers Yes/No forecast contracts on macroeconomic, climate and political events, with order routing through IBKR's platform.
Pros
- ✓CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market,Integrates directly with Interactive Brokers accounts,Pays interest on collateral, lowering effective cost,Institutional-grade infrastructure
Cons
- −Fewer markets than Kalshi or Polymarket,UX is brokerage-driven rather than consumer-friendly,Limited sports and cultural markets
#03
Metaculus
Community forecasting platform focused on calibration and long-horizon questions.
Pros
Cons
#04
Polymarket
The largest crypto-settled prediction market for global events.
Polymarket is the largest information market in the world, settling Yes/No event contracts in USDC on the Polygon blockchain. It is widely cited in mainstream coverage for its political and macroeconomic markets, but is not available to US residents.
Pros
- ✓Best-in-class liquidity on major political and macro markets,Zero platform trading fees,Widest variety of long-tail markets in the industry,Transparent on-chain settlement
Cons
- −Not legally available to US residents under a 2022 CFTC settlement,Requires a self-custody crypto wallet and USDC on Polygon,No customer support phone line; community-driven help only
#05
Manifold Markets
Play-money prediction market platform with real communities and calibration data.
Pros
Cons
#06
Underdog Fantasy
Daily fantasy and pick-em products, adjacent to event contracts.
Pros
Cons
#07
Interactive Brokers Forecast Contracts
CFTC-regulated event contracts inside the IBKR trading platform.
Pros
Cons
#08
Robinhood Prediction Markets
Event contracts inside the Robinhood app powered by Kalshi.
Pros
Cons
#09
Novig
Peer-to-peer sports exchange with no vig.
Pros
Cons
#10
Fanatics Markets
Emerging Fanatics-branded event contract product.
Pros
Cons
#11
ProphetX
Peer-to-peer sports betting exchange.
Pros
Cons
#12
Crypto.com Sports & Markets
Crypto-native event contracts and sports markets from Crypto.com.
Pros
Cons
#13
PredictIt
Academic political prediction market operating under CFTC no-action relief.
Pros
Cons
#14
OG
Onchain event markets platform.
Pros
Cons
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Position details
Result
Methodology
How we rank prediction market platforms
Regulation
Whether the platform operates under CFTC oversight as a Designated Contract Market or equivalent.
Market breadth
Number and variety of active markets across politics, economy, sports, crypto, weather and culture.
Fees & cost
Trading fees, deposit/withdrawal costs and effective spread paid by typical users.
Liquidity
Order book depth and the size you can move without significant slippage.
Experience
Quality of web and mobile interfaces, account management, charting and customer support.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the best prediction market platform in the US right now?+
For most US users, Kalshi is the strongest all-around platform: it's federally regulated, offers the widest range of event contracts, and has the most polished mobile experience. Serious traders with Interactive Brokers accounts may prefer ForecastEx.
Is Polymarket available in the United States?+
It depends which Polymarket product you mean. The original international/onchain Polymarket product still geoblocks US IPs following a 2022 CFTC settlement. A separate US-facing product has been announced under acquired CFTC-registered infrastructure; the exact scope, listed contracts and state availability are still being verified. We do not treat Polymarket as a straightforward US option until that reporting is confirmed.
How are these platforms regulated?+
Kalshi and ForecastEx are CFTC-designated contract markets (DCMs) — federally regulated derivatives exchanges. Robinhood distributes event contracts listed on KalshiEX; it is not itself the exchange. Polymarket's international/onchain product operates outside US regulation; a separate US-facing Polymarket product is emerging under CFTC-registered infrastructure and we cover it as its posture becomes verifiable.
Are sports event contracts legal?+
Federally, sports event contracts have been listed on regulated exchanges, but several state regulators have issued cease-and-desist orders. The legal picture varies by state and is actively evolving.
How do you decide your ranking?+
Our methodology weighs five factors: regulatory standing, breadth of available markets, fees and effective cost, liquidity and order book depth, and user experience across web and mobile.