A side-by-side comparison of every major prediction market — regulation, fees, US availability, and which platform is best for sports, politics, economics and crypto. Honest labels, no hype.
Prediction markets let you trade real money on the outcome of future events — elections, economic data, sports, crypto prices and culture — with prices that move like a live probability. The platforms below differ a lot in how they're regulated, what they cover, how they charge, and who can use them. We compare them on the dimensions that actually matter, then break down what each one is best for. See our detailed Kalshi vs. Polymarket breakdown and the Polymarket beginner guide for deeper dives.
All nine platforms, plus Kalshi Perpetuals, at a glance. Scroll sideways on mobile.
| Platform | Regulation | Availability | Categories | Fees | Funding | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFTC-regulated DCM | US ✓ | Politics, economics, sports, weather, crypto | Formula-based, ~1–2% of profit | USD — bank, debit, Apple Pay | US-regulated trading across economics & politics | Trade on Kalshi | |
| CFTC-regulated (first US perps exchange) | US ✓ | Crypto & precious-metals perpetual futures | Trading fees + funding every 8h | USD — same Kalshi account | Leveraged long/short on crypto & gold, US-regulated | Trade Perps on Kalshi | |
| CFTC-regulated (ex-Nadex DCM/DCO) | US ✓ | Sports, crypto, politics, culture | Low per-contract | Card, bank, crypto | Crypto-native traders and sports | Trade on OG | |
| CFTC-regulated DCM | US ✓ | Crypto, economics, politics | Low per-contract | USD or crypto (Gemini account) | Existing Gemini / crypto users | Visit site | |
| Offshore; US via a separate regulated entity | International | Politics, crypto, culture, sports — everything | Low, spread-based | USDC (crypto) | Deepest liquidity; politics & global events | Visit site | |
| Federally regulated (Crypto.com infrastructure) | US ✓ | Sports, crypto, politics, culture | Varies | Card, bank | Sports fans / sportsbook crossover | Visit site | |
| CFTC-regulated broker (Kalshi + CME + ForecastEx) | US ✓ | Elections, economics, climate + more | Low per-contract (brokerage) | IBKR brokerage account | Active brokerage traders | Visit site | |
| CFTC-regulated DCM (Ludlow Exchange) | US ✓ | Sports | No-vig (zero-commission exchange) | USD — card, bank | No-vig sports trading | Visit site | |
| Self-clearing DCM + DCO | US ✓ | Sports | Low exchange commission | USD — card, bank | Peer-to-peer sports betting exchange | Visit site | |
| FCM — Kalshi-powered | US ✓ | Crypto, sports, politics | Per-contract | USD or crypto (Coinbase account) | Existing Coinbase users | Visit site |
● strong ◐ some coverage – none. Based on market depth and breadth, not a guarantee of liquidity on any single event.
| Platform | Politics | Sports | Economics | Crypto | Culture | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong | Strong | Strong | Some | Some | Strong | |
| None | None | None | Strong | None | None | |
| Some | Strong | Some | Strong | Some | None | |
| Some | None | Some | Strong | None | None | |
| Strong | Some | Some | Strong | Strong | Some | |
| Some | Strong | None | Some | Some | None | |
| Strong | Some | Strong | Some | None | Strong | |
| None | Strong | None | None | None | None | |
| None | Strong | None | None | None | None | |
| Some | Some | None | Strong | None | None |
Best for: US-regulated trading across economics & politics
Best for: Leveraged long/short on crypto & gold, US-regulated
Best for: Crypto-native traders and sports
Best for: Existing Gemini / crypto users
Best for: Deepest liquidity; politics & global events
Best for: Sports fans / sportsbook crossover
Best for: Active brokerage traders
Best for: No-vig sports trading
Best for: Peer-to-peer sports betting exchange
Best for: Existing Coinbase users
We rate platforms on regulation and legal standing, US availability, market breadth by category, fee model, funding and withdrawal methods, trading tools (order types and API access), and the new-user bonus our referral link delivers, if any. Where we have a referral relationship we say so and link accordingly; every other platform gets a plain informational link. Category strength reflects each platform's typical market depth and breadth, not a promise of liquidity on a specific event. Fee and bonus terms change frequently — always confirm the current details on the platform before trading.
Last reviewed: October 2026
There is no single best platform — it depends on what you trade and where you live. Kalshi is the best all-round CFTC-regulated option for US traders across economics and politics. Polymarket has the deepest liquidity globally and leads on politics and world events. For sports, Fanatics, Novig and ProphetX are purpose-built exchanges, and Kalshi carries large mainstream US sports volume.
For US sports, Kalshi carries heavy volume on mainstream leagues, while Novig (no-vig exchange) and ProphetX (peer-to-peer) are dedicated sports exchanges, and Fanatics Markets ties into its sportsbook. OG also offers sports alongside crypto.
Polymarket leads on politics and global events with the deepest liquidity. Kalshi is the strongest CFTC-regulated US option for political and economic contracts, and IBKR offers election contracts to eligible US residents.
Kalshi, OG (by Crypto.com), Gemini, Coinbase, Fanatics, IBKR, Novig and ProphetX operate on CFTC-regulated or federally regulated US infrastructure. Polymarket’s global site is geoblocked for US IPs; a separate US entity exists but is not covered here.
Some do. Through our referral links, Kalshi offers a trade-$25-get-$25 new-user bonus (bonus funds expire 7 days after they unlock) and OG offers a trade-$10-get-$10 bonus. Bonus terms change often — check the platform for current details before signing up.
Most platforms charge a small fee tied to profit or per contract rather than a traditional sportsbook vig. Kalshi uses a formula-based fee (~1–2% of profit), Polymarket is low and spread-based, and exchanges like Novig advertise no vig. Always check the current fee schedule.
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. This never affects how we rate or order the platforms. See our editorial and affiliate policy.