USA · Prediction markets · Alternatives

The best Polymarket alternatives in 2026

Polymarket US has low trading fees, but it takes only debit card, ACH and wire, pays no interest and is blocked in Nevada, and the international polymarket.com is close-only for US users. These four CFTC-regulated platforms each beat Polymarket US on something specific, from liquidity to deposit options and interest.

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

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Best Polymarket alternatives

Checked September 2026

The best Polymarket alternative for most people in the USA is Kalshi. Kalshi is the closest like-for-like swap: a CFTC-regulated exchange with similar sports, politics and crypto markets and far more volume.

1 Kalshi Best overall 9.6 /10
2 Robinhood Best for investors 9.0 /10
3 Crypto.com (OG) Best for flexible deposits 8.6 /10
4 Interactive Brokers Best for earning interest 8.1 /10

Why look for a Polymarket alternative?

You want deeper order books: Kalshi handled about $53 billion of volume in September 2026 through the 29th (The Block), while Polymarket US traded about $8.5 billion in the whole month (DeFi Rate).
You want to fund with PayPal or Venmo, which Kalshi and OG accept and Polymarket US doesn't.
You want interest on your money: Kalshi pays a 3.25% variable APY on balances of $250 or more and ForecastEx a 3.38% coupon on positions, while Polymarket US pays none.
You're in Nevada, where a court injunction blocks Polymarket US entirely; some other platforms still offer non-sports markets there.
You'd rather trade from a brokerage account you already have at Robinhood or Interactive Brokers.

The best Polymarket alternatives in the USA

Kalshi

Best overall

9.6 /10

Kalshi is the closest like-for-like swap: a CFTC-regulated exchange with similar sports, politics and crypto markets and far more volume. Its taker fee is almost identical at up to 1.75¢ per contract, most maker orders are free rather than rebated, and it accepts PayPal, Venmo and crypto and pays a 3.25% variable APY on balances of $250 or more. Court orders block its sports contracts in Nevada, Michigan and Washington, though.

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 lets you trade contracts from Kalshi and other exchanges in the app you may already use for stocks, including custom football and basketball combos of up to 10 legs. Its commission of up to 1¢ per contract comes on top of exchange fees, so it usually costs more than Polymarket US, and trading is app-only. 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

Crypto.com (OG)

Best for flexible deposits

8.6 /10

OG, Crypto.com's prediction-market app, is the pick if you want more ways to pay: PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay and cards with no OG deposit fee, and a $1 minimum by ACH. Its taker fee is about the same as Polymarket US's, but makers pay a fee instead of earning a rebate, and OG doesn't publish volume figures.

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

Interactive Brokers

Best for earning interest

8.1 /10

Interactive Brokers' ForecastTrader charges no commission and a flat 1¢ per contract on ForecastEx, which beats Polymarket US's taker fee on contracts priced between about 18¢ and 82¢, and it pays a 3.38% APY coupon on positions. Since May 2026 it can also route orders to Kalshi and CME. ForecastEx lists no sports contracts, though, 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.

Novig
A sports-only exchange run by Ludlow Exchange, which the CFTC designated in June 2026. It's open to users 21 and older in every state except Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, and sources disagree on whether it currently charges trading fees.
ProphetX
A peer-to-peer sports exchange whose operator, ProphetX LLC, the CFTC designated as a contract market in June 2026. It's available in every state except Nevada for users 18 and older, and Covers reports a fee of 2% of net gains per market on straight trades and none on parlays.
PredictIt
A politics-only market that runs under a CFTC staff no-action letter rather than as a regulated exchange. 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.

When to stick with Polymarket

Stick with Polymarket US if you want low trading costs on sports and politics: takers pay at most 1.74¢ per contract, makers earn a rebate, and deposits and withdrawals are free. High-volume traders also get 10% to 50% of their taker fees back through weekly volume rebates.

Visit Polymarket Read our Polymarket review

Polymarket vs the alternatives

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

Polymarket alternatives FAQ

What is the best alternative to Polymarket?

For most people, Kalshi: it's also a CFTC-regulated exchange with sports, politics and crypto markets, it has far more volume, and it accepts PayPal and Venmo. Its taker fee is almost the same, at up to 1.75¢ per contract.

Can I use polymarket.com from the US?

No. The international site lists the United States as close-only, so US users can close existing positions but can't open new ones. US residents trade through Polymarket US instead, and you shouldn't use a VPN to get around the block.

Which Polymarket alternative has the lowest fees?

It depends on the price. ForecastEx charges a flat 1¢ per contract, less than Polymarket US's taker fee between about 18¢ and 82¢, while near 10¢ or 90¢ Polymarket US costs less, at about 0.63¢. If you post limit orders, Polymarket US's maker rebate is hard to beat; our fees guide has worked examples.

Which Polymarket alternative accepts PayPal?

Kalshi and OG both accept PayPal and Venmo. OG charges no deposit fee on either, while Kalshi's first PayPal or Venmo deposit is free and later ones can cost up to 2%.

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