# Polymarket vs Robinhood

> Robinhood is the better all-round choice: it routes orders to Kalshi, the largest US prediction market, and three other CFTC-regulated exchanges, and lets you trade event contracts in the app where you already invest. Polymarket US, the CFTC-regulated US version of Polymarket, is cheaper to trade on, with taker fees of at most 1.74¢ per contract and a maker rebate versus up to 2¢ per contract at Robinhood, and you can trade it on the web. As of September 30, 2026, Polymarket US is unavailable in Nevada, and Robinhood offers no sports contracts in Maryland, Nevada, Michigan or Washington.

- URL: https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/polymarket-vs-robinhood/
- Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/polymarket-vs-robinhood/index.html.md
- Last updated: 2026-10-02 (re-checked when an operator changes its terms or a regulator or court acts)
- Author: SafeBet.ai Research Team (SafeBet.ai)
- Polymarket: #4 of 5 in [Best prediction markets in the USA](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/), 8.5/10 — review: https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/polymarket-review/
- Robinhood: #2 of 5 in [Best prediction markets in the USA](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/), 9.0/10 — review: https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/robinhood-review/
- Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/

## Who should choose which

| Need | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trading fees | Polymarket | Polymarket US takers pay at most 1.74¢ per contract and makers earn a rebate of up to 0.31¢, while Robinhood charges a commission of up to 1¢ plus an exchange fee of up to 1¢ on every trade. On 100 contracts at 90¢, that's $0.63 in taker fees on Polymarket US versus $1.90 on a Kalshi-listed contract at Robinhood. |
| Liquidity | Robinhood | Robinhood routes orders to Kalshi, the largest US prediction market, plus ForecastEx, Rothera and Crypto.com's exchange, and its customers traded a record 13.6 billion contracts in the second quarter of 2026. Polymarket US traded about $8.5 billion in September 2026. |
| Regulation and safety | Robinhood | Robinhood Derivatives is a CFTC-registered broker owned by a Nasdaq-listed company that reports event-contract volumes and revenue in its SEC filings. Polymarket US's exchange was designated in July 2025, and in 2022 the CFTC ordered the company behind Polymarket to pay $1.4 million. |
| Deposits and withdrawals | Robinhood | Robinhood offers more ways to fund, including instant bank transfers and direct deposit, from the brokerage account you may already use. Polymarket US takes only debit card, ACH and wire, though it charges nothing to deposit or withdraw. |
| Apps and website | Either | Polymarket US works on iOS and the web, but its Android availability is unclear; Robinhood works on iOS and Android, but its website is view-only for event contracts. |
| Investing in one app | Robinhood | Robinhood puts event contracts next to your stocks and crypto, and buying power moves automatically between your brokerage and event-contract accounts. |

## Scores (SafeBet.ai ratings, 0–10)

| Criterion (weight) | Polymarket | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation & safety (25%) | 8.0 | 9.5 |
| Markets & features (20%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Fees & pricing (20%) | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Liquidity (15%) | 8.5 | 9.5 |
| Deposits & withdrawals (10%) | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| App & experience (10%) | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| **Overall** | **8.5** | **9.0** |

## Key facts

| | Polymarket | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | CFTC exchange + clearinghouse | CFTC-registered broker (FCM) |
| Availability | All states except NV, per Polymarket US | Most states; no sports in MD, NV, MI, WA |
| Markets | Sports, politics, crypto, economics + | Sports, politics, economics, crypto + |
| Fees | Up to 1.74¢/contract (taker); maker rebate | Up to 2¢/contract incl. exchange fee |
| Deposits | Debit card, ACH, wire | ACH, instant transfer, debit card, wire |
| Apps | iOS, web; Android rollout unclear | iOS, Android; web is view-only |
| Min. age | 18+ | 18+ |

## Current offers

- **Polymarket: 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 2026-09-30)

## Pros and cons

### Polymarket

- Pro: Taker fee tops out at 1.74¢ per contract, just below Kalshi's 1.75¢
- Pro: Makers earn a rebate of up to 0.31¢ per contract
- Pro: No deposit or withdrawal fees on card, ACH or wire
- Pro: Taker volume rebates of 10% to 50% for high-volume traders
- Pro: Sports props and combos of 2 to 10 legs, plus politics and crypto
- Pro: CFTC-regulated exchange and clearinghouse; about $8.5 billion traded in September 2026
- Con: Only debit card, ACH and wire; no PayPal or Venmo
- Con: Blocked in Nevada by court order; sued by New York in September 2026
- Con: No interest on cash or open positions
- Con: Far less volume than Kalshi, and Android availability is unclear
- Con: Card and ACH deposits take 3–4 business days to clear

### Robinhood

- Pro: Trade event contracts in the same app as your stocks and crypto
- Pro: Routes to several CFTC exchanges, including Kalshi, ForecastEx and Rothera
- Pro: Huge volume: a record 13.6 billion contracts traded in Q2 2026
- Pro: Custom combos of up to 10 legs for pro football and basketball
- Pro: Commission capped at 1¢ per contract; Gold halves the rate
- Pro: Option to hide sports markets, plus self-exclusion from event contracts
- Con: Commission sits on top of exchange fees, so it usually costs more than Kalshi
- Con: Trading is app-only; the website is view-only for event contracts
- Con: No sports contracts in Maryland, Nevada, Michigan or Washington
- Con: Derivatives account approval can take 1–2 weeks
- Con: Instant deposits may not be usable; contracts need settled cash

## Polymarket vs Robinhood: the key differences

[Polymarket US](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/polymarket-review/) is an exchange and [Robinhood](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/robinhood-review/) is a broker. Polymarket US is the CFTC-regulated US exchange of Polymarket: you trade directly on QCX LLC, a designated contract market, and trades clear through its own clearinghouse. Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant, routes your orders to Kalshi, Interactive Brokers' ForecastEx, its Rothera joint venture and, for some football contracts since September 8, 2026, Crypto.com's exchange. Polymarket US isn't on that list, so you can't trade its markets through Robinhood.

Robinhood ranks #2 and Polymarket US #4 in [our ranking of the best US prediction markets](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/). The international polymarket.com is close-only for US users, so Polymarket US is the version compared here.

As of September 30, 2026, the main differences are:

- **Fees:** Polymarket US takers pay at most 1.74¢ per contract and makers earn a rebate. Robinhood's commission of up to 1¢ comes on top of an exchange fee of up to 1¢.
- **Liquidity:** Robinhood routes orders to Kalshi, the largest US prediction market, and its customers traded a record 13.6 billion contracts in the second quarter of 2026. Polymarket US traded about $8.5 billion in September 2026.
- **Where you trade:** Polymarket US works on the web and iOS. Robinhood trading is app-only, on iOS and Android.
- **Funding:** Polymarket US takes debit card, ACH and wire, with no fees. Robinhood uses the cash in your brokerage account, and event contracts need settled cash.
- **Interest:** neither lists any interest on event-contract positions.

## Fees

Polymarket US is the cheaper of the two at every price in the table below. Its taker fee is 0.0695 × contracts × price × (1 − price), rounded to the nearest cent, so it peaks at 1.74¢ per contract at 50¢. Robinhood charges a commission of 10% × price × (1 − price) per contract, or 5% with Robinhood Gold, capped at 1¢, plus an exchange fee of up to 1¢ per contract; Kalshi-listed contracts cost 1¢ per contract per side.

| Fees on 100 contracts at | Polymarket US (taker) | Robinhood, Kalshi contract | Robinhood with Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10¢ | $0.63 | $1.90 | $1.45 |
| 50¢ | $1.74 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| 90¢ | $0.63 | $1.90 | $1.45 |

The 90¢ Robinhood figures come from Robinhood's own example ($91.90 in total for 100 Yes contracts, or $91.45 with Gold); the rest are our calculations from the published formulas.

Makers widen the gap. Polymarket US pays a rebate of 0.0125 × the same formula, or $0.31 on 100 contracts at 50¢, while Robinhood charges its commission and exchange fee on every trade. Heavy Polymarket US traders also get 10% to 50% of their taker fees back each week, depending on the previous month's volume, although its combos carry an extra taker charge.

Moving money is cheaper on Polymarket US, which charges no deposit or withdrawal fees. Robinhood's ACH transfers are free, but instant withdrawals cost 1.75% (minimum $1, maximum $150) and outgoing wires $25. Our [prediction market fees guide](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/prediction-market-fees/) compares all five platforms we rank.

## Liquidity

Robinhood gives you the deeper pool to trade against, because it routes orders to Kalshi, which handled about $53 billion of volume in September 2026 through the 29th, according to The Block, as well as to three other exchanges. Robinhood's customers traded a record 13.6 billion contracts in the second quarter of 2026, more than 10 times as many as a year earlier, and event contracts brought in $156 million of revenue that quarter, according to its SEC filing.

Polymarket US traded about $8.5 billion in September 2026, according to DeFi Rate data. It's also much newer: the app opened to invited users in December 2025 and dropped its iOS waitlist on May 12, 2026.

## Availability and legality

Both are CFTC-regulated, but as of September 30, 2026, Polymarket US is blocked outright in one state, while Robinhood has stopped sports contracts in four.

| State | Polymarket US | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Blocked entirely by a state-court preliminary injunction (May 29, 2026) | No new sports contracts since December 1, 2025 |
| Maryland | Not listed as unavailable; Baltimore has sued Polymarket | Blocked; Robinhood's help pages disagree on whether this covers all event contracts or only sports |
| Michigan | Not listed as unavailable; a court denied its request for a preliminary injunction, and it's appealing | No new sports contracts since September 9, 2026 |
| Washington | Not listed as unavailable | New sports contracts stopped while Robinhood's lawsuit is pending |

Some third-party guides list up to eight more states where Polymarket US is unavailable, so check the app. New York's attorney general sued Polymarket on September 24, 2026, and Polymarket countersued. Robinhood has asked the Supreme Court to review its Nevada loss at the Ninth Circuit (No. 26-338), and Connecticut and Missouri issued orders in September 2026 telling both platforms, among others, to stop offering sports contracts.

On track record, Robinhood Markets is a public company that reports event-contract volumes and revenue in its SEC filings, and Robinhood Derivatives is a clearing member of the Kalshi, ForecastEx and Rothera clearinghouses. Polymarket's US exchange was designated in July 2025, and in January 2022 the CFTC ordered Blockratize, the company behind Polymarket, to pay $1.4 million and wind down markets it had offered without registering. Our guide to [whether prediction markets are legal](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/are-prediction-markets-legal/) explains the court fights.

> A CFTC registration doesn't override a court order in your state. Trade only what each app offers where you are, and don't use a VPN to get around a block.

## Which should you choose?

Choose Polymarket US if low trading costs matter most, if you post limit orders and want a rebate, if you want to trade on the web, or if you trade enough volume to get 10% to 50% of your taker fees back.

Choose Robinhood if you already invest there and want event contracts next to your stocks and crypto, if you want access to Kalshi's liquidity and three other exchanges in one app, or if you use Android, where Polymarket US's availability is unclear.

Using both can make sense: if you already have a Robinhood account, adding Polymarket US gives you a cheaper place to post limit orders and a second set of prices to compare, though it needs its own sign-up and deposit. Robinhood lets you hide sports markets and self-exclude from event contracts; Polymarket US's tools couldn't be confirmed, so see our [responsible gambling guide](https://safebet.ai/responsible-gambling/) before you start.

Read our full [Polymarket review](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/polymarket-review/) and [Robinhood review](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/robinhood-review/), or see all five platforms in [our ranking of US prediction markets](https://safebet.ai/us/prediction-markets/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polymarket or Robinhood better for prediction markets?

Robinhood ranks higher overall, #2 against Polymarket US's #4 in our ranking, for its liquidity, its CFTC-registered broker setup and the convenience of trading next to your investments. Polymarket US is the cheaper place to trade, especially if you post limit orders.

### Can I trade Polymarket on Robinhood?

Not as of September 30, 2026. Robinhood routes orders to Kalshi, Interactive Brokers' ForecastEx, its Rothera joint venture and, for some football contracts, Crypto.com's exchange, and Polymarket US isn't among them; you trade Polymarket US directly in its app or at polymarket.us.

### Is Polymarket US cheaper than Robinhood?

Usually, yes. Polymarket US takers pay at most 1.74¢ per contract and makers earn a rebate, while Robinhood charges a commission of up to 1¢ plus an exchange fee of up to 1¢ per contract on every trade. Polymarket US also charges nothing to deposit or withdraw, while Robinhood charges 1.75% for instant withdrawals and $25 for outgoing wires.

### Which is available in more states?

Polymarket US says it's available in every state except Nevada, though some third-party guides list up to eight more exclusions. Robinhood is open to residents of all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands with an approved account, but as of September 30, 2026, it offers no sports contracts in Maryland, Nevada, Michigan or Washington.

### Can I trade Polymarket US or Robinhood on the web?

Polymarket US, yes: you can trade at polymarket.us as well as in its iOS app. Robinhood's website shows event contracts but doesn't let you trade them, so trading happens only in its iOS and Android apps.

### Do I need a brokerage account to use Polymarket US or Robinhood?

Not for Polymarket US, where you open an account directly with the exchange using a Google or Apple ID and an identity check. Robinhood requires a brokerage account plus an approved Robinhood Derivatives account, which it says takes 1–2 weeks to review.

## Sources

1. [Polymarket US Amended Order of Designation (QCX LLC)](https://www.cftc.gov/media/12806/Polymarket%20US%20Amended%20Order%20of%20Designation/download) — CFTC, 2025-11-24
2. [Fees (schedule effective September 25, 2026)](https://docs.polymarket.us/fees) — Polymarket US Docs, accessed 2026-09-30
3. [Deposit methods overview](https://docs.polymarket.us/learn/deposits/deposit-methods/overview.md) — Polymarket US Docs, accessed 2026-09-30
4. [Polymarket US volume data](https://defirate.com/prediction-markets/volume/polymarket-us/) — DeFi Rate, data as of 2026-09-30
5. [Press release: NGCB files civil enforcement action against Polymarket](https://www.gaming.nv.gov/siteassets/content/about/press-release/ngcb-files-civil-enforcement-action-against-polymarket.pdf) — Nevada Gaming Control Board, 2026-01-16
6. [Standard Pricing Fee Schedule (event-contract commission effective June 1, 2026)](https://cdn.robinhood.com/assets/robinhood/legal/RHD_Fee_Schedule.pdf) — Robinhood Derivatives, LLC, 2026-05-28
7. [Event contracts overview](https://robinhood.com/us/en/support/articles/event-contracts-overview/) — Robinhood Support, accessed 2026-09-30
8. [Robinhood Q2 2026 results (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1783879/000178387926000113/q22026robinhoodexhibit991.htm) — Robinhood Markets, Inc. (SEC EDGAR), 2026-07-29