Prediction Markets · Fees

Prediction Market Fees Compared in 2026

Compare Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase and Crypto.com fees with a 100-contract example, maker/taker costs and net payout calculations.

4 ranked picksCompared by access, fees and market fitData: Supporting sources checked September 12, 2026

Editorial research: Coin Interest Rate editorial team. Supporting sources and examples checked September 12, 2026. Assessment based on public documentation; no funded-account testing or execution-quality scoring.

There is no universal cheapest prediction market because fees can depend on category, contract price, order type and payment method. Compare the official fee schedule with the charge shown in the order preview, then account for spreads, slippage and funding costs.

Risk note: Event contracts can expire worthless. Prices are market-implied probabilities rather than reliable forecasts, and fees, spreads, liquidity, eligibility and resolution rules can materially affect outcomes. Must be 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Disclosure: Some outbound links may compensate Coin Interest Rate, but compensation does not determine inclusion or category awards.

What does a $50 prediction-market trade cost?

Assume 100 contracts with a $1 winning payout, all filled at $0.50 each: $50 before fees. The figures below compare entry trading fees only. They exclude spreads, slippage, funding, withdrawal costs and rebates; matching prices do not imply identical contracts or access.

Illustrative entry cost for 100 contracts at $0.50
Product / schedule	Taker entry fee	Cost including entry fee	Maker entry fee
Kalshi, general schedule, multiplier 1	$1.75	$51.75	$0 default; series exceptions apply
Polymarket.com, crypto category	$1.75	$51.75	$0
Polymarket.com, sports category	$1.25	$51.25	$0
Polymarket.com, finance / politics	$1.00	$51.00	$0
Crypto.com, published $1-contract range	$1.00–$1.75	$51.00–$51.75	$0
Coinbase	Order quote required	$50 plus quoted fees	Order quote required

Source: Kalshi fee schedule (https://kalshi.com/docs/kalshi-fee-schedule.pdf)
Source: Polymarket category fee schedule (https://docs.polymarket.com/trading/fees)
Source: Crypto.com prediction funding and fees (https://help.crypto.com/en/articles/11373970-prediction-trading)
Source: Coinbase account and settlement documentation (https://help.coinbase.com/en/coinbase/trading-and-funding/prediction-markets/intro)

The short list

Platforms at a glance

1Transparent fees

Polymarket

App access

International web platform

2$1 contracts

Crypto.com

App access

Crypto.com App with separate prediction onboarding

3No-fee funding options

Kalshi

App access

Web and mobile account

4Upfront fee disclosures

Coinbase

App access

Coinbase account and predictions balance

Compare the picks

Compare taker and maker charges, deposit costs, spreads and the fee shown for the actual order. A zero maker fee does not guarantee the lowest total execution cost.

Pick	Category	Availability	Funding	Fee structure	Market coverage
Polymarket	Transparent fees	International users only; restricted countries excluded	Crypto and USD deposits	Category-based taker fees; makers pay no trading fee	Sports, Elections, Macro, Crypto, AI
Crypto.com	$1 contracts	United States	Crypto conversion and USD	$0.01–$0.0175 taker fee on $1 contracts; $0 maker and settlement fee	Sports, Politics, Macro, Finance
Kalshi	No-fee funding options	U.S. and eligible international countries	USD funding	Transaction fees vary by market and expected contract earnings	Sports, Elections, Macro, Crypto, AI
Coinbase	Upfront fee disclosures	U.S. residents, excluding Nevada	USD and USDC prediction balance	Fee breakdown shown before each order	Sports, Crypto, Macro

Detailed review

Platform details and tradeoffs

#1 · Transparent fees

Polymarket

App access

International web platform

Platform type: International crypto prediction market
Availability: International users only; restricted countries excluded
Funding: Crypto and USD deposits

International Polymarket publishes category-specific taker curves, zero maker fees and fee-free geopolitical markets.

Why consider it

+Maker orders are not charged a trading fee.
+Official documentation publishes category formulas and examples.

Tradeoffs to check

!Taker costs vary by category and probability, and U.S. residents cannot use Polymarket.com.
!Polymarket.com excludes U.S. residents and other restricted jurisdictions; physical-location rules also apply.

Visit PolymarketTerms reviewed August 21, 2026Source: Polymarket fee schedule (docs.polymarket.com)

#2 · $1 contracts

Crypto.com

App access

Crypto.com App with separate prediction onboarding

Platform type: Crypto app with prediction trading
Availability: United States
Funding: Crypto conversion and USD

Crypto.com publishes a simple current range for $1 prediction contracts, with zero maker and settlement fees.

Why consider it

+$0 maker fee.
+Published $0.01–$0.0175 taker range for $1 contracts.

Tradeoffs to check

!Different contract values or updated schedules can change the effective cost.
!Prediction trading is offered through Crypto.com Derivatives North America and requires its own onboarding.

Full review Visit Crypto.comTerms reviewed August 21, 2026Source: Crypto.com prediction trading (help.crypto.com)

#3 · No-fee funding options

Kalshi

App access

Web and mobile account

Platform type: Regulated event-contract exchange
Availability: U.S. and eligible international countries
Funding: USD funding
New user bonus: $25 bonus when you trade $25. Code: COIN1

Kalshi documents market-dependent transaction fees and several funding methods without processing fees.

Why consider it

+The published schedule lists free ACH deposits and withdrawals.
+Fee preview is available before purchase.

Tradeoffs to check

!Transaction fees vary with expected earnings and special events can differ.
!Kalshi fees and available contracts can vary by market, event and jurisdiction.

Get promo code Visit KalshiTerms reviewed August 21, 2026Source: Kalshi fee information (help.kalshi.com)

#4 · Upfront fee disclosures

Coinbase

App access

Coinbase account and predictions balance

Platform type: Crypto exchange with prediction markets
Availability: U.S. residents, excluding Nevada
Funding: USD and USDC prediction balance

Coinbase shows the fee breakdown before an event-contract order is placed.

Why consider it

+Fee visible at confirmation.
+Integrated predictions balance.

Tradeoffs to check

!A single public headline rate is not supplied for every contract.
!Coinbase currently limits prediction markets to U.S. residents and excludes Nevada.

Full review Visit CoinbaseTerms reviewed August 21, 2026Source: Coinbase prediction markets (help.coinbase.com)

What to compare before choosing

1.Use current first-party fee documentation and confirm the final charge in the order preview.
2.Check maker, taker, settlement and funding costs where they apply.
3.A platform is not called cheapest when the exact fee depends on contract price, category or order type.
4.Spreads, slippage and network or payment-provider charges can exceed the displayed trading fee.

Read the full Coin Interest Rate methodology

Coinbase prediction fees versus direct Kalshi fees

A Coinbase order includes the fees displayed in that account’s confirmation screen. Kalshi’s direct-exchange calculation above should not be copied into a Coinbase cost estimate. Compare the same outcome, size and executable price, including any early-exit fee.

Compare Kalshi and Coinbase account access

How the example is calculated

Kalshi: 1 × 0.07 × 100 × 0.50 × (1 − 0.50) = $1.75 under its general taker schedule. The maker multiplier defaults to zero; a series with maker multiplier 1 produces $0.4375 before cash-balance rounding. Check series exceptions and actual fills.

Polymarket.com: shares × category fee rate × price × (1 − price). Rates of 0.07, 0.05 and 0.04 give $1.75, $1.25 and $1.00 respectively. These figures do not describe Polymarket US.

Crypto.com: 100 times its published per-contract range gives $1–$1.75. The range is not an exact quote at $0.50. Coinbase discloses its own order fees; do not substitute Kalshi’s direct-account schedule.

Winning payout, losing outcome and early exit

For the Kalshi general-schedule example, holding a winning position to settlement returns $100 with no settlement fee: $100 − $50 − $1.75 = $48.25 net profit. A losing position pays zero, for a $51.75 loss including entry fees.

Selling the same 100 contracts at $0.60 before resolution produces $60 gross proceeds. At the same general taker schedule, the exit fee is $1.68; net profit is $60 − $1.68 − $51.75 = $6.57. This assumes full fills at those prices and excludes funding charges.

A fee-free maker order may never fill. A limit order that immediately matches resting liquidity can still be a taker order. Compare the execution price and fill conditions as well as the fee.

Funding costs can change the result

Compare payment methods separately from trading charges. Include conversion, network and withdrawal costs where applicable. A lower explicit fee can still cost more when the available ask is higher or the bid is lower.

Frequently asked questions

Which prediction market has the lowest fees?

There is no universal answer. Polymarket publishes zero maker fees and category-based taker fees, Crypto.com publishes a current $1-contract range, and other platforms calculate or disclose fees per order.

Are maker orders free?

International Polymarket and Crypto.com currently document zero maker fees, but verify that the specific product and order qualify.

Are spreads a fee?

A spread is not normally labeled as a fee, but it is a real trading cost because it affects entry and exit prices.