Compare Prediction Markets by Fees, Access and Control

There is no single best prediction market app for every US user. Kalshi is the strongest broad direct exchange in this snapshot, Polymarket US has a transparent maker and taker schedule, Robinhood is the easiest fit for an existing brokerage user, and Novig or ProphetX can suit sports-first exchange users. The products use different account structures, fees, state rules, and order workflows, so choose by job rather than a marketwide rank.

Kalshi is the better fit for users who want a broad, established direct exchange with several funding routes and detailed order controls. Polymarket US is the better fit for users who prefer its current interface and published July 2026 maker and taker fee schedule. There is no responsible overall winner because fees depend on the order, liquidity is contract-specific, and sports availability remains legally and geographically variable.

Novig and Kalshi are both direct CFTC-designated contract markets, but they serve different primary jobs. Novig is the more focused sports exchange and currently charges no maker or taker fee on pregame straight app and web trades. Kalshi offers a much broader event-market menu, more documented transfer routes, an official demo, and mature order-book tools. Novig requires users to be 21 or older and excludes Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada in its current rules. Kalshi's account baseline is 18, but sports-contract access must be checked by location and contract because federal designation does not settle every state-level sports dispute. No liquidity, legality, price, or profitability winner is supported without a synchronized contract-level test.

Novig and ProphetX are now direct, sports-first CFTC-designated exchanges with peer-to-peer order books, live markets, player markets, parlays, web access, and native apps. Novig publishes the clearer consumer fee schedule and is cheaper on the narrow fee dimension for pregame straight trades, which are currently fee-free. ProphetX charges 2 percent of net gains per straight market and publishes a separate parlay schedule. Access differs: Novig requires 21+ and excludes AZ, MI, and NV, while ProphetX requires 18 or the higher local age and says it operates nationwide except Nevada. Those are company access statements, not blanket legal conclusions. Neither platform can be declared the liquidity, price, fill-speed, legality, or profit winner without synchronized order-level evidence.

There is no current two-way product choice. Sporttrade's official closure notice states that it exited online sports betting and that all wagering ceased on May 25, 2026. Novig is an active sports-first prediction exchange operated by Ludlow Exchange, which the CFTC designated as a contract market on June 16, 2026. Eligible users who specifically want one of these two products can therefore consider Novig; Sporttrade is unavailable for new wagers. This is a current-status comparison, not evidence that Novig historically had better prices, liquidity, execution, legality, or performance.

Kalshi is worth considering if you want a direct US prediction exchange with broad market categories, limit orders, several funding methods, and the ability to exit a position before settlement when a market supports it. It is a weaker fit if you want simple fixed odds, guaranteed liquidity, one flat fee, or certainty that sports contracts are available in your state. This is a source-based editorial review, not hands-on testing or a profit claim.

Novig is worth considering for eligible US users who want a sports-first, peer-to-peer prediction exchange with fee-free pregame straight trades, visible maker/taker mechanics, live trading, parlays, and native iOS and Android apps. It is not available in Arizona, Michigan, or Nevada in the checked official rules, requires users to be 21+, and uses fees for live taker trades and parlays. Its newer designated contract market (DCM) structure and fair-value settlement rules deserve careful reading before funding.

Sporttrade is not available for new online sports wagering in this snapshot. The official site says Sporttrade exited online sports betting and that all wagering ceased on May 25, 2026; remaining balances were to be mailed by check. Historical exchange mechanics are useful context, but they are not a current product recommendation. Do not deposit or expect current market access from legacy review pages.

ProphetX is worth considering for eligible US users who understand order books and want to post or accept peer-to-peer sports contract prices. It is a CFTC registered exchange with web, iOS, and Android access, a 2% fee on net gains for straight markets, and company-stated availability nationwide except Nevada. It is not a sportsbook, fills depend on counterparties, and funding methods plus the exact parlay fee must be confirmed in account.

For US readers, Polymarket US is a genuine CFTC regulated event-contract platform with dollar funding, web, iOS, Android, and a current price-sensitive fee schedule. It is separate from the international crypto Polymarket product, which geoblocks US users from opening new global orders. Polymarket US suits users who understand contracts, fees, liquidity, and resolution rules, but no blanket all-state legality or liquidity superiority claim is supported.

Fanatics Markets is a real-money event-contract interface built for users who want a sports-first Fanatics experience with sports and non-sports markets, web and native apps, Combos, and Fanatics ONE rewards. At the checked date, the live product is operated through Morton St. Trading Investments, LLC d/b/a Fanatics Markets, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA member, with contracts offered through Crypto.com | Derivatives North America. It is available in 22 named states and four territories, requires users to be 21+, and charges price-dependent fees on each matched purchase or sale. It is worth considering for eligible Fanatics users who value the interface and rewards connection, but it is not the same product as Fanatics Sportsbook and no public evidence supports a liquidity, price, profitability, or legality winner.

DraftKings Predictions is a separate event-contract product for users who want a familiar DraftKings interface across sports and non-sports events. GUS III LLC d/b/a DraftKings Predictions is a CFTC-registered introducing broker and NFA member; it is not itself the exchange and it is not DraftKings Sportsbook. It works on web, iOS, and Android and has no subscription. Current CDNA and DKeX total fees are $0.01 or $0.02 per contract by price tier; CME contracts list $0.02 per contract per side. It is worth considering where the desired market category is available, but state access differs by sports and financial markets, funds are siloed from other DraftKings products, and no public common dataset supports a marketwide liquidity, accuracy, price, or performance rank.

Polymarket US is the closest broad direct-exchange alternative to Kalshi. Novig and ProphetX are better fits for sports-first traders, Robinhood fits users who want event contracts inside an existing brokerage account, Crypto.com suits a crypto-integrated workflow, and DraftKings Predictions offers a familiar dedicated interface. The right alternative depends on which part of Kalshi you want to replace.

For US users, Kalshi is the strongest broad direct-exchange alternative to Polymarket US. Novig and ProphetX suit sports-first users, Robinhood fits brokerage customers, Crypto.com fits a crypto-integrated US workflow, and DraftKings Predictions offers a familiar branded interface. These are alternatives to Polymarket US, not automatic substitutes for the separate global crypto product.

ProphetX is the closest like-for-like alternative because it is another direct, sports-first CFTC-designated exchange with an order book, live markets, player markets, and parlays. Kalshi and Polymarket US are direct exchanges with much broader event menus. Sleeper Team Picks and PrizePicks Team and Culture Picks are simpler consumer interfaces that intermediate event-contract orders rather than direct exchange substitutes. There is no support for ranking these products by legality, liquidity, executable price, fill quality, or profitability.