POLYMARKET VS KALSHI

The two biggest names in prediction markets compared side by side — decentralized crypto-native trading vs CFTC-regulated U.S. exchange. Pricing, platforms, features, and more.

★ TL;DR — Which One Should You Pick?

Choose Polymarket if…

› You want global, permissionless access without KYC
› You prefer self-custody and on-chain settlement
› You trade politics, sports, and crypto events with deep liquidity
› You value permissionless market creation

Choose Kalshi if…

› You are a US-based retail or accredited investor
› You want CFTC-regulated consumer protections
› You prefer lower per-contract fees (0.3% vs ~2%)
› You need a traditional brokerage-like UX with P&L tracking

Polymarket

Decentralized

Decentralized prediction market on Polygon for real-world events.

WebiOSAndroid

VISIT WEBSITE VIEW PROFILE

Kalshi

Regulated

First federally regulated event contract exchange in the US.

WebiOSAndroid

VISIT WEBSITE VIEW PROFILE

⬌ Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	POLYMARKET	KALSHI
$ Pricing	FREE Free to use. Resolution fee (~2%) on winning positions. Standard Polygon gas fees.	FREEMIUM Free to sign up. 0.3% transaction fee per contract. API free for personal use.
⊞ Category	Platforms	Platforms
● Status	ACTIVE Active	ACTIVE Active
⧫ Blockchain	ON-CHAIN Polygon	OFF-CHAIN None (Centralized)
⬢ Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
⬡ Access	GLOBAL Public	US ONLY Public
✦ Key Features	Binary Markets, Order Book, Limit Orders, AMM Pools, Permissionless Market Creation	Binary Event Contracts, Order Book, Limit Orders, Market Orders, Portfolio Dashboard
# Tags	Crypto, Decentralized, Polygon, Binary Markets, Real-world Events, AMM	Regulated, US, Fiat, CFTC, Event Contracts