Prediction Market Fees Compared
Small fees kill small edges.
Enter a contract price and position size to see exact net cost after all fees — side by side.
Side-by-side net cost after all fees — not just the advertised rate.
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Keep reading
- EV Calculator — see exactly how fees reduce your expected value per trade
- Prediction Market Arbitrage — how fees impact cross-platform arb opportunities
- Kalshi vs. Polymarket — full platform comparison beyond fees
- What Is Kalshi? — how Kalshi's fee structure fits its CFTC-regulated model
- Robinhood Prediction Markets — how Robinhood's flat fee compares to Kalshi's formula
Prediction Market Fees — Common Questions
What are Kalshi trading fees?
Kalshi charges a formula-based taker fee on each trade: 0.07 × contracts × price × (1 − price). Fees peak at mid-probability contracts (1.75¢ per contract at 50¢) and shrink toward extreme probabilities. On most Kalshi markets, resting limit orders have no fee. Maker fees of 0.0175 × p × (1 − p) apply only to approximately 105 series listed at kalshi.com/fee-schedule.
How much are Kalshi fees per contract?
Kalshi fees per contract depend on the contract price. At 50¢, the taker fee is 1.75¢ per contract. At 30¢ or 70¢ it's 1.47¢, and at 10¢ or 90¢ it drops to 0.63¢. Fees are rounded up to the nearest cent and are capped at the cost of the contract. Because of rounding, a single-contract order pays proportionally more than a 100-contract order at the same price.
What are Kalshi deposit and withdrawal fees?
ACH bank deposits on Kalshi are free and typically available for trading within one business day. Kalshi also supports debit card, wire transfer, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and crypto deposits. There are no wire fees above certain deposit thresholds. Withdrawals via ACH take 2–5 business days. Check Kalshi's current terms for minimum amounts and any applicable limits.
How do Kalshi vs Polymarket fees compare?
Kalshi uses a single formula-based fee across most markets: 0.07 × contracts × price × (1 − price). Polymarket's fee structure varies by market category. Effective March 30, 2026, Polymarket charges taker fees across most categories — crypto peaks at 1.80%, sports at 0.75%, and geopolitics remains fee-free. Polymarket V2 fees use the formula: feeRate × p × (1 − p), where feeRate varies by category. At most price points, Polymarket's per-contract fees are lower than Kalshi's — but Polymarket requires USDC deposits and operates a different regulatory structure. For a full comparison, use the calculator above.
What are Polymarket's new fees by category?
Effective March 30, 2026, Polymarket charges taker fees across most market categories. The peak effective rates are: Crypto 1.80%, Culture 1.25%, Politics 1.00%, Finance 1.00%, Tech 1.00%, Sports 0.75%, Economics 0.75%, Weather 0.625%, and Geopolitics 0% (fee-free). Fees use the V2 formula: feeRate × p × (1 − p), where feeRate varies by category. The effective rate peaks near 50% probability and drops symmetrically toward the extremes. Polymarket also offers maker rebates — 20% for crypto, 25% for most other categories — funded by these taker fees.
How do you avoid fees on Kalshi?
You can't avoid Kalshi fees entirely — taker fees are built into every market order. On most Kalshi markets, resting limit orders have no fee at all, so using limit orders is the most effective way to reduce costs. Maker fees of 0.0175 × p × (1 − p) apply only to approximately 105 specific series. Extreme-probability contracts (near 1¢ or 99¢) carry very low absolute fees, but thin margins at those prices usually offset the savings. Avoiding unnecessary round-trips (entering and exiting before settlement) also cuts total fee exposure.
For a full platform comparison beyond fees, see Kalshi vs Polymarket →
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