Best prediction market apps and sites (2026): what each one is for
In short
How to choose
Ask four questions. Is it real money or play money? Is it available where you live (each venue has its own country list, and some regulators block them)? What does it cost (fees, the bid-ask spread, a house edge)? And how does a market settle (who decides, and from what source)?
Disclosure: this guide is written by PredictRips, which appears in it. The facts on the other venues are general, as of October 2026; check each one's current terms before you sign up.
Polymarket
One of the two biggest prediction markets by money traded, with the widest range of world events: elections in many countries, geopolitics, crypto, tech and culture. Trades settle in USDC; markets usually resolve through UMA's optimistic oracle. Since 2026 takers pay a fee on most categories. The international exchange is not open to US users (they use the separate Polymarket US app), and several countries restrict it.
Kalshi
A US exchange regulated by the CFTC, in US dollars. Strong in US economic data, the Fed, US politics and US sport, and in the 2026 months reported it has traded more than Polymarket. Most contracts carry a trading fee. Some US states have challenged its sports contracts in court.
PredictIt
A long-running US political market that operates under CFTC staff no-action relief, with a cap on how much each trader can put on one contract ($3,500 since July 2025, up from $850, as reported). Good for smaller stakes on US politics; it has fewer markets than the big exchanges and charges fees on profits and withdrawals.
Manifold and Metaculus
Free forecasting communities. Manifold uses play money (mana) on almost any question users create; Metaculus scores forecasters on accuracy, with no betting. Both are good for practising and for questions no real-money venue lists.
PredictRips
Not an exchange: a pack game built on live Polymarket markets. Each pack holds 3 random live positions in sport, crypto, politics or macro at a fixed price; the odds and pack value (about 90% of the price, a house edge of about 10%) are shown before you pay, and every card can be held to the result or cashed out at the live price. The first pack is free; deposits are in crypto. 18+, and not available in some countries.
Prediction market apps compared (as of October 2026)
| App | Money | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polymarket | Real (USDC stablecoin) | International; separate US app; restricted in some countries | The widest range of world events |
| Kalshi | Real (US dollars) | US (CFTC-regulated) | US economics, the Fed, US politics and sport |
| PredictIt | Real, with limits per contract | US | Small stakes on US politics |
| Manifold | Play money | Online, worldwide | Practice and user-made questions |
| Metaculus | None (forecast scores) | Online, worldwide | Long-range forecasting |
| PredictRips | Real (USDC balance, crypto deposits) | Online; not sold in restricted countries | A quick, fixed-price way to hold 3 live markets |