Comparison

Kalshi vs Polymarket (2026)

The two largest prediction markets compared side-by-side. Fees, liquidity, market coverage, regulation, data access, and where the edges are.

Last updated: March 2026

TL;DR

Kalshi is usually the cleaner choice for US-regulated access; Polymarket is usually the stronger choice for crypto-native liquidity and broader event coverage.

Use This Page If

You already know these two platforms matter and want the fastest route to the tradeoffs that actually change your decision.

Recommended Next Step

After choosing a venue, move to the scanner or API pages if you care more about cross-platform pricing and execution than platform-by-platform browsing.

Kalshi

Regulated Exchange (CFTC)

Markets
Politics, economics, climate, science, tech
Fees
~2% on profits
Access
US-only (with restrictions)
Min Trade
$1

Polymarket

Crypto / On-chain

Markets
Politics, sports, crypto, culture, world events
Fees
No trading fees (gas only)
Access
Global (not available in US)
Min Trade
$1 (USDC)

Track Both In One View

Use the scanner if your actual goal is spotting price gaps instead of reading platform docs manually.

Need Combined Data?

Use the API guide if you want both venues in one normalized schema for research or automation.

Browse Other Matchups

Jump back to the compare hub if your real shortlist includes PredictIt, DraftKings, or Manifold.

Full comparison

Feature-by-feature breakdown across 12 categories

Feature Kalshi Polymarket
Platform Type CFTC-regulated exchange Crypto-native (Polygon chain)
Regulation Fully regulated by CFTC Offshore, no US regulatory oversight
Market Coverage Politics, economics, climate, Fed, CPI Politics, sports, crypto, culture — broader
Liquidity Growing, strong in US politics Highest liquidity globally for prediction markets
Trading Fees ~2% on profits No trading fees
US Access Yes (with some state restrictions) Not available for US users
Settlement Automated, CFTC-supervised UMA optimistic oracle
Data & API REST API, historical data REST + on-chain + CLOB API
Minimum Trade $1 $1 (USDC)
Mobile App Native iOS & Android Web-based (responsive)
Order Types Limit and market orders Limit orders (CLOB)
Deposit Method Bank transfer, debit card USDC (crypto wallet)

Find +EV opportunities across both platforms

Kalshi and Polymarket are the two dominant prediction markets, but they serve different audiences and often price the same events differently. A contract trading at 58¢ on Kalshi might trade at 53¢ on Polymarket — a 5-point implied probability gap on the same underlying event.

These price discrepancies create positive expected value (+EV) opportunities. If your model suggests the true probability is 56%, the Kalshi contract is slightly overpriced and the Polymarket contract is underpriced. Systematic traders scan both platforms to find these gaps before they close.

The challenge is that each platform has its own API, data format, and pricing conventions. Comparing odds manually is slow and error-prone. That's why tools like EVSignals exist — to normalize odds across Kalshi, Polymarket, and 500+ other sources into a single schema you can query, scan, and analyze.

The data access advantage

Both platforms offer APIs, but the real power comes from analyzing them together. EVSignals provides:

  • Unified data — Kalshi and Polymarket odds in one API call, same schema
  • Cross-platform scanner — Automatic detection of price discrepancies across venues
  • Data notebooks — Analyze both platforms in Python with live data, side by side
  • Historical archive — Backtest cross-platform strategies against real settlement data

Frequently asked questions

Can I trade on both Kalshi and Polymarket?
It depends on your location. Kalshi is available only in the US (with some state restrictions), while Polymarket is not available to US users. International users can access Polymarket but not Kalshi. If you're outside the US, Polymarket is your option; if you're in the US, Kalshi is the regulated choice.
Which platform has better odds?
Odds vary by market and time. The same event often trades at different implied probabilities on each platform — these price discrepancies are exactly what creates +EV opportunities. EVSignals scans both platforms simultaneously to surface these gaps in real time.
How does EVSignals help with cross-platform trading?
EVSignals normalizes odds data from both Kalshi and Polymarket (plus 500+ other sources) into a single schema. Our +EV scanner automatically detects when the same event trades at different prices across platforms, and our data notebooks let you analyze, model, and backtest cross-platform strategies.
Is prediction market trading legal?
Kalshi operates as a CFTC-regulated exchange, making it legal in most US states. Polymarket is crypto-based and operates outside US jurisdiction. Legality depends on your location — always check local regulations before trading.

More comparisons

Kalshi vs PredictIt Polymarket vs Manifold

Scan both platforms simultaneously

EVSignals scans Kalshi, Polymarket, and 500+ other sources continuously. Get alerts when cross-platform price gaps create +EV opportunities.

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