Tool
    April 20265 min read

    Prediction Market Fee Calculator — Know Your Real Profit

    Calculate exactly what you'll earn (or lose) after fees on Kalshi, Polymarket, and Robinhood. Compare early exit vs. hold to settlement. Stop losing money to hidden fees.

    Platforms

    8

    Fee Models

    5

    Updated

    Apr 2026

    Tool Type

    Calculator

    Quick Summary

    The key takeaway from this page

    Prediction market fees vary dramatically by platform — from zero on Polymarket politics to 10% of profits on PredictIt. Use this calculator to see your real profit after fees before you trade.

    Last updated: April 2026

    Fee Reality Calculator

    Know your real profit before you trade

    Prediction market fees vary by platform and can turn a winning trade into a loss. Enter your trade details below to see exactly what you'll earn after fees.

    Fee Reality Check

    Sell Early @ 72¢

    Buy cost$6.50
    Buy fee-$0.20
    Gross sell$7.20
    Exit fee ($0.02/contract)-$0.20
    Profit+$0.30

    Hold to Settlement (wins)

    Buy cost$6.70
    Payout$10.00
    Profit+$3.30
    No exit fee on settlement

    Hold is significantly better

    Selling early at 72¢ earns $0.30. Holding to settlement earns $3.30 if you're right. Early exit costs you $3.00 in potential profit.

    Flat $0.02 fee per contract per trade ($0.01 commission + $0.01 exchange). Total round-trip cost: $0.04/contract regardless of price.

    View full fee guide

    Why This Matters

    Every week, Reddit sees new posts from beginners who had the right prediction but lost money by selling early. The most common mistake: selling a +7¢ gain on Robinhood, only to net less than $1 after round-trip fees. Holding to settlement would have earned 5x more.

    Platform Fee Comparison

    Side-by-side fee breakdown across all platforms

    PlatformBuy FeeSell FeeSettlementRound-trip
    Kalshi~0.6–1.75¢/contract* (trading fee on entry)None (exit is free)None~0.6–1.75¢ one-way (formula-based entry fee only)
    PolymarketSports 0.75% peak; Crypto 1.80% peak; Politics/Finance/Tech 1.00%; most fee-free at extremesNone (taker fee charged on entry only)NoneTaker fee at entry; 0 exit fee (geopolitics: free both ways)
    Robinhood$0.02/contract ($0.01 RH + $0.01 Kalshi)$0.02/contract ($0.01 RH + $0.01 Kalshi)None$0.01 Robinhood commission + $0.01 Kalshi exchange fee = $0.02 total per contract per side flat
    FanDuel Predicts2% of potential payout2% of potential payout (on early cash-out)None2% each way (CME-powered)
    DraftKings Predictions$0.01/contract/side + exchange fees (~$0.02+ round-trip)$0.01/contract/side + exchange fees (~$0.02+ round-trip)None$0.01/contract/side + exchange fees (~$0.02+ round-trip)
    PredictItNone10% of profit (only if profitable)10% of profit10% on gains + 5% withdrawal fee
    Crypto.com$0.02/contract ($1 markets)$0.02/contract ($1 markets)$0.01 on wins (tech fee waived); $0 on losses~$0.04/contract on $1 markets
    SporttradeNone2% of net winnings2% of net winnings2% only when you win; $0 on losses
    Webull$0.01/contract (exchange)$0.01/contract (exchange)None~$0.02/contract (Kalshi rail)
    Sleeper$0.02/contract$0.02/contractNone~$0.04/contract (Kalshi rail)
    Underdog$0.02/contract (built into entry)$0.02/contractNone~$0.04/contract
    OG Predictions$0.02/contract$0.02/contractNone~$0.04/contract (CDNA structure)

    Fees as of April 2026. *Kalshi entry fee formula: 0.07 × P × (1 − P) per contract; peaks at 1.75¢/contract at 50¢. Polymarket (as of March 30, 2026) charges probability-based taker fees across most categories: Sports 0.75% peak, Crypto 1.80% peak, Politics/Finance/Tech 1.00%, Economics 1.50%, Culture 1.25%; geopolitics remains free. DraftKings Predictions charges a $0.01 transaction fee for each contract bought or sold, plus a separate exchange fee. Check each platform's official fee page for the latest.

    In plain English:

    • Kalshi: The closer to a coin flip (50/50 odds), the higher the fee — max 1.75¢. Longshots and near-certainties cost almost nothing. Politics and policy markets: zero taker fees, zero maker fees.
    • Polymarket: Most bets are completely free. Only crypto price predictions (up to ~1.6¢/dollar) and a few sports markets (under 0.5¢/dollar) have fees.
    • Robinhood: Two cents per contract every time. Simple and predictable.
    • FanDuel: Takes 2% of what you could win, charged upfront. If you could win $50, they take $1.
    • DraftKings: A penny when you buy, a penny when you sell, plus a small exchange fee.

    Fee Examples by Platform

    Real dollar amounts so you know exactly what you'll pay

    Kalshi — Formula: 0.07 × P × (1 − P)

    The fee scales with uncertainty. Closest to 50/50 = highest fee. Extremes cost almost nothing.

    10¢
    0.63¢
    30¢
    1.47¢
    50¢
    1.75¢ (max)
    70¢
    1.47¢
    90¢
    0.63¢

    Dollar example: Buy 100 contracts at 50¢ = $1.75 total. Entry only — no exit fee.

    Polymarket — Most markets: $0 fee

    Politics? Free. Elections? Free. Only crypto price bets (≤1.80% at 50¢) and NCAAB/Serie A sports (≤0.75% at 50¢) have fees.

    US venue (CFTC-regulated, QCX LLC DCM): Probability-based taker fees, peaking at 0.75% for sports near 50/50. Makers receive a 25% rebate on sports. Place limit orders to earn the rebate instead of paying the taker fee.

    Robinhood / Coinbase / Sleeper — $0.02/contract flat; Crypto.com/OG — $0.02 ($1 contracts) or $0.20 ($10 contracts)

    Two cents per contract, every time — buy or sell. No formula, no percentage.

    Dollar example: Buy 100 contracts = $2.00 fee. Sell them = another $2.00. Round-trip = $4.00.

    FanDuel — 2% of potential payout

    Charged upfront on your potential winnings, not your stake.

    Dollar example: Trying to win $50? They take $1 at checkout. 100 contracts × $1 payout = $100 potential → $2 fee upfront.

    DraftKings — $0.01/contract to buy + $0.01/contract to sell + CME exchange fees

    A penny in, a penny out, plus a variable exchange fee from CME Group.

    Dollar example: 100 contracts round-trip = $2 in DK fees (+ CME exchange fees on top).

    PredictIt — 10% of profits + 5% of withdrawals

    A dime from every dollar you profit, then another nickel from every dollar you withdraw.

    Dollar example: Win $100 → PredictIt takes $10. Withdraw that $90 → they take $4.50. You keep $85.50.

    Interactive Brokers ForecastEx — $0 commission + $0.01/contract exchange fee

    The cheapest option. On their own ForecastEx exchange, fees are under a penny per contract.

    Dollar example: 100 contracts on ForecastEx = $1.00 in exchange fees, zero commission. CME contracts through IBKR: $0.10/contract + $0.15 exchange fee, but pay $100 per contract.

    Sporttrade — 2% of net winnings only

    You only pay if you win. 2 cents from every dollar of profit. Lose? Pay nothing.

    Dollar example: Bet $100, win $50 in profit → Sporttrade takes $1. Bet $100 and lose → $0 in fees.

    Best Platform by Use Case

    Which platform fits your trading style

    Kalshi

    Holding to settlement

    Polymarket

    Geopolitics/world events (free); active traders using limit orders

    Robinhood

    Convenience if already on Robinhood

    FanDuel Predicts

    Sports fans in non-betting states

    DraftKings Predictions

    DraftKings users in eligible states

    PredictIt

    US politics watchers (caps at $850/position)

    Crypto.com

    Crypto.com users; tech-fee waiver favors holding to win

    Sporttrade

    Sports traders who want commission-only pricing

    Webull

    Webull users trading sports event contracts

    Sleeper

    Sleeper fantasy users

    Underdog

    Underdog Fantasy users

    OG Predictions

    OG Predictions users

    Frequently Asked Questions

    4 common questions answered

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