List of prediction markets: platforms, money types and access

A useful directory separates cash event exchanges, international platforms and play-money communities instead of ranking unlike products together.

A useful list must identify the product

A list of prediction markets should distinguish real-money event exchanges, international blockchain-based trading services and play-money forecasting communities. A shared percentage display does not make their legal status, funding, fees or payout rights equivalent. Start with the actual platform and legal entity, not a generic popularity ranking.

The directory below provides verified starting points rather than a claim to enumerate every operating market. It separates Polymarket US from the international platform and distinguishes Manifold's mana-based markets from cash trading. Current eligibility and individual contract availability must still be checked.

For contract mechanics, read how prediction markets work. For location and entity checks, use are prediction markets legal. A directory is a navigation aid; inclusion is not endorsement, legal advice or a promise that you can open an account.

A category-based directory

These are deliberately not ranked by trading volume or forecast accuracy. Such a ranking needs a dated dataset and a consistent definition of volume, active users or forecasting quality. A provider's claim to be the largest should not silently become an independent fact in a comparison.

Also distinguish an exchange from a broker, aggregator, analytics dashboard or app distributing access to an underlying venue. The brand on your phone may not be the entity maintaining the order book. Identify both before comparing fees or regulatory status.

Kalshi: inspect the contract and order book

Kalshi's official help explains resting orders and the distinction between bids and asks. That is useful for evaluating the price you can actually obtain. A percentage shown on a market card may not be the price available for the full size you want.

Read the contract's specific resolution terms and the applicable fee schedule. Its published schedule includes a general formula and product-specific exceptions. Do not assume every contract has identical fees or that leaving an order on the book is always free in every market.

The relevant regulator's current register is the place to verify an entity's status. An old screenshot or a familiar brand is not sufficient for a consequential eligibility decision. Registration also does not imply that a contract's outcome is safe or that a losing position will be reimbursed.

Polymarket international: data, wallets and location

Polymarket's official documentation separates market discovery, order-book trading and account/activity APIs. That supports a range of tools, from read-only dashboards to order-management applications. It does not validate every third-party bot built around those interfaces.

Its geographic-restriction documentation says orders from blocked regions are rejected and provides a location-check endpoint. Do not interpret public data access as permission to trade. A market can be visible in a browser while order placement remains restricted.

Read current funding, wallet, fee and resolution information. The Polymarket software guide explains why a midpoint is not necessarily executable, why permissions matter and why an API integration needs failure handling.

Polymarket US is not an interchangeable label

The CFTC's designated-contract-market register identifies QCX LLC doing business as Polymarket US and notes the assumed name. That is a specific entity-level observation, not a statement that every product associated with the broader brand operates under the same permissions.

Check which service a link, app or broker actually opens. Do not transfer an eligibility statement from one entity to another. Likewise, do not assume international wallet instructions describe the funding process or product access of the US service.

This distinction matters when reading older articles. Brand names, ownership and product access can change while indexed pages remain online. A current directory should retain entity clarity rather than merging services simply to make the list look shorter.

Manifold: play money requires a different comparison

Manifold's official About page describes mana as play money that cannot be converted to cash. It also discusses separate prize-related features. Do not summarise that as a general ability to redeem mana for money.

For a learner interested in forecasting practice, play-money markets can remove the need to risk a cash trading balance. They still require reading resolution rules and understanding how participation affects prices. Avoid describing every page percentage as an objectively calibrated fact.

If a separate drawing, reward or prize programme is relevant, read its own eligibility and terms. Those conditions are not established by the ordinary mana market mechanics. A directory should label the distinction rather than combine all features under a loose “real-money” heading.

Other names you may encounter

PredictIt, Augur, Gnosis-related projects and newer event-market brands appear in historical articles and search results. Their presence in an old list does not establish current service operation, user access, liquidity or regulatory status. Verify the exact present product before adding it to a personal shortlist.

Similarly, forecasting communities and tournament platforms can ask probability questions without offering tradable event contracts. They can be useful research resources, but should not be ranked as though they offer the same funding, order execution or cash settlement.

This guide does not label an unverified service defunct or illegal. It leaves current access claims unmade where the research does not support them. A smaller accurately categorised list is more useful than a long directory padded with stale brand names.

Compare costs using an actual transaction

For a binary contract paying one unit, buying at 0.60 risks the purchase cost and can produce a gross gain of 0.40 if it resolves positively. Applicable fees reduce that gain, and exiting before resolution depends on available counterparties and prices.

Compare total acquisition and exit costs, not just a headline trading fee. The bid-ask spread, order size, intermediary funding charges and currency conversion can all matter. A service advertising no fee for one category may charge fees in another.

Keep the currency explicit. Mana, a dollar balance and a blockchain token are not interchangeable units. Returns quoted in different currencies should not be compared without a consistent valuation and an explanation of whether those balances can actually be withdrawn.

A directory checklist for your own shortlist

1. Identify the brand, legal entity and underlying venue.
2. Classify real-money trading, play money or non-trading forecasting.
3. Verify location, age and identity eligibility.
4. Read the exact contract and resolution source.
5. Inspect current bids, asks, depth and fees.
6. Check funding, custody, withdrawal and security requirements.
7. Keep a dated record of the facts used in the comparison.
8. Reject access that requires false information or circumventing restrictions.

For mobile use, consult the prediction-market apps guide. It covers official distribution, permissions and browser alternatives. A technically convenient interface cannot resolve an underlying eligibility or contract-definition problem.

Reading market probabilities responsibly

A contract price can aggregate information, but participation, incentives and liquidity affect it. A thin market may move sharply after a small trade. A last-traded percentage can remain visible after the available order book has changed.

Compare a price with its resolution rule and timestamp before citing it as a forecast. Do not use a directory table as a daily probability feed or evidence that a platform consistently beats all alternatives. That would require a separate, properly defined evaluation.