At 50¢, 100 standard taker contracts cost $1.75 in fees on Kalshi and $1.74 on Polymarket US. That one-cent gap is only part of the comparison.
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By Barbara Pazur
Kalshi and Polymarket handle maker orders differently, and funding methods or special-market fees can change what you actually pay.
Disclaimer: In this article, Polymarket means Polymarket US. It’s a separate, U.S.-regulated, dollar-based product from the global crypto platform at polymarket.com.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
What are Kalshi vs Polymarket fees?
Both platforms calculate standard taker fees partly from the contract price, so the fee isn’t simply a fixed percentage of how much you spend.
Their taker fees are very similar, but maker orders are treated differently. Kalshi may charge a maker fee depending on the market, while Polymarket currently pays makers a rebate.
Cost
Kalshi
Polymarket
Standard taker fee
0.07 × C × P × (1 − P)
0.0695 × C × P × (1 − P)
100 taker contracts at 50¢
$1.75
$1.74
Maker fee or rebate
No maker fee on many markets. Where a maker fee applies, the formula is 0.0175 × C × P × (1 − P)
Standard makers receive a rebate of 0.0125 × C × P × (1 − P)
100 maker contracts at 50¢
$0 where no maker fee applies, or about $0.44 where the maker-fee multiplier is 1
Maker receives a $0.31 rebate
Deposits
No fee for ACH deposits. No charge for wire deposits, although your bank may. Debit-card deposits can cost up to 2%. Crypto deposits may have third-party fees.
Debit card, ACH, and wire supported. Current deposit documentation doesn’t list a Polymarket platform fee.
Withdrawals
No fee for bank/ACH, debit-card, or crypto withdrawals. Wire withdrawals are limited to $500,000+ and bank wire fees may apply.
Free cash withdrawals by debit card, ACH, or wire.
Based on publicly available information as of September 29, 2026.
A taker order fills immediately against liquidity already available in the market.
A maker order rests in the order book and fills later when another trader matches it. That distinction has a direct effect on fees.
How do Kalshi trading fees work?
Kalshi calculates its general trading fee from the number of contracts and the price at which you trade them.
The standard formula is:
0.07 × C × P × (1 − P)
Here, C is the number of contracts and P is the contract price in dollars. The fee reaches its highest point around 50¢ and falls as the contract price gets closer to 0¢ or $1. Kalshi rounds its trading fees according to the rules in its published schedule.
A 7% coefficient doesn’t mean Kalshi simply takes 7% of your purchase. For 100 contracts at 50¢, the current general fee is $1.75. At 20¢, the same 100 contracts carry a $1.12 fee.
Some markets use different fee multipliers, so it’s worth checking the market before placing an order. Kalshi’s perpetual futures also use their own tiered fee schedule and aren’t included in this event-contract comparison.
Kalshi taker fees
Kalshi charges its general trading fee when your order matches immediately with an order already sitting in the book.
Kalshi vs Polymarket taker fees are very close under their standard formulas. At 50¢ and 100 contracts, Kalshi charges $1.75 compared with $1.74 on Polymarket US. At 20¢, the comparison is $1.12 vs. $1.11.
Put Kalshi fees vs Polymarket fees side by side at the same price and size, and the standard taker difference is small. Your actual execution price can easily have a larger effect on the total cost.
Kalshi vs Polymarket maker fees
A maker order works differently because it doesn’t fill immediately. You leave an order at your chosen price and wait for another trader to match it.
Kalshi doesn’t charge maker fees on every market. Where a maker fee applies, the current formula is:
0.0175 × C × P × (1 − P)
For 100 contracts at 50¢, that works out to about $0.44 when the market has a maker-fee multiplier of 1. If the resting order never fills and you cancel it, Kalshi doesn’t charge the maker fee.
Kalshi vs Polymarket maker fees differ more noticeably than their standard taker fees because Polymarket currently pays makers a rebate instead.
How do Polymarket trading fees work?
Polymarket also uses a price-sensitive formula for standard trades.
Its standard taker fee is:
0.0695 × C × P × (1 − P)
Like Kalshi’s formula, it charges the most around a 50¢ contract and less as the price moves toward either extreme. Polymarket uses banker’s rounding to the nearest cent for its standard fees and rebates.
For 100 contracts, the current standard taker fee is $1.74 at 50¢, $1.11 at 20¢, and $0.63 at 10¢.
Combo taker trades use a separate formula, so the standard schedule may not apply to every Polymarket product.
Polymarket taker fees
A standard Polymarket taker pays the 0.0695 fee formula when an order immediately takes liquidity from the book.
Polymarket also offers taker-fee rebates based on the previous calendar month’s qualifying taker volume. The current published tiers return 10% of taker fees from $250,000 in monthly taker volume, 25% from $1 million, and 50% from $10 million.
That can change the effective cost for very active traders, although most people comparing standard Polymarket vs Kalshi fees will be looking at the published fee before any volume rebate.
Polymarket maker fees
Standard makers on Polymarket don’t pay a maker fee under the current schedule. They receive a rebate when their resting order is filled.
The rebate uses:
0.0125 × C × P × (1 − P)
For 100 contracts at 50¢, Polymarket currently pays the maker $0.31. At 20¢, the rebate is $0.20. The rebate is applied when the trade occurs.
Polymarket fees vs Kalshi fees are therefore quite different for a trader who regularly provides liquidity. On Kalshi, a maker may pay nothing or pay a maker fee depending on the market. On Polymarket US, the standard schedule pays a maker rebate.
What other trading costs should you consider?
Comparing fees shouldn’t stop at the fee formula. A slightly cheaper transaction can still cost you more overall if you receive a worse execution price.
The bid-ask spread is one cost to watch. If buyers are offering 48¢ and sellers want 52¢, crossing that spread can cost more than a one-cent difference between platform fees.
If there aren’t enough contracts available at the price you see, part of a larger order may fill at a less favorable price. Polymarket refers to this as price impact and slippage.
Closing a position early can create another trading cost because you’re making another transaction rather than simply holding the contract until settlement. If you expect to trade actively, it’s worth comparing the cost of getting into and out of the position.
Kalshi charges no fee for ACH deposits and doesn’t add a fee to wire deposits, although your bank may. Debit deposits may carry a 2% processing fee. Currently, bank withdrawals are fee-free.
Polymarket supports debit card, ACH, and wire deposits. Cash withdrawals are free.
Whichever platform you choose, it’s worth checking your bank, card provider, or the confirmation screen for outside costs.
Is Kalshi or Polymarket cheaper?
For a standard taker trade at the same contract price and size, Polymarket is currently slightly cheaper. The difference is tiny around the middle of the price range. For 100 contracts at 50¢, the published fees are $1.74 on Polymarket US and $1.75 under Kalshi’s general schedule.
The maker side separates them more. Polymarket currently pays a standard maker rebate. Kalshi charges no maker fee on many markets, while designated markets can carry a maker fee.
Frequent takers may also qualify for Polymarket volume rebates. Kalshi and Polymarket can each use different fee schedules for particular products, so the cheapest platform for one contract may not be the cheapest for another.
The spread, available price, order size, funding method, and whether you expect to exit before settlement can outweigh a small difference in the published transaction fee.
For U.S. customers, quick orders on most OG.com markets, including sports and politics, currently use the same 0.07 × C × P × (1 − P) taker formula as Kalshi’s general schedule. Quick Orders execute immediately against available liquidity, and any portion that can’t fill right away is canceled.
Resting orders that fill later use a 0.0175 × C × P × (1 − P) maker formula.
That makes the published taker cost on most OG.com markets essentially comparable with Kalshi’s general formula. Polymarket’s standard taker coefficient is slightly lower at 0.0695, while its standard makers receive a rebate rather than paying a maker fee.
OG.com uses a different structure for U.S. crypto, foreign exchange, commodities, and equity-index markets. Those currently cost $0.02 per contract to open and another $0.02 per contract if you close before expiry. Settlement fees are waived.
OG.com also offers limit orders, which let you choose your price and can remain in the order book until they fill or you cancel them. Whether an order is treated as a maker or taker depends on how it executes. An order that fills immediately is a taker order, while one that rests in the order book and fills later is charged the maker fee.
For U.S. customers outside New York, OG.com currently charges no platform fee for ACH or wire deposits, PayPal, Venmo, debit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, although a bank or card issuer can still charge its own fee. ACH withdrawals also have no OG.com fee.
How to trade event contracts on OG.com
With OG.com, you can trade event contracts on real-world outcomes across different market categories.
Create an account:Open an account and complete sign-up, including identity verification. You can use our web or mobile platforms.
Browse markets: Explore markets across economics, culture, politics, sports, and other real-world events.
Review and trade: Compare the market price with your own view. Check the rules, fees, and settlement details before opening a position.
Monitor your position: After trading, your contract appears in your open positions, where you can track price movement as new information comes in.
Currently, Polymarket has a slightly lower standard taker fee at the same contract price and size. Fee schedules can change, and maker costs differ more between the two platforms.
How do Kalshi and Polymarket trading fees differ?
Both use price-sensitive taker fees. Kalshi’s standard coefficient is 0.07, compared with 0.0695 on Polymarket, while their maker-fee structures differ.
Does Kalshi charge maker and taker fees?
Kalshi charges taker fees. Maker fees apply only in designated markets, while many markets have no maker fee.
Does Polymarket charge maker and taker fees?
Polymarket charges standard taker fees and currently pays makers a rebate instead of charging a standard maker fee.
Does Kalshi charge deposit or withdrawal fees?
ACH deposits and withdrawals have no Kalshi fee. Wire deposits have no added Kalshi fee, debit deposits can cost up to 2%, and some other methods may involve third-party fees.
Does Polymarket charge deposit or withdrawal fees?
Polymarket supports debit card, ACH, and wire deposits, and cash withdrawals are currently free.
Which platform has lower fees for frequent trading?
It depends on how you trade. Polymarket offers qualifying taker-volume rebates and maker rebates, while Kalshi’s maker fees depend on the market.
What other costs should traders compare?
Compare spreads, slippage, entry and exit costs, funding methods, and any fees charged by banks, card providers, or payment services.
Important Information: Prediction is an event contract that is a derivatives product offered by North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc. (NADEX), a CFTC-regulated exchange, which does business under the brand OG.com Prediction Markets (OG) Crypto.com | Derivatives North America and uses a CFTC-regulated exchange that uses OG.com technology.
Trading on OG.com involves risk and may not be appropriate for all. By trading you risk losing your cost to enter any transaction, including fees. You should carefully consider whether trading on OG.com is appropriate for you in light of your investment experience and financial resources. Any trading decisions you make are solely your responsibility and at your own risk.
