🏟️ Sports Maker Fee Calculator
On Kalshi sports markets, makers pay a fee too — smaller than the taker fee, but not zero. See both, and what posting instead of taking actually saves you.
Maker vs. taker fees on Kalshi sports markets
On most Kalshi markets, only takers pay a trading fee and makers trade free. Sports series are the exception: Kalshi charges makers too — a smaller fee than takers pay, but not zero. That changes the math on whether it's worth resting a limit order versus crossing the spread. This calculator shows the fee for either role on a given trade and the exact dollar amount posting saves you over taking.
Pick maker or taker
Toggle the role you want to price. Taker means you cross the spread and fill now; maker means you post a resting limit order that someone else fills.
Enter the trade
Add the contract price in cents and how many contracts you're trading. The fee scales with both, and with how close the price is to a coin flip.
Set the fee rate
Sports fee rates vary by series and change over time, so the rate is editable. Set it to match the exact coefficient shown on Kalshi's current fee schedule for your market.
See the cost and the savings
The calculator shows the fee for your chosen role, the per-contract cost, and how much less posting as a maker costs versus taking.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kalshi charge maker fees on sports?
Yes. Unlike standard Kalshi markets where resting (maker) fills are free, sports series charge both a maker and a taker fee. The maker fee is lower than the taker fee but still greater than zero, so it should factor into your strategy.
How are the fees calculated?
Both follow Kalshi's structure: fee = round-up(rate × contracts × price × (1 − price)), charged per execution and rounded up to the next cent. The taker rate is higher than the maker rate; this tool lets you set each so it matches your specific series.
Is it always better to be a maker?
On fees, yes — the maker fee is smaller. But posting a resting order means you might not get filled, or you wait while the price moves. Whether the fee savings are worth the fill risk depends on the market's liquidity and how badly you want the position.
Why do I have to enter the fee rate myself?
Kalshi's sports fee rates differ by series and have changed over time, so hardcoding a single number would eventually be wrong. Pulling the current rate from Kalshi's fee schedule and entering it keeps the calculator accurate for your exact market.