Manifold Markets
Free play-money social prediction platform with user-created markets.
- โ Beginners learning forecasting with zero financial risk
- โ Anyone who wants to create markets on any topic
- โ US users in most states who want a free path to real-money cashout
- โ Serious traders who need deep liquidity on financial or sports markets
- โ Anyone who needs instant real-money cashout without restrictions
- โ Users who want single-event, precise probability trading rather than parlays
About this operator
Manifold Markets is a free, play-money prediction platform built around user-created markets and a strong forecasting community. Because it uses virtual currency (Mana), it operates outside gambling and securities regulation in most jurisdictions, making it the easiest entry point for new forecasters.
Quick facts
| Founded | 2022 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA |
| Type | Play-money |
| Settlement | Mana (play-money) |
| Fees | None |
| Min deposit | Free |
| KYC | Email only |
| Volume | N/A (play-money) |
| โ Last verified April 2026 | |
Manifold Markets โ Scorecard
Editorial ratings based on publicly available data. Your experience may vary.
Manifold Markets โ strengths & weaknesses
- โ Free to use
- โ User-created markets
- โ Forecaster community
- โ Real-money cashout unavailable in Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, and Washington
- โ Sweepcash cashout has a 5% fee and a 1ร play-through requirement
- โ No deep liquidity: community markets can be very thin
- โ Market resolution depends on the creator; disputes do occur
Real cost: Manifold Markets
Play-money (mana) trading is completely free, no fees at all. For real-money sweepcash, the only cost is a 5% cashout fee when you withdraw: cashing out $100 returns $95. There are no per-trade fees on sweepcash markets.
Getting started: Manifold Markets
- 1 Sign up free at manifold.markets with Google or email (no deposit needed)
- 2 Receive M$500 free mana to start trading on any community-created market
- 3 Find markets by topic (politics, AI, sports, science) and buy YES or NO shares
- 4 Opt into sweepcash mode in settings to unlock real-money cashout (most US states)
FAQ โ Manifold Markets
Is Manifold free to use? +
Yes. Manifold is completely free to use with its play-money currency, mana (M$). You receive free mana when you sign up and can trade on thousands of user-created markets without spending any real money. There is no deposit required and no financial risk for mana trading.
Can I make real money on Manifold? +
Yes, but only indirectly. Manifold has a sweepstakes-style "sweepcash" mode available in most US states. You earn sweepcash through special promotions, bonuses, and converting mana at a fixed rate. Sweepcash can be cashed out for real USD via PayPal or bank transfer, subject to a 5% processing fee and a minimum withdrawal of around $10. Real-money sweepstakes features are unavailable in Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, and Washington.
What is mana and how does it work? +
Mana (M$) is Manifold's play-money currency. It has no real-money value and cannot be directly converted to cash. You use mana to trade markets created by other users on any topic: sports, politics, science, pop culture, personal bets. Accurate forecasting earns you more mana; you can also donate mana to charity. Mana is separate from the real-money sweepcash layer.
Is Manifold available in all US states? +
Manifold's free play-money (mana) mode is available everywhere. The real-money sweepstakes (sweepcash) features are unavailable in Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, and Washington due to those states' sweepstakes laws. If you live in one of those states, you can still use all of Manifold's forecasting features with mana, just not the cash-out option.
Who creates markets on Manifold? +
Anyone with a Manifold account can create a market on virtually any topic. This community-created model means Manifold has the widest range of market topics of any prediction platform: from geopolitics and AI benchmarks to sports prop bets, TV show outcomes, and personal challenges. Market creators set the resolution criteria and are responsible for resolving the market after the event.
