# Manifold Markets: how the play-money prediction market works (2026)

URL: https://tomorrowalpha.com/learn/manifold-markets
Updated: 2026-10-12

Manifold Markets is a free prediction market where you trade with Mana, a play-money currency that can't be withdrawn as cash (it can be donated to charity at about M100 per $1). Anyone can create a market on any question, prices are set by an automated market maker, and because no real money is at stake it is accessible in almost every country.

## At a glance

- **Currency:** Mana (M$ / Ṁ), play money
- **Real money?:** No — Sweepcash ended 28 March 2025
- **Charity donation:** ≈ M100 per $1
- **Pricing:** Automated market maker (Maniswap)
- **Access:** Global, no KYC

## How Manifold Markets works

You sign up free and receive starting Mana. Each market is a question — binary (yes/no), multiple choice or numeric. Buying YES pushes the probability up; buying NO pushes it down. When the market resolves, winning shares pay out in Mana.

Unlike Kalshi or Polymarket, **any user can create a market** and is usually responsible for resolving it, subject to community moderation. That's why Manifold has tens of thousands of markets on niche topics — AI benchmarks, personal goals, science, local politics.

## Manifold Markets fee structure

Manifold charges small fees in Mana, not money: creating a market costs Mana, and trades carry a fee that goes to the market creator and liquidity. Because Mana can't be cashed out, fees only affect your score and leaderboard ranking. Check Manifold's current fee page for exact rates, which change periodically.

## Manifold leaderboards

Leaderboards rank traders by profit, by calibration and by market creation, plus league seasons. They are the main incentive on a play-money platform and a useful signal of which forecasters to follow.

## Is Manifold accurate?

On popular questions Manifold's probabilities are often close to real-money markets. On thinly traded user-created markets, a single trader can move the price a lot — check the number of traders before relying on a forecast.

## Is Manifold legal where I live?

Because players can't win money, Manifold generally falls outside gambling law. That makes it the main option in countries where Polymarket and Kalshi are blocked — the [UK](https://tomorrowalpha.com/legal/united-kingdom), [Germany](https://tomorrowalpha.com/legal/germany), [Switzerland](https://tomorrowalpha.com/legal/switzerland), [India](https://tomorrowalpha.com/legal/india) and most of the [EU](https://tomorrowalpha.com/legal/european-union).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Manifold Markets real money?

No. Manifold uses Mana, which cannot be cashed out. Its real-money Sweepcash feature ran from September 2024 until 28 March 2025.

### Can you make money on Manifold Markets?

Not directly. You can donate Mana to partner charities at roughly M100 per $1, but you cannot withdraw it.

### Who can create markets on Manifold?

Any registered user can create a market on almost any question and usually resolves it, subject to moderation.

### Manifold vs Polymarket — which is better?

Polymarket for real-money exposure on major events where it's legal; Manifold for niche questions, practice, or countries where real-money markets are blocked.

## Sources

1. [Manifold Markets](https://manifold.markets)