Key Points
• Robinhood and Public.com are two low-cost brokerage firms with a lot to offer.
• Public offers some niche products, including Generated Assets, direct indexing, bonds, Treasuries, crypto, and alternative-asset-style products.
• Both firms offer premium services that cost a little extra but add more features.
Public.com vs. Robinhood Introduction
If you’re looking for a brokerage firm with very low trading fees, Robinhood and Public.com
are worth a look. Some premium features cost extra, though, so you should know ahead of time which
services you’ll actually want.
Public and Robinhood Cost
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
|
Robinhood
|
$0
|
na
|
$0 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Public
|
$0
|
na
|
$0 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
Public and Robinhood Services
| Broker Review |
Cost |
Investment Products |
Trading Tools |
Customer Service |
Research |
Overall Rating |
|
Robinhood
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Public
|
|
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Investing and Trading
Both firms in this comparison offer self-directed brokerage accounts. Robinhood also offers managed accounts through Robinhood Strategies, while Public offers advisory services through Public Advisors for products such as direct indexing and Generated Assets.
With a Robinhood account, self-directed traders can buy and sell stocks, option contracts, exchange-traded funds,
futures, event contracts, closed-end funds, and cryptocurrencies.
Public offers many of these same assets except futures and event contracts, but it adds bonds, Treasuries, direct indexing, Generated Assets, and a high-yield cash account. Both firms offer cryptocurrency trading, although the exact list of supported coins can change over time.
For unusual assets, Public has offered alternative-asset-style investing and now also offers Generated Assets, which are custom AI-generated indices that can be managed alongside other holdings.
For tax treatment, both Robinhood and Public customers can open taxable brokerage accounts or Individual Retirement Accounts.
Winner: Robinhood
Banking
Robinhood customers can use spending and banking features, including card products, round-ups, and rewards or offers that can support investing activity.
Robinhood also has an FDIC sweep program for eligible uninvested cash that currently pays up to
3.35% APY with a premium subscription.
Public has a similar FDIC-insured cash program that pays 3.3%
per year without a subscription. However, Public does not include the same card-related features Robinhood offers.
Winner: Robinhood
Premium Services
Robinhood traders can sign up for Gold, the broker’s premium plan. It costs $5 per month and includes extra benefits like Morningstar research, Level II quotes, and the first $1,000 of borrowed margin interest-free.
Public’s premium plan is called Premium. It adds charting tools that standard customers do not receive. Premium also includes stronger data, dedicated support, and waived fees for some Public transactions. The plan costs $10 per month or $96 per year, and it is waived for eligible customers with at least $50,000 in assets.
Winner: Robinhood
Promotions
Robinhood:
3% deposit match and FREE stock worth up to $200 at Robinhood.
Public: Get a 1% IRA contribution bonus at Public.com.
Margin
Even though self-directed accounts are not the only option at both firms, investors can set an account
up as either margin or cash, and an existing cash account can be upgraded to margin on either
broker’s website.
Robinhood clients who want to trade on margin can use the broker’s tiered margin schedule. The current rate starts at
5% per year on debit balances under $50K, with lower rates for larger balances.
Public.com margin rates start at 4.9% and decline for larger margin balances under its tiered schedule.
Winner: Robinhood
Computer Trading
Robinhood’s website is easy to use, and the broker also has a separate browser-based trading platform called Robinhood Legend.
The Robinhood website includes an order ticket with multiple order types like stop, trailing, and limit. It also has a feature called Recurring Investing, which sets up scheduled purchases of stocks and ETFs.
Charts on Robinhood’s site are pretty basic, while Robinhood Legend offers more advanced charting and trading tools.
On Public.com, we found even simpler charts. Standard customers only see a small chart with one style. Premium customers get full-screen charts with tools.
Public’s order ticket supports three order types: stop, market, and limit, which is a little simpler than Robinhood’s. Like Robinhood, Public does not have a full desktop platform, but Public does offer something Robinhood doesn’t: a community forum. Public users can chat about market news and specific assets.
Winner: Robinhood
Mobile Trading
The second trading platform at both firms is the mobile app. Robinhood’s app uses many of the same order-entry tools found on the website. Robinhood also has brought some Legend-style charting features to mobile.
Public’s charts also can’t be rotated. Public does have watchlists and alerts, which are also available on Robinhood’s app. The community bulletin board from the website is included in the app as well.
Winner: Robinhood
Supplementary Services
IRAs: Both brokers offer IRAs.
Fully-Paid Stock Lending: Both brokerage firms offer it.
Fractional-share Trading: Robinhood and Public.com both provide whole-dollar trading.
DRIP: Both firms offer it.
Extended Hours: Both firms provide early-morning and after-hours trading in securities, although non-Premium Public customers pay a transaction fee on extended-hours stock and ETF trades. Cryptocurrencies trade 24/7 at both firms.
IPO Access: Available at both firms when eligible offerings are available.
Winner: Robinhood
Promotions
Robinhood:
3% deposit match and FREE stock worth up to $200 at Robinhood.
Public: Get a 1% IRA contribution bonus at Public.com.
Our Recommendations
Small Accounts: Neither firm has account minimums, so either could be a good fit.
Long-Term Investing and Retirement Planning: Both firms have IRAs, but Robinhood has a broader retirement match program and managed-account option.
Beginning Traders: New traders using Robinhood Strategies can get ongoing managed-account help. Public may work well for investors who want a simple app, community features, and access to products such as bonds, Treasuries, crypto, and direct indexing.
Active Stock Trading: Robinhood has the more advanced platform.
Public vs Robinhood Verdict
Even though Public offers some unique assets and newer investing tools, they are not enough to beat Robinhood overall.
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Updated on 5/30/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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