Ally Invest vs Public.com 2024
In this head to head comparison of Ally Invest vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Ally Invest vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, investment options, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When comparing Ally Invest and Public.com, Ally Invest emerges as the more diverse platform in terms of investment options, boasting a 4.5-star rating compared to Public.com's 3-star rating. Ranked #8 out of 18 brokers by StockBrokers.com, Ally Invest offers a wide array of investment opportunities, including stock, margin, and options trading, as well as mutual funds, OTC stocks, and various IRA options. On the other hand, Public.com, ranked #15, focuses mainly on modern investment tools like fractional shares, crypto trading for 22 coins, and stock, margin, and options trading but lacks IRA accounts and mutual funds.
Ally Invest is a reliable choice for those seeking comprehensive investment options. Investors interested in traditional wealth-building methods can benefit from Ally’s offerings such as mutual funds and different IRA accounts, which complement its stock, margin, options trading, and OTC stock trading capabilities. While the platform does not offer fractional shares or crypto trading, its strong focus on traditional investments makes it a valuable option for those seeking a wider variety of long-term financial instruments.
Public.com appeals to the younger, tech-savvy crowd looking for innovative ways to grow their investments. It distinguishes itself by enabling access to fractional shares and crypto trading of up to 22 coins alongside standard investment offerings like stocks, options, and margin trading. Although it lacks traditional options like mutual funds and IRA accounts, Public.com compensates by emphasizing modern investment methods and community-driven learning experiences. This focus solidifies its presence in the market as a platform tailored for the next generation of investors.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares | No | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | No | No |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 |
Investment Options |
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2024, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2024
When comparing Ally Invest and Public.com for their trading platforms and tools, Ally Invest emerges as the more robust choice. It holds a higher rating of 3.5 stars compared to the 2.5 stars granted to Public.com and is ranked 11th out of 18 brokers, whereas Public.com is positioned at 17th. This assessment reflects Ally Invest's superior offerings across several key features, despite both platforms lacking downloadable desktop applications for Windows or Mac users and providing only browser-based platforms.
Ally Invest significantly outperforms Public.com when it comes to charting capabilities and customization options. With an impressive suite of 120 technical indicators and 36 drawing tools, Ally Invest offers extensive charting power, enabling traders to conduct thorough technical analysis. Conversely, Public.com offers no technical indicators or drawing tools. Additionally, Ally Invest supports functionalities like adding notes and index overlays to charts, showing automated technical analysis, and saving multiple chart profiles, which Public.com does not support, adding to a more comprehensive charting experience for Ally Invest users.
Both platforms lack paper trading and trading journal features, limiting the ability for users to practice strategies or log their trading activity. When it comes to watch lists, Ally Invest provides more functionality with 10 fields compared to Public.com's 3. Additionally, while neither platform permits open order adjustments on stock charts or displays historical trades and corporate events on their charts, Ally Invest edges ahead with more customization fields for editing SMA studies and the ability to implement save-worthy chart profiles for future reference.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 3 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 0 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 0 |
Platforms & Tools |
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2024, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2024
When comparing beginner and investor education capabilities, Ally Invest and Public.com both offer a solid foundation in stock, ETF, and options education. However, Ally Invest extends its educational resources to include mutual funds and bonds, areas where Public.com does not provide guidance. Despite this, Public.com distinguishes itself by offering educational videos and webinars, which Ally Invest does not offer. Both platforms lack features such as paper trading, educational quizzes, and tracking of educational progress, which might be essential for some beginner investors looking for a more interactive learning experience.
In terms of overall education ratings, Ally Invest scores higher with a four-star rating compared to Public.com's three-star rating, as noted by education-focused reviews. This higher rating is reflected in their rankings by StockBrokers.com, where Ally Invest is positioned at #9 out of 18 brokers while Public.com stands at a lower #15. While both brokers offer foundational educational resources, they cater to different learning preferences with Ally Invest focusing more on traditional asset education and Public.com leaning towards multimedia content delivery.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
Education (Bonds) | Yes | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Videos | No | Yes |
Webinars | No | Yes |
Education |
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2024
In the realm of stock trading apps, both Ally Invest and Public.com present commendable options for investors, each earning a rating of four out of five stars. Yet, when comparing rankings, Ally Invest edges slightly ahead, securing the 13th spot out of 18 brokers in StockBrokers.com's review, with Public.com close behind at 14th place. While both platforms provide essential functionalities for trading on-the-go, investors might choose one over the other based on nuanced features that cater to individual trading styles and needs.
Both Ally Invest and Public.com offer iPhone and Android apps, ensuring accessibility for traders on the move. However, a notable distinction between the two is seen in their watch list capabilities. Ally Invest enables traders to create custom watch lists, providing a personalized approach to tracking stocks, while Public.com enhances user experience with customizable watch list columns, allowing traders to organize and view information as they prefer. Notably, neither platform supports Apple Watch apps, streaming quotes, live TV, or videos on demand, which may impact traders seeking more integrated media features within their trading tools.
Furthermore, when it comes to charting capabilities, both Ally Invest and Public.com offer the ability to view multiple time frames, though they lack the inclusion of technical studies in their mobile apps. Public.com stands out with the unique feature of displaying stock comparisons on charts, offering traders a strategic edge in analyzing stock trends against peers. While after-hours charting and landscape chart viewing options are unavailable on both platforms, both apps cater to options trading and after-hours stock trading, capturing the interest of diverse trader profiles.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | No | No |
Stock Alerts | No | No |
Charting - After-Hours | No | No |
Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2024
When evaluating Ally Invest and Public.com for online trading, both platforms offer competitive options but cater to distinct preferences, particularly concerning account fees and additional charges. Ally Invest stands out with its $0 minimum deposit requirement, making it more accessible for new investors compared to Public.com’s $20.00 minimum. While both brokers offer commission-free stock trades, a highlight for Public.com is its $0 options contract fee, contrasting with Ally Invest’s $0.50 charge per contract. However, Ally Invest provides a more cost-effective experience with $0 IRA annual fees, though closing an IRA account incurs a $25 charge, something not specified for Public.com.
For those interested in trading on margin, Public.com offers lower interest rates across all balance tiers. For balances below $25,000, Public.com charges 8.75% compared to Ally Invest's 13%. This trend continues with Public.com offering 8.75% for balances from $25,000 to $49,999, while Ally Invest charges 12.75%, and for balances between $50,000 and $99,999, Public.com’s rate drops further to 6.75% against Ally Invest’s 12%. Such differences could considerably affect the costs for margin traders. Additionally, Public.com's account transfer fees are notably higher, charging $75 for both partial and full ACATs, whereas Ally Invest costs $50 per transfer.
Overall, the choice between Ally Invest and Public.com largely depends on the complexities of one's trading strategies and potential need for margin. Free trading with no minimum deposit makes Ally Invest appealing for straightforward investors, whereas Public.com’s lower margin rates may benefit those leveraging larger accounts. Each platform has unique advantages, and understanding these fees and charges will guide investors in aligning their choice with their financial strategies.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 | |
Commissions & Fees |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2024
When comparing the day trading capabilities of Ally Invest and Public.com, both platforms appear to be quite similar in their offerings and limitations. Neither Ally Invest nor Public.com provides streaming time and sales for stocks, streaming live TV, or direct market routing, which are critical features for active day traders. Both platforms also lack more advanced trading tools such as ladder trading, level 2 quotes, and trading hotkeys for keyboard trade entry. These features are often essential for traders looking to respond quickly to market changes and execute trades with precision.
Furthermore, the absence of strategy backtesting—both basic and advanced—on both Ally Invest and Public.com could be a significant drawback for traders looking to analyze trading strategies before implementation. They similarly do not offer a short locator tool to view the availability of shares for short selling or order liquidity (maker/taker) rebates. Overall, if you are considering day trading, these limitations across both Ally Invest and Public.com suggest that neither might be the optimal choice for high-frequency or strategy-heavy trading activities.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
Streaming TV | No | No |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2024
When comparing the market research capabilities of Ally Invest and Public.com, Ally Invest clearly stands out as the more comprehensive option, earning a solid 4-star rating from users as opposed to Public.com's 2-star rating. Ranked #7 out of 18 brokers by StockBrokers.com for market research, Ally Invest offers an extensive range of research tools, including capabilities for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and even Pink Sheets/OTCBB. Meanwhile, Public.com ranks at #17 and supports research for stocks, ETFs, and Pink Sheets/OTCBB, but lacks opportunities for exploring mutual funds and bonds.
Ally Invest not only supports research across a wide spectrum of asset classes but also provides unique features like social media sentiment analysis for stock research. It excels further with integrated stock, ETF, and bond screeners, allowing users to generate tailored trade ideas. Public.com, on the other hand, does not offer social media sentiment data or screeners for any asset classes, which limits the depth of its market research capabilities.
Neither platform offers downloadable PDF research reports for any asset class, an area both could improve upon. Ally Invest does, however, offer tools for portfolio allocation analysis by asset class, a feature absent from Public.com. Although both platforms lack ESG research, Ally Invest’s overall offerings provide a more robust experience for those in need of thorough market research tools. For investors seeking comprehensive analysis and various screening options, Ally Invest remains the preferable choice over Public.com.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No |
Research |
When comparing the banking capabilities of online brokers Ally Invest and Public.com, Ally Invest clearly demonstrates a robust offering. Ally Invest provides a comprehensive array of banking services, including checking and savings accounts, which are not available with Public.com. Additionally, Ally Invest also offers pertinent financial tools such as debit and credit cards, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs), further enhancing its appeal. In contrast, Public.com does not offer any of these services, positioning Ally Invest as a more versatile option for those seeking full-fledged banking solutions alongside their investment needs.
Feature |
Ally Invest
|
Public.com
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | Yes | No |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2024
After opening live accounts and testing 18 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Ally Invest is better than Public.com. Ally Invest finished with an overall score of 83.8%, while Public.com finished with a score of 72.9%.
For current Ally customers looking to invest in stocks, Ally's universal-accounts experience and easy-to-use website offer a convenient solution. Its website is far stronger than the mobile app.
Ally Invest does not offer crypto trading, providing zero coins, while Public.com supports crypto enthusiasts by offering trading options for 22 different coins.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2024
Ally Invest offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts without an annual fee, but charges a $25 closure fee, while Public.com does not offer traditional or Roth IRA accounts or related fees.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2024
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5Overall Rating | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||
Commissions & Fees | |||
Investment Options | |||
Platforms & Tools | |||
Mobile Trading Apps | |||
Research | |||
Customer Service | N/A | ||
Education | |||
Ease Of Use | |||
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Ally Invest Review | Public.com Review |
Broker Screenshots | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Trading Platform & Tools Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Research Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Mobile Trading Apps Gallery (click to expand) | |||
Education Gallery (click to expand) |
Trading Fees | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $4.95 | $2.99 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0.00 | n/a | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $20 | n/a |
Margin Rates | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.75% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 10.75% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9.75% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.25% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.5% | 5.75% |
Account Fees | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 | ||
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares | No | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
Futures Trading | No | No | |
Forex Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 | |
Mutual Funds (No Load) | 13000 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (Total) | 14000 | 0 | |
Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - After Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
Order Type - Trailing Stop | No | No | |
Order Type - OCO | No | No | |
Order Type - OTO | No | No | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
Beginners | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
Education (Bonds) | Yes | No | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Videos | No | Yes | |
Webinars | No | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | No | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
Apple Watch App | No | No | |
Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - After-Hours | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
Order Ticket SRT Quotes | No | No |
Stock App Features | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | No | No | |
Videos on Demand | No | No | |
Stock Alerts | No | No | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | No | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | No | No | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | No | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | N/A | n/a | |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Trade Journal | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 3 |
Stock Chart Features | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 0 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 0 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
Charting - Corporate Events | No | No | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 8 | 0 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
Day Trading | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
Streaming TV | No | No | |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No | |
Ladder Trading | No | No | |
Trade Hotkeys | No | No | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
Short Locator | No | No | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
Research Overview | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
Stock Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | No | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
ETF Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | No | No | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
Mutual Fund Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
Options Trading | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 | 4 | |
Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | No | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis | Yes | No | |
Option Probability Analysis Adv | No | No | |
Option Positions - Greeks | Yes | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No | No | |
Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No | No | |
Option Positions - Rolling | No | No | |
Option Positions - Grouping | Yes | No |
Banking | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | No | |
Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No | |
Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
Customer Service | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | No |
Overall | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | |||
Commissions & Fees | |||
Investment Options | |||
Platforms & Tools | |||
Mobile Trading Apps | |||
Research | |||
Education | |||
Ease Of Use | |||
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Ally Invest Review | Public.com Review |