menuclose
StockBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently. Learn how we make money.

Public.com vs Ally Invest 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025
  Fact Checked

In this head to head comparison of Public.com vs Ally Invest, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.

Public.com
3/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $20.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00 info
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info
Ally Invest
3/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.50

Range of investments

Choosing between Public.com and Ally Invest comes down to what you want to trade and the kind of help you need. Both support stock, options, margin, OTC stocks, and IRAs, but they split on the rest: Public.com stands out with fractional shares and a wide crypto lineup (40 coins), while Ally Invest is the pick if you want mutual funds and access to advisor services. For overall breadth, Ally holds a slight edge (4/5 stars, ranked #11 for Range of Investments by StockBrokers.com) versus Public.com (3.5/5 stars, ranked #12).

Trading features: Public.com and Ally Invest both offer stock trading, options trading, margin trading, and OTC stocks. Only Public.com offers fractional shares. Mutual funds are available at Ally Invest but not at Public.com. Neither broker supports forex or futures. For crypto, Public.com offers trading in 40 coins; Ally Invest does not offer crypto.

Account types and services: Both Public.com and Ally Invest offer Traditional and Roth IRAs. Public.com does not provide advisor services, whereas Ally Invest does. If you prioritize crypto access and fractional shares, Public.com fits well; if you prefer mutual funds and guidance from an advisor, Ally Invest is the better match.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes No
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Mutual Funds No Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Futures Trading No No
Crypto Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 40 0
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026

Trading platforms and tools

Bottom line: For trading platforms and tools, Ally Invest edges out Public.com, but neither is feature-packed. StockBrokers.com rates Ally Invest 1.5 out of 5 stars (10th of 14) and Public.com 1 out of 5 stars (14th of 14). Both lack downloadable desktop software, paper trading, and a trading journal. If you want deeper charting and more flexible watchlists, Ally Invest is the better pick; if you only need a simple web experience, Public.com may suffice.

Platforms: Neither broker offers a downloadable trading platform for Windows or Mac; both run in your browser. Neither lets you adjust open orders directly on a chart. For watchlists, Ally Invest is more customizable with 10 columns versus Public.com’s 3. Both platforms also lack custom date ranges for charts.

Charting: Public.com offers no technical indicators or drawing tools, cannot add notes, show corporate events or past trades, or save chart layouts; even editing an SMA has zero settings. Ally Invest provides 120 indicators, 36 drawing tools, chart notes, automated pattern recognition, and the ability to save multiple chart profiles, including eight SMA settings fields. Still, Ally’s charts also skip some items—no custom date ranges, no order tweaks on the chart, no corporate events or trade history overlays—and neither broker supports creating custom studies.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform No No
Desktop Platform (Mac) No No
Paper Trading No No
Watchlists - Total Fields 3 10
Charting - Indicators / Studies 0 120
Charting - Drawing Tools 0 36
Advanced Trading 1/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026

Featured Offers


5/5 Stars

Trade brilliantly with Schwab.

5/5 Stars

A full-featured account for investing

4.5/5 Stars

Get up to $1,500 on new brokerage account*

3.5/5 Stars

Claim 12 free shares at Webull!

Beginners and education

For beginner and investor education, Public.com edges out Ally Invest. Public.com earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #8 out of 14 brokers for education by StockBrokers.com, while Ally Invest scores 3 stars and ranks #12. If you prefer learning through educational videos and live or recorded webinars, Public.com is the better fit. If you want coverage on mutual funds, Ally Invest is the one that offers that topic.

Both brokers provide education on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Public.com adds educational videos and webinars; Ally Invest does not offer either. Neither platform currently offers paper trading, quizzes, or tools to track your learning progress. In short, choose Public.com for multimedia learning and Ally Invest if mutual funds education is important to you.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) No Yes
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Videos Yes No
Webinars Yes No
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms & Apps for Beginners in 2026

Stock trading apps

Public.com and Ally Invest both earn 3 stars for their stock trading apps, but Public.com ranks a notch higher (#13 vs. #14 out of 14). Go with Public.com if you want mobile after-hours trading, chart-to-chart stock comparisons, and the ability to tweak watch list columns. Choose Ally Invest if streaming quotes and building your own custom watch lists are priorities. Both offer iPhone and Android apps, mobile options trading, and no Apple Watch app.

On mobile trading basics, each broker covers iPhone and Android. Public.com supports after-hours trading on mobile, while Ally Invest’s status for mobile after-hours trading isn’t specified in the data provided. Both apps support options trading. For market data, Ally Invest includes streaming quotes, while Public.com does not. Neither app includes streaming live TV, videos on demand, or stock alerts.

For watch lists and charts, Ally Invest lets you create custom watch lists, while Public.com does not; however, Public.com lets you customize watch list columns, and Ally Invest does not. Both apps let you view multiple time frames, but neither offers after-hours charting, landscape charting, or any technical studies. Public.com adds the ability to compare symbols directly on charts, which Ally Invest lacks.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
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 3/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

Bottom line: Public.com is generally cheaper for trading and borrowing, while Ally Invest is easier to start with and cheaper to move or close. Public.com stands out with $0 options contract fees and much lower margin rates, making it appealing for options traders and margin users. Ally Invest shines with a $0 minimum deposit and lower fees for transfers and IRA closures. Both brokers offer $0 stock trades and no fees for options exercises or assignments.

Getting started costs less at Ally Invest ($0 minimum) than at Public.com ($20 minimum). For trading, both charge $0 for regular stock trades. The big split is options: Public.com charges $0 per contract, while Ally Invest charges $0.50 per contract. If you plan to use margin, Public.com’s rates are notably lower across the listed tiers: 5.65% below $25,000, 5.65% for $25,000–$49,999, and 5.50% for $50,000–$99,999, versus Ally Invest at 12%, 11.75%, and 11% respectively.

On account and transfer fees, both Public.com and Ally Invest have $0 IRA annual fees, and both charge $0 for options exercises and assignments. However, Public.com’s IRA closure fee is $150 versus Ally Invest at $25. For ACAT transfers, Public.com charges $100 for both partial and full transfers, while Ally Invest charges $50 for both.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Minimum Deposit $20.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.00 $0.50
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $150.00 $25.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026

Day Trading

Public.com vs Ally Invest for day trading: Both platforms lack key tools that active traders often expect. Neither offers streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, direct market routing for stocks, ladder trading, trade-entry hotkeys, or Level 2 quotes. They also don’t include basic or advanced strategy backtesting, a short locator to check real-time borrow availability, or maker-taker rebates.

Bottom line: day traders, scalpers, and momentum traders will likely find both options limiting. Public.com and Ally Invest are better for buy-and-hold investors who don’t need specialized routing or depth-of-book data. If you depend on rapid keyboard execution, detailed tape reading, or testing strategies before going live, consider a broker designed specifically for day trading.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Streaming Time & Sales No No
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities 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 and Apps for 2026

Market Research

Bottom line: For market research, Ally Invest edges out Public.com. Ally covers more asset types and adds more ways to explore ideas, helping it earn a 3 out of 5 rating and a #9 of 14 ranking from StockBrokers.com, versus Public.com’s 2.5 out of 5 and #12. If you just need basic stock and ETF research, either will do; if you want broader coverage and more tools, Ally is the better pick.

Research coverage: Both brokers offer stock and ETF research and include OTC (Pink Sheets/OTCBB) data. Ally Invest goes further with mutual fund and bond research, which Public.com does not provide.

Tools and extras: Ally Invest offers stock, ETF, and bond screeners for trade ideas, plus stock research using social media sentiment. Public.com does not provide screeners or sentiment tools. Neither broker shows portfolio allocation by asset class, and neither offers ESG research or downloadable PDF reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks No Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs No Yes
Research - Mutual Funds No Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds No No
Research - Fixed Income No Yes
Screener - Fixed Income No Yes
Research 2.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Banking

Public.com vs. Ally Invest: When it comes to banking features, Public.com is investment-only and does not offer checking or savings accounts, debit or credit cards, mortgage loans, or CDs. Ally Invest, by comparison, does offer checking and savings accounts, a debit card, a credit card, mortgage loans, and certificates of deposit (CDs). If you want an online broker that also covers everyday banking and lending, Ally Invest is the more complete choice, while Public.com works best if you plan to keep your banking elsewhere.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Ally Invest logoAlly Invest
Checking Accounts No Yes
Savings Accounts No Yes
Debit Cards No Yes
Credit Cards No Yes
Mortgage Loans No Yes
Brokerage CDs No Yes

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Public.com is better than Ally Invest. Public.com finished with an overall score of 56.0%, while Ally Invest finished with a score of 56.0%.

Public.com is a modern investing platform best known for its clean, user-friendly design, thematic investing features, and simple access to stocks, ETFs, and other assets.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Public.com or Ally Invest?

In the Public.com vs Ally Invest comparison, Public.com offers crypto trading with access to 40 coins, while Ally Invest does not support crypto trading (0 coins). If crypto is a priority, Public.com provides the broader selection and functionality.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Public.com or Ally Invest offer IRAs?

Public.com vs. Ally Invest: both brokers offer Traditional and Roth IRAs with $0 annual fees. The key difference is IRA closure fees—Public.com charges $150, while Ally Invest charges $25.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

Popular trading guides

More trading guides

Popular broker reviews


Select Brokers

×
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxAlly Invest
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxCharles Schwab
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxE*TRADE
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxeToro
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFidelity
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxFirstrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxInteractive Brokers
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxJ.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxMerrill Edge
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxPublic.com
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxRobinhood
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxtastytrade
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxTradeStation
  • check_box_outline_blankcheck_boxWebull

Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Public.com Ally Invest
Overall 3/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 1/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Customer Service N/A 4/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Ease of Use 3/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Public.com Review Ally Invest Review
Broker Screenshots Public.com Ally Invest
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Public.com Ally Invest
Minimum Deposit $20.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) $2.99 $4.95
Mutual Fund Trade Fee n/a $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.00 $0.50
Futures (Per Contract) (Not offered) (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee n/a $20
Margin Rates Public.com Ally Invest
Margin Rate Under $25,000 5.65% 12%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 5.65% 11.75%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 5.50% 11%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 5.25% 9.75%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 5.25% 8.75%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 5.25% 8.25%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 5.05% 7.5%
Account Fees Public.com Ally Invest
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $150.00 $25.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $100.00 $50.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $100.00 $50.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Public.com Ally Invest
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes No
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4 4
Futures Trading No No
Forex Trading No No
Crypto Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 40 0
Fixed Income (Treasurys) Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) No Yes
Traditional IRAs Yes Yes
Roth IRAs Yes Yes
Advisor Services No Yes
International Countries (Stocks) 0 0
Order Types Public.com Ally Invest
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 No Yes
Beginners Public.com Ally Invest
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) No Yes
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator No No
Investor Dictionary Yes Yes
Paper Trading No No
Videos Yes No
Webinars Yes No
Progress Tracking No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes No No
Stock Trading Apps Public.com Ally Invest
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 No Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes No No
Stock App Features Public.com Ally Invest
Mobile Research - Market Movers Yes Yes
Stream Live TV No No
Videos on Demand No No
Stock Alerts No No
Option Chains Viewable Yes Yes
Watchlist (Real-time) Yes Yes
Watchlist (Streaming) No No
Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage No Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization Yes No
Stock App Charting Public.com Ally Invest
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 Yes No
Trading Platforms Public.com Ally Invest
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
Watchlists - Total Fields 3 10
Stock Chart Features Public.com Ally Invest
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 0 120
Charting - Drawing Tools 0 36
Charting - Notes No 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 No Yes
Charting - Save Profiles No Yes
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis No No
Charting - Study Customizations 0 8
Charting - Custom Studies No No
Day Trading Public.com Ally Invest
Streaming Time & Sales No No
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities No No
Ladder Trading No No
Trade Hot Keys 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 Public.com Ally Invest
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds No Yes
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income No Yes
Screener - Stocks No Yes
Screener - ETFs No Yes
Screener - Mutual Funds No No
Screener - Fixed Income No Yes
Portfolio Asset Allocation No No
Stock Research Public.com Ally Invest
Stock Research - PDF Reports 0 0
Stock Research - Earnings Yes No
Stock Research - Insiders No Yes
Stock Research - Social No Yes
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings No No
ETF Research Public.com Ally Invest
ETFs - Investment Objective Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings Yes No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure No No
ETFs - Risk Analysis No No
ETFs - Ratings No Yes
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap No No
ETFs - PDF Reports No No
Mutual Fund Research Public.com Ally Invest
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective No Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart No Yes
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis No No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus No No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings No Yes
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown No No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings No Yes
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation No Yes
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap No No
Options Trading Public.com Ally Invest
Option Chains - Total Greeks 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes No
Banking Public.com Ally Invest
Bank (Member FDIC) No Yes
Checking Accounts No Yes
Savings Accounts No Yes
Credit Cards No Yes
Debit Cards No Yes
Mortgage Loans No Yes
Customer Service Public.com Ally Invest
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) No Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) No Yes
Email Support Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) Yes No
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes Yes
24/7 Support No Yes
Overall Public.com Ally Invest
Overall 3/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 1/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Ease of Use 3/5 Stars 2/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Public.com Review Ally Invest Review
arrow_upward

close