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Interactive Brokers vs Public.com 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025
  Fact Checked

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

Interactive Brokers
5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65 info
Public.com
3/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00 info
  • Stock Trades: $0.00 info
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info

Range of investments

Interactive Brokers and Public.com both give investors access to core account options like stock trading, margin trading, fractional shares, options, crypto, traditional IRAs, and Roth IRAs. That said, Interactive Brokers offers a much wider mix of investments overall, including OTC stocks, mutual funds, forex, and futures, which Public.com does not support. For readers looking for the broadest selection, Interactive Brokers stands out as the stronger choice for range of investments.

Both brokers support stock trading, margin, fractional shares, options, and crypto, making either platform a possible fit for many everyday investors. Public.com offers a larger selection of crypto coins, with 66 available compared with 20 at Interactive Brokers, but Interactive Brokers goes further in other areas that matter to active and diversified investors, such as mutual funds and global market access through forex and futures. Neither broker offers advisor services.

In industry comparisons, Interactive Brokers earns 5 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and is ranked #1 out of 14 brokers by StockBrokers.com. Public.com receives 3.5 out of 5 stars and is ranked #12 out of 14, reflecting a smaller menu of investment choices. If your priority is a platform with more ways to build and manage a portfolio, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Public.com.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes Yes
OTC Stocks Yes No
Mutual Funds Yes No
Options Trading Yes Yes
Futures Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading Yes Yes
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 20 66
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

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

Trading platforms and tools

For traders who want the stronger all-around platform and tools package, Interactive Brokers is the clear winner over Public.com. It offers downloadable desktop platforms for both Windows and Mac, plus a browser-based platform, paper trading, and a trading journal. Public.com only offers a web platform, with no desktop download option, no paper trading, and no trading journal, making it better suited to simple investing than active trading.

The gap is just as noticeable in charting and watch lists. Interactive Brokers gives users 659 watch list columns, 155 technical indicators, 85 drawing tools, and helpful extras like notes on charts, historical trades, corporate events, custom date ranges, automated chart pattern analysis, and the ability to save multiple chart layouts. Public.com, by comparison, offers just 3 watch list fields, 15 indicators, no drawing tools, and none of those advanced chart features.

Interactive Brokers also allows traders to adjust open orders directly on a stock chart and fine-tune indicators like SMA studies with several customization fields, while Public.com does not. That difference helps explain why Interactive Brokers earns a 4.5-star rating and ranks #2 out of 14 brokers for trading platforms and tools, while Public.com receives 1 star and ranks #14 out of 14.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) Yes No
Paper Trading Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields 659 3
Charting - Indicators / Studies 155 15
Charting - Drawing Tools 85 0
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Accounts and Online Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps and Simulators for 2026

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Beginners and education

Both Interactive Brokers and Public.com offer beginner-friendly education on stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Interactive Brokers also teaches mutual funds, which Public.com does not. Each provides educational videos and live webinars. The big differences show up in hands-on learning: Interactive Brokers includes paper trading, knowledge quizzes, and tools to track your learning progress. Public.com does not offer paper trading, quizzes, or progress tracking.

If you want structured practice and a clear way to build skills, Interactive Brokers stands out: it earns 4 stars for education and ranks #3 out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com. Public.com works well for simple, watch-and-learn content; it earns 3.5 stars and ranks #8 of 14. Prefer practice accounts and feedback while you learn? Go with Interactive Brokers. Want straightforward videos and webinars without extras? Public.com can fit the bill.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Videos Yes Yes
Webinars Yes Yes
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Trading Platforms and Brokerage Accounts for Beginners in 2026

Stock trading apps

For stock trading apps, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of Public.com overall, with a higher app rating, a stronger ranking, and more tools for active traders. Both brokers support iPhone and Android, offer mobile options trading, stock alerts, custom watch lists, after-hours charting, and the ability to compare stocks on charts. But Interactive Brokers adds more value for mobile users with Apple Watch support, streaming quotes, live TV, videos on demand, landscape chart viewing, and a much deeper set of charting tools.

Interactive Brokers also offers mobile after-hours stock trading, while Public.com’s after-hours mobile trading details are not clearly listed here. On charting, Interactive Brokers stands out with 100 technical studies in its mobile app, compared with none for Public.com. Public.com does match some basic mobile features, including watch list customization and multi-time-frame charting, but it lacks several extras that can matter to more active investors.

Based on these stock trading app features, Interactive Brokers is the better choice for traders who want more information, more charting options, and a richer mobile experience. Public.com still covers the basics well and may appeal to users who want a simpler app, but it trails behind in both StockBrokers.com’s app ranking and overall star rating.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App Yes No
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Charting - After-Hours Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 100 0
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps of 2026

Fees

Interactive Brokers and Public.com both keep the entry cost low, with no minimum deposit and no commission on regular stock trades. For investors who trade options, though, Interactive Brokers charges $0.65 per contract while Public.com charges $0.00, which may make Public.com more appealing for frequent options traders. On the other hand, Interactive Brokers has the edge on several account-related fees, including no IRA annual fee, no IRA closure fee, and no charges for partial or full ACAT transfers, while Public.com charges $150 to close an IRA and $100 for either partial or full account transfers.

When it comes to margin, Public.com is lower across the balance ranges provided. Its margin rate is 4.90% for balances below $25,000 and from $25,000 to $49,999, then 4.75% for balances from $50,000 to $99,999. Interactive Brokers charges 6.38% across those same tiers. Both brokers also charge $0.00 for options exercise and assignment fees, so there is no difference there.

Overall, Public.com may look cheaper for options trading and margin borrowing, but Interactive Brokers is the better choice for avoiding account service fees like IRA closure and ACAT transfer charges. If you want the lowest cost for trading and account moves, Interactive Brokers has the stronger fee structure; if options pricing and margin rates matter most, Public.com stands out.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $150.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Stock Trading Platforms and Commission-Free Apps for 2026

Day Trading

When it comes to day trading, Interactive Brokers stands out with a comprehensive set of tools and features that cater to active traders. It offers streaming time and sales for stocks, allowing users to monitor transactions in real time. It also provides streaming live TV to keep traders informed with up-to-date financial news. Interactive Brokers supports direct market routing, ladder trading, and trading hotkeys for quick trade entries, enhancing the overall trading experience. Additionally, the platform provides level 2 quotes, which give traders a deeper insight into market movements. For those interested in testing and refining their strategies, Interactive Brokers offers both basic and advanced strategy backtesting. A short locator tool is available to help users identify the availability of shares for shorting. Lastly, the platform provides order liquidity rebates that incentivize effective trading practices.

In contrast, Public.com might appeal to newer investors or those seeking a simpler experience, as it does not offer the advanced day trading features that Interactive Brokers does. The absence of streaming time and sales, live TV, or direct market routing can limit a trader's ability to engage deeply with market dynamics. Public.com also lacks ladder trading and trading hotkeys, which are beneficial for executing trades quickly and efficiently. Without level 2 quotes, detailed strategy backtesting, a short locator tool, or order liquidity rebates, active day traders might find Public.com less suited to their needs when compared to the more feature-rich Interactive Brokers.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Streaming Time & Sales Yes No
Streaming TV Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv Yes No
Short Locator Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms and Apps for 2026

Market Research

For market research, Interactive Brokers comes out ahead of Public.com overall. Both brokers let you research stocks, ETFs, OTC securities, and bonds, and both include portfolio allocation by asset class. But Interactive Brokers offers a much wider research toolkit, including mutual fund research, social media sentiment data, ESG research, more downloadable stock reports, and more screening tools for finding trade ideas. That broader set of features helps explain its higher 4.5-star market research rating and #5 ranking out of 14 brokers, compared with Public.com’s 2.5 stars and #12 ranking.

When it comes to stock research, Interactive Brokers gives users more ways to dig into a company before investing. It offers stock research, ETF research, mutual fund research, and bond research, plus downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. Interactive Brokers also includes a stock screener, ETF screener, mutual fund screener, and bond screener, which can help investors narrow down ideas faster. Public.com does provide stock and ETF research, along with research for OTC securities and bonds, but it does not offer mutual fund research or the same range of downloadable reports and screeners.

For everyday investors who want simple market research, Public.com covers the basics. For those who want deeper research tools, more report options, and more ways to filter investments, Interactive Brokers is the stronger choice. If market research is an important part of how you invest, Interactive Brokers offers more detail and more tools in one place.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.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 Yes No
Research - Fixed Income Yes Yes
Screener - Fixed Income Yes No
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Banking

Comparing the banking capabilities of online brokers Interactive Brokers and Public.com, both lack traditional bank accounts: neither offers checking or savings accounts, and neither provides debit cards or mortgage loans. The key difference is that Interactive Brokers offers a credit card and access to certificates of deposit (CDs), while Public.com does not offer credit cards or CDs. If you need everyday banking like a checking account, savings account, or debit card, you’ll need a separate bank for either platform; but if having a credit card and CDs through your brokerage matters, Interactive Brokers has the edge over Public.com.

Feature Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Public.com logoPublic.com
Checking Accounts No No
Savings Accounts No No
Debit Cards No No
Credit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans No No
Brokerage CDs Yes No

Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Accounts with Checking: Top Bank Brokers

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Interactive Brokers is better than Public.com. Interactive Brokers finished with an overall score of 90.6%, while Public.com finished with a score of 56.0%.

Interactive Brokers is a go-to choice for professionals because of its institutional-grade desktop trading platform, high-quality trade executions and low margin rates.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Interactive Brokers or Public.com?

Interactive Brokers and Public.com both offer crypto trading, but Public.com supports a much broader selection with 66 coins compared with Interactive Brokers’ 20. If access to a wider range of cryptocurrencies is a priority, Public.com has the edge, while Interactive Brokers still provides crypto trading as part of a more traditional brokerage platform.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Interactive Brokers or Public.com offer IRAs?

Interactive Brokers vs. Public.com: both brokers offer Traditional and Roth IRA accounts with $0 annual IRA fees.

The key difference is closure costs—Interactive Brokers charges $0 to close an IRA, while Public.com charges $150.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

0 of 5
Overall Rating Interactive Brokers Public.com
Overall 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Customer Service 3.5/5 Stars N/A
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Public.com Review
Broker Screenshots Interactive Brokers Public.com
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Interactive Brokers Public.com
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $0.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) $0.005 $2.990
Mutual Fund Trade Fee $14.95 n/a
Options (Per Contract) $0.65 $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) $0.85 (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee Varies n/a
Margin Rates Interactive Brokers Public.com
Margin Rate Under $25,000 6.38% 4.90%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 6.38% 4.90%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 6.38% 4.75%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 6.38% 4.50%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 6.38% 4.50%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 6.38% 4.50%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 6.38% 4.25%
Account Fees Interactive Brokers Public.com
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $150.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $0.00 $100.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $0.00 $100.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Interactive Brokers Public.com
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes Yes
OTC Stocks Yes No
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 6 4
Futures Trading Yes No
Forex Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading Yes Yes
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 20 66
Fixed Income (Treasurys) Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) Yes Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) Yes No
Traditional IRAs Yes Yes
Roth IRAs Yes Yes
Advisor Services No No
International Countries (Stocks) 40 0
Order Types Interactive Brokers 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 Yes No
Order Type - OCO Yes No
Order Type - OTO Yes No
Order Type - Broker Assisted Yes No
Beginners Interactive Brokers Public.com
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) Yes No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator Yes No
Investor Dictionary Yes Yes
Paper Trading Yes No
Videos Yes Yes
Webinars Yes Yes
Progress Tracking Yes No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes Yes No
Stock Trading Apps Interactive Brokers Public.com
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App Yes No
Trading - Stocks Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours Yes Yes
Trading - Simple Options Yes Yes
Trading - Complex Options Yes Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes Yes No
Stock App Features Interactive Brokers Public.com
Mobile Research - Market Movers Yes Yes
Stream Live TV Yes No
Videos on Demand Yes No
Stock Alerts Yes Yes
Option Chains Viewable Yes Yes
Watchlist (Real-time) Yes Yes
Watchlist (Streaming) Yes No
Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage Yes Yes
Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization Yes Yes
Stock App Charting Interactive Brokers Public.com
Charting - After-Hours Yes Yes
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally Yes No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 100 0
Charting - Study Customizations Yes No
Charting - Stock Comparisons Yes Yes
Trading Platforms Interactive Brokers Public.com
Active Trading Platform IBKR Desktop and Trader Workstation (TWS) n/a
Desktop Trading Platform Yes No
Desktop Platform (Mac) Yes No
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Paper Trading Yes No
Trade Journal Yes No
Watchlists - Total Fields 659 3
Stock Chart Features Interactive Brokers Public.com
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 155 15
Charting - Drawing Tools 85 0
Charting - Notes Yes No
Charting - Historical Trades Yes No
Charting - Corporate Events Yes No
Charting - Custom Date Range Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis Yes No
Charting - Save Profiles Yes No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis Yes No
Charting - Study Customizations 6 0
Charting - Custom Studies No No
Day Trading Interactive Brokers Public.com
Streaming Time & Sales Yes No
Streaming TV Yes No
Direct Market Routing - Equities Yes No
Ladder Trading Yes No
Trade Hot Keys Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv Yes No
Short Locator Yes No
Order Liquidity Rebates Yes No
Research Overview Interactive Brokers Public.com
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds Yes No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes No
Screener - ETFs Yes No
Screener - Mutual Funds Yes No
Screener - Fixed Income Yes No
Portfolio Asset Allocation Yes Yes
Stock Research Interactive Brokers Public.com
Stock Research - PDF Reports 17 0
Stock Research - Earnings Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes No
Stock Research - Social Yes No
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG Yes No
Stock Research - SEC Filings Yes No
ETF Research Interactive Brokers Public.com
ETFs - Investment Objective Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets Yes Yes
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings Yes Yes
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings Yes Yes
ETFs - Sector Exposure Yes No
ETFs - Risk Analysis Yes No
ETFs - Ratings Yes No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap Yes No
ETFs - PDF Reports Yes No
Mutual Fund Research Interactive Brokers Public.com
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart Yes No
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis Yes No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus Yes No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings Yes No
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown Yes No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings Yes No
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation Yes No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation Yes No
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation Yes No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap Yes No
Options Trading Interactive Brokers Public.com
Option Chains - Total Greeks 4 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes Yes
Banking Interactive Brokers Public.com
Bank (Member FDIC) No No
Checking Accounts No No
Savings Accounts No No
Credit Cards Yes No
Debit Cards No No
Mortgage Loans No No
Customer Service Interactive Brokers Public.com
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) Yes No
Phone Support (Current Customers) Yes No
Email Support Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospective Customers) No Yes
Live Chat (Current Customers) Yes Yes
24/7 Support Yes No
Overall Interactive Brokers Public.com
Overall 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 4.5/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 4.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Education 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Interactive Brokers Review Public.com Review
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