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Robinhood vs Public.com 2026

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

September 17, 2025
  Fact Checked

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

Robinhood
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info
Public.com
3/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $20.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00 info
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info

Range of investments

Here’s the quick takeaway: Robinhood edges out Public.com for overall range of investments, helped by access to futures and advisor services, while Public.com stands out if you want a wider selection of cryptocurrencies. Both brokers cover the core needs for most stock investors, but your choice may come down to whether you value futures (Robinhood) or more crypto coins (Public.com).

Both Robinhood and Public.com offer stock trading, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, options, and crypto. Neither platform supports mutual funds or forex. For crypto choice, Public.com lists about 40 coins, while Robinhood offers around 22. The biggest product difference is futures: Robinhood offers futures trading, and Public.com does not.

For accounts, both brokers support Traditional and Roth IRAs. Robinhood also offers advisor services, while Public.com does not. According to StockBrokers.com, Robinhood earns 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #10 of 14 brokers, while Public.com earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #12 of 14.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes Yes
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Mutual Funds No No
Options Trading Yes Yes
Futures Trading Yes No
Crypto Trading Yes Yes
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 22 40
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 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, Robinhood outpaces Public.com. StockBrokers.com rates Robinhood 3 stars (ranked 8th of 14) versus Public.com’s 1 star (14th of 14). Both lack downloadable desktop apps for Windows and Mac, as well as paper trading and a trading journal, but Robinhood’s browser-based platform offers far more useful charting and watchlist features than Public.com.

Platform access is similar: neither broker has a Windows or Mac desktop app, and both work in your web browser. Paper trading? No for both. Built-in trading journal? Also no. The everyday tools are where they split: Robinhood watchlists support 34 data fields versus just 3 on Public.com, and Robinhood lets you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart—Public.com does not.

Charting is the biggest gap. Robinhood supplies 90 technical indicators, 26 drawing tools, the ability to add notes, set custom date ranges, save multiple chart layouts, and edit a simple moving average with 6 settings. Public.com offers none of those: 0 indicators, 0 drawing tools, no notes, no custom date ranges, no saved layouts, and no SMA settings. Both platforms lack historical trade markers, corporate event overlays, automated pattern detection, and custom study creation.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Web Trading Platform Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform No No
Desktop Platform (Mac) No No
Paper Trading No No
Watchlists - Total Fields 34 3
Charting - Indicators / Studies 90 0
Charting - Drawing Tools 26 0
Advanced Trading 3/5 Stars 1/5 Stars

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

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Beginners and education

Robinhood and Public.com both offer beginner-friendly investor education, covering stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Neither broker provides mutual fund education. Each has educational videos to help you get up to speed, but neither supports paper trading, quizzes, or tools to track your learning progress. If you want a simple learning hub with clear explanations, both platforms check the boxes for core topics.

The biggest difference is webinars: Public.com hosts them, while Robinhood does not. In terms of quality, both are rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for education. According to StockBrokers.com, Robinhood ranks #7 out of 14 brokers for education, with Public.com close behind at #8. Choose Public.com if live sessions matter to you, or pick Robinhood if you want similar content paired with a slightly higher third-party ranking.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) No No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Videos Yes Yes
Webinars No Yes
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars

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

Stock trading apps

Bottom line: Robinhood edges out Public.com for stock trading apps. Robinhood earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #7 of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Public.com scores 3 stars and ranks #13. Both cover core needs on iPhone and Android, but Robinhood adds more real-time tools and alerts that many active traders will appreciate.

Platforms and trading features: Both Robinhood and Public.com offer iPhone and Android apps. Robinhood also has an Apple Watch app; Public.com does not. Both support options trading on mobile. Robinhood supports mobile after-hours stock trading; Public.com’s mobile after-hours trading is not specified here. Neither app includes streaming live TV or video on demand. Robinhood offers streaming quotes and stock alerts, while Public.com lacks both. For watch lists, Robinhood lets you create custom lists and customize columns; Public.com allows column customization but not custom lists.

Charts and analysis: Robinhood provides after-hours charting, multiple time frames, and around 90 technical studies. It does not let you compare multiple stocks on one chart. Public.com offers multiple time frames and does allow stock-to-stock chart comparisons, but it lacks after-hours charting and has no technical studies. Neither app supports landscape charting.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
iPhone App Yes Yes
Android App Yes Yes
Apple Watch App Yes No
Stock Alerts Yes No
Charting - After-Hours Yes No
Charting - Technical Studies 90 0
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026

Fees

Bottom line: Robinhood is the cheaper starter pick with a $0 minimum deposit and no IRA closure fee, while Public.com asks for a $20 minimum and charges $150 to close an IRA. Both brokers offer $0 stock trades, $0 per-options-contract pricing, and $0 fees to exercise or be assigned on options. If you plan to use margin, Public.com’s rates are a touch lower across the tiers shown. ACAT transfer fees are the same at both: $100 for partial or full transfers.

Key trading costs are even: Robinhood and Public.com both charge $0 for regular stock trades and $0 per options contract. Minimum deposit differs—Robinhood is $0; Public.com is $20. Margin interest favors Public.com slightly: below $25,000, Robinhood 5.75% vs Public.com 5.65%; $25,000–$49,999, Robinhood 5.75% vs Public.com 5.65%; $50,000–$99,999, Robinhood 5.55% vs Public.com 5.50%.

Account and IRA fees: both have $0 IRA annual fees, but IRA closure is $0 at Robinhood vs $150 at Public.com. Account transfers (ACAT) cost $100 for partial and $100 for full at both brokers. Options exercise and assignment fees are $0 at both.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $20.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Options (Per Contract) $0.00 $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 Trading Platforms for 2026

Day Trading

Comparing Robinhood vs Public.com for day trading, both platforms skip several pro-style tools. Neither offers streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, or direct market routing. Both also lack basic and advanced strategy backtesting, a short-locate tool to check real-time borrow availability, and maker/taker rebates. If you rely on those features, you won’t find them on either app.

Where they differ: Robinhood provides ladder trading, trading hotkeys for quick keyboard entries, and Level 2 quotes to see deeper order book activity. Public.com does not offer these. As a result, active day traders who want faster order entry and deeper quote data may lean toward Robinhood, while anyone needing direct routing, time and sales, backtesting, or a short-locate tool will find that neither platform fits those needs.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Streaming Time & Sales No No
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes 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: both Robinhood and Public.com deliver basic market research, but Robinhood holds a slight edge. Each is rated 2.5 out of 5 stars; in StockBrokers.com’s rankings, Robinhood places #10 of 14 while Public.com is #12. The difference comes from tools: Robinhood lets you view portfolio allocation by asset class and includes a stock screener for trade ideas, advantages Public.com doesn’t match.

Research coverage is similar: both offer stock research, ETF research, and Pink Sheets/OTC research, while neither covers mutual funds or bonds. Neither platform provides downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. Both also skip ESG data and social media sentiment analysis.

For idea generation and portfolio insights, Robinhood stands out with its stock screener and asset allocation view. Public.com lacks these features, and neither broker offers ETF, mutual fund, or bond screeners. If you want simple research across stocks, ETFs, and OTC with a bit more help finding ideas and seeing your mix, Robinhood is the more capable choice; if those extras aren’t important, Public.com keeps pace on the essentials.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks Yes No
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs No No
Research - Mutual Funds No No
Screener - Mutual Funds No No
Research - Fixed Income No No
Screener - Fixed Income No No
Research 2.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Banking

When comparing the banking capabilities of online brokers Robinhood and Public.com, there are some clear differences in their offerings. Both Robinhood and Public.com do not provide checking or savings accounts, nor do they offer CDs or mortgage loans. However, when it comes to card services, Robinhood holds an advantage. Robinhood offers both debit and credit cards to its users, which can enhance the convenience of managing your finances. On the other hand, Public.com does not provide either debit or credit cards. This distinction makes Robinhood a more versatile choice for those seeking some traditional banking-like features in an investment platform.

Feature Robinhood logoRobinhood
Public.com logoPublic.com
Checking Accounts No No
Savings Accounts No No
Debit Cards Yes No
Credit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans No No
Brokerage CDs No No

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 Robinhood is better than Public.com. Robinhood finished with an overall score of 69.6%, while Public.com finished with a score of 56.0%.

Robinhood is best known for its commission-free trading, modern mobile and desktop platforms, and low-cost access to options, margin, and futures trading.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Robinhood or Public.com?

Robinhood vs. Public.com: both platforms offer crypto trading, with Robinhood supporting 22 cryptocurrencies and Public.com offering 40, giving Public.com a broader coin selection.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026

Does Robinhood or Public.com offer IRAs?

Robinhood vs Public.com: both online brokers offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with $0 annual fees. The key difference is in closure costs—Robinhood charges $0 to close an IRA, while Public.com charges $150.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026

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Compare

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Overall Rating Robinhood Public.com
Overall 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 3/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Customer Service N/A N/A
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Robinhood Review Public.com Review
Broker Screenshots Robinhood Public.com
Broker Gallery (click to expand)
Trading Fees Robinhood Public.com
Minimum Deposit $0.00 $20.00
Stock Trades $0.00 $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) $0.00 $2.99
Mutual Fund Trade Fee N/A n/a
Options (Per Contract) $0.00 $0.00
Futures (Per Contract) $0.75 (Not offered)
Broker Assisted Trade Fee N/A n/a
Margin Rates Robinhood Public.com
Margin Rate Under $25,000 5.75% 5.65%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 5.75% 5.65%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 5.55% 5.50%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 5.25% 5.25%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 5.25% 5.25%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 5.25% 5.25%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 5% 5.05%
Account Fees Robinhood Public.com
IRA Annual Fee $0.00 $0.00
IRA Closure Fee $0.00 $150.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) $100.00 $100.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) $100.00 $100.00
Options Exercise Fee $0.00 $0.00
Options Assignment Fee $0.00 $0.00
Investment Options Robinhood Public.com
Stock Trading Yes Yes
Account Feature - Margin Trading Yes Yes
Fractional Shares (Stocks) Yes Yes
OTC Stocks Yes Yes
Options Trading Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs 4 4
Futures Trading Yes No
Forex Trading No No
Crypto Trading Yes Yes
Crypto Trading - Total Coins 22 40
Fixed Income (Treasurys) No Yes
Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) No Yes
Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) No No
Traditional IRAs Yes Yes
Roth IRAs Yes Yes
Advisor Services Yes No
International Countries (Stocks) 1 0
Order Types Robinhood 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 No No
Order Type - OTO No No
Order Type - Broker Assisted No No
Beginners Robinhood Public.com
Education (Stocks) Yes Yes
Education (ETFs) Yes Yes
Education (Options) Yes Yes
Education (Mutual Funds) No No
Education (Fixed Income) Yes Yes
Education (Retirement) Yes Yes
Retirement Calculator No No
Investor Dictionary Yes Yes
Paper Trading No No
Videos Yes Yes
Webinars No Yes
Progress Tracking No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes No No
Stock Trading Apps Robinhood 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 No
Order Ticket RT Quotes Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes Yes No
Stock App Features Robinhood Public.com
Mobile Research - Market Movers Yes Yes
Stream Live TV No No
Videos on Demand No No
Stock Alerts Yes No
Option Chains Viewable Yes Yes
Watchlist (Real-time) Yes Yes
Watchlist (Streaming) Yes No
Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage Yes No
Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization Yes Yes
Stock App Charting Robinhood Public.com
Charting - After-Hours Yes No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally No No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies 90 0
Charting - Study Customizations Yes No
Charting - Stock Comparisons No Yes
Trading Platforms Robinhood Public.com
Active Trading Platform Robinhood Legend 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 34 3
Stock Chart Features Robinhood Public.com
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart Yes No
Charting - Indicators / Studies 90 0
Charting - Drawing Tools 26 0
Charting - Notes Yes No
Charting - Historical Trades No No
Charting - Corporate Events No No
Charting - Custom Date Range Yes No
Charting - Custom Time Bars Yes No
Charting - Automated Analysis No No
Charting - Save Profiles Yes No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis No No
Charting - Study Customizations 6 0
Charting - Custom Studies No No
Day Trading Robinhood Public.com
Streaming Time & Sales No No
Streaming TV No No
Direct Market Routing - Equities No No
Ladder Trading Yes No
Trade Hot Keys Yes No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks Yes No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv No No
Short Locator No No
Order Liquidity Rebates No No
Research Overview Robinhood Public.com
Research - Stocks Yes Yes
Research - ETFs Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds No No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB Yes Yes
Research - Fixed Income No No
Screener - Stocks Yes No
Screener - ETFs No No
Screener - Mutual Funds No No
Screener - Fixed Income No No
Portfolio Asset Allocation Yes No
Stock Research Robinhood Public.com
Stock Research - PDF Reports 0 0
Stock Research - Earnings Yes Yes
Stock Research - Insiders Yes No
Stock Research - Social No No
Stock Research - News Yes Yes
Stock Research - ESG No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings No No
ETF Research Robinhood 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 No No
ETFs - Ratings No No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap No No
ETFs - PDF Reports No No
Mutual Fund Research Robinhood Public.com
Mutual Funds - Investment Objective No No
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart No No
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis No No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus No No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings No No
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown No No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings No No
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap No No
Options Trading Robinhood Public.com
Option Chains - Total Greeks 5 5
Option Analysis - P&L Charts Yes Yes
Banking Robinhood Public.com
Bank (Member FDIC) No No
Checking Accounts No No
Savings Accounts No No
Credit Cards Yes No
Debit Cards Yes No
Mortgage Loans No No
Customer Service Robinhood Public.com
Phone Support (Prospective Customers) No 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 Robinhood Public.com
Overall 3.5/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Range of Investments 4/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Advanced Trading 3/5 Stars 1/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Research 2.5/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Ease of Use 4/5 Stars 3/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Robinhood Review Public.com Review
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