Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of tastytrade vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
tastytrade vs Public.com: If you want the broadest mix of markets in one account, tastytrade is the stronger pick; if you want simple access to stocks plus a bigger list of crypto coins and OTC stocks, Public.com fits well. For Range of Investments, StockBrokers.com rates tastytrade 4 out of 5 stars (ranked #10 of 14) and Public.com 3.5 out of 5 stars (ranked #13 of 14).
Both platforms let you trade stocks, options, crypto, use margin, and buy fractional shares. Public.com supports OTC stocks, while tastytrade does not. Neither broker offers mutual funds. For crypto, tastytrade lists 17 coins and Public.com lists 40. Each supports Traditional and Roth IRAs, and neither offers advisor services.
The big gap is in advanced markets: tastytrade offers forex and futures, which Public.com does not. Choose tastytrade if you want to add currencies and futures to your playbook alongside stocks, options, and crypto. Pick Public.com if access to OTC stocks and a larger crypto lineup matters more than trading forex or futures.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 17 | 40 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to an Advanced Market
Bottom line: tastytrade delivers a far more feature-rich trading platform than Public.com. tastytrade offers desktop apps for Windows and Mac plus a full browser platform, deep charting (308 indicators and 31 drawing tools), 33 watch list fields, a built-in trading journal, and the ability to manage orders on charts. Public.com is browser-based with no downloadable desktop platform and offers very basic charts with no indicators or drawing tools. Neither broker supports paper trading or automated chart pattern detection. Reflecting this gap, StockBrokers.com rates tastytrade 4 out of 5 stars and ranks it 8th of 14 for platforms and tools, while Public.com earns 2 stars and ranks 14th.
Platform experience: tastytrade provides downloadable platforms for both Windows and Mac, while Public.com does not. Both support trading in a web browser. tastytrade lets you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart and save multiple chart profiles; Public.com does not. tastytrade also includes a trading journal to track activity; Public.com lacks this feature. Neither broker offers paper trading.
Charting and watch lists: tastytrade packs in 308 technical indicators, 31 drawing tools, notes on charts, historical trade markers, corporate events, custom date ranges, and the option to create custom studies. You can also edit an SMA study with seven fields and save multiple chart layouts. Public.com has none of these chart features—no indicators, no drawing tools, no notes, no event overlays, no custom studies, and no SMA settings. For watch lists, tastytrade supports 33 data columns versus only 3 on Public.com.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 33 | 3 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 0 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2025
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Tastytrade and Public.com both give beginners clear education on stocks, ETFs, and options, with videos and live webinars to explain the basics and next steps. Neither platform teaches mutual funds or offers paper trading or quizzes. A key difference is bonds: Public.com includes bonds education, while tastytrade does not. Another difference is learning tools—tastytrade lets you track your progress, which can help you follow a step‑by‑step path; Public.com does not offer progress tracking.
For quality signals, tastytrade is rated 4 out of 5 stars for education and ranks 9th out of 14 brokers at StockBrokers.com, while Public.com earns 3.5 stars and ranks 11th. Choose tastytrade if you want a guided way to measure your learning and dive deeper into options. Pick Public.com if bonds education matters to you alongside core stock and ETF lessons.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
In the tastytrade vs Public.com stock trading app comparison, tastytrade is the stronger pick overall. It earns 4.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #10 of 14 in StockBrokers.com’s app ratings, while Public.com scores 3.5 out of 5 and ranks #14. Both online brokers offer iPhone and Android apps, but tastytrade provides more in-app tools most investors will notice day to day.
Feature comparison: Both apps support mobile options trading and let you view multiple time frames on charts. Tastytrade also includes streaming quotes, stock alerts, custom watchlists, after-hours charting, landscape chart view, and mobile after-hours stock trading. Public.com lacks streaming quotes and alerts, does not allow creating custom watchlists, and does not offer after-hours or landscape charting; it does, however, uniquely let you compare different stocks on the same chart. Neither platform has Apple Watch support, streaming live TV, videos on demand, or technical studies (0 on both), though both let you customize watchlist columns. The data provided does not confirm whether Public.com supports mobile after-hours trading.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
Bottom line: In a tastytrade vs. Public.com fees matchup, Public.com is usually cheaper for options and margin, while tastytrade stands out for a $0 minimum deposit and lower transfer and IRA closure charges. Both brokers offer $0 stock trades and no IRA annual fee.
For trading costs, tastytrade requires no minimum deposit, whereas Public.com asks for $20. Stock trades are commission-free at both. Options are where they diverge: tastytrade charges $0.50 per contract and $5 for exercises or assignments, while Public.com charges $0 per contract and $0 for exercises and assignments.
On margin interest, Public.com is lower across the listed tiers: under $25,000 (5.65% vs. tastytrade’s 11%), $25,000–$49,999 (5.65% vs. 10.5%), and $50,000–$99,999 (5.50% vs. 10%). For account and IRA fees, both have $0 IRA annual fees, but tastytrade’s IRA closure fee is $60 versus $150 at Public.com. ACAT transfers are also cheaper at tastytrade ($75 for partial or full) compared with Public.com ($100 for partial or full). Fees and rates can change, so confirm current terms with each broker.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 | $150.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
For day trading, tastytrade offers more trader-focused tools than Public.com. Tastytrade includes ladder trading, advanced strategy backtesting, a short locator to check real-time shortable shares, and streaming live TV. Public.com does not provide those features. Both platforms lack streaming time and sales, Level 2 quotes, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, basic strategy backtesting, and order liquidity (maker/taker) rebates.
If you’re an active day trader who values ladder trading, advanced testing of strategies, and visibility into short availability, tastytrade is the stronger fit. Public.com may work for basic stock trading, but the absence of core day trading tools listed above makes it less suitable for fast, tactical trading.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
| Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
tastytrade vs Public.com for market research: Public.com edges out tastytrade for basic research access, earning 2 out of 5 stars and ranking #12 of 14 at StockBrokers.com, while tastytrade scores 1.5 stars and ranks #13. Choose Public.com if you want simple, wider symbol coverage that includes OTC/Pink Sheets. Choose tastytrade if you care more about hands-on tools like screeners and seeing your portfolio allocation by asset class.
Both brokers provide stock and ETF research; neither offers research on mutual funds or bonds. Public.com adds Pink Sheets/OTCBB research, which tastytrade doesn’t. Neither platform includes social-media-sentiment or ESG research, and there are no downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds on either service.
For finding trade ideas, tastytrade offers stock and ETF screeners as well as a bond screener, while Public.com does not provide screeners (including no mutual fund screener). tastytrade also lets you view your portfolio allocation by asset class, a view Public.com lacks.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No |
| Research |
|
|
When it comes to banking features, both tastytrade and Public.com provide limited options as neither offers traditional banking services such as checking or savings accounts. Additionally, you won't find debit or credit cards available at either platform. If you're looking for mortgage loans or CDs, neither tastytrade nor Public.com will meet your needs in those areas. It's clear that both platforms focus on trading and investment services rather than banking solutions.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | No | No |
| Credit Cards | No | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Brokerage CDs | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that tastytrade is better than Public.com. tastytrade finished with an overall score of 80.1%, while Public.com finished with a score of 69.6%.
tastytrade isn’t for every investor, but its platform is ideal for frequent options and futures traders, offering efficient workflow, useful risk management tools, killer design, and online content that makes you feel like you’re on a trading desk.
Both online brokers tastytrade and Public.com offer cryptocurrency trading, but Public.com provides a wider selection with 40 coins versus tastytrade’s 17.
If you prioritize more coin choices, Public.com may suit you better, whereas tastytrade still delivers a solid, streamlined crypto trading experience.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Online brokers tastytrade and Public.com both offer Traditional and Roth IRAs with $0 annual fees, making them cost-effective options for retirement investors. The key difference is in closure fees: tastytrade charges $60 to close an IRA, while Public.com charges $150.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Review | tastytrade Review | Public.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Trading Fees | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A | $2.99 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A | n/a | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $1.00 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $0 | n/a |
| Margin Rates | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 11% | 5.65% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 10.5% | 5.65% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 10% | 5.50% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 9.5% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.5% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8% | 5.05% |
| Account Fees | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 | $150.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $75.00 | $100.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $100.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 17 | 40 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | Yes | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | No | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | No | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | tastytrade | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | tastytrade | 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 | Yes | No |
| Stock App Features | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watch List (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | tastytrade | n/a | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 33 | 3 |
| Stock Chart Features | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 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 | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 7 | 0 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | No | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | Yes | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | No | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | tastytrade | 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 | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | No | No | |
| Debit Cards | No | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | No | No |
| Overall | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | tastytrade Review | Public.com Review |
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