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Public.com vs Tradier 2025

StockBrokers.com

Written by StockBrokers.com

January 23, 2025

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

Public.com
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $20.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00 info
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.00 info
Tradier
3.5/5 Stars Overall
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.35 info

Range of investments

When it comes to deciding between Public.com and Tradier for your investment needs, it's essential to consider the available options each platform offers. Public.com caters to modern investors by providing features like stock trading, margin trading, and fractional shares trading. It also supports trading over-the-counter (OTC) stocks and a notable variety of 22 cryptocurrencies. However, it falls short on traditional investment options like mutual funds, IRAs, and futures trading. Tradier, on the other hand, is geared more towards traditional investors, offering trading in stocks, options, futures, mutual funds, and IRAs but lacks support for fractional shares, OTC stocks, or cryptocurrencies.

Public.com stands out in its flexibility for trading fractional shares and crypto, appealing to users looking for diverse, modern investment opportunities. With the option to trade stocks and an impressive list of cryptocurrencies, Public.com allows investors to engage with current market trends. However, it doesn't provide options for mutual funds, IRAs, or futures—limiting traditional retirement-focused investment paths.

Tradier offers a more conventional investment landscape with support for mutual funds and IRAs, providing a robust avenue for retirement-focused investors or those interested in futures trading. Though it lacks in areas such as cryptocurrency and fractional share trading, Tradier compensates with a wider array of traditional investment methods. Both platforms have their strengths, but the choice ultimately depends on your investment strategy and preference for traditional versus modern trading options.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes No
Mutual Funds info No Yes
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Futures Trading info No Yes
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 22 0
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025

Trading platforms and tools

When comparing Public.com to Tradier for trading platforms and tools, both brokers cater to different needs, leaving investors to consider their priorities. Overall, Public.com offers a simple and straightforward trading experience, while Tradier provides a more advanced toolkit for traders who want more technical insights. On a scale of 1 to 5, Public.com garners a 2-star rating, whereas Tradier slightly edges ahead with a 2.5-star rating. In rankings by StockBrokers.com, Tradier takes the 14th spot while Public.com follows at 15th, indicating minor advantages for Tradier.

Both Public.com and Tradier forgo Windows or Mac downloadable trading platforms, focusing instead on browser-based options. This choice caters to users who prefer trading without software installations. However, Tradier enhances its offering with features like paper trading, allowing users to practice trading without risk, a benefit Public.com does not offer. Both platforms provide three fields for watch lists, though neither allows adjusting open orders directly on stock charts, keeping this aspect straightforward.

Where Tradier shines is in its charting capabilities, offering 95 technical indicators compared to none from Public.com. Tradier users can add notes to charts and view historical trades, while Public.com uniquely offers the ability to add index overlays. However, neither platform supports corporate events display, custom date ranges, automated technical analysis, or saving multiple chart profiles. Tradier's platform also allows for more customization when editing an SMA study with seven fields, compared to zero on Public.com. These distinctions make Tradier more appealing to those looking for detailed technical tools.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Desktop Trading Platform info No No info
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No info
Paper Trading info No Yes
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 3 3
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 0 95
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Platforms & Tools 2/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers & Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025

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Beginners and education

When comparing Public.com and Tradier in terms of beginner and investor education capabilities, Public.com stands out with a wider range of offerings. Public.com provides educational resources for stocks, ETFs, and options, alongside valuable tools like educational videos and webinars to assist investors in expanding their knowledge. Despite this, Public.com lacks resources in mutual funds and bonds, and does not offer features like paper trading, educational quizzes, or the ability to track learning progress.

In contrast, Tradier's educational resources are more limited, offering no specific education for stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, or bonds. While it offers paper trading, Tradier lacks supplementary materials such as educational videos or webinars. This difference in educational support is reflected in customer feedback, with Public.com earning a 3.5-star rating for education compared to Tradier's zero stars. According to StockBrokers.com, Public.com ranks 12th out of 18 brokers for education, while Tradier comes in at 16th, underscoring Public.com's superior educational offerings for beginners and investors.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Education (Stocks) info Yes No
Education (ETFs) info Yes No
Education (Options) info Yes No
Education (Mutual Funds) info No No
Education (Bonds) info No No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info Yes No
Education 3.5/5 Stars 0/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025

Stock trading apps

When choosing between the stock trading apps offered by Public.com and Tradier, Tradier edges ahead with a slightly higher rating of 4 stars compared to Public.com's 3.5 stars. Public.com is ranked #15 by StockBrokers.com, while Tradier sits just one spot higher at #14 out of 18 brokers. This suggests Tradier might offer a more satisfactory experience for traders seeking mobile solutions.

Both Public.com and Tradier offer iPhone and Android apps, making them accessible to most smartphone users. However, neither platform supports an Apple Watch application. In terms of stock trading features, both platforms allow for mobile after-hours trading and options trading. Tradier stands out with the capability to provide streaming quotes, which Public.com lacks. While neither broker supports streaming live TV or on-demand videos, Tradier allows for custom watch lists, a feature that Public.com does not offer. Public.com, however, lets users customize watch list columns, giving it a unique selling point for detailed tracking of specific investments.

Charting capabilities are another area where these apps differ slightly. Both allow users to view multiple time frames but refrain from packing technical studies into their mobile applications, as each offers zero. Public.com allows users to display stock comparisons on charts, an edge over Tradier, which does not. That said, neither app supports after-hours charting or landscape chart viewing. These distinct features might be critical for traders focused on visual data analysis and looking for specific charting tools in their mobile trading experience.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No No
Stock Alerts info No info No
Charting - After-Hours info No No
Charting - Technical Studies info 0 0
Mobile Trading Apps 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars

Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025

Fees

When comparing Public.com to Tradier, potential investors will find that Public.com generally offers a more cost-effective solution for many types of account charges. This is evident in Public.com's lack of fees for stock trades and options contracts, as well as its more competitive margin rates for larger balances. Moreover, Public.com pulls ahead by not charging any annual fees for IRAs, making it an attractive option for those looking to grow their retirement accounts without extra costs.

Diving into specific charges, Public.com requires a minimum deposit of $20, in contrast to Tradier's no-minimum policy. However, both platforms allow regular stock trading free of charge, presenting an equal opportunity for stock traders. For those interested in trading options, Public.com again edges out Tradier by not charging any fees for options contracts, options exercises, or options assignments, whereas Tradier applies a $0.35 fee per options contract along with $9.00 fees for both options exercises and assignments. Additionally, Public.com offers lower interest rates on margin balances, particularly for balances ranging from $50,000 to $99,999, where the rate drops to 6.75% compared to Tradier's constant 9.5% for balances under $100,000.

Ultimately, the choice between Public.com and Tradier for online brokerage services depends largely on the user's specific financial preferences and trading habits. Public.com stands out with its lower fees in several key areas, particularly appealing to options traders and those managing larger margin balances. On the other hand, Tradier might attract users who appreciate zero minimum deposit requirements and do not mind paying a small fee for options trading and account management. For both platforms, fees associated with account transfers remain identical, ensuring comparable options for users potentially making transitions to other platforms.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Minimum Deposit info $20.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 info $0.00
Options (Per Contract) info $0.00 info $0.35 info
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $9.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $9.00
IRA Annual Fee info $30.00 info
IRA Closure Fee info $60.00

Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025

Day Trading

When comparing online brokers Public.com and Tradier for day trading, both platforms surprisingly show similar capabilities—or lack thereof. Neither platform offers streaming time and sales for stocks, streaming live TV, direct market routing, ladder trading, trading hotkeys, or level 2 quotes. This absence of crucial day trading features renders both services less ideal for those seeking advanced tools and real-time market insights commonly needed for effective day trading strategies.

Additionally, Public.com and Tradier fall short in offering tools for strategy development and execution. Both platforms lack basic and advanced strategy backtesting, as well as a short locator tool to view real-time shortable shares. Furthermore, they do not provide incentives like order liquidity rebates, which can be an attractive feature for active traders. Overall, both platforms appear more suited to investors with simpler needs as opposed to those seeking comprehensive tools to optimize day trading performance.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Streaming Time & Sales info No No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks info No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info No No

Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025

Market Research

When comparing the market research capabilities of Public.com and Tradier, investors will find that both platforms offer basic research options while lacking in certain areas. Public.com edges slightly ahead in its offerings, primarily due to its inclusion of research for Pink Sheets and OTCBB, which Tradier does not provide. However, both fall short in offering advanced features such as ESG reports, social media sentiment data, and screeners for trade ideas. In terms of overall ratings, Public.com scores slightly higher with a 2-star rating compared to Tradier's 1.5-star rating, reflecting a modest advantage for those seeking to explore a wider array of market options. Public.com is ranked 12th, while Tradier is ranked 15th out of 18 brokers by StockBrokers.com in terms of market research capabilities.

Public.com provides stock and ETF research, covering major categories investors typically explore. However, it does not extend its offerings to mutual funds or bonds, mirroring Tradier's limitations in these areas. A notable point of difference is Public.com's access to Pink Sheets and OTCBB research, a feature not available on Tradier, potentially attracting investors interested in exploring over-the-counter markets. On the other hand, Tradier's market research capabilities remain fairly limited in scope compared to its competitor.

Neither Public.com nor Tradier offers the ability to evaluate portfolio allocation by asset class, utilize downloadable PDF reports for stocks or ETFs, or leverage screeners for trade ideas across various financial products. Despite these gaps, investors looking to break into the world of online trading with interest in the pink sheets and OTCBB arena may find Public.com's offerings somewhat more appealing. When considering overall rankings and available features, Public.com offers a marginally better market research experience than Tradier.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Screener - Stocks info No No
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Screener - ETFs info No No
Research - Mutual Funds info No No
Screener - Mutual Funds info No No
Research - Bonds info No No
Screener - Bonds info No No
Research 2/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars

Banking

If you're examining the banking features of Public.com and Tradier, both platforms offer limited options in this area. Neither Public.com nor Tradier provides traditional banking services such as checking accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, or credit cards. Additionally, neither platform offers mortgage loans or certificates of deposit (CDs). Essentially, these online brokers focus on investing and trading services, not on serving your everyday banking needs.

Feature Public.com logoPublic.com
Tradier logoTradier
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Debit Cards info No No
Credit Cards info No No
Mortgage Loans info No No
CDs info No No

Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2025

Winner

After opening live accounts and testing 18 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Public.com is better than Tradier. Public.com finished with an overall score of 69.6%, while Tradier finished with a score of 65.6%.

Public is easy to use and offers a fascinating array of investment options. Along with stocks, ETFs, and crypto, there are managed Treasury bill accounts and alternative investments, such as shares in comic books and Banksy art. On the downside, Public uses its refusal to accept payment for order flow as justification for some startlingly high fees and spreads.

FAQs

Can you trade cryptocurrency with Public.com or Tradier?

When comparing online brokers, Public.com stands out by offering crypto trading with access to 22 different coins, whereas Tradier does not provide any options for crypto trading.

Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025

Does Public.com or Tradier offer IRAs?

When comparing online brokers, Public.com does not offer traditional or Roth IRA accounts, whereas Tradier provides both options, albeit with a $30 annual IRA account fee and a $60 closure fee.

Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025

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Compare

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Overall Rating Public.com Tradier
Overall 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees N/A 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 2/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Customer Service N/A 3/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 0/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Public.com Review Tradier Review
Broker Screenshots Public.com Tradier
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 Public.com Tradier
Minimum Deposit info $20.00 $0.00
Stock Trades info $0.00 info $0.00
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) info $2.99 N/A
Mutual Fund Trade Fee info n/a $30 info
Options (Per Contract) info $0.00 info $0.35 info
Futures (Per Contract) info (Not offered) $1.50 info
Broker Assisted Trade Fee info n/a $10
Margin Rates Public.com Tradier
Margin Rate Under $25,000 info 8.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 info 8.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 info 6.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 info 6.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 info 5.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 info 5.75% 9.5%
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 info 5.75% 9.5%
Account Fees Public.com Tradier
IRA Annual Fee info $30.00 info
IRA Closure Fee info $60.00
Account Transfer Out (Partial) info $75.00 $75.00
Account Transfer Out (Full) info $75.00 $75.00
Options Exercise Fee info $0.00 $9.00
Options Assignment Fee info $0.00 $9.00
Investment Options Public.com Tradier
Stock Trading info Yes Yes
Margin Trading info Yes Yes
Fractional Shares info Yes No
OTC Stocks info Yes No
Options Trading info Yes Yes
Complex Options Max Legs info 0 4
Futures Trading info No Yes
Forex Trading info No No
Crypto Trading info Yes No
Crypto Trading - Total Coins info 22 0
Mutual Funds (No Load) info 0 0
Mutual Funds (Total) info 0 0
Bonds (US Treasury) info Yes No
Bonds (Corporate) info Yes No
Bonds (Municipal) info No No
Traditional IRAs info No Yes
Roth IRAs info No Yes
Advisor Services info No No
International Countries (Stocks) info 0 0
Order Types Public.com Tradier
Order Type - Market info Yes Yes
Order Type - Limit info Yes Yes
Order Type - After Hours info Yes info Yes
Order Type - Stop info Yes Yes
Order Type - Trailing Stop info No No
Order Type - OCO info No Yes
Order Type - OTO info No Yes
Order Type - Broker Assisted info No Yes
Beginners Public.com Tradier
Education (Stocks) info Yes No
Education (ETFs) info Yes No
Education (Options) info Yes No
Education (Mutual Funds) info No No
Education (Bonds) info No No
Education (Retirement) info Yes No
Retirement Calculator info No No
Investor Dictionary info Yes No
Paper Trading info No Yes
Videos info Yes No
Webinars info Yes No
Webinars (Archived) info Yes No
Progress Tracking info No No
Interactive Learning - Quizzes info No No
Stock Trading Apps Public.com Tradier
iPhone App info Yes Yes
Android App info Yes Yes
Apple Watch App info No No
Trading - Stocks info Yes Yes
Trading - After-Hours info Yes Yes
Trading - Simple Options info Yes Yes
Trading - Complex Options info No Yes
Order Ticket RT Quotes info Yes Yes
Order Ticket SRT Quotes info No No
Stock App Features Public.com Tradier
Market Movers (Top Gainers) info Yes Yes
Stream Live TV info No No
Videos on Demand info No No
Stock Alerts info No info No
Option Chains Viewable info Yes Yes
Watch List (Real-time) info Yes Yes
Watch List (Streaming) info No No
Watch Lists - Create & Manage info No Yes
Watch Lists - Column Customization info Yes No
Stock App Charting Public.com Tradier
Charting - After-Hours info No No
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally info No No
Charting - Multiple Time Frames info Yes Yes
Charting - Technical Studies info 0 0
Charting - Study Customizations info No No
Charting - Stock Comparisons info Yes No
Trading Platforms Public.com Tradier
Active Trading Platform info n/a TradeHawk
Desktop Trading Platform info No No info
Desktop Platform (Mac) info No No info
Web Trading Platform info Yes Yes
Paper Trading info No Yes
Trade Journal info No No
Watch Lists - Total Fields info 3 3
Stock Chart Features Public.com Tradier
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart info No No
Charting - Indicators / Studies info 0 95
Charting - Drawing Tools info 0 0
Charting - Notes info No Yes
Charting - Index Overlays info Yes No
Charting - Historical Trades info No Yes
Charting - Corporate Events info No No
Charting - Custom Date Range info No No
Charting - Custom Time Bars info No No
Charting - Automated Analysis info No No
Charting - Save Profiles info No No
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis info No No
Charting - Study Customizations info 0 7
Charting - Custom Studies info No No
Day Trading Public.com Tradier
Streaming Time & Sales info No No
Streaming TV info No No
Direct Market Routing - Stocks info No No
Ladder Trading info No No
Trade Hotkeys info No No
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting info No No
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv info No No
Short Locator info No No
Order Liquidity Rebates info No No
Research Overview Public.com Tradier
Research - Stocks info Yes Yes
Research - ETFs info Yes Yes
Research - Mutual Funds info No No
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB info Yes No
Research - Bonds info No No
Screener - Stocks info No No
Screener - ETFs info No No
Screener - Mutual Funds info No No
Screener - Bonds info No No
Misc - Portfolio Allocation info No info No
Stock Research Public.com Tradier
Stock Research - PDF Reports info 0 info 0
Stock Research - Earnings info Yes No
Stock Research - Insiders info No No
Stock Research - Social info No No
Stock Research - News info Yes No
Stock Research - ESG info No No
Stock Research - SEC Filings info No No
ETF Research Public.com Tradier
ETFs - Strategy Overview info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets info Yes No
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings info No No
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings info No No
ETFs - Sector Exposure info No No
ETFs - Risk Analysis info No No
ETFs - Ratings info No No
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap info No No
ETFs - PDF Reports info No No
Mutual Fund Research Public.com Tradier
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview info No No
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart info No No
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis info No No
Mutual Funds - Prospectus info No No
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings info No No
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown info No No
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings info No No
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation info No No
Mutual Funds - StyleMap info No No
Options Trading Public.com Tradier
Option Chains - Basic View info No Yes
Option Chains - Strategy View info No No
Option Chains - Streaming info No No
Option Chains - Total Columns info 4 8
Option Chains - Greeks info 5 1
Option Chains - Quick Analysis info Yes Yes
Option Analysis - P&L Charts info Yes No
Option Probability Analysis info No No
Option Probability Analysis Adv info No No
Option Positions - Greeks info Yes No
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming info No No
Option Positions - Adv Analysis info No No
Option Positions - Rolling info No No
Option Positions - Grouping info No No
Banking Public.com Tradier
Bank (Member FDIC) info No No
Checking Accounts info No No
Savings Accounts info No No
Credit Cards info No No
Debit Cards info No No
Mortgage Loans info No No
Customer Service Public.com Tradier
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) info No Yes
Phone Support (Current Customers) info No Yes
Email Support info Yes Yes
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) info Yes No
Live Chat (Current Customers) info Yes No
24/7 Support info No No
Overall Public.com Tradier
Overall 3.5/5 Stars 3.5/5 Stars
Commissions & Fees N/A 4.5/5 Stars
Range of Investments 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Platforms & Tools 2/5 Stars 2.5/5 Stars
Mobile Trading Apps 3.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Research 2/5 Stars 1.5/5 Stars
Education 3.5/5 Stars 0/5 Stars
Ease Of Use 4.5/5 Stars 4/5 Stars
Winner check_circle
Review Public.com Review Tradier Review
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