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eToroPublic.com Review
Written by Jessica Inskip
Edited by Hannah Smith
Reviewed by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Jessica InskipJessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research.
Public.com is one of the most frequently recommended platforms in the financial influencer space, and after spending time using it myself, I get the appeal. The app is sleek, intuitive, and designed in a way that makes investing in stocks and ETFs feel almost effortless. It’s one of the cleanest user experiences I’ve seen.
But as someone who digs into platforms and the markets for a living, I quickly hit limitations. Many tools I consider essential, like analyst ratings, earnings forecasts, and key fundamental data, are locked behind a premium subscription. While Public shines as a beginner-friendly space to build a simple portfolio, it doesn’t offer enough depth for anyone who wants to analyze investments or trade beyond the basics.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$20.00 -
Stock Trades:
$0.00 -
Options (Per Contract):
$0.00
| Range of Investments | |
| Mobile Trading Apps | |
| Platforms & Tools | |
| Research | |
| Education | |
| Ease of Use | |
| Customer Service | N/A |
Check out StockBrokers.com's picks for the best stock brokers in 2025.
| 2025 | #13 |
| 2024 | #17 |
Table of Contents
Pros & cons
Pros
- Sleek, minimalist platform that's easy to navigate.
- Well-written educational content with helpful graphics.
- Daily five-minute market podcast, The Rundown, for quick updates.
Cons
- High-yield bonds include risky, below-investment-grade options.
- Options trading lacks key data, making decisions harder.
- Limited research tools compared to other platforms.
My top takeaways for Public.com in 2025:
- Great place to start your investing journey, but not necessarily beyond. Public makes basic investing easy, especially for stocks and ETFs. But once you want to analyze, diversify, or dig deeper into your research, the tools fall short.
- Innovative features need stronger guardrails. Whether it’s AI-driven research, fixed income portfolios, or alternative assets, Public is trying new things. But innovation needs transparency, especially when risk is involved. Investors shouldn’t have to be experts to spot what’s missing.
- The education is excellent but needs to meet you where you are. The revamped learning center is full of value, but it lives separately from the platform. Integrated, in-the-moment education could transform how people learn and invest at the same time.
Range of investments
Public.com offers access to a range of investment options like stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, corporate bonds, and even alternative assets. On paper, the list is impressive. But in practice, I found the experience to be a mix of thoughtful innovation and frustrating gaps.
Portfolio accounts
Let’s start with what works. Public’s portfolio-style accounts, the High-Yield Cash Account, Bond Account, and Treasury Account, are genuinely interesting, with the Treasury Account standing out most to me. It lets you build a portfolio of U.S. Treasury bonds with maturities ranging from 3 months to 30 years, and you get to choose the structure. You can even set up automatic reinvestments, which feels like a modern spin on a traditional treasury ladder. But here’s the catch: there’s a monthly fee based on your balance, plus a markup/markdown on trades.
While the feature itself is solid, you can build a similar ladder on platforms like Fidelity or Schwab with lower fees and far more built-in education around interest rates, yield curves, and Fed policy. Public has an opportunity here to bridge that educational gap but so far, they haven’t.
Limited disclosures
The Bond Account, however, is where I started to feel uneasy. I’ve seen it recommended by more than a few financial influencers, and frankly, I’m concerned. I couldn’t find any disclosures about whether they were being paid to promote it, but what really bothered me was what they weren’t saying. The account is built using corporate bonds and is marketed as having an “average” investment grade. But when I looked closer, I found below-investment-grade bonds in the mix. These are speculative-grade, or companies with poor credit ratings.
There’s no warning on the trade screen, and unless you know to click into each bond and check the ratings manually, you’d have no idea. As someone who’s worked in the industry for years, it took me a few steps to spot it. That’s a red flag. Recommending these accounts without proper context is irresponsible, and makes me question how many of these influencers understand the products they’re promoting.
Alternative asset investments
Public also offers alternative assets like fractional shares of art, collectibles, and luxury handbags. Items that, in some cases, can act as inflation hedges (not investment advice, of course). I was curious enough to try the luxury handbag investing feature, but after nearly two hours of back and forth with a customer service rep, I gave up. The feature is only available on the mobile app, and even then, the rep couldn’t walk me through how to enable it. If I can’t get this resolved as someone with years of platform experience, I can only imagine how confusing it must be for a new investor.
Public is clearly trying to build something unique. But when it comes to investment options, execution and transparency matter just as much as innovation, and that’s where this platform still has work to do.
| Feature |
 Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 0 |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes |
| Futures Trading | No |
| Forex Trading | No |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 0 |
| Crypto Trading | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 |
| Traditional IRAs | No |
| Roth IRAs | No |
| Advisor Services | No |
Public.com fees
Like most modern brokerages, Public.com offers commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs, which is great. But dig a little deeper, and the pricing structure gets more complex. Extended hours trading will cost you $2.99 per trade unless you’re a premium member, and many research tools that come standard elsewhere are locked behind a paywall.
Premium subscription: Public has carved out a unique, if unusual, pricing model. You’re nudged toward a premium subscription to access basic features — things like analyst reports and reinvestment options that other brokers offer for free. A Public Premium subscription costs $10 per month (or $96 annually) after a 7-day free trial, although this cost is waived if you maintain an account balance over $50,000 (subject to terms and conditions). There’s also a fee for small, inactive accounts, which feels a bit out of step with the low-cost brokerage trend.
Options rebate program: They return up to 50% of order flow revenue to traders, depending on activity levels. It’s a clever and more transparent approach to payment for order flow (PFOF), which I don’t mind when done right. If there are regulations in place to protect order quality, the cost savings can be meaningful. But the rebate tiers are clearly built to incentivize frequent trading, which is something newer investors should approach with caution.
Jessica's take:
"Their bond and Treasury accounts, while innovative, come with markups, markdowns, and a monthly fee based on your balance. I have found that you can build similar structures on other platforms for less. Plus, competitors offer much stronger educational support to help you understand what you're buying."
In short: Public’s pricing looks simple at first but quickly reveals itself as a maze of paywalls. For a platform that markets itself as accessible, the cost structure can feel surprisingly gated.
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $20.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $2.99 |
| ETF Trade Fee | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | n/a |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | n/a |
Trading platforms
Public’s browser platform mirrors the mobile app almost exactly. It’s clean, easy to use, and approachable. But as someone who’s used a lot of platforms, it feels limited. There’s no advanced trader platform, no custom screeners, and no way to really dig into technical analysis or build out complex strategies. If you're looking for depth, you'll hit a ceiling fast.
That said, one thing I do appreciate is how seamlessly Public integrates community features across both desktop and mobile. Users can follow each other, share commentary, react to trades, and discuss financial news articles in a built-in feed. It adds a social element that’s unique, and for new investors, that kind of collaboration can be encouraging.
Public.com’s Markets screen on mobile looks nice. It has a clean layout, is easy to scan, and shows the major indices and top movers. That said, it’s definitely on the basic side. The earnings calendar is pretty limited, and if you’re looking for deeper insight or tools, you might find yourself wanting more. Still, it’s a nice starting point for a quick market check.
But here's my caveat: community doesn’t equal credibility. It’s important to be mindful of who you're following and where advice is coming from. Just because someone posts confidently about a trade doesn’t mean it’s sound investment advice. As always, do your own research and make sure the tools you’re using are helping you make informed decisions, not just popular ones.
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | n/a |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Trade Journal | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 3 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 0 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 0 |
| Charting - Save Profiles | No |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No |
| Streaming Time & Sales | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No |
Research
Public has clearly put effort into making research feel accessible, and I genuinely appreciated the thought behind some of the tools. But after testing nearly every corner of the platform, I walked away feeling like most of the research features were more flash than function.
Fixed income
Let’s start with fixed income. I liked how the platform displays bond prices alongside their yields which is an elegant way to visualize the inverse relationship between price and yield, an element often confusing for new investors. The interface made that lesson click. But when I tried to screen for fixed income products, the default was high-yield (i.e., below investment grade) bonds and included a portfolio labeled “speculative.” No brokered CDs, no investment-grade filters, and no real risk disclosures. One portfolio even automatically reinvests your income once it hits $1,000, but I wasn’t shown bond ratings up front. A deeper dive revealed mostly junk bonds, and there’s a $3.99 monthly fee for that without a Premium subscription, by the way.
Public.com’s top gainers screen gives you a quick look at what’s moving—simple, clean, and visually appealing. You won’t find a ton of detail here, just the basics like ticker, price, and percentage change. It gets the job done for a surface-level check.
Individual stocks and funds
Across the board, research on individual stocks and funds is minimal. Most ETFs show only the top 10 holdings and there’s no tracking error, sector exposure breakdown, or comparison tools. The “investment plans” feature (essentially baskets of stocks) has potential, but I wasn’t able to analyze them meaningfully. No benchmark comparisons, no sector weightings, just a list of tickers and a vague description.
Options data
Options data was even more disappointing. The chain was missing basic info like bid-ask spreads unless manually selected, and the strategy builder had me previewing the wrong side of a trade. I tried placing a cash-secured put on QQQ, and the tool tried to route a buy order instead. I wouldn’t trust this tool to execute even the simplest strategy.
Public.com’s options chain looks clean, but it’s missing a lot of the critical info needed to actually make informed trading decisions. There’s no bid-ask spread, no implied volatility, and no real sense of liquidity, just the bare bones. It’s a nice-looking interface, but for serious options traders, it falls short where it counts.
Macro research
Macro research is another blind spot. There’s no economic calendar, and while the AI chatbot was eager to help, it didn’t have real-time data. I asked about PCE, the day’s biggest market mover, and was told there was no data. When I reworded the question, it gave me a general market summary, but by then, I’d already checked a second platform. It has promise, but it’s not ready to stand on its own.
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes |
| Stock Research - ESG | No |
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 |
| Screener - Stocks | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | No |
Education
I was pleasantly surprised by Public’s education center, especially after its major revamp in March 2025. The content is comprehensive, well-written, and easy to follow. There are articles on everything from how short squeezes happen to how interest rates impact Treasury prices, all broken down in plain English. The visuals are sharp, and the tone strikes that perfect balance between informative and approachable.
What impressed me most wasn’t just the volume of content but the quality. Topics like market mechanics, options basics, retirement strategies, and alternative investments are all covered in depth. The information is up-to-date and thoughtfully categorized. Whether you’re looking to learn about IPOs, fixed income, or crypto, there’s a section for that.
Public.com’s education center is truly the standout feature of the platform, comprehensive, easy to read, and impressively broad in scope. From investing fundamentals to more advanced topics, the content is thoughtfully written and approachable for all experience levels. It’s one of the most user-friendly educational hubs in the brokerage space.
My only real feedback is that the education center feels a bit detached from the rest of the platform. While I loved seeing a carousel of timely articles on the homepage, the actual educational experience lives in its own corner. It’s not deeply integrated into the flow of using the app. For example, if I’m researching a stock or placing a trade, I’d love to see educational callouts or “learn more” links in context, especially for newer investors.
Still, if you’re the kind of investor who likes to read and learn independently, this is one of the stronger educational libraries I’ve seen from a mobile-first platform. I just hope Public eventually weaves this content more directly into the investing experience because it deserves to be seen.
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No |
| Education (Bonds) | No |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Videos | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Progress Tracking | No |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No |
Banking services
Public doesn’t offer traditional banking products, no checking, no debit card, but it does offer a high-yield cash account, launched in December 2023. And for what it is, it’s surprisingly solid.
The account currently pays 4.1% APY on uninvested cash (as of March 28, 2025), and funds are swept to a network of partner banks offering up to $5 million in combined FDIC insurance which is far above the typical $250,000 cap you'd get from a single bank. That’s a strong feature for those looking to park cash securely.
That said, it’s important to remember that APYs are variable. So while 4.1% sounds great today, it could look different tomorrow.
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No |
| Checking Accounts | No |
| Savings Accounts | No |
| Credit Cards | No |
| Debit Cards | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No |
Final thoughts
Public.com is one of the most visually appealing platforms I’ve used. It’s clearly designed with the modern investor in mind — clean, approachable, and community-driven. But beneath the sleek surface, there are some important limitations worth noting.
Public has a lot of potential and it’s clear they’re listening to feedback. For newer investors who value simplicity and community, it’s a compelling place to begin. But for anyone looking to grow into a more active, informed investor, there’s still work to be done.
Public.com Star Ratings
| Feature |
Public.com
|
|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| Range of Investments |
|
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| Research |
|
| Customer Service | N/A |
| Education |
|
| Ease of Use |
|
StockBrokers.com Review Methodology
Why you should trust us
Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, The Schwab Network, Fox Business, and Yahoo! Finance, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.
Blain Reinkensmeyer, co-founder of StockBrokers.com, has been investing and trading for over 25 years. After having placed over 2,000 trades in his late teens and early 20s, he became one of the first in digital media to review online brokerages. Today, Blain is widely respected as a leading expert on finance and investing, specifically the U.S. online brokerage industry. Blain has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fast Company, among others. Blain created the original scoring rubrics for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.
How we tested
- We used our own brokerage accounts for testing.
- We collected thousands of data points across the brokers we review.
- We tested each online broker's website, desktop platforms, and mobile app, where applicable.
- We maintained strict editorial independence; brokers cannot pay for inclusion or a higher rating.
Our research team meticulously collected data on every feature of importance to a wide range of customer profiles, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders. We carefully track variables like margin rates, trading costs, fees, and platform features and use them to help rate brokers across a range of categories measuring ease of use, range of investments, research, education, and more.
At StockBrokers.com, our reviewers use a variety of computing devices to evaluate platforms and tools. Our reviews and data collection were conducted using the following devices: iPhone SE running iOS 17.5.1, MacBook Pro M1 with 8 GB RAM running the current MacOS, and a Dell Vostro 5402 laptop i5 with 8 GB RAM running Windows 11 Pro.
Each broker was evaluated and scored on over 200 different variables across seven key categories: Range of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall. Learn more about how we test.
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We tested 16 online trading platforms in 2025:
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About Public.com
Public.com is the trade name for Open to the Public Investing, Inc., a brokerage firm headquartered in New York City. While the company was originally registered back in 2004, the Public brand as we know it today really took shape in 2019 with a mission to make investing more inclusive, transparent, and community-driven.
About the Editorial Team
Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.
Hannah Smith is a Staff Editor at StockBrokers.com. With a background in SEO and years of experience in digital media, Hannah is focused on creating high-quality, data-driven content that helps investors make informed decisions. With a master's degree in English from North Carolina State University, she brings a strong foundation in writing, research, and editorial strategy to her work.
Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.