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Bottom Line: Public is best for active traders who want to invest in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies while utilizing the expertise and insights of other Public.com members. The app also offers several educational resources (including live events), so it could be useful for beginners who want to jumpstart their investment journey.

Fees

0% stocks and ETFs; Crypto: 1% or 2% markup; Alternative assets: 2.5% per transaction; Public Premium: $10/month

Investment Types

Stocks, ETFs, alternative assets, and cryptocurrencies

Fees

0% stocks and ETFs; Crypto: 1% or 2% markup; Alternative assets: 2.5% per transaction; Public Premium: $10/month

Investment Types

Stocks, ETFs, alternative assets, and cryptocurrencies

Investment Details

Fees

0% stocks and ETFs; Crypto: 1% or 2% markup; Alternative assets: 2.5% per transaction; Public Premium: $10/month

Pros & Cons

Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimums and commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cryptocurrency trading available for more than 25 coins and tokens; alternative assets available Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers fractional share investing for as little as $1; Premium plan includes advanced market data and insights Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Several community features that allow you to share insights and receive insights from other users; educational resources like live audio events also available Dash icon A dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section. No mutual funds, bonds, or options Dash icon A dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section. Not the best platform for day traders; it doesn’t allow day trading of stocks

Highlights

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• App store rating: 4.7 iOS/4.3 Android
• Consider it if: You value portfolio diversification and want a social component to your investing experience.

Additional Reading

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Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing right

Overall rating

Founded in 2017, Public is an investment app offering cryptocurrency trading, alternative assets, commission-free stock and ETF trading, and community trading features for those who favor DIY trading over advisor-assisted investing or automated investing.

In addition to offering a $0 minimum requirement, Public allows you to filter its investment selection to see the securities that best align with your preferences. However, it’s not the best move for day traders or those who want exposure to investments like mutual funds or options.

Public is available on both iOS and Android. 

Public and  M1 Finance both offer stocks and ETFs, but Public’s cryptocurrency and alternative assets selection makes it stand apart from the crowd. 

Although M1 Finance has a higher minimum requirement, it could be a better fit for investors in search of a wider range of account types and auto-invest features. 

Public and Tornado both offer minimum-free trading, with a vast selection of stocks and ETFs. However, you’ll pay more in fees at Tornado than you will with Public, but both Tornado and Public are the best options for those who value educational resources, community investing, and social media-style features.

If you want access to more investment types, Public is the best choice. However, Tornado offers automated investing tools, so it may be a better fit for hands-off investors or beginners. 

Ways to invest with Public.com

Stocks and ETFs

Public currently offers more than 9,000 stocks and ETFs, so you’ll have a variety of different investments to choose from. Your taxable brokerage account also allows for both fractional share investing (you’ll need at least $1 for this) and commission-free trading. Plus, it offers a few other features that can help you choose the best investments.

Its “Investing Themes” feature allows you to toggle your portfolio according to your interests. The “Top Movers” tool lets you view which stocks are experiencing the highest or lowest movement during each day, and its “Stock Trends” feature compares the most popular investments to the least popular ones. 

While Public is quite suitable for active traders who want to take their investments into their own hands, it’s arguably an even better fit for those who can benefit from the community-like investing features it provides. 

Public also lets you inform your decisions with the market moves of other traders and/or public figures. You can use the feed to follow different members to see what they’re investing in, and you can also share your investment knowledge and decisions with other users. Public additionally gives you the power to create chat groups with other investors, and you can also participate in investing events and listen to live conversations through the app.

Cryptocurrencies

You can also now diversify your portfolio with digital assets, thanks to Public’s partner, Apex Crypto. Public launched cryptocurrency investing on its platform in October 2021, and it currently offers more than 25 coins and tokens. Its investment selection includes, but isn’t limited to, the following:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Dogecoin
• Solana
• Cardano
• Algorand

Though you’ll be placing orders through the Public platform, Apex Crypto is responsible for executing them. Its partner also holds your crypto and charges a 1% to 2% markup on each transaction. Another thing to keep in mind is that crypto trading isn’t available for residents of New York, Guam, or the US Virgin Islands.

Alternative assets

Public recently introduced alternative assets to its platform. This now gives its users access to contemporary art, NFTs, collectibles, and more. In addition, the platform has vetted each available investment, and it takes away a lot of the legwork in maintaining each asset by managing things like storage, authentication, and more. 

While it’s transaction fee of 2.5% resembles that of many NFT marketplaces (e.g., both OpenSea and Rarible charge creators. 2.5% per transaction), Public also offers more investment choices than most NFT platforms.

This new offering makes diversification much easier, since you’ll ultimately have your fair pick of stocks, ETFs, crypto, and alternative assets.

Public.com: Is it trustworthy?

The Better Business Bureau gives Public an A rating. These ratings generally reflect the bureau’s opinion of how well a company interacts with its customers.

When evaluating companies, the bureau also considers things like type of business, time in business, licensing and government actions, and advertising issues. It’s important to note, however, that its ratings don’t guarantee whether a platform, like Public, will be reliable or perform well. Therefore, it’s equally important to do your own due diligence before settling on an investment app.

As for Public’s record, it hasn’t racked up any major lawsuits over the past few years. Its BBB profile shows that it has closed 28 complaints in the past 12 months. 

Yes. Public is registered with both the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The brokerage also offers insurance for up to $500,000 for your securities.

That ultimately depends on what you invest in (e.g., returns may vary across stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies) and how much you invest in it. 

Public offers commission-free purchases for its stocks and ETFs, but you may incur a couple of small regulatory fees when you sell. For instance, you’ll run into an SEC regulatory fee of $5.10 per $1 million on sell transactions, along with a trading activity fee of $0.000119 per share on sells. 

Crypto transactions come with a 1% or 2% markup, and alternative assets (e.g., NFTs) have a 2.5% commission. Plus, you’ll pay a $10 monthly fee if you decide to enroll in the Public Premium plan.

• Stocks: Available on most exchanges, stocks represent shares, or portions, of ownership within public companies (i.e, companies who’ve passed the IPO phase). You can purchase these investments through online brokerages, robo-advisors, and other investment platforms.
• ETFs: Composed of a mix of stocks, bonds, and commodities, ETFs trade like stocks. In other words, you can easily exchange them during the stock exchange’s hours. However, they’re less risky than stocks because they contain a basket of different securities.
• Fractional shares: As the name implies, fractional shares are simply portions of full investment shares. Several online brokerages and investment platforms allow for fractional share investing, but you’ll typically need to meet a small minimum dollar amount to do so.

Wealth-Building Reporter

Rickie Houston is a wealth-building reporter for Business Insider, tasked with covering brokerage products, investment apps, online advisor services, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other wealth-building financial products. He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF). Previously, Rickie worked as a personal finance writer at SmartAsset, focusing on retirement, investing, taxes, and banking topics. He’s contributed to stories published in the Boston Globe, and his work has also been featured in Yahoo News. He graduated from Boston University, where he contributed as a staff writer and sports editor for Boston University News Service. Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services » Read more Read less

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