Ally Invest vs Public.com 2025
In this head to head comparison of Ally Invest vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
In this head to head comparison of Ally Invest vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When comparing online brokers Ally Invest and Public.com, it's evident that each platform shines in distinct areas. Ally Invest has the edge with a more comprehensive range of investment options, offering both traditional and Roth IRA accounts, mutual funds, and advisory services. This makes it an attractive choice for investors seeking a diversified investment strategy and professional guidance. On the other hand, Public.com provides modern investing tools like fractional shares and cryptocurrency trading, making it suitable for tech-savvy investors interested in exploring alternative asset classes.
Both Ally Invest and Public.com facilitate traditional stock and margin trading, as well as options trading and OTC stocks. However, Public.com distinguishes itself by offering fractional shares and a selection of 22 cryptocurrencies, accommodating investors who want to start small or diversify into digital currencies. In contrast, Ally Invest focuses on more conventional investment vehicles such as mutual funds and IRAs.
As for investment breadth, Ally Invest is rated 4.5 stars and ranks #8 among 16 brokers, indicating a slightly higher satisfaction with its investment range. Public.com, with a rating of 3.5 stars and a #15 ranking in the same comparison, targets a different audience through unique offerings like cryptocurrency, even though it doesn't provide mutual funds or IRA accounts. Ultimately, the choice between Ally Invest and Public.com hinges on the individual's investment goals and preference for either traditional or innovative financial products.
Feature |
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Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares | No | Yes |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
Futures Trading | No | No |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 |
Range of Investments |
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Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025
When evaluating the trading platforms and tools offered by Ally Invest and Public.com, it's clear that Ally Invest has an edge. With a higher overall rating and ranking according to StockBrokers.com, Ally Invest provides a more comprehensive selection of technical indicators and drawing tools. This gives traders greater capabilities in analyzing market trends and crafting strategies. In contrast, Public.com's platform, while straightforward and user-friendly, lacks many advanced features which might be essential for those who rely heavily on technical analysis.
Both Ally Invest and Public.com offer browser-based trading platforms, but neither provides downloadable options for Windows or Mac users. While neither offers paper trading or a trading journal, Ally Invest excels with its 120 technical indicators and 36 drawing tools, enhancing the charting experience. On the other hand, Public.com does not support any technical indicators or drawing tools, which might limit traders looking for in-depth analysis capabilities. Additionally, Ally Invest allows notes and index overlays on charts, offering further customization compared to Public.com.
For those focused on watch lists, Ally Invest stands out, offering ten fields, which is more than triple the offerings of Public.com's watch list capabilities. While both platforms lack certain advanced features like custom date ranges and historical trades on charts, Ally Invest does support automated technical analysis and the ability to save multiple chart profiles, which Public.com does not. This detailed comparison underscores Ally Invest’s richer feature set, positioning it as a more appealing choice for traders in need of extensive technical analysis tools.
Feature |
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 3 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 0 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 0 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: 7 Best Brokerage Accounts for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
When looking at beginner-friendly education for investors, Ally Invest and Public.com each have their strengths. Both platforms provide educational resources on stocks, ETFs, and options, ensuring that newcomers have access to essential knowledge in these key investment areas. However, Ally Invest stands out by offering education on mutual funds and bonds, which Public.com does not. On the other hand, Public.com caters to auditory and visual learners by offering educational videos and webinars, formats not available on Ally Invest.
For those seeking interactive learning experiences, it's worth noting that neither Ally Invest nor Public.com offer paper trading or educational quizzes. Additionally, neither platform allows users to track their learning progress over time. Despite these similarities, Ally Invest slightly edges out Public.com in educational quality, with a 4-star rating compared to Public.com's 3.5 stars, as reflected in StockBrokers.com's rankings where Ally Invest places 8th out of 16 brokers, while Public.com holds the 12th spot.
Feature |
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Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No |
Education (Bonds) | Yes | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Videos | No | Yes |
Webinars | No | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When weighing the stock trading app offerings of Ally Invest against Public.com, it's clear each platform presents unique advantages. Ally Invest garners a 4-star rating, slightly outpacing Public.com's 3.5 stars. Ranking 13th among 16 brokers by StockBrokers.com, Ally Invest edges out Public.com, which is positioned 15th. Despite similar rankings, each platform serves distinct user needs and preferences, allowing users to choose according to what aligns best with their trading style.
Both Ally Invest and Public.com provide iPhone and Android apps, catering to a broad user base seeking mobile trading convenience. While neither offers an Apple Watch app nor incorporates features like streaming quotes or live TV, both platforms support mobile options trading. Ally Invest facilitates mobile after-hours trading, further augmenting its flexibility in accommodating traders with varying schedules. Additionally, the capability to create custom watch lists sets Ally Invest apart, catering to users who desire personalized tracking of their investments.
Public.com, on the other hand, enables customization of watch list columns, offering a tailored user experience in organizing stock data. Although both platforms allow viewing multiple time frames for charting, Public.com's capacity to display stock comparisons on charts provides a slight edge to traders interested in relative performance analysis. These subtle differences emphasize how each platform's unique offerings cater to the diverse needs of today’s investors.
Feature |
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | No | No |
Stock Alerts | No | No |
Charting - After-Hours | No | No |
Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When considering online brokers for their fees and charges, Ally Invest and Public.com each bring unique strengths to the table. Ally Invest shines with its zero minimum deposit requirement, making it accessible for individuals looking to start investing without an upfront commitment. In contrast, Public.com requires a minimum deposit of $20, which might be less appealing to those who prefer no entry costs. On the other hand, Public.com stands out with its no-cost options trading, a feature that could be particularly attractive to active stock options traders looking to minimize their expenses.
Examining other charges, both Ally Invest and Public.com offer commission-free regular stock trading, ensuring buyers can trade without incurring additional fees. However, when it comes to options contracts, Ally Invest charges $0.50 per contract, whereas Public.com boasts no charge for this service. Additionally, for margin balances below $25,000, Ally Invest imposes a 13% rate, whereas Public.com charges a lower rate of 8.75%. This difference continues across higher margin balance tiers, with Public.com generally offering more competitive rates compared to Ally Invest.
In terms of other account fees, Ally Invest removes barriers with no charges for IRA annual fees, but a $25 fee applies for IRA closure. Both platforms do not charge any fees related to options exercise and assignment. For account transfer services, Ally Invest charges $50 for both partial and full ACAT transfers, whereas Public.com has higher fees of $75 for each. These differentiators can be crucial when deciding which broker aligns best with your investing goals and financial strategies.
Feature |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing Ally Invest and Public.com for their day trading capabilities, both platforms offer similar basic features but lack advanced tools that active day traders might seek. Neither Ally Invest nor Public.com offers streaming time and sales data, live TV streaming, or direct market routing for stocks. These platforms also do not provide ladder trading, trading hotkeys for keyboard trade entry, or level 2 quotes. Such features are often desired by those looking to rapidly react to market changes and execute trades efficiently.
In terms of strategy support, both Ally Invest and Public.com fall short, as they do not offer basic or advanced backtesting capabilities. This limitation may hinder traders who want to test their strategies before putting them into action. Additionally, neither platform provides a short locator tool to check real-time share availability for shorting, nor do they offer order liquidity rebates. For traders who prioritize these advanced functionalities, other brokerages might be more suitable options. However, for individuals looking for straightforward trading platforms, Ally Invest and Public.com provide entry-level services without the complexities of some high-frequency trading tools.
Feature |
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Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
Streaming TV | No | No |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
For investors seeking comprehensive market research capabilities, Ally Invest generally presents a more rounded offering compared to Public.com. It provides stock, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds research, supporting investors’ varied interests. Additionally, Ally Invest enables users to analyze portfolio allocations by asset class and employs social media sentiment data in its stock research. While both platforms lack ESG research and downloadable PDF reports for stocks and ETFs, Ally Invest takes the lead with a 3.5-star market research rating, compared to Public.com's 2-star rating. Such features make Ally Invest better suited for investors who need a more expansive toolkit for market research.
While both Ally Invest and Public.com offer stock, ETFs, and Pink Sheets/OTCBB research, their offerings diverge when it comes to mutual funds and bonds. Ally Invest expands its scope to include these options, providing ETF and bond screening tools for generating trade ideas. On the other hand, Public.com does not provide research or screeners for mutual funds and bonds, limiting its research scope. Additionally, Ally Invest's ability to offer social media sentiment data analysis enhances the investor’s ability to gauge market trends, further widening its appeal against Public.com.
When it comes to conveniences like understanding portfolio allocation by asset class, Ally Invest is advantageous. Public.com currently lacks this feature, which can be a significant drawback for investors aiming for a detailed portfolio breakdown. This, along with Ally Invest's higher ranking (#8) by StockBrokers.com compared to Public.com’s #12 ranking, underscores a more fully-featured research environment. As both platforms skip on ESG offerings and downloadable PDFs, your choice hinges on the added depth and tools provided by Ally Invest, which can better serve a diverse set of research needs.
Feature |
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Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No |
Research |
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When comparing Ally Invest and Public.com in terms of banking capabilities, Ally Invest provides a comprehensive range of financial services that Public.com currently does not offer. Ally Invest allows users to manage their finances more broadly by offering checking and savings accounts, which are not supported by Public.com. Moreover, Ally Invest also provides debit cards and credit cards to their customers, along with options for mortgage loans and certificates of deposit (CDs). In contrast, Public.com focuses solely on brokerage services, lacking these essential banking features. Therefore, if you are looking for an online brokerage that also caters to your banking needs, Ally Invest stands out as the more versatile choice.
Feature |
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Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | Yes | No |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 16 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Ally Invest is better than Public.com. Ally Invest finished with an overall score of 80.1%, while Public.com finished with a score of 69.6%.
For current Ally customers looking to invest in stocks, Ally's universal-accounts experience and easy-to-use website offer a convenient solution. Its website is far stronger than the mobile app.
Ally Invest does not offer crypto trading, providing zero coins, while Public.com supports crypto enthusiasts by offering trading options for 22 different coins.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Ally Invest offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts without an annual fee, but charges a $25 closure fee, while Public.com does not offer traditional or Roth IRA accounts or related fees.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
Select Brokers
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0 of 5Overall Rating | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Customer Service |
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Education |
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Ease Of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Ally Invest Review | Public.com Review |
Broker Screenshots | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
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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 | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
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Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $4.95 | $2.99 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0.00 | n/a | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $20 | n/a |
Margin Rates | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.75% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 10.75% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9.75% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.25% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.5% | 5.75% |
Account Fees | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 | ||
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares | No | Yes | |
OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
Futures Trading | No | No | |
Forex Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 | |
Mutual Funds (No Load) | 13000 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (Total) | 14000 | 0 | |
Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | Ally Invest | 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 | No | No | |
Order Type - OTO | No | No | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
Beginners | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes | No | |
Education (Bonds) | Yes | No | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Videos | No | Yes | |
Webinars | No | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | No | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | Ally Invest | 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 | No | No |
Stock App Features | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes | Yes | |
Stream Live TV | No | No | |
Videos on Demand | No | No | |
Stock Alerts | No | No | |
Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
Watch List (Streaming) | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
Watch Lists - Column Customization | No | Yes |
Stock App Charting | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | No | No | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | No | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | N/A | 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 | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 | 3 |
Stock Chart Features | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 | 0 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 | 0 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
Charting - Corporate Events | No | No | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 8 | 0 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
Day Trading | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
Streaming TV | No | No | |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No | |
Ladder Trading | No | No | |
Trade Hotkeys | No | No | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
Short Locator | No | No | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
Research Overview | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
Stock Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | No | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
ETF Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | No | No | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
Mutual Fund Research | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
Options Trading | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 | 4 | |
Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | No | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis | Yes | No | |
Option Probability Analysis Adv | No | No | |
Option Positions - Greeks | Yes | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No | No | |
Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No | No | |
Option Positions - Rolling | No | No | |
Option Positions - Grouping | Yes | No |
Banking | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes | No | |
Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
Savings Accounts | Yes | No | |
Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
Mortgage Loans | Yes | No |
Customer Service | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | Yes | No |
Overall | Ally Invest | Public.com | |
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Overall |
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Range of Investments |
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Platforms & Tools |
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Mobile Trading Apps |
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Research |
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Education |
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Ease Of Use |
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Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Ally Invest Review | Public.com Review |