Firstrade vs Public.com 2025
In this head to head comparison of Firstrade 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 Firstrade vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When it comes to investment options, Firstrade and Public.com present distinct advantages based on what investors are seeking. Firstrade scores higher in its range of investments, offering more comprehensive options such as mutual funds and IRA accounts, securing its position as a preferred choice for diversified investment strategies. In contrast, Public.com excels in the cryptocurrency arena, providing access to 22 different coins, an area where Firstrade currently offers no service. As a result, Firstrade is ranked #6 by StockBrokers.com for its range of investments, outperforming Public.com, which is ranked #14.
Both Firstrade and Public.com facilitate essential trading avenues like stocks and options while supporting fractional shares and over-the-counter stocks. Investors interested in margin trading and a seamless stock trading experience will find both platforms on equal footing. However, those keen on exploring beyond traditional investments might find Public.com's crypto offerings more aligned with their interests.
While neither broker offers futures or forex trading, Firstrade distinguishes itself by offering mutual funds and IRA accounts, making it suitable for those planning long-term financial growth. Conversely, Public.com attracts users focused on more contemporary assets like cryptocurrencies, although it lacks traditional retirement account options. Ultimately, the best platform depends on the investor’s priorities—whether they seek the assurance of established financial instruments or the allure of digital currencies.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
Fractional Shares | Yes | 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 |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing Firstrade and Public.com, Firstrade emerges as the more feature-rich platform, earning a slightly higher ranking and star rating for its trading platforms and tools. It boasts a greater number of technical indicators and drawing tools, which can be particularly valuable for more seasoned traders looking to perform in-depth analysis. While both platforms lack downloadable desktop applications for Mac or Windows, they offer convenient browser-based access for traders. Despite some shared limitations, such as the absence of paper trading and trading journals, Firstrade stands out for offering significantly more fields for watch lists, promoting an enhanced user experience.
Both Firstrade and Public.com do not provide paper trading capabilities or trading journals, which might be a drawback for beginners looking to practice or track their trades comprehensively. Though none of the platforms offer the ability to adjust open orders directly on stock charts, Firstrade compensates with an extensive list of 102 technical indicators and 8 drawing tools, compared to Public.com's complete lack of these features. This makes Firstrade a more appealing choice for traders who rely heavily on technical analysis for decision-making.
In terms of charting tools, neither Firstrade nor Public.com offers the ability to display corporate events, historical trades, or automated technical analysis on charts. However, both platforms allow the addition of index overlays, providing some level of insight into market trends. While customization options are limited on both platforms, Firstrade allows for a higher degree of customization for standard moving average (SMA) studies. These differences reflect in their respective ratings, with Firstrade achieving 3 stars and a #11 ranking, while Public.com has a 2-star rating and ranks #14 out of 15 brokers for trading platforms and tools.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 50 | 3 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 0 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 |
Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokerage Accounts for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to supporting beginner investors, both Firstrade and Public.com provide valuable educational resources for stock and options trading. Firstrade offers a solid selection of educational videos and webinars, giving users a platform to learn about stock and options trading comprehensively, though it lacks resources for ETF, mutual fund, and bond education. Public.com, on the other hand, goes a step further by offering ETF education in addition to stocks and options. Both platforms, however, fall short in offering mutual fund and bond education, do not provide paper trading for practice, and lack interactive learning tools like quizzes or progress tracking.
Both Firstrade and Public.com receive an equal rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars for their educational offerings, indicating a moderate level of investor support. Their learning tools such as webinars and videos are on par, perhaps making them equally viable for those new to investing. However, rankings from StockBrokers.com place Public.com slightly ahead, with a #12 position compared to Firstrade's #13 among 15 evaluated brokers. This subtle difference may reflect Public.com's edge in providing broader educational content, particularly for ETFs, suggesting it as a slightly more rounded choice for beginners eager to delve into various investment options.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
Education (Bonds) | No | No |
Paper Trading | No | No |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
Both Firstrade and Public.com provide stock trading apps for iPhone and Android devices, yet Firstrade holds a distinct edge with added features that enhance the trading experience. Rated at 4.5 stars compared to Public.com's 3.5 stars, Firstrade stands out, particularly due to its ability to offer mobile after-hours stock trading and the inclusion of streaming quotes, which Public.com does not support. Firstrade's app also comes equipped with stock alerts and the facility to create custom watchlists, features that are absent in Public.com’s app.
Firstrade and Public.com both facilitate mobile options trading, and while they share common ground in not offering Apple Watch apps or streaming live TV, they diverge significantly in terms of charting capabilities. Firstrade supports viewing charts in landscape mode and viewing multiple time frames with a more comprehensive offering of 81 technical studies, whereas Public.com lacks these advanced features but does provide the ability to display stock comparisons on charts.
Customizability is another area where Firstrade surpasses Public.com, allowing users to not only create custom watchlists but also to customize watch list columns. Despite these strengths, Public.com holds a competitive advantage for users seeking simple, straightforward stock comparison features on their charts. Ranked #9 among 15 brokers by StockBrokers.com, Firstrade surpasses Public.com’s more modest placement at #14, showing a broader approval among traders for its overall app functionality-driven offerings.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | No | No |
Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
Charting - After-Hours | No | No |
Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When considering an online broker, both Firstrade and Public.com offer appealing features for those looking to maximize their investments without incurring high costs. Firstrade stands out with its $0 minimum deposit requirement, making it an attractive choice for beginners or those looking to start small. On the other hand, Public.com requires a $20 minimum, which is still relatively low for those investing with a bit more capital upfront. Both brokers shine in cost-effectiveness when it comes to regular stock trades and options contracts, as neither charges a fee in these categories.
However, the differences become more apparent when looking at margin account charges. For margin balances below $25,000, Public.com offers a more competitive interest rate of 8.75%, compared to Firstrade’s higher rate of 13.75%. This trend continues in other margin balance tiers, where Public.com maintains lower rates, particularly in the $50,000 to $99,999 range, where the rate is nearly cut in half at 6.75% versus Firstrade’s 13.00%. Moreover, when it comes to additional fees like IRA closures, Firstrade charges $0, although Public.com’s fees for this service are not specified.
For those planning to transfer their accounts, Firstrade charges slightly less for partial transfers at $55 compared to Public.com's $75 charge, though both firms charge $75 for full transfers. Importantly, both brokers offer fee-free services for options exercises and assignments. Therefore, investors should gauge these key points, alongside their personal financial goals, to determine the best fit between Firstrade and Public.com based on fee structures and deposit requirements.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When evaluating Firstrade and Public.com for day trading, neither firm provides specialized features often sought by active traders. Both platforms lack streaming time and sales for stocks, which can offer insights into market activity. They also don't provide streaming live TV, direct market routing, or ladder trading, which can be crucial for traders looking for market depth and various order execution options. Additionally, neither broker supports trading hotkeys, level 2 quotes, or basic and advanced strategy backtesting, all tools that can enhance a day trader's analysis and execution capabilities.
Furthermore, Firstrade and Public.com fall short in offering a short locator tool, which is useful for traders interested in short selling. Both platforms also do not offer order liquidity rebates, which could otherwise help in reducing trading costs for high-frequency traders. Given these limitations, traders who prioritize these specific tools and features for day trading might need to explore alternative platforms that cater more closely to their trading style and needs.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
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
When it comes to market research capabilities, Firstrade emerges as a more comprehensive option compared to Public.com. Firstrade excels by offering research across a wide array of investment types including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, alongside specific insights into Pink Sheets and OTCBB. Additionally, Firstrade provides tools such as stock screeners and reports that leverage social sentiment data, adding depth to investment analysis. This extensive versatility is reflected in its high market research rating of 4.5 stars and a robust #6 ranking from StockBrokers.com, compared to Public.com’s 2 stars and #12 ranking.
In terms of specific feature comparisons, Firstrade shines with its ability to offer detailed mutual funds and bond research, areas where Public.com falls short. Firstrade also surpasses in portfolio analytics, offering insights into portfolio allocation by asset class, a feature not available with Public.com. Moreover, Firstrade provides downloadable PDF reports for both stocks and ETFs, while such resources are absent from the Public.com platform.
Lastly, Firstrade's advantage extends to screening tools where investors can explore trade ideas for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, consolidating its capabilities as a well-rounded platform for detailed market research. In contrast, Public.com lacks these screeners, limiting its appeal to users seeking deep analytical tools. This broad spectrum of features and insights makes Firstrade a preferred choice for investors needing varied market research options.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
Screener - ETFs | Yes | No |
Research - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Screener - Mutual Funds | Yes | No |
Research - Bonds | Yes | No |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No |
Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking capabilities of Firstrade and Public.com, it's clear that Firstrade provides more options for users seeking basic banking services alongside their investment needs. Firstrade offers checking accounts, which Public.com does not, providing an added layer of convenience for users who want to manage their transactions. Furthermore, Firstrade provides debit cards, allowing for easy access to funds, whereas Public.com does not. Both platforms do not offer savings accounts or credit cards, keeping their focus primarily on investment services. Additionally, neither offers mortgage loans, which can be a consideration for those looking to integrate a wider array of financial services. Notably, Firstrade offers certificates of deposit (CDs), which can be appealing for those looking for a secure savings option, unlike Public.com, which does not offer CDs. Overall, Firstrade outshines Public.com in terms of banking offerings, making it a more versatile choice for those interested in an online broker with added banking features.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Checking Accounts | Yes | No |
Savings Accounts | No | No |
Debit Cards | Yes | No |
Credit Cards | No | No |
Mortgage Loans | No | No |
CDs | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Bank Accounts for Trading Stocks for 2025
After opening live accounts and testing 15 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Firstrade is better than Public.com. Firstrade finished with an overall score of 81.8%, while Public.com finished with a score of 69.6%.
Firstrade scored well for penny stock trading in our 2024 Annual Awards, and is a great choice for Chinese-speaking investors. However, it lags behind the competition in certain areas, especially platforms, tools and education.
While Firstrade does not support crypto trading and offers zero coins, Public.com provides access to crypto trading with a selection of 22 different coins, offering a more diverse trading experience for cryptocurrency investors.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Firstrade offers traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual or closure fees, while Public.com does not provide IRA account options at all.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
Select Brokers
↓×Compare
0 of 5Overall Rating | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall |
|
| |
Range of Investments |
|
| |
Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| |
Research |
|
| |
Customer Service |
| N/A | |
Education |
|
| |
Ease Of Use |
|
| |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Firstrade Review | Public.com Review |
Broker Screenshots | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
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 | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.00 | $2.99 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0 | n/a | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $19.95 | n/a |
Margin Rates | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.75% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.50% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 13.00% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.50% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.50% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 12.50% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 12.50% | 5.75% |
Account Fees | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | ||
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $55.00 | $75.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
Fractional Shares | Yes | 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) | 15460 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (Total) | 19666 | 0 | |
Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Corporate) | Yes | Yes | |
Bonds (Municipal) | Yes | No | |
Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
Advisor Services | No | No | |
International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
Order Types | Firstrade | 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 | Yes | No | |
Order Type - OCO | Yes | No | |
Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
Beginners | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes | |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
Education (Bonds) | No | No | |
Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | Yes | No | |
Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | No | No | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | No | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | Firstrade | 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 | Firstrade | 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 | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | No | No | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 81 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
Trading Platforms | Firstrade | 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 | 50 | 3 |
Stock Chart Features | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No | No | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 102 | 0 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 8 | 0 | |
Charting - Notes | No | 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 | No | No | |
Charting - Save Profiles | No | No | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 0 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
Day Trading | Firstrade | 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 | Firstrade | 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 | Yes | No | |
Screener - Bonds | Yes | No | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
Stock Research | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Stock Research - PDF Reports | 1 | 0 | |
Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - Social | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
Stock Research - ESG | Yes | No | |
Stock Research - SEC Filings | Yes | No |
ETF Research | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes | Yes | |
ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Ratings | Yes | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | Yes | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | Yes | No |
Mutual Fund Research | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Prospectus | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | Yes | No | |
Mutual Funds - StyleMap | Yes | No |
Options Trading | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Streaming | No | No | |
Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 | 4 | |
Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
Option Chains - Quick Analysis | No | Yes | |
Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes | |
Option Probability Analysis | No | No | |
Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | No | |
Option Positions - Greeks | No | Yes | |
Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No | No | |
Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No | No | |
Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | No | |
Option Positions - Grouping | No | No |
Banking | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
Checking Accounts | Yes | No | |
Savings Accounts | No | No | |
Credit Cards | No | No | |
Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
Mortgage Loans | No | No |
Customer Service | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes | No | |
Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
24/7 Support | No | No |
Overall | Firstrade | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Overall |
|
| |
Range of Investments |
|
| |
Platforms & Tools |
|
| |
Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| |
Research |
|
| |
Education |
|
| |
Ease Of Use |
|
| |
Winner | check_circle | ||
Review | Firstrade Review | Public.com Review |