Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Robinhood vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Here’s the quick takeaway: Robinhood edges out Public.com for overall range of investments, helped by access to futures and advisor services, while Public.com stands out if you want a wider selection of cryptocurrencies. Both brokers cover the core needs for most stock investors, but your choice may come down to whether you value futures (Robinhood) or more crypto coins (Public.com).
Both Robinhood and Public.com offer stock trading, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, options, and crypto. Neither platform supports mutual funds or forex. For crypto choice, Public.com lists about 40 coins, while Robinhood offers around 22. The biggest product difference is futures: Robinhood offers futures trading, and Public.com does not.
For accounts, both brokers support Traditional and Roth IRAs. Robinhood also offers advisor services, while Public.com does not. According to StockBrokers.com, Robinhood earns 4 out of 5 stars for Range of Investments and ranks #10 of 14 brokers, while Public.com earns 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks #12 of 14.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 40 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
Bottom line: for trading platforms and tools, Robinhood outpaces Public.com. StockBrokers.com rates Robinhood 3 stars (ranked 8th of 14) versus Public.com’s 1 star (14th of 14). Both lack downloadable desktop apps for Windows and Mac, as well as paper trading and a trading journal, but Robinhood’s browser-based platform offers far more useful charting and watchlist features than Public.com.
Platform access is similar: neither broker has a Windows or Mac desktop app, and both work in your web browser. Paper trading? No for both. Built-in trading journal? Also no. The everyday tools are where they split: Robinhood watchlists support 34 data fields versus just 3 on Public.com, and Robinhood lets you adjust open orders directly on a stock chart—Public.com does not.
Charting is the biggest gap. Robinhood supplies 90 technical indicators, 26 drawing tools, the ability to add notes, set custom date ranges, save multiple chart layouts, and edit a simple moving average with 6 settings. Public.com offers none of those: 0 indicators, 0 drawing tools, no notes, no custom date ranges, no saved layouts, and no SMA settings. Both platforms lack historical trade markers, corporate event overlays, automated pattern detection, and custom study creation.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 3 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 0 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Robinhood and Public.com both offer beginner-friendly investor education, covering stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. Neither broker provides mutual fund education. Each has educational videos to help you get up to speed, but neither supports paper trading, quizzes, or tools to track your learning progress. If you want a simple learning hub with clear explanations, both platforms check the boxes for core topics.
The biggest difference is webinars: Public.com hosts them, while Robinhood does not. In terms of quality, both are rated 3.5 out of 5 stars for education. According to StockBrokers.com, Robinhood ranks #7 out of 14 brokers for education, with Public.com close behind at #8. Choose Public.com if live sessions matter to you, or pick Robinhood if you want similar content paired with a slightly higher third-party ranking.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Bottom line: Robinhood edges out Public.com for stock trading apps. Robinhood earns 4 out of 5 stars and ranks #7 of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com, while Public.com scores 3 stars and ranks #13. Both cover core needs on iPhone and Android, but Robinhood adds more real-time tools and alerts that many active traders will appreciate.
Platforms and trading features: Both Robinhood and Public.com offer iPhone and Android apps. Robinhood also has an Apple Watch app; Public.com does not. Both support options trading on mobile. Robinhood supports mobile after-hours stock trading; Public.com’s mobile after-hours trading is not specified here. Neither app includes streaming live TV or video on demand. Robinhood offers streaming quotes and stock alerts, while Public.com lacks both. For watch lists, Robinhood lets you create custom lists and customize columns; Public.com allows column customization but not custom lists.
Charts and analysis: Robinhood provides after-hours charting, multiple time frames, and around 90 technical studies. It does not let you compare multiple stocks on one chart. Public.com offers multiple time frames and does allow stock-to-stock chart comparisons, but it lacks after-hours charting and has no technical studies. Neither app supports landscape charting.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 90 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Bottom line: Robinhood is the cheaper starter pick with a $0 minimum deposit and no IRA closure fee, while Public.com asks for a $20 minimum and charges $150 to close an IRA. Both brokers offer $0 stock trades, $0 per-options-contract pricing, and $0 fees to exercise or be assigned on options. If you plan to use margin, Public.com’s rates are a touch lower across the tiers shown. ACAT transfer fees are the same at both: $100 for partial or full transfers.
Key trading costs are even: Robinhood and Public.com both charge $0 for regular stock trades and $0 per options contract. Minimum deposit differs—Robinhood is $0; Public.com is $20. Margin interest favors Public.com slightly: below $25,000, Robinhood 5.75% vs Public.com 5.65%; $25,000–$49,999, Robinhood 5.75% vs Public.com 5.65%; $50,000–$99,999, Robinhood 5.55% vs Public.com 5.50%.
Account and IRA fees: both have $0 IRA annual fees, but IRA closure is $0 at Robinhood vs $150 at Public.com. Account transfers (ACAT) cost $100 for partial and $100 for full at both brokers. Options exercise and assignment fees are $0 at both.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $150.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
For day trading, both Robinhood and Public.com lack many pro-grade tools. Neither platform offers streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, strategy backtesting (basic or advanced), a short locator for borrow availability, or maker/taker rebates. These omissions limit fast execution control, advanced testing, and short-selling insights that active traders often want.
The key differences: Robinhood provides ladder trading and level 2 quotes (deeper view of bids and asks), while Public.com offers neither. That gives Robinhood a slight edge for day trading, since ladder trading can speed up order placement and level 2 can help read near-term momentum. Still, with no direct routing, hotkeys, or time and sales on either platform, day trading on Robinhood or Public.com remains fairly limited compared with platforms built for active trading.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | No | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
| Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
Bottom line: both Robinhood and Public.com deliver basic market research, but Robinhood holds a slight edge. Each is rated 2.5 out of 5 stars; in StockBrokers.com’s rankings, Robinhood places #10 of 14 while Public.com is #12. The difference comes from tools: Robinhood lets you view portfolio allocation by asset class and includes a stock screener for trade ideas, advantages Public.com doesn’t match.
Research coverage is similar: both offer stock research, ETF research, and Pink Sheets/OTC research, while neither covers mutual funds or bonds. Neither platform provides downloadable PDF research reports for stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds. Both also skip ESG data and social media sentiment analysis.
For idea generation and portfolio insights, Robinhood stands out with its stock screener and asset allocation view. Public.com lacks these features, and neither broker offers ETF, mutual fund, or bond screeners. If you want simple research across stocks, ETFs, and OTC with a bit more help finding ideas and seeing your mix, Robinhood is the more capable choice; if those extras aren’t important, Public.com keeps pace on the essentials.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | No |
| Research |
|
|
When comparing the banking capabilities of online brokers Robinhood and Public.com, there are some clear differences in their offerings. Both Robinhood and Public.com do not provide checking or savings accounts, nor do they offer CDs or mortgage loans. However, when it comes to card services, Robinhood holds an advantage. Robinhood offers both debit and credit cards to its users, which can enhance the convenience of managing your finances. On the other hand, Public.com does not provide either debit or credit cards. This distinction makes Robinhood a more versatile choice for those seeking some traditional banking-like features in an investment platform.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Brokerage CDs | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Robinhood is better than Public.com. Robinhood finished with an overall score of 69.6%, while Public.com finished with a score of 56.0%.
Robinhood is best known for its commission-free trading, modern mobile and desktop platforms, and low-cost access to options, margin, and futures trading.
Robinhood vs. Public.com: both platforms offer crypto trading, with Robinhood supporting 22 cryptocurrencies and Public.com offering 40, giving Public.com a broader coin selection.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Robinhood vs Public.com: both online brokers offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts with $0 annual fees. The key difference is in closure costs—Robinhood charges $0 to close an IRA, while Public.com charges $150.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Robinhood | Public.com | |
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| Customer Service | N/A | N/A | |
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| Review | Robinhood Review | Public.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Robinhood | Public.com | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A | $2.99 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A | n/a | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.75 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | N/A | n/a |
| Margin Rates | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 5.75% | 5.65% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 5.75% | 5.65% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 5.55% | 5.50% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 5.25% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 5.25% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 5.25% | 5.25% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 5% | 5.05% |
| Account Fees | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $150.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $100.00 | $100.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $100.00 | $100.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 4 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 40 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | No | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 1 | 0 |
| Order Types | Robinhood | 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 | No | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | No | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | No | No |
| Beginners | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | 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 | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 90 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Robinhood Legend | 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 | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 3 |
| Stock Chart Features | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 0 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | No | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | No | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | No | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | No | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | No | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | No |
| Options Trading | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes |
| Banking | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | No |
| Overall | Robinhood | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall |
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| Advanced Trading |
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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 | Robinhood Review | Public.com Review |
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