Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of tastytrade 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 tastytrade and Public.com, one immediately notices their diverse range of investment options that cater to various trading needs. Tastytrade narrowly edges out Public.com with its comprehensive suite of offerings, especially in futures trading and retirement account options like traditional and Roth IRAs, which Public.com lacks. While both platforms provide access to stock, margin, fractional shares, options, and crypto trading, it's worth noting that Public.com allows greater flexibility in crypto trading with 22 coins compared to tastytrade's 4, as well as offering OTC stocks, which tastytrade does not.
For traditional stock trading, both tastytrade and Public.com hold up well, providing users with a straightforward path to diversify their portfolios. Margin trading and fractional ownership are available on both platforms, making them accessible for all types of investors, from beginners to more seasoned traders. Futures trading is a unique feature of tastytrade, indicating a more advanced trading approach not available on Public.com. However, for those with a specific interest in crypto, Public.com's advantage lies in a broader selection of coins.
Neither platform offers mutual funds, forex trading, or advisor services, keeping the focus on the standards like stocks, options, and crypto investments. According to StockBrokers.com, tastytrade earns a commendable 4 stars for its range of investments, ranking 10th out of 16 brokers, whereas Public.com is rated at 3.5 stars, ranking 15th, indicating a slight preference towards tastytrade for those seeking diverse investment opportunities.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 4 | 22 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2025, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2025
When it comes to trading platforms and tools, both tastytrade and Public.com offer different levels of features to cater to their respective audiences. Tastytrade shines with a comprehensive array of trading tools, providing users with an advanced Windows and Mac downloadable platform, a robust selection of charting indicators, and the capacity to fine-tune their trading experience with custom studies and chart adjustments. On the other hand, Public.com keeps things simple with its more streamlined, browser-based platform. It's rated lower in terms of advanced features, which reflects in its lower user ratings and rankings compared to tastytrade.
Tastytrade offers a more advanced trading experience with options like a downloadable desktop platform for both Windows and Mac users, while Public.com operates solely via a browser-based experience. This gives tastytrade a technical edge, especially with features like the ability to adjust open orders directly on stock charts and access to over 308 charting indicators compared to Public.com's zero. Additionally, tastytrade's watch lists can be customized with up to 33 columns, making it a favorite for traders seeking in-depth analysis tools. Public.com, with its focus on simplicity, provides 3 columns in watch lists, which may appeal more to casual investors.
In the realm of charting tools, tastytrade further distances itself from Public.com with 31 drawing tools and the ability to add notes and historical trades to charts. Tastytrade even allows users to save multiple chart profiles, an option not available on Public.com. While both platforms provide index overlays, tastytrade equips traders with a richer array of customization options, evidenced by features such as seven customization fields for SMA studies. Ultimately, tastytrade is better positioned for those wanting a full-featured trading platform, as evidenced by its higher ranking and ratings. Meanwhile, Public.com's minimalist approach suits traders looking for a straightforward, no-frills interface.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 33 | 3 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 0 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 0 |
| Platforms & Tools |
|
|
Dive deeper: 7 Best Brokerage Accounts for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
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When comparing the educational offerings for beginners between tastytrade and Public.com, both platforms provide solid resources to get new investors up to speed. Tastytrade covers a range of topics including stocks, ETFs, and options, and provides live webinars to engage users. While lacking in educational videos and interactive quizzes, it compensates with the ability to track learning progress, earning it a 4-star rating for education. Ranked #10 out of 16 brokers by StockBrokers.com for its educational efforts, tastytrade is a strong choice for those eager to keep tabs on their progress as they learn.
Public.com also offers educational content on stocks, ETFs, and options, with the added benefit of educational videos to assist visual learners. Like tastytrade, it includes webinars, but falls short in offering tracking capabilities for a user's educational journey, which may limit how users perceive their growth over time. Public.com is rated 3.5 stars in education and ranked #12 by StockBrokers.com as a go-to for learning resources. Overall, both platforms have their strengths, but tastytrade edges ahead with its tracking feature, providing a small advantage for investors who value seeing their advancement.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
| Education (Bonds) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Videos | No | Yes |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
When considering tastytrade versus Public.com for stock trading app capabilities, tastytrade emerges as the more comprehensive platform. Rated at 4.5 stars compared to Public.com's 3.5, and ranked #10 by StockBrokers.com while Public.com stands at #15, it's clear that tastytrade offers a more robust user experience for mobile trading. Both platforms support Android and iPhone apps, yet tastytrade packs additional features that cater to more active traders.
Tastytrade's mobile app allows for after-hours stock and options trading, providing flexibility for those who wish to engage in trading beyond regular market hours. It also offers streaming quotes to keep users informed in real time, a feature that Public.com's app lacks. While both platforms offer basic charting functionalities, tastytrade enhances user experience with the option to create and customize watch lists and view charts in landscape mode, enabling better analysis and management of stocks.
Although Public.com includes an option to display stock comparisons on its app charts—a feature missing from tastytrade—the lack of streaming quotes and after-hours charting may limit its appeal to more dedicated traders. Both apps offer zero technical studies in charting, which might be a point of consideration for those who rely on technical analysis. Ultimately, tastytrade offers more advanced functionalities that better serve the needs of active, mobile investors.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No | No |
| Stock Alerts | No | No |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When deciding between tastytrade and Public.com for your online trading needs, it's essential to weigh their respective costs and fees. Tastytrade might appeal to those seeking a platform with no minimum deposit and free stock trades, although the $0.50 per options contract might be a consideration for options traders. Meanwhile, Public.com offers free options trading and stock trades, but requires a minimum deposit of $20.00. For margin trading, Public.com presents competitive rates, especially for larger balances, while tastytrade remains consistent with its fees across different balance ranges.
Tastytrade and Public.com both offer commission-free stock trading, making them strong contenders for regular investors. However, options traders might favor Public.com, which charges no fees per options contract compared to tastytrade's $0.50 charge. Additionally, tastytrade applies a $5.00 fee for options exercise and assignment, whereas Public.com imposes no such costs.
For those considering margin accounts, Public.com generally offers lower interest rates across the board. Tastytrade's margin interest starts at 11% for balances below $25,000 and decreases slightly with larger balances, while Public.com presents a more competitive rate, especially at 6.75% for balances between $50,000 and $99,999. Both platforms share uniformity in fees for full and partial account transfers at $75.00 each, but those managing IRAs should note tastytrade charges a $60.00 IRA closure fee, while Public.com's fees remain unspecified in this area.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 | $0.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When evaluating tastytrade and Public.com for day trading, both platforms offer distinct features suited for different needs. Tastytrade stands out with its streaming live TV feature and its ladder trading, which can be beneficial for day traders seeking constant market insights and quick order placements. Additionally, tastytrade provides a short locator tool, allowing users to view real-time availability of shares available for shorting. In contrast, Public.com does not provide these features, which could be a limitation for traders who rely heavily on detailed market analysis and rapid trade execution tools.
Both tastytrade and Public.com share several limitations for day traders as neither offers streaming time and sales data, direct market routing for stocks, trading hotkeys, or level 2 quotes. Also, both platforms do not provide options for strategy backtesting or offer order liquidity rebates. This could be a drawback for traders wanting comprehensive features typically associated with more advanced trading strategies. Overall, for traders looking for specific tools like ladder trading and a short locator, tastytrade might be the more appealing choice, while Public.com would suit those who prioritize simplicity and are less focused on advanced trading features.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | Yes | 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 | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
Both tastytrade and Public.com offer basic market research capabilities but differ slightly in their offerings. Public.com edges out tastytrade with a slightly higher rating of 2 stars versus 1.5 stars for market research capabilities. Additionally, Public.com is ranked higher by StockBrokers.com, securing the 12th spot while tastytrade follows closely at 13th. Both brokers support stock and ETF research but limit their offerings when it comes to mutual funds, bonds, or in-depth reports.
When exploring stock and ETF research, both tastytrade and Public.com provide users the necessary resources but fall short in offering downloadable PDF reports. They do not extend their research capabilities to mutual funds or bonds and lack stock screening tools to generate trade ideas. Despite these similarities, Public.com stands out by offering research for Pink Sheets/OTCBB, which tastytrade does not cover.
As investors seek insights into their portfolio allocation by asset class, tastytrade provides this service, whereas Public.com does not. However, neither platform offers research using social media sentiment data nor ESG criteria, reflecting a similar deficiency in cutting-edge analytic tools. Ultimately, the choice between these two will depend on an individual's specific research needs and preference in broker features.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | No | No |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No | No |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No |
| Research - Bonds | No | No |
| Screener - Bonds | No | No |
| Research |
|
|
When it comes to banking features, both tastytrade and Public.com provide limited options as neither offers traditional banking services such as checking or savings accounts. Additionally, you won't find debit or credit cards available at either platform. If you're looking for mortgage loans or CDs, neither tastytrade nor Public.com will meet your needs in those areas. It's clear that both platforms focus on trading and investment services rather than banking solutions.
| Feature |
tastytrade
|
Public.com
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | No |
| Savings Accounts | No | No |
| Debit Cards | No | No |
| Credit Cards | No | No |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| CDs | No | 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 tastytrade is better than Public.com. tastytrade finished with an overall score of 80.1%, while Public.com finished with a score of 69.6%.
tastytrade isn’t for every investor, but its platform is ideal for frequent options and futures traders, offering efficient workflow, useful risk management tools, killer design, and online content that makes you feel like you’re on a trading desk.
Both tastytrade and Public.com offer crypto trading, with tastytrade providing access to 4 different coins, while Public.com offers a wider selection with 22 coins available.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
Tastytrade offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with no annual fees, though it charges a $60 closure fee, whereas Public.com does not provide IRA accounts or charge related fees.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Review | tastytrade Review | Public.com Review |
| Broker Screenshots | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Trading Fees | tastytrade | 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) | $0.50 | $0.00 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $1.25 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $0 | n/a |
| Margin Rates | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 11% | 8.75% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 10.5% | 8.75% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 10% | 6.75% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 9.5% | 6.75% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 8.5% | 5.75% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8% | 5.75% |
| Account Fees | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | ||
| IRA Closure Fee | $60.00 | ||
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $75.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $75.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $5.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | No | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 0 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 4 | 22 | |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | 0 | 0 | |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 0 | 0 | |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | No | Yes | |
| Bonds (Corporate) | No | Yes | |
| Bonds (Municipal) | No | No | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | No | |
| Advisor Services | No | No | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 | 0 |
| Order Types | tastytrade | 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 | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes | No |
| Beginners | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No | |
| Education (Bonds) | No | No | |
| Education (Retirement) | No | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | No | Yes | |
| Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | Yes | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | tastytrade | 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 | tastytrade | 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) | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes | No | |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 | 0 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No | No | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
| Trading Platforms | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | tastytrade | n/a | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | Yes | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 33 | 3 |
| Stock Chart Features | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 308 | 0 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 31 | 0 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 7 | 0 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
| Day Trading | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | Yes | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hotkeys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | Yes | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | No | Yes | |
| Research - Bonds | No | No | |
| Screener - Stocks | No | No | |
| Screener - ETFs | No | No | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
| Screener - Bonds | No | No | |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
| Stock Research | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 0 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | No | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | No | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Strategy Overview | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | No | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No | No | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | Yes | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | No | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | 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 | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | No | |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 20 | 4 | |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 5 | 5 | |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Probability Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Greeks | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Rolling | Yes | No | |
| Option Positions - Grouping | Yes | No |
| Banking | tastytrade | Public.com | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | No | |
| Checking Accounts | No | No | |
| Savings Accounts | No | No | |
| Credit Cards | No | No | |
| Debit Cards | No | No | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | No |
| Customer Service | tastytrade | 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 | tastytrade | Public.com | |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | tastytrade Review | Public.com Review |
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