TradeStation vs Public.com 2025
In this head to head comparison of TradeStation 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 TradeStation vs Public.com, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
When deciding between TradeStation and Public.com, consider their diverse investment options based on your personal needs. TradeStation receives a higher rating and ranking for its range of investment options, offering tools for a seasoned investor looking to manage a wide portfolio, including stocks, margin trading, options, futures, and mutual funds, along with retirement accounts like traditional and Roth IRAs. On the other hand, Public.com provides unique opportunities for those interested in fractional shares and crypto trading but is limited in other areas, such as mutual funds and retirement accounts.
Both TradeStation and Public.com support stock and margin trading, giving investors a choice of platform when engaging in these traditional avenues. However, Public.com has an edge for those new to investing or wishing to diversify into smaller portions of high-value stocks with its fractional shares feature, as well as a broad selection of 22 cryptocurrencies for digital asset trading. While TradeStation does not offer cryptocurrencies, it can compensate serious traders with options, futures, and mutual funds purchases, along with over-the-counter (OTC) stocks.
For investors who are focused on retirement planning, TradeStation provides both traditional and Roth IRA account types, options that Public.com lacks. While neither platform offers advisor services, TradeStation's more comprehensive portfolio could offer a more self-reliant investor the ability to tailor their strategy across a wider asset selection. Overall, when choosing between TradeStation and Public.com, carefully weigh your preference for diverse investment offerings against the appeal of niche, modern trading opportunities.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
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 | Yes | 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
If you're looking to choose between TradeStation and Public.com for your trading needs, it's essential to understand their key differences. TradeStation stands out as a highly rated platform with powerful tools and features suited for active traders. Meanwhile, Public.com is more centered around simplicity and accessibility, making it a potential fit for beginners who prefer straightforward solutions. While TradeStation is ranked #3 among trading platforms and tools by StockBrokers.com with a 4.5-star rating, Public.com finds itself at #15 with a 2-star rating, illustrating the contrast in user satisfaction and capability between the two.
TradeStation provides a Windows desktop application, along with a browser-based option, while Public.com is limited to a browser-based platform. TradeStation offers paper trading, a feature absent from Public.com, allowing users to practice strategies without financial risk. Additionally, TradeStation sets itself apart with over 294 technical indicators and 23 drawing tools for charting, enabling traders to perform detailed analyses and make informed decisions. In contrast, Public.com does not support these features, keeping its offerings simple with just three watchlist fields compared to TradeStation’s 341.
For traders seeking advanced charting features, TradeStation delivers with capabilities like adjusting open orders on stock charts, adding notes, and applying index overlays. It even includes options to display historical trades, corporate events, and automate technical analysis on charts. Furthermore, TradeStation allows users to customize SMA studies with 12 different fields and create custom chart studies, offering a tailored trading experience. Meanwhile, Public.com does not provide these in-depth customization options, making TradeStation the superior choice for those who prioritize comprehensive trading tools and charting functionality.
Feature |
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|
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Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 341 | 3 |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 0 |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 0 |
Platforms & Tools |
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Dive deeper: 7 Best Brokerage Accounts for 2025, Best Paper Trading Platforms for 2025
TradeStation and Public.com both cater to beginners with a range of educational resources designed to help new investors understand the world of trading. TradeStation provides education on stocks and options, along with educational videos and webinars, and it offers a paper trading feature that allows users to practice trades without risking real money. However, it falls short in offering education on ETFs and mutual funds. Public.com also provides robust resources including education on stocks, ETFs, and options, accompanied by videos and webinars. However, Public.com lacks a paper trading feature, which might limit hands-on learning opportunities for some beginners.
While both platforms aim to educate new investors, Public.com edges out TradeStation with a slightly higher education rating of 3.5 stars compared to TradeStation's 3 stars. In terms of rankings by StockBrokers.com, Public.com occupies the 12th spot out of 16 brokers for education, while TradeStation comes in at 14th. Neither platform currently provides educational quizzes or progress tracking, which might be a consideration for those seeking a more guided learning experience. Overall, for beginners focused on a broader range of educational resources, Public.com may offer a slight advantage, but TradeStation’s paper trading is a valuable tool for practical learning.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
Education (ETFs) | No | Yes |
Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
Education (Mutual Funds) | No | No |
Education (Bonds) | No | No |
Paper Trading | Yes | No |
Videos | Yes | Yes |
Webinars | Yes | Yes |
Education |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025
In the world of stock trading apps, TradeStation shines with a comprehensive suite of features that cater to both experienced and new investors, earning a high rating of 4.5 stars. Meanwhile, Public.com offers a user-friendly experience but falls short in feature variety, earning a 3.5-star rating. TradeStation's robust toolset, including mobile after-hours trading and 45 technical studies for its mobile app charting, makes it a strong contender, ranking #8 out of 16 brokers. Public.com, however, places at #15, offering a simpler approach with basic capabilities suited for those prioritizing ease over complexity.
Both TradeStation and Public.com provide iPhone and Android apps, making them accessible to a broad range of users. They also support mobile options trading, and while neither offers an Apple Watch app or streaming live TV, TradeStation differentiates itself with features like streaming quotes and stock alerts, which are absent in Public.com. TradeStation also enables after-hours charting, creating custom watch lists, and customization of watch list columns—all powerful tools for active traders.
When it comes to charting capabilities, TradeStation offers a far superior experience with 45 technical studies and the ability to view multiple time frames, though it lacks the capability for stock comparisons in its app—something Public.com accommodates. However, Public.com does not provide any technical studies, which might limit the analytical capabilities for users seeking in-depth chart data. While Public.com offers the basic app functions needed for trading, TradeStation provides a more feature-rich environment that appeals to those looking for advanced functionalities and analysis tools.
Feature |
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|
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iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
Android App | Yes | Yes |
Apple Watch App | No | No |
Stock Alerts | Yes | No |
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
Charting - Technical Studies | 45 | 0 |
Mobile Trading Apps |
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Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2025
When comparing TradeStation and Public.com, it's essential to consider their account fees and charges to find the platform that best suits your needs. TradeStation offers no minimum deposit and free regular stock trades, which is similar to Public.com’s offering but with a $20 minimum deposit. However, when it comes to options contracts, TradeStation charges $0.60 per contract, while Public.com offers this feature at no cost. These factors make Public.com more appealing for options traders seeking a cost-effective platform.
Looking at margin rates, Public.com presents a more attractive option with lower rates compared to TradeStation across all margin balance tiers. For balances below $25,000, Public.com’s rate is 8.75%, significantly lower than TradeStation’s 13.0%. This trend continues with larger balances, where Public.com’s rates remain noticeably lower at 6.75% for balances between $50,000 and $99,999, offering better conditions for those looking to trade on margin. Additionally, Public.com does not charge for IRA accounts, whereas TradeStation has both annual and closure fees.
When it comes to transferring accounts, Public.com also proves to be more budget-friendly with fees of $75 for both partial and full Account Transfers (ACAT); TradeStation charges $125 for these services. Moreover, Public.com doesn’t charge for options exercises or assignments, unlike TradeStation, which imposes fees of $14.95 and $5.95, respectively. In summary, Public.com appears to be the more cost-effective option with its lower fees across various trading features and account services.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.60 | $0.00 |
Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 |
Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | |
IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2025
When comparing TradeStation to Public.com for day trading, it's clear that TradeStation provides a more comprehensive suite of tools for active traders. TradeStation supports streaming time and sales data for stocks, giving traders detailed, real-time information for decision-making. In contrast, Public.com does not offer this feature. Additionally, TradeStation allows direct market routing, ladder trading, and the use of trading hotkeys—all crucial functions for efficient day trading—while Public.com lacks these capabilities. TradeStation also supplies level 2 quotes, which provide insights into market depth, whereas Public.com does not.
Beyond the basic trading features, TradeStation offers both basic and advanced strategy backtesting, which lets traders refine their strategies before entering the market. Public.com, on the other hand, doesn’t provide any backtesting options. For those interested in short selling, TradeStation includes a short locator tool to help identify available shares to short, a tool absent from Public.com’s offerings. Lastly, TradeStation offers order liquidity rebates, providing traders with potential cost efficiencies that are not available with Public.com. For day traders seeking a platform rich with features, TradeStation appears to be the more comprehensive choice.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No |
Streaming TV | No | No |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | Yes | No |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No |
Short Locator | Yes | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms for 2025
When evaluating the market research capabilities of TradeStation and Public.com, neither platform stands out significantly ahead of the other. Both brokers provide research for stocks, ETFs, and Pink Sheets/OTCBB, but fall short when it comes to offering insights into mutual funds, bonds, and ESG factors. Additionally, neither provides downloadable PDF reports for stocks or ETFs, which limits their offerings for investors seeking in-depth research documents. While TradeStation does hold a slight edge by offering a stock screener for trade ideas, this is somewhat mitigated by the absence of options for ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds. Consequently, both TradeStation and Public.com have been rated 2 out of 5 stars for market research by StockBrokers.com, with rankings of #11 and #12 out of 16 brokers, respectively.
TradeStation offers more tools for investors aiming to gauge their asset distribution, enabling users to see their portfolio allocation by asset class. In contrast, Public.com does not provide this feature, which might limit transparency for those looking to balance their investments across different types of securities. However, when it comes to using social media sentiment data and ESG research, neither platform currently incorporates these modern metrics into their offerings, leaving investors to seek these insights elsewhere.
For investors interested in generating trade ideas through screeners, TradeStation again holds a slight advantage by providing a stock screener. Public.com, on the other hand, does not offer any screener options, which might make it less attractive for investors looking to sift through a broad range of potential investments quickly. Despite these nuances, when it comes to comprehensive market research capabilities, both brokers currently occupy middle-ground with room for improvement in providing more varied and accessible research tools.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
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 - Bonds | No | No |
Screener - Bonds | No | No |
Research |
|
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When evaluating the banking features of online brokers TradeStation and Public.com, it's clear that neither provides traditional banking services. Both TradeStation and Public.com lack basic banking offerings such as checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, or mortgage loans. Additionally, neither broker offers Certificates of Deposit (CDs). For individuals seeking comprehensive banking capabilities alongside their investment activities, alternative financial institutions may be worth exploring, as neither TradeStation nor Public.com caters to these specific banking needs.
Feature |
|
|
---|---|---|
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 TradeStation is better than Public.com. TradeStation finished with an overall score of 80.2%, while Public.com finished with a score of 69.6%.
TradeStation supports casual traders through its web-based platform and active traders through its desktop platform. We like the web-based platform and mobile app, but the flagship desktop platform could use a refresh.
TradeStation does not offer crypto trading, whereas Public.com allows users to trade 22 different cryptocurrencies, providing a diverse range of digital assets for investors.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2025
TradeStation offers both traditional and Roth IRA accounts with an annual fee of $35.00 and a $50.00 closure fee, whereas Public.com does not provide IRA accounts and therefore charges no associated fees.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2025
Select Brokers
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0 of 5Overall Rating | TradeStation | Public.com | |
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Overall |
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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 | TradeStation Review | Public.com Review |
Broker Screenshots | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $20.00 | |
Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | $0.01 | $2.99 | |
Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $14.95 | n/a | |
Options (Per Contract) | $0.60 | $0.00 | |
Futures (Per Contract) | $1.50 | (Not offered) | |
Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $25 | n/a |
Margin Rates | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13.0% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 13.0% | 8.75% | |
Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12.5% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 12.0% | 6.75% | |
Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 12.0% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 7.5% | 5.75% | |
Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 7.5% | 5.75% |
Account Fees | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
IRA Annual Fee | $35.00 | ||
IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 | ||
Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $125.00 | $75.00 | |
Account Transfer Out (Full) | $125.00 | $75.00 | |
Options Exercise Fee | $14.95 | $0.00 | |
Options Assignment Fee | $5.95 | $0.00 |
Investment Options | TradeStation | 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 | Yes | No | |
Forex Trading | No | No | |
Crypto Trading | No | Yes | |
Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 | 22 | |
Mutual Funds (No Load) | 800 | 0 | |
Mutual Funds (Total) | 4000 | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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) | No | Yes | |
Retirement Calculator | No | No | |
Investor Dictionary | No | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Videos | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars | Yes | Yes | |
Webinars (Archived) | Yes | Yes | |
Progress Tracking | No | No | |
Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
Stock Trading Apps | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | No | |
Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Technical Studies | 45 | 0 | |
Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | No | |
Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | Yes |
Trading Platforms | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Active Trading Platform | TradeStation 10 | n/a | |
Desktop Trading Platform | Yes | No | |
Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
Paper Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Journal | No | No | |
Watch Lists - Total Fields | 341 | 3 |
Stock Chart Features | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
Charting - Indicators / Studies | 294 | 0 | |
Charting - Drawing Tools | 23 | 0 | |
Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
Charting - Index Overlays | Yes | Yes | |
Charting - Historical Trades | Yes | No | |
Charting - Corporate Events | Yes | No | |
Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes | No | |
Charting - Study Customizations | 12 | 0 | |
Charting - Custom Studies | Yes | No |
Day Trading | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Streaming Time & Sales | Yes | No | |
Streaming TV | No | No | |
Direct Market Routing - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
Trade Hotkeys | Yes | No | |
Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting | Yes | No | |
Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | Yes | No | |
Short Locator | Yes | No | |
Order Liquidity Rebates | Yes | No |
Research Overview | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
Research - Bonds | No | No | |
Screener - Stocks | Yes | No | |
Screener - ETFs | No | No | |
Screener - Mutual Funds | No | No | |
Screener - Bonds | No | No | |
Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes | No |
Stock Research | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | No | No | |
ETFs - Ratings | No | No | |
ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | No | |
ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
Mutual Fund Research | TradeStation | 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 | Yes | 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 | TradeStation | Public.com | |
---|---|---|---|
Option Chains - Basic View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Streaming | Yes | No | |
Option Chains - Total Columns | 29 | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | 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 | TradeStation | Public.com | |
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Overall |
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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 | TradeStation Review | Public.com Review |