Public
Best for active options traders and yield-seekers who want the lowest trading costs, fractional bonds from $100, and AI-powered research — but limited account types mean it can't be your only brokerage
public.comFees
Stock/ETF Commission
$0 online stock and ETF trades
Options Fee
$0 per contract (plus rebates of $0.06–$0.18 per stock/ETF contract); index options $0.35–$0.50 per contract
Account Fee
No account maintenance or inactivity fees
Margin Rate
5.65% base rate, tiered down to 3.95% for $50M+ balances
Pros
- +Options rebates of $0.06–$0.18 per contract — unique in the industry
- +Lowest margin rates among major brokers at 5.65% base
- +Fractional bonds from $100 and Bond Account at 5.5% yield
- +1% uncapped IRA match on contributions, transfers, and rollovers
- +Strong AI research tools and expanding trading platform features
Cons
- –Limited account types — no joint, SEP IRA, 529, or custodial accounts
- –Crypto fees through Zero Hash lack transparency; 1.25% on crypto Investment Plans
- –Treasury Account management fees (0.29%) and markups reduce yield advantage
- –Margin rate increased to 5.65% from 4.90% in 2024
- –No mutual funds available
Account Types
Key Features
Public.com Review: Options Rebates Meet Low Margins
Public has evolved from a social-investing app into one of the most feature-rich multi-asset platforms in the US. The headline pitch hasn't changed: it's the only broker that pays you rebates on options trades, at $0.06–$0.18 per stock or ETF contract. But the platform keeps adding to the stack — bonds from $100, Treasuries, direct indexing, AI-powered research, and a programmatic trading API.
The fee picture has shifted since launch. Margin rates have climbed to a 5.65% base rate (up from 4.90% in late 2024), though Public still claims the lowest base rate among leading brokerages. The Bond Account now yields 5.5%, and the High-Yield Cash Account sits at 3.3% APY. Options rebates remain unchanged, and that's where Public's real value proposition lives.
Public is best suited for active options traders who want to minimize costs, yield-seekers who want bonds and Treasuries alongside stocks, and self-directed investors who value AI research tools. It's FINRA-registered and SIPC-protected, with a growing feature set that increasingly rivals the established players. Here's whether it deserves your money.
Fees
What You Can Trade
Platform and Tools
Who It's For
How It Compares
The Verdict
Public has matured from a social-investing novelty into a serious multi-asset platform. The options rebate program remains unique in the industry, and the margin rates — while higher than a year ago at 5.65% — still undercut every traditional broker by a wide margin. The Bond Account at 5.5% yield and fractional bonds from $100 add genuine fixed-income accessibility that most competitors can't match.
The platform's AI tools (Alpha, Key Moments, Earnings Hub) are more than marketing — they save real research time. And newer additions like the Strategy Builder, Queue, and Rolling Options show a broker that's iterating fast on its trading infrastructure.
The gaps are real: no joint accounts, no SEP IRAs, no mutual funds, and crypto fees that aren't transparent enough. If you need a one-stop-shop broker for your entire financial life, Fidelity or Schwab is still the better choice. But if you trade options actively, want cheap margin, or care about accessible bond investing, Public delivers more value per dollar than any competitor right now.
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Disclaimer: This review is AI-generated for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Fees, features, and account offerings may change. Verify all details on the broker's website before opening an account. SIPC protects against broker failure, not investment losses.