Public.com is a social investing app that makes it possible to own the companies you believe in, with any amount of money — commission-free. Through an unmistakably simple experience, Public members can buy slices of stocks and ETFs and follow interest-based themes.
Think you don’t have what it takes to invest? Join a community of investors and learn from subject-matter experts and friends along the way.
Public Overview
Public is a compelling brokerage app for the novice investor looking to build a portfolio for long-term growth. If you have minimal understanding of the stock market and limited funds, then Public.com is a great option to help you kickstart your investing goals. You can invest in stocks and funds for as little as $5. Buy them by the slice or the entire share.
Public Stock Trading – A friendly and intuitive UI, that organizes stocks and ETFs within Themes that are based on values and interests, and relate to the way you actually see the world.
Ready to join your friends and an investing community? Get started right now with Public.
Features & Benefits
- Invest in stocks and ETFs – Trade public stocks and the original ETFs from Vanguard, BlackRock, and others
- Buy slices of stocks – Buy stock or ETFs with any amount of money, no matter the price per share, and in real-time.
- Social feed and community – follow friends and expert investors, share insights, and interact with others. See what they are investing in, exchange ideas, and improve your financial literacy. Receive news alerts for the companies you invest in and follow.
- Group message and chats – start or join group chats to talk about companies and trends. Talk about investments with one person or up to 100. Embed dynamic charts or reference other investors directly in the chat. Share Zoom-like links to invite other people to join your group.
- Earn free stock – Grow your portfolio by making your friends investors through a generous referral program.
What is Public?
Public is a commission-free brokerage app that focuses on building your investing knowledge, social interaction, and long-term holds.
The company states, “The original idea behind a company offering a public trade of its shares was supposed to mean that anyone could own a piece of the companies they believe in, but for many people, this just isn’t the case.”
Investments made in Public are insured for up to $500,000. See SIPC for details.
Pricing
- Commission fees: $0
- Minimum account fees: $0
Public Review
Public is a legitimate and trusted investment app helping thousands of people invest commission-free. It’s user-friendly and sleek interface is quite appealing. The app is available on iOS and Android.
For many, investing can seem complicated leading to procrastination. Fortunately, Public has made a seamless investment app that focuses on financial knowledge and community interaction.
It differentiates itself from Webull and Robinhood with a focus on creating long-term value, not stock trading. In fact, with Public.com, there is no day trading allowed, no margin loans, and no complex investment securities.
Explore stocks the way you see the world based on themes. Public removes the jargon and offers curated lists to help you discover new companies. You can buy fractional shares of stocks or ETFs so owning shares (or slices of shares) of Amazon and Google is possible. The trades are public and you can view the portfolios of others.
Who is it best for?
Public is best for novice investors who may not have a lot of money to start with but are looking to create long-term portfolios. It’s great for those who prefer more guidance and community interaction. It’s simple interface makes trading easy and community features make investing approachable.
How to start a Public account
Time needed: 3 minutes.
Step-by-Step to opening an account with Public
- Getting started
Click on the link to get started with Public on mobile.
- Create an investor profile
Enter your personal information and answer questions.
- Choose your stocks
Select your stocks from themes. Buy full shares or slices of stocks.
by Jason Vitug
Public Review: Is it Right for You?
In this Public stock app review, I hope you learned the main details to help you decide to use the app. Public is a great investing app for those seeking an alternative to Robinhood, Webull, Stockpile, and SoFi Active Investing. With Public, your fractional trades are executed in real-time compared to other apps offering the same feature.
Pros and Cons
Pros
✓ Sleek interface makes investing easy.
✓ Fractional shares
✓ Community features to follow other investors and learn.
✓ Themes to discover new stocks.
✓ Earn 2.5% on cash balance up to $10,000.
Cons
☓ No web access; mobile-only
To summarize, Public is a legitimate and commission-free online brokerage offering you the ability to build long-term portfolios with fractional shares and community sharing features. You can use Public to help you learn more about investing as it uniquely integrates education.
If you’re a more seasoned investor, you have other options that offer more bells and whistles such as deeper analytics and financial planning. Public doesn’t offer retirement accounts or custodial accounts.