Public review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Public pairs a US broker with a high-yield cash account that pays 3.3% on idle balances, and it suits investors starting small. The minimum deposit is $0 and stock trades cost $0, which is why its cost score of 8 sits well above the overall 7.3.
Key facts
- Best for
- A single app for commission-free US investing, options and a cash account that pays interest.
- Minimum deposit
- $0↗
- Stock trade fee
- $0↗
- Markets
- Stocks, ETFs, Crypto, Options, Bonds↗
- Regulators
- FINRA, SEC↗
- Investor protection
- SIPC up to USD 500,000↗
- Margin rate
- 4.2%↗
- Options contract fee
- $0.060 to $0.18↗
- Account types
- IRA, Roth-IRA↗
- Interest on cash
- 3.3%↗
- Legal entity
- Open to the Public Investing, Inc.↗
- Headquarters
- United States↗
- Founded
- 2019↗
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre↗
- Features
- Crypto, Fractional shares, Options, Mobile app
- Pricing model
- Commission-free
- Official website
- public.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Stock trades cost $0 and the cash account charges a monthly fee of $0.
- The cash account pays 3.3% on a variable rate with a minimum deposit of $0.
- Investing spans stocks, etfs and crypto and includes fractional shares, options and a mobile app.
- Cash moves freely, with unlimited transfers and withdrawals whenever the account holder wants them.
Cons
- Options contracts carry a per-contract fee of $0.06 to $0.18.
- Support runs on email and help centre only, so there is no phone line or live chat.
- Margin borrowing is charged at 4.2%, so leverage carries its own cost.
Who it suits
- First-time investors buying fractional shares, since the minimum deposit is $0 and trading is commission-free.
- US savers building retirement accounts, as the account types include ira and roth ira.
- Cash holders who want interest on idle money, since transfers and withdrawals are unlimited.
Who should look elsewhere
- Forex or CFD traders, who should compare CFI, whose markets run to stocks, etfs and forex.
- Euro savers who want a set entry amount, since bunq lists a minimum deposit of €10.
- Readers comparing credit rather than investing, such as Fiesta Credito MX with a regulator of CONDUSEF.
Fees and FX
The minimum deposit is $0 and stock trades cost $0, so there is no everyday charge for running the account. Other charges sit away from that: options are priced at $0.06 to $0.18 and margin borrowing at 4.2%. Traders of derivatives or borrowers should build those into any comparison.
Deposit protection
Public is regulated by FINRA and SEC in the US, so the firm is supervised as a broker-dealer. The investor protection scheme attached to the account covers SIPC up to USD 500,000, which is separate from the interest the cash account pays. Readers holding most of their savings here should weigh that cover against the deposit protection on cash before adding more.
How Public compares
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.3
9.2 vs 8.5
9.2 vs 9.4
9.2 vs 9.3
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 8.7
9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.2
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.8
Where Public is available
- Available
- United States
- Licence in United States
- FINRA, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- SEC, checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to open a Public account?+
The minimum deposit is $0, stock trades are charged at $0 and the cash account has a monthly fee of $0. The pricing model is commission-free, so holding and trading cost nothing in the ordinary case. Derivatives and margin are the exceptions.
How much interest does the cash account pay?+
The high-yield cash account advertises 3.3%, and the cash interest rate is the same figure at 3.3%. It is a variable rate, so it moves with markets rather than locking for a term, which suits money that may be needed at short notice.
Can I get at my cash quickly?+
Transfers and withdrawals are unlimited, and cash can be reached whenever the account holder wants it. The account kind is easy access, which is the structure readers want for emergency money rather than a locked product. Interest keeps accruing while the balance sits idle.
Is my money protected if the firm fails?+
Investments are covered by investor protection of SIPC up to USD 500,000, while cash balances carry deposit protection of FDIC up to USD 250,000. The two schemes apply to different pots of money, so a large cash balance and a large portfolio need reading separately.
What can I trade on Public?+
The listed markets are stocks, etfs and crypto, and the feature set adds crypto, fractional shares and options. In practice that means fractional shares, options and crypto alongside ordinary stock and ETF buying, all from the same mobile app.
What do options and margin cost?+
Options are charged per contract at $0.06 to $0.18 and margin borrowing is priced at 4.2%. Those sit away from the commission-free base rate, so traders of derivatives or anyone borrowing to invest should treat them as the real cost of holding an account here.
How do I get help with my account?+
Support runs on email and help centre, which means email and a help centre rather than a phone line or live chat. Questions on retirement accounts, margin or options are the kind that take longer to sort out by email alone.
Sources
- brokercheck.finra.org checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Investor protection, Regulators, Licences
- files.brokercheck.finra.org/crs_127818.pdf checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Deposit protection
- public.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters
“Headquartered in New York. Public is based in New York, with a customer support team here in the US.”
- public.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Account types, Features, Markets, Pricing model, Stock trade fee, Support channels
“Traditional & Roth IRAs”
- public.com/about-us checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“In 2019, we launched Public, an investing platform with a mission to give people every opportunity to grow their wealth.”
- public.com/high-yield-cash-account checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Access terms, Account kind, Interest on cash, Headline rate, Minimum deposit, Monthly fee, Rate type
“Withdrawing from your high-yield cash account is as easy as making a deposit. There are no fees or limits to how often you can access your cash.”
- public.com/invest/margin checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity, Margin rate, Options contract fee
“brokerage services are provided by Open to the Public Investing, Inc.”
Compiled from 8 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Account fee, Inactivity fee, Retail accounts that lose money.
Public
A single app for commission-free US investing, options and a cash account that pays interest.