What Public is
Public is a multi-asset self-directed investing platform with stocks, ETFs, OTC securities, options, corporate and government bonds, Treasuries, IRAs, margin, crypto, Direct Indexing, recurring Investment Plans, cash products, AI research, and an API.
Different services are provided by Public Investing, Public Advisors, Jiko, Zero Hash, Apex, partner banks, and other entities. The interface is unified; the legal and protection rules are not.
Core stock pricing
The brokerage has no account maintenance fee. Eligible U.S.-listed stock and ETF trades during regular hours have no commission. Eligible fractional stock buys require $5.
Non-Premium extended-hours and OTC stock trades cost $2.99. Selected routing choices can cost $0.003 per share. Regulatory, transfer, corporate-action, and service fees still apply. Small inactive accounts can owe $3.99 monthly under the current rule.
Public Premium
Premium costs $10 monthly or $96 annually and is waived for qualifying combined balances of at least $50,000. It adds advanced research and portfolio tools and waives selected extended-hours, OTC, Investment Plan, and Bond Account charges.
Measure value using actual recurring use. Avoiding an unnecessary extended-hours trade is cheaper than subscribing merely to waive its fee.
Investment Plans
Non-Premium stock and ETF Plans cost $0.49 per purchase for one to three symbols, $0.99 for four to ten, and $1.99 for eleven to twenty. Premium waives those charges. Crypto inside a Plan costs 1.25%.
Fixed Plan fees can consume a large percentage of a small recurring contribution. A recommended or thematic Plan still requires an allocation, overlap, expense, and tax review.
Bonds and Treasuries
Public supports direct bonds in $100-par increments. Treasury transaction fees range from $0.10 to $0.25 per $100 par, while corporate bonds range from $0.35 to $0.50. Non-Premium Bond Accounts cost $3.99 monthly.
Jiko Treasury accounts support recurring six-month T-bill purchases from $100 and charge 0.05% monthly. Treasuries are securities, not FDIC-insured deposits, and an early sale can lose value.
Options, crypto, and Direct Indexing
Stock and ETF options have no commission and can earn opt-in order-flow rebates. Index options cost $0.50 per contract without Premium or $0.35 with it, plus exchange and regulatory fees.
Zero Hash crypto uses tiered fixed or percentage fees; small orders can be expensive as a percentage. Crypto is not FDIC or SIPC insured.
Direct Indexing starts at $1,000 and charges 0.19% annually. Portfolio composition can raise the minimum. Tax-loss harvesting can create complexity and is not guaranteed to lower the household’s tax.
Research and AI
Public combines company metrics, earnings summaries, income tools, bond research, screeners, an AI assistant, Agents, and an API. AI is useful for locating or comparing evidence, not as a source of truth.
Verify filings, prospectuses, bond documents, current fees, order details, and every confirmation. The customer remains responsible for actions triggered by an app, Agent, or API instruction.
Protection and support
Public Investing is a FINRA and SIPC member for eligible brokerage assets. Jiko has separate securities membership. Partner-bank deposits can receive FDIC insurance under program terms. Zero Hash crypto is outside FDIC and SIPC.
Support is available through in-app chat, email, and a detailed help center. Preserve statements, confirmations, provider agreements, Plan settings, AI-generated actions, and tax records.
Where Public appears on DollarScout
DollarScout’s full review scores fees, ease, selection, research, and customer service. Comparisons separate the regular-hours brokerage core from Premium, Plans, bonds, Jiko Treasuries, Direct Indexing, options, crypto, margin, and cash.
The 4.3/5 rating reflects broad selection and good usability with layered costs. It is not a recommendation or performance forecast.
Decision checklist
A practical operating routine
Create a product ledger before adding a new Public tile. For every account or asset, record the provider, minimum, transaction fee, recurring fee, spread, liquidity, tax document, protection regime, and exit process. This is especially important when Public Investing securities, Jiko Treasuries, Zero Hash crypto, Direct Indexing, bank-swept cash, and a Bond Account appear inside one interface.
Calculate every fixed fee as a percentage of the intended order. A $0.49 Plan charge is modest on $500 and expensive on $5. The same arithmetic applies to a $3.99 Bond Account fee and small crypto orders. Review Premium annually against documented savings rather than keeping it by inertia.
Use AI to produce questions and locate evidence, then open the filing, prospectus, bond document, or fee schedule. Save any prompt that generated a portfolio or order action along with the verified inputs and final confirmation. Review recurring Plans, alerts, Agents, and API permissions quarterly. Broad access stays useful only when automation remains visible and reversible.
Before using Public:
- Map each desired asset to its legal provider.
- Calculate fees as a percentage of the intended order or account balance.
- Compare Premium with actual recurring savings.
- Verify all AI output against primary sources.
- Separate SIPC, FDIC, Treasury, and crypto protection assumptions.
- Review liquidity and early-sale risk for bonds.
- Export statements, confirmations, and automated instructions.
Editorial conclusion
Public is a capable choice for a curious investor who wants multiple asset classes and research in a coherent interface. Its strength is access; its discipline is reading the fee schedule and provider disclosure before every new product becomes part of the portfolio.