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Public.comvs.SoFi Active Investing

Head-to-head comparison across ratings, fees, asset coverage, and platform breadth.

Public.com logo

Public.com

4.3 / 5

Strongest modern multi-asset broker for self-directed investors who want stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, Treasuries, crypto, IRAs, and 3.30% APY cash in one AI-native app. Unique options rebate, 6.07% Bond Account, and Agents — the first agentic-AI brokerage.

Last reviewed May 13, 2026Data may be outdated — verify rates before acting
SoFi Active Investing logo

SoFi Active Investing

4.0 / 5

Best one-app financial life for beginners and casual investors. Unbeatable on $0 options + IPO access + 1% IRA match. Avoid if you trade OTC, options spreads professionally, or hold meaningful idle cash.

Last reviewed May 13, 2026Data may be outdated — verify rates before acting

Sub-rating overlap

Each broker scored 0–5 across the same 8 dimensions.

Detailed comparison

Green cells mark the winner on each metric. Tie rows are uncoloured.

MetricPublic.comSoFiWinner
OverallEditorial score4.30 / 54.00 / 5Public.com
Sub-ratingsCommissions & fees4.704.50Public.com
Sub-ratingsPlatforms & tools4.003.50Public.com
Sub-ratingsMobile app4.704.50Public.com
Sub-ratingsResearch3.503.00Public.com
Sub-ratingsEducation4.003.50Public.com
Sub-ratingsCustomer service3.003.50SoFi
Sub-ratingsRange of investments4.003.50Public.com
Sub-ratingsActive trading3.503.00Public.com
PricingLowest margin rate3.95%4.75%Public.com
PricingDefault cash sweep yield3.30%0.01%Public.com
PricingPFOF on equitiesAcceptsAcceptsTie

Where they differ on asset coverage

Asset classPublic.comSoFi
OTC stocksLimited
Fractional sharesYes
Equity / ETF options (single + multi-leg)Yes
Index options (SPX, NDX, VIX, XSP, CBTX)Yes
Mutual fundsNoYes
US TreasuriesYesNo
Corporate bonds (Bond Account)Yes
Crypto IRAYes
International stocksLimitedNo
IPOsYes
Alternative assets (Otis)Yes
Direct Indexing AccountYes
OTC / Pink Sheets / OTCQB / OTCQXNo
Fractional shares (Stock Bits)Yes
Options (single-leg + defined-risk spreads)Yes
Corporate / muni bondsNo
IPO InvestingYes
Pre-IPO / Private fundsYes

Public.com strengths

  • Industry-low retail margin starter — 4.90% on debits under $50K; drops to 3.95% above $50M
  • Only options rebate program in US retail — $0.06–$0.18 per stock/ETF contract back (50% of PFOF revenue)
  • Bond Account: 6.07% yield-to-worst across 10 diversified corporate bonds, $1,000 minimum, monthly interest
  • Agents (launched March 31, 2026) — first agentic-AI brokerage with prompt-driven automated trading workflows
  • High-Yield Cash Account: 3.30% APY with no subscription, no minimum, $5M FDIC sweep across partner-bank network
  • Uncapped 1% match on portfolio transfers/IRA rollovers (5-year hold); 1% match on annual IRA contributions

SoFi strengths

  • $0 base + $0 per-contract options — tied for cheapest in retail
  • IPO Access with $0 minimum — every active member eligible to submit IOIs
  • 1% IRA match (Traditional, Roth, Rollover); 2% Plus boost Jan 22 – Apr 15, 2026
  • Stock Bits fractional shares from $5 across ~4,000 tickers
  • ~6,800 no-transaction-fee mutual funds (added 2024)
  • SoFi Crypto relaunched Nov 2025 with ~30 coins; SoFiUSD stablecoin on Solana