Public.com vs Ally Invest Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

Public.com and Ally Invest are two leading discount brokerages offering commission-free stock and ETF trading. Use this head-to-head comparison table to evaluate fees, features, trading tools, and account options to help you decide which broker is right for you in 2026.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Public.com vs Ally Invest (2026)
Feature Public.com Ally Invest
Website https://www.public.com/ https://www.ally.com/invest/
Broker Type Discount (self-directed online retail brokerage) Discount (online self-directed brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 regular hours (US-listed); $2.99 extended/OTC (waived for Premium) $0 eligible US stocks/ETFs ($2+); $4.95 + $0.01/share if <$2
Fractional Shares? Yes ($5 min outside plans; $1 in Investment Plans) No
Percent Allocations? Yes (Investment Plans: custom 1% allocations; Direct Indexing weighting) No
Crypto Trading? Yes (via zerohash; 60+ assets including BTC/ETH; 24/7; $1 min). No
Crypto Fees zerohash: $0.49–$6.29 (≤$500); 1.25% (>$500). Recurring plans 1.25%. API volume-tiered (0.10–0.60%). N/A
Options Trading? Yes (stock, ETF, and index options; multi-leg strategies). Yes
Options Fee $0 commission/per-contract for stock/ETF options plus $0.06–$0.18 rebate/contract. Index: $0.35–$0.50/contract. Regulatory fees apply. $0 commission + $0.50 per contract
Bond Trading Available? Yes (fractional Treasury/corporate from $100; Bond Account; municipals coming soon). Yes
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes (receives PFOF on options and wholesale equity routing). Yes
Interface: Web trading? Yes (full web platform plus iOS/Android apps). Yes
Desktop trading? No. Web platform and mobile apps only; no native downloadable desktop trading software. No
API Trading? Yes. Public Trading API (stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, bonds) available to all members; no approval required. No
Mutual Funds: Offered? No Yes
Total Mutual Funds None Thousands (500+ fund families)
NTF Mutual Funds None Over 5,400
Non-NTF Fund Fee N/A $0 (no-load); fund loads otherwise
Early Redemption Fee? N/A Yes (no Ally fee)
Redemption Hold (Days) N/A Varies by fund (prospectus); no Ally broker hold period listed
Early Redemption Fee N/A Fund-specific (often 0–2%); Ally $0 for no-load sales
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes Yes ($2,000 minimum equity required)
IRAs Offered? Yes (Traditional and Roth); no SEP Yes (Traditional/Roth/Rollover at Invest; SEP at Ally Bank)
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (High-Yield Cash Account bank sweep) Yes (Apex FDIC bank sweep; 0% interest)
CDs Offered? No Yes (brokered CDs; $24.95 per transaction)
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes, via Public Advisors LLC automated Direct Indexing, Generated Assets, and Treasury Accounts. Yes
Robo-Advisor Service Public Advisors (Direct Indexing, Generated Assets, Treasury Accounts) Robo Portfolios
Robo-Advisor Fees Direct Indexing 0.19% AUM annual; Generated Assets 0.49%; Treasury Accounts tiered 0.09%-0.29%. Brokerage fees may apply. 0% cash-enhanced (30% cash buffer) or 0.30% market-focused; ETF expenses extra
Basics: Headquarters New York, NY Charlotte, NC
Year Founded 2019 2017
Clearing Firm Apex Clearing Corporation Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? No No
New Account Minimum $0 (no account minimums; as little as $1 to start) $0

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