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

SoFi Invest and Public.com 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: SoFi Invest vs Public.com (2026)
Feature SoFi Invest Public.com
Website https://www.sofi.com/invest/ https://www.public.com/
Broker Type Discount (self-directed online brokerage + robo-advisor) Discount (self-directed online retail brokerage)
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0 commissions $0 regular hours (US-listed); $2.99 extended/OTC (waived for Premium)
Fractional Shares? Yes ($5 min on select stocks/ETFs) Yes ($5 min outside plans; $1 in Investment Plans)
Percent Allocations? No Yes (Investment Plans: custom 1% allocations; Direct Indexing weighting)
Crypto Trading? Yes. SoFi Crypto offers 28 cryptocurrencies (as of May 2026); requires SoFi Checking & Savings. Yes (via zerohash; 60+ assets including BTC/ETH; 24/7; $1 min).
Crypto Fees Tiered 1.90%/1.50%/1.25%/0.90% of trade value by monthly volume (<$1k/$1-5k/$5-10k/$10k+); possible ≤0.10% spread. zerohash: $0.49–$6.29 (≤$500); 1.25% (>$500). Recurring plans 1.25%. API volume-tiered (0.10–0.60%).
Options Trading? Yes. Options trading available (long calls/puts, covered calls, cash-secured puts; 0DTE and IRAs). Yes (stock, ETF, and index options; multi-leg strategies).
Options Fee $0 commissions and $0 contract fees. Regulatory fees apply (e.g., ORF $0.02, OCC $0.025 per contract). $0 commission/per-contract for stock/ETF options plus $0.06–$0.18 rebate/contract. Index: $0.35–$0.50/contract. Regulatory fees apply.
Bond Trading Available? No. Individual bonds not offered; exposure via bond ETFs and mutual funds only. Yes (fractional Treasury/corporate from $100; Bond Account; municipals coming soon).
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes. Receives payment-for-order-flow revenue share via Apex Clearing. Yes (receives PFOF on options and wholesale equity routing).
Interface: Web trading? Yes. Full trading on SoFi mobile app (iOS/Android) and sofi.com website. Yes (full web platform plus iOS/Android apps).
Desktop trading? No No. Web platform and mobile apps only; no native downloadable desktop trading software.
API Trading? No Yes. Public Trading API (stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, bonds) available to all members; no approval required.
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes No
Total Mutual Funds 6,800+ None
NTF Mutual Funds 6,800 None
Non-NTF Fund Fee 0.2% of purchase (max $20); 2% for interval/tender funds N/A
Early Redemption Fee? Yes (no SoFi short-term fee) N/A
Redemption Hold (Days) Fund-specific (CDSC varies by fund); no SoFi-imposed hold. N/A
Early Redemption Fee Fund-specific CDSC (varies); SoFi charges none (purchase tx fee 0.2% max $20). N/A
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes (Self-Directed; apply, $2,000 min). Yes
IRAs Offered? Yes: Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs. Yes (Traditional and Roth); no SEP
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? Yes (optional FDIC bank sweep via Apex). Yes (High-Yield Cash Account bank sweep)
CDs Offered? No No
Robo-Advisor: Offered Yes Yes, via Public Advisors LLC automated Direct Indexing, Generated Assets, and Treasury Accounts.
Robo-Advisor Service SoFi Automated Investing (Robo Investing) Public Advisors (Direct Indexing, Generated Assets, Treasury Accounts)
Robo-Advisor Fees 0.25% annual wrap/advisory fee plus fund expenses; $50 min. Direct Indexing 0.19% AUM annual; Generated Assets 0.49%; Treasury Accounts tiered 0.09%-0.29%. Brokerage fees may apply.
Basics: Headquarters San Francisco, CA New York, NY
Year Founded 2011 2019
Clearing Firm Apex Clearing Corporation Apex Clearing Corporation
Local Branches? No No
New Account Minimum $0 $0 (no account minimums; as little as $1 to start)

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