Interactive Brokers vs Public.com (2026) — Which Is Better?
Compare Interactive Brokers and Public.com — features, pricing, pros and cons.
Quick Verdict
Higher Rated
Interactive Brokers (4.6)
More Affordable
Interactive Brokers (Free)
Interactive Brokers
Professional-grade brokerage with the lowest commissions, global market access, and powerful Trader Workstation platform.
Public.com
Commission-free social investing platform offering stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, and bonds with a built-in investor community and AI-powered insights.
Our Analysis
Interactive Brokers and Public.com serve fundamentally different trader profiles despite both charging zero account fees. Interactive Brokers is engineered for serious traders requiring institutional-grade tools and global market exposure across 150+ markets in 33 countries, while Public.com caters to retail investors seeking an educational, community-driven experience with simplified stock and options access.
The critical differentiator lies in technical capability versus accessibility. Interactive Brokers delivers industry-leading commissions, advanced backtesting, paper trading, and sophisticated margin rates—but its Trader Workstation platform demands significant technical proficiency. Public.com prioritizes ease-of-use through its Alpha AI tool that translates analysis into plain language, fostering a collaborative investor community. However, it lacks charting tools and cannot simulate trades before execution.
Choose Interactive Brokers if you're an active trader executing frequent international trades or complex strategies where commission savings and backtesting justify the platform's learning curve. Select Public.com if you're building foundational trading skills, want peer-informed decisions, and primarily trade US equities and options without needing advanced technical analysis tools.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Interactive Brokers | Public.com |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.6 | ★ 4.0 |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Markets | ETFs, options, bonds, forex, crypto, spot currencies, forecast contracts, mutual funds, stocks, hedge funds, futures, US spot gold | stocks, etfs, options, crypto, bonds, alternatives |
| AI Analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| Backtesting | ✗ | ✗ |
| Paper Trading | ✓ | ✗ |
| Price Alerts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✗ |
| Social Features | ✗ | ✓ |
| Broker Integration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Indicators | ✓ | ✗ |
| Automated Trading | ✓ | ✗ |
| Trade Journaling | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Risk Management | ✓ | ✗ |
| News Feed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Education Content | ✓ | ✓ |
Interactive Brokers: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Lowest commissions in the industry for active traders
- + Access to 150+ markets in 33 countries
- + Excellent margin rates
- + Powerful API for automated trading
Cons
- - Trader Workstation has a steep learning curve
- - Platform can feel overwhelming for beginners
- - Customer support can be slow
Public.com: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Strong social community ideal for learning from other investors
- + Commission-free stocks, ETFs, and $0 per-contract options
- + Alpha AI tool provides accessible plain-language stock analysis
- + Competitive High-Yield Cash Account integrated with brokerage
- + Clean, intuitive mobile-first interface
Cons
- - No desktop/web charting tools for technical analysis
- - No paper trading or backtesting capabilities
- - Not suited for active traders needing advanced order types or futures
- - Premium pricing adds up compared to free alternatives