Wealthy PotPublic vs Robinhood (2026)
Public and Robinhood both charge $0 on stocks and on stock and ETF options and $100 to transfer out. Public pays an options rebate if you enroll, charges $0.35 per index option contract and sells Treasuries and corporate bonds; Robinhood offers futures and joint and custodial accounts. On cash, Public's separate High-Yield Cash Account pays 3.30% APY without a plan, while Robinhood pays 3.6% APY only to Gold members.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
| Feature | Public | Robinhood |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App-first | App-first |
| Stock/ETF commission | $0 | $0 |
| Options per contract | $0 stock/ETF options (rebate program); index options $0.35 | $0 stock/ETF options; index options $0.50 ($0.35 with Gold) |
| 10-contract options trade, open + close | $0 ($0 a year at 2 a month) | $0 ($0 a year at 2 a month) |
| Rate on uninvested cash | Not published (Cash left in the brokerage account) | 0% APY (Uninvested cash without Robinhood Gold) |
| Margin rate on $10,000 | 5.15% | 5.25% |
| Transfer out (full account) | $100 | $100 |
| Paid tier | Public Reserve: $20/mo | Robinhood Gold: $5/mo |
| Account minimum | $0 | $0 |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Yes |
| Account types | Taxable, IRA, Roth, business | Taxable, joint, IRA, Roth, custodial, trust |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
Options, cash and margin rows are our arithmetic from each broker's published commissions, default cash rate and margin rates (commissions only, before small regulatory and exchange fees). Rates change with the Federal Reserve's rate.
Key differences
For an options trader, Public's rebate turns the $0 commission into a small credit. Public pays $0.06 to $0.18 per stock or ETF contract if you enroll, tiered by volume; hypothetically, 100 contracts a month at the $0.06 end of the range is $6 a month, $72 a year. On index options Public charges $0.35 a contract with no rebate, and Robinhood $0.50, or $0.35 with Gold, each plus exchange index fees. Both take payment for order flow, and Public says it passes part of its options share back through the rebate.
Both sell a paid tier that raises the cash rate and the IRA match. Hypothetically, with $10,000 in cash for a year, Public's High-Yield Cash Account pays $10,000 x 3.30% = $330 without a plan; Robinhood pays $0 without Gold and $10,000 x 3.6% = $360 with it, $310 after the $50 fee. Public Reserve ($200 a year) lifts the rate to 3.75%, or $375. The IRA contribution match is 1% at both, 3% with Gold and 4% with Reserve. Robinhood's match is clawed back if matched assets leave within 5 years; Public now pays contribution matches over 12 months.
The product lists differ. Public sells Treasuries and corporate bonds, including fractional bonds, and offers business accounts; we found no joint or custodial account at Public, and it does not offer futures. Robinhood offers joint, custodial and trust accounts and futures, but no individual bonds. Fractional orders start at $5 at Public ($1 inside Investment Plans) and $1 at Robinhood. Public charges $3.99 a month on accounts holding under $70 with no activity for 6 months; Robinhood lists $0 inactivity fees. Support is by email at Public and by callback at Robinhood.
Where Public wins
- Options rebate of $0.06 to $0.18 per stock or ETF contract
- Margin from 5.15%, with no subscription needed
- High-Yield Cash Account at 3.30% APY with no fee and up to $5 million FDIC
- Treasuries and fractional corporate bonds in the same app
- 1% match on transfers with no cap, paid over 60 months
Where Robinhood wins
- No commission and no per-contract fee on stock and ETF options
- Margin from 5.25%, with the tier rate applied to the whole balance
- Overnight trading in select stocks and ETFs, 24 hours on weekdays
- IRA match of 1%, or 3% with Gold, on contributions
- Excess-SIPC policy up to $50 million per customer
- No account minimum, no maintenance fee and no inactivity fee
Which should you choose?
Pick Public if
- You trade stock or ETF options and want $0 commissions plus a per-contract rebate.
- You want Treasuries, corporate bonds and a high-yield cash account next to your stock account.
- You borrow on margin and want rates from 5.15% without a subscription.
- You want to trade through an API or an AI assistant.
Pick Robinhood if
- You trade stock or ETF options and want no per-contract fee on them.
- You borrow on margin and want a rate that starts at 5.25% for every customer, with or without Gold.
- You invest from a phone, in small dollar amounts, with fractional shares from $1.
- You will pay $50 a year for Gold and want the 3.6% cash rate and the 3% IRA contribution match that come with it.
Public vs Robinhood: FAQ
Is Public cheaper than Robinhood for options?
Both charge $0 commission and $0 per contract on stock and ETF options, and Public also pays a rebate of $0.06 to $0.18 a contract if you enroll. For index options, Public charges $0.35 a contract and Robinhood $0.50, or $0.35 with Gold ($50 a year), plus exchange fees. Since October 15, 2026, Robinhood charges $0.50 a contract to customers it classes as professional options traders. See our options platform guide.
Which pays more on cash, Public or Robinhood?
Without a paid plan, Public: its separate High-Yield Cash Account paid 3.30% APY as of September 17, 2026, and Robinhood pays nothing on cash without Gold. With paid plans, Robinhood Gold pays 3.6% APY on eligible taxable cash for $50 a year, and Public Reserve pays 3.75% for $200 a year. Robinhood IRA cash earns nothing, and Public publishes no rate for cash left in the brokerage account.
Can I move from Robinhood to Public for free?
Robinhood charges $100 for each full or partial ACATS transfer, sells fractional shares first and cannot move crypto by ACATS. Public says it reimburses up to $100 of the old broker's transfer fee and pays a 1% match on transferred assets over 60 months; that offer began September 14, 2026, with no end date published as of October 19, 2026. Robinhood IRA matches can be clawed back if the assets leave within 5 years.
Compare these against every option in our online brokers comparison.
We summarize each company's published terms and pricing, not user reviews or our own testing. Facts come from our full reviews of both brokers, each checked against the broker's own fee schedule, rate and disclosure pages on October 19, 2026 with every source listed. Some outbound links may be affiliate links. That never affects our comparisons. Nothing here is investment advice.