Review of Public.com Exchange in 2024

How to Set Up You Public.com Account

Setting up your Public.com account is easy, just follow the steps below. Note that you must be a US resident to be able to sign up.

Go to Public.com and click “Get Started”, or download the app for iOS and Android and begin signing up through there

1. Enter your full name and create a Public.com username

2. Complete the investment application. This includes providing any necessary personal info such as:

• your full legal name
• email address
• date of birth
• Address of residence
• citizenship status
• Social Security number

3. Activate crypto investing

4. Agree to Public.com‘s terms and conditions

5. Public will now verify your information

6. After successful verification you can choose a free stock

7. Fund your account and begin trading!

What You Can Buy on Public.com

You can buy a variety of assets on Public.com such as stocks, ETFs, alternative assets, and crypto. Interestingly you can even buy Treasury Bills (T-Bills) on Public.com to get a safe (government-secured) yield of up to 4.8%, which beats even high-yield savings accounts.

Crypto trading is through Public.com, but is facilitated via Apex Crypto LLC. Below we have listed all of the crypto assets available on Public.com:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• Cardano (ADA)
• Shiba Inu (SHIB)
• Dogecoin (DOGE)
• Solana (SOL)
• Uniswap (UNI)
• Avalanche (AVAX)
• Chainlink (LINK)
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Polygon (MATIC)
• Algorand (ALGO)
• Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
• Stellar (XLM)
• Ethereum Classic (ETC)
• Fantom (FTM)
• Tezos (XTZ)
• Aave (AAVE)
• The Graph (GRT)
• Loopring (LRC)

Supported Operating Systems

Public.com is accessible through a desktop browser, but is also available as an app for iOS or Android. There is no desktop application.

Is Public.com Safe?

Public.com is a secure platform that has not experienced a hack since its founding in 2019. Part of the reason for that is that you cannot deposit or withdraw crypto assets from the platform, making it a closed system much like SoFi.

Public.com stock and ETF trading is through a registered broker dealer Open to the Public Investing, Inc. which is a member of  Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and  Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). SIPC membership gives Public users protection on stocks and ETFs held in their brokerage accounts of up to $500,000. This does not apply to crypto assets or alternative assets, however, Apex Crypto (Public’s crypto broker) has insurance with Lloyds of London which applies to crypto..

Public.com requires SMS two-factor authentication in order to log in to your account. They also employ Bank-Grade security with AES 256-bit encryption at rest and TLS 1.2 to secure data in transit. The app also supports Biometric Authentication (Android) and Security Lock (iOS).

What are Public.com Fees Like?

The fees on Public.com vary depending on what activity you are doing (such as buying a stock or buying crypto), time of day, and whether you are a Premium user. Overall, the fees are quite reasonable.

There are no fees or commissions for buying stocks of ETFs during market hours, with that extending to extended hours for Premium users. Non-premium users have to pay a fee of $2.99 per transaction during extended hours. There is a 2.5% fee per transaction for alternative assets on Public such as fractionalized collectibles.

There is no commission charged for crypto buying and selling. However, there is a mark up of 1-2% charged on top depending on the asset. For example, if you buy $100 worth of an asset, it will cost $101. This fee is charged by Public’s crypto broker Apex Crypto, not Public itself. Apex Crypto performs all crypto transactions on behalf of Public.

There are no fees for deposits or withdrawals of fiat using ACH . Non-ACH withdrawals (wire transfers) cost $25, and instant withdrawals have a fee of up to 3.5% of the transaction. There are a variety of other fees you can find here.

Best Features of Public.com

Public Premium provides users with advanced data, unique market metrics, and analyst insights, which they can use to help make investment decisions. All for $8 a month. Premium users also get no fees for stock and ETF purchases made during extended hours, which costs $2.99 per transaction otherwise. Extended hours run both 1.5 hours before markets open and for 4 hours after they close. There is also VIP customer support in addition to expanded portfolio management tools.

Asset Variety and Fractional Purchases

Public.com provides users with access to not just cryptocurrencies, but also ETFs, stocks, and alternative assets such as fractional shares of a pair of game-worn Michael Jordan shoes. Being able to invest in a variety of assets from a single account makes Public a convenient way to invest the way you want to.

Zero Commissions* (Footnote to view Fee Schedule) 

This only applies to stocks and ETFs trading during regular market hours (crypto has a mark up and alternative investment have transaction fees), but with zero commissions even on just a $1 investment, Public is making it easy for you to invest what you can. Premium users get extended hours of zero commissions and fees as well.