[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/","headline":"Public.com Review: Get Up to $300 in Free Stock With Our Code!","name":"Public.com Review: Get Up to $300 in Free Stock With Our Code!","description":"Public.com Basics: Public.com is a new app and \u201csocial investing platform\u201d that makes buying,...","datePublished":"2021-07-08","dateModified":"2024-12-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/#Person","name":"Logan Allec, CPA","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/author\/logan-allec\/","identifier":4,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6e74dd0453a5871d1dcfde6d40d9494765ca8bfdb01927cefee4564d4bee9075?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Money Done Right","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Money-Done-Right-Personal-Finance-and-Investing-Blog.png","width":488,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Public.com-Review.jpg","url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Public.com-Review.jpg","height":460,"width":1900},"url":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o","name":"Public.com Review | UP TO $300 FREE STOCK | Walkthrough | Pros\/Cons","description":"Use referral code MONEYDONERIGHT to get up to $300 in free stock from Public:\n1. Download Public using this link: https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/public\/\n2. After you download the app, select \"I have a code\".\n3. Input MONEYDONERIGHT as your referral code.\n4. Select the company you want Public to invest up to $300 for you!\n\nIn this video, I\u2019m reviewing the Public Investing app. This is one of those apps that\u2019s currently giving away free money for signing up and opening an account. I will share with you how the app works, how to buy stock in the app, and then later in the video, I will provide a summary of the things I like about Public and the things I don\u2019t like, so be sure to stick around for that.\n\n\u27a1\ufe0f My Public Bonus Link: https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/public\/ - Remember to use referral code MONEYDONERIGHT to get up to $300 in free stock!\n\nTable of Contents:\n0:00 Public Review\n0:58 What Is Public?\n1:14 Setting Up Your Public Account And Getting a Free Stock\n2:51 Public Feed\n5:12 Other Public Features and Settings\n6:25 How to Buy a Stock in Public\n7:44 Public.com Pros and Cons\n\nAdvertiser Disclosure:\nThis video may contain links through which we are compensated when you click on or are approved for offers. The information in this video was not provided by any of the companies mentioned, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.\n\n#stocks #investing #public","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/q6U8gGv5E1o\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/q6U8gGv5E1o\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/q6U8gGv5E1o\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/q6U8gGv5E1o\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/q6U8gGv5E1o\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2021-03-21T16:22:58+00:00","duration":"PT13M31S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q6U8gGv5E1o","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ9WUXlSuLlbi5BLkgtEUEA#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ9WUXlSuLlbi5BLkgtEUEA","name":"Logan Allec","description":"Logan Allec is a CPA and the founder of Choice Tax Relief, which specializes in helping people with their IRS and state tax debt.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/43_VKqrbO06RGMcxfdQbDXosrkVRq1yf5QgSQEiR4ILUGWV9fJtTh0o2ftYMYqVo6PwnEOPRdg=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":52143}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q6U8gGv5E1o#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1372}]},"commentCount":"2","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2023-08-31 10:56:39","description":"Have had a similar experience with their customer support. They\u2019re really bad at responding to messages (days between responses). My initial deposit is still sitting pending for 2 weeks. The bank confirmed it\u2019s been sent to them.\r\n\r\nthey asked for a faster payments id, which I provided. Then they\u2019ve been \u201cinvestigating\u201d where the payment has gone for 2 weeks now. Then they\u2019ve come with some bs about needing to talk to the \u201cUk department\u201d, who\u2019s not responded for the past 3 days.\r\n\r\nI don\u2019t know if this is just a badly run outfit, or an outright scam.\r\n\r\nAVOID","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Sohail","url":""}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2021-10-02 10:02:53","description":"Everything posted above is true.  However, if you try to switch brokers for any reason, beware. Their customer service is deplorable! I attempted to transfer my account to another broker on 6\/23\/21.  The transfer failed so I decided not to pursue it. Since that date I have been unable to withdraw funds or see an accurate picture of my Public account.  I have no access to the message portion of the help center, and Public does not have a telephone number that allows you to talk with a person. I am stuck emailing and waiting for nonsense responses that trickle in, days apart. Most of their responses have very little to do with the actual issue.  A few days ago, I received an e-mail from Public support stating that they closed \/ froze my account when the transfer started, and if I needed to withdraw or see an accurate picture of my account to let them know. I emailed back requesting the withdrawal and to see my account. They did not answer. It is curious that they \u201cclosed\u201d my account and the only thing I can\u2019t do is access my funds or see my SPAC conversions. I am still able to deposit, buy, and sell stocks.\r\nThey have failed to convert my SPACS. SFTW should have converted to Blacksky and AHAC should have converted to Humacyte. Both stocks now reflect $0.00. \r\n Another one of my stocks have changed to a number with a negative amount attached to it and one is now called PRESPLITACST, the amount of that says N\/A just like my SPACs. I am unable to access any of my trading documents; they all come back \"page not found\" or the screen just times out. I sold most of my stocks in that account at a loss because I was afraid they were going to end up like the other ones and their worth would decrease to N\/A. My funds from the trades still say unsettled and I am unable to withdraw them.\r\n I am not wealthy, I am a nurse, working as much overtime as I can, find hoping to earn enough to invest in a stable retirement. \r\nThis is a huge financial setback for me!!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Ela","url":""}}],"about":["Stocks"],"wordCount":3768,"keywords":["schema"],"articleBody":"\t    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPublic.com\t\t\t\tBasics: Public.com is a new app and \u201csocial investing platform\u201d that makes buying, selling, owning stocks, and interacting with other investors simple for all types of users.Pros: The Public.com app lets users buy stocks and fractional shares, see what other users are investing in, and the fees for using the app \u2014 and buying and selling stocks \u2014 are virtually nonexistent.Cons: The investment and account options are limited on the app; there are no auto-investment features; the social aspect can lead to some not-so-great decisions; and there\u2019s no option to invest on your desktop.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUser Experience\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t8\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFees\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t10\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInvestment Options\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tResearch Tools\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccount Options\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCustomer Support\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t8\/10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMinimum Investment:$0Fees:$0Sign-Up Bonus:Up to $300 (Details Below)Fractional Shares:Yes\t\t\t\tOur Review Methodology        We may receive a commission if you sign up or purchase through links on this page.  Here's more information.    Today I\u2019ll be reviewing the new investing app on the block, the Public.com investing app. This app is a new \u201csocial investing platform\u201d that claims to make buying, selling, and owning stocks simple for users of all types. This app is geared toward those with novice investing experience and those decades worth of investing practice \u2014 and anyone in between. It is poised to become one of the competitors in the investment app space.In addition to removing some of the barriers to investing, the Public.com app is currently giving away free money to our readers for signing up and opening an account.\u00a0 If you use our link to sign up for Public.com and then input our referral code MONEYDONERIGHT in the app when prompted, Public.com will give you up to $300 in free stock after you open your account.As a side note: While I have a referral link in this Public.com stock app review, this post is not sponsored, and Public.com isn\u2019t aware that I\u2019m doing this. I\u2019m just sharing my honest opinion on the Public.com app as a user, and telling you what you should know before you start investing.Table of ContentsTogglePublic.com App ReviewWhat is Public.com?How Does Public.com Work?Public.com FeaturesHow to Get Started With Public.comAn Inside Look at Public.comHow to Buy Stock on Public.comPros and Cons of Public.comPublic.com FAQsPublic.com AlternativesFinal Thoughts on Public.comPublic.com App ReviewIn this Public.com review, I\u2019ll show you how the app works, how to buy stock in the app, and offer you a summary of the things I like and dislike about the investment app.If you\u2019re interested in earning more free stock, you can also check out my list of eleven brokerages giving away free stock right now here.What is Public.com?Public.com is a new commission-free brokerage app that is geared toward making stock investing accessible to the masses, and it claims to make the stock market social. It\u2019s available for download by both iOS and Android users, and it offers users access to more than 5,000 stock options to choose from.How Does Public.com Work?As with the other commission-free broker apps, the Public.com app lets you easily buy and sell stocks without the high commissions or fees charged by large brokerage houses.You can use it to:Buy and sell stocks and fractional shares: Public.com offers individual brokerage accounts to users, and you can use the app to buy both full and fractional shares of the companies it lists. Investing in fractional shares will cost you as little as $1.Avoid trading fees and commissions: Public.com is a commission-free brokerage app, which means that you won\u2019t be charged trading fees or commissions when buying or selling stocks.Learn about investment opportunities: You can also use the app to find information and basic details about each supported stock on the platform. Public.com lists the price history, analyst ratings, price targets, recent news, earnings events, and other useful information in the app.This gives you an idea of what you\u2019re investing in before you take the leap.Take advantage of other unique features: The ability to buy and sell stocks without paying a commission is useful, but they\u2019re also common among the commission-free investing apps. That said, there is one thing that sets Public.com apart: it\u2019s also a social platform.That\u2019s right; a social platform. What makes Public.com investing unique is that it doesn\u2019t just allow you to easily buy into companies you believe in. It also attempts to add a social aspect to the stock market, making it what has been coined a \u201csocial investing platform.\u201dPro Tip:Public.com lets you use a debit card to fund your investor account, which is useful for those who can\u2019t \u2014 or don\u2019t want \u2014 to link their bank accounts to a third-party app.Public.com Features.simple_table-41724 table tr th{\ttext-align: center;\t\t}.simple_table-41724 table tr td{\ttext-align: center;\t\t}Minimum Investment$0Commissions$0Fees$0Investment OptionsInvestment OptionsSign-Up BonusUp to $300Referral ProgramYesFunding OptionsBank accountAccount TypesTaxableSavingsDividend ReinvestmentYesFractional SharesYesTax Loss HarvestingYesRobo-AdvisingNoAutomatic DepositsNoDesktop TradingNoMobile VersionsiOS, AndroidCustomer ServiceFAQ pageEmail support@public.comLive chat via in-app chat support, available Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ETTwitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/publicInstagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/publichello\/Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PublicHelloNo minimum investment requirementsPublic.com has no minimum requirements on investments, so you can invest whatever money you have available to you.Share and fractional share optionsThere are about 5,000 stocks and ETFs available to choose from on the Public.com app. You aren\u2019t limited to a fixed number of shares, though. You can buy fractional shares, or \u201cslices,\u201d on the Public.com app. Slices are issued by the dollar amount, and you can buy any dollar amount of slices you want. That makes any stock or ETF affordable \u2014 including stocks from large companies like Amazon.No commissions or feesPublic.com doesn\u2019t charge any commissions or fees for investors who are buying or selling stocks. The app is free to download, too.Easy-to-earn sign-up bonusPublic.com offers users a sign-up bonus worth up to $300 just for signing up to use the app through our link and inputting our referral code MONEYDONERIGHT when prompted after downloading the app.\u00a0 You can choose what \u201cslice\u201d you want to invest your bonus money in.Referral bonusesYou can also use the Public.com app to invite friends or family to the platform. When you send an invite to a friend or family member and they sign up, you earn a free stock worth up to $300. You can select from nine different stocks, and a portion of that stock worth up to $300 will be issued to you once your friend or family member\u2019s account is fully approved and verified.Automatic dividend reinvestmentPublic.com offers users the ability to automate dividend reinvestments in the app. Once you enable DRIP, your dividends will automatically purchase more stock.Learn from other investors\u2019 strategiesThe social features on the app allow you to essentially turn your personal investing strategy into an exercise in social investing. You can use the app to follow other investors and even chat with them about why they buy or sell certain stocks.These features allow you to essentially learn from others in the feed, which is especially useful to novice investors.Share what you invest inThe social features on the Public.com app also allow you to share what you invest in. You can post your investments to the feed, create chat groups with friends, family members, or fellow community members, and tailor your feed to show you what the investors you know, or want to learn from, are doing.Keep track of investment newsThese features also allow you to search for investors who share your interests, follow companies listed on the platform, browse recent IPOs, and see which companies are reporting earnings soon. This keeps the interactions, and the content, fresh on your feed.How to Get Started With Public.com1. Download the free app to your deviceThe first step is to download the Public.com invest app. Downloading the app on your iOS or Android device is both free and easy to do. You can use this link to download the app, and then click \u201cinstall\u201d and \u201cget started.\u201d2. Create your investor profileOnce you\u2019re past the initial steps, you\u2019ll be prompted to create your investor profile. To do this, you simply enter your phone number to be sent an authentication code, which you will enter in the app.From there, you will input some basic information, including your name and a username, your email address, a password, and choose a profile photo.3. Set up your brokerage accountSetting up your brokerage account requires inputting more information, including your birthdate, citizenship status, marital status, number of dependents, employment status, address, full name, and social security number.You also have to agree to the terms and conditions of the platform. Having to input this information is typical \u2014 this information is required to set up any brokerage account in the United States.4. Make your first depositPublic.com then asks you a few more questions about your investing goals and experience, your annual income, and your net worth. Once you\u2019ve answered those questions, you can make your first deposit.While Public.com uses Plaid to connect your bank information to the app, you can also easily link your own bank without using the Plaid feature. I linked my Chase account within minutes and then made my initial deposit of $100, which I was able to use right away \u2014 even though it didn\u2019t transfer immediately.While the share price of an Amazon stock is about $3000 right now, I was able to invest my $100 in Amazon stock because of Public.com\u2019s \u201cslices.\u201dI do want to note that was not given the option to place a limit on my stock purchase because I was investing in fractional shares. If I\u2019d had enough money in my account to buy a whole Amazon share, Public.com would have given me the option to set a limit price \u2014 which is the maximum price I would be willing to pay.When ordering a fractional share, though, Public.com app users don\u2019t have that option. That said, this type of limitation is true for the entire stock market, not just the Public.com app.5. Choose your free stockUnlike other investing apps, such as Webull, Robinhood, and Firstrade — which each give you a specific share of stock — Public.com gives you a fractional share of up to $300 worth of a particular stock when you use our link to sign up and input our referral code MONEYDONERIGHT in the app when prompted.It calls these fractional shares a \u201cslice.\u201d6. Pick your interestsPublic.com will also ask you to pick your interests. This information determines what you see on your home feed in the Public.com investing app.If you\u2019d like to see a comprehensive step-by-step walkthrough of how to use the Public.com investing app, check out my YouTube video below!An Inside Look at Public.comCurious about what the platform looks like? This is what the Public.com app looks like after you\u2019ve finished setting it up:Company suggestionsYou\u2019ll find ticker symbols on the middle of the app home screen. These ticker symbols offer information for the companies that Public.com thinks you might be interested in based on your interests.Posts from othersRight under the ticker symbols are the social posts from other users in the Public.com community. The information on the social feeds can vary, but in general, people post to share their thoughts about investing.View other user profilesThe Public.com app also allows you to click on people\u2019s names to see their profile and portfolio. This allows you to see the user\u2019s old and new posts, look over the general categories that they\u2019re interested in, find out what stocks they\u2019re keeping an eye on, and see the stocks they\u2019ve invested in through Public.com.Follow other investorsIf you click the magnifying glass at the bottom of the Public.com app\u2019s home screen, you can search through options for people to follow, including many of the aforementioned celebrities.A few caveats, though. Just because people are celebrities doesn\u2019t mean their stock picks are good. It\u2019s also important to note that you can\u2019t see another person\u2019s full portfolio; you can only see the stocks they own using the Public.com app.Invite others to the Public.com appBy clicking the present icon next to the magnifying glass on the app\u2019s home screen, you get a link to an invite that you can send to other would-be Public.com users. If they sign up, you\u2019re both rewarded with a free \u201cslice\u201d of stock.Message others through the appRight next to the invite icon is a messaging box, which is one of the social features noted above. You can use this icon to directly message other investors in the Public.com app.View your profile or access account settingsBy clicking on the profile icon at the bottom right hand side of the screen, you can view your profile and access your account details and information.If you click the gear icon at the top right of your profile page, you can access your account settings. This allows you to download your statements and tax documents, manage transfers, update your account, and access other account features.You can also access a feature called \u201cdividend reinvestment\u201d within the account settings. By clicking on this feature, you\u2019re able to dictate what Public.com should do with the dividends earned in your Public.com account. The Public.com app default option is to simply deposit the dividends into your account, but I chose to auto-reinvest my dividends.How to Buy Stock on Public.comBuying stock in Public.com is surprisingly simple.1. Select the name of the stock or stocks you want to invest inYou simply select the magnifying glass icon, type the company name into the search bar and then select the company name.2. Research to make sure it\u2019s the right stock for your portfolioDo your research. Public.com builds educational features into the app, so you can learn about the options as you go. You can get explanations for why a stock is moving or look up other helpful information.3. Decide on a stock to buyOnce you\u2019ve narrowed down the options, you\u2019ll want to click on the company name. Click \u201cTrade\u201d in the bottom right, and then click on \u201cBuy.\u201d4. Specify the amount of your investmentPublic.com will allow you to specify the amount of stock you want to buy. You can either choose one of the round dollar numbers they suggest, or you can customize the amount of your investment by selecting the option for a different amount.5. Complete the tradeOnce you\u2019ve chosen the amount to invest, you\u2019ll complete the trade. After your investment is complete, it will appear in your Public.com portfolio.Pros and Cons of Public.comPublic.com ProsIt\u2019s free: Public.com is completely free to download and use. There is no monthly subscription fee, no commissions on your stock purchases, and no other fees to contend with.The sign-up bonus: Public.com also gives a sign-up bonus to new users. If you use this link to sign up, you will get a free slice of stock from Public.com.No minimum investment requirements: As I noted above, there are no minimum investment requirements with Public.com, which makes investing in the stock market possible for anyone, regardless of how much money they have to invest.Fractional shares are available: Again, even if you only deposit a dollar into Public.com, you can buy fractional shares for different companies, including big companies like Amazon, Apple, Tesla, and others.The social features: The social features available on the Public.com app are completely unique. By opening the app home screen, you can see other investors\u2019 thoughts on the stock market and on various stocks. No other investment app does this \u2014 not as well as Public.com, anyway.Why are the social features good? If, like me, you\u2019re addicted to social media, you can get your social media fix by joining the stock and investing conversation on Public.com rather than scrolling through Instagram to look at pictures of the lizard of the person you said hi to a few times in high school recently posted.Public.com ConsThe social aspect: The social aspect can be useful, but it can also be a big con. I know I just said these features were a good thing, but they can also be a not-so-good thing. Constantly fiddling with your portfolio can be bad for several reasons. On the other hand, you have higher long-term returns by setting and forgetting \u2014 and your time could be more productively used on things other than tracking your stocks. You can also be tempted to invest in a stock just because X or Y celebrity invested in something. However, most celebrities aren\u2019t investing experts and have the same likelihood of choosing good stocks as the normal person does. In other words, while the social aspect of Public.com can be a good thing, it\u2019s important to take it with a grain of salt.No desktop site: All trading must be done on the Public.com app. There is no desktop option. This isn\u2019t a big deal for some people, but others like to invest while using a computer, and you can\u2019t do that with Public.com.No IRA or other account options: Right now, the Public.com app only offers individual taxable brokerage accounts, so you can\u2019t open up an IRA or any other type of account on the app.No margin trading: Public.com doesn\u2019t offer margin trading, which is a risky strategy that involves borrowing against your portfolio in order to invest even more money in the stock market.No auto-invest features: There is no real auto-invest feature built into the Public.com app. You have to manually deposit money into your Public.com account and then make your trade. This can be time-intensive and is not conducive to building a long-term investment strategy and portfolio.Public.com FAQs.accordion-list .accordion-title:hover{color: #4db848;}Is my money safe in the Public.com app?It is. Public.com is SIPC-insured, which keeps your securities investments safe up to $500,000. Your cash is safe in the app, too. Cash amounts of up to $250,000 are also covered. Plus, the app is protected with 128-bit encryption, and there are data security measures in place as well.How long will it take for Public.com to approve my account?Public.com puts each account through an individual review, so account approval and set-up times will vary. In general, though, it takes between one and 10 business days to have your Public.com account approved.Can I day trade on the Public.com app?No, you can\u2019t. Public.com doesn\u2019t allow day trading of stocks, and it will limit the accounts that attempt to engage in day trading or the same day purchases and sales of securities.Public.com Alternatives.btn.btn-blue.dift:hover, .btn.btn-default.dift:hover {color: #4db848;border-color: #4db848;background: #fff !important;}\t\t\t Public.comAcornsStashBetterment \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPros and Cons\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Review\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Review\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead Review\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVisit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMinimum investment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$0 (no minimum investment)\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$0\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$5\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$0\t\t\t\t\t\tCommissions\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNone\t\t\t\t\t\tFees\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$0\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$1 to $5 per month\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$1 to $9 per month\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t0.25% to 0.40% management fee\t\t\t\t\t\tInvestment options\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5,000 stocks available on the platformAllows users to buy fractional shares, or slices\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tETFs\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStocksETFs\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tETFs\t\t\t\t\t\tSign-up bonus\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUp to $300\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$20\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tVaries\t\t\t\t\t\tFunding options\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBank accountOne-time deposits\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBank account      Auto depositOne-time depositsRound-ups\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBank accountOne-time depositsAuto deposit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBank account  Wire TransferAuto-deposit\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\tThere are plenty of other no-commission investment app options available if you want to look outside of Public.com. Here are a few alternatives that might work if…You want to automate your investments and savingsPublic.com doesn\u2019t have an auto-investment feature yet, nor does it offer auto deposits for ongoing investing. If you want to set up an automatic deposit and investment schedule, you\u2019re better off with an app like Stash, which allows you to set up weekly, bi-weekly, or other auto deposits to be invested through your account. The downside to using Stash is that you will have to pay monthly fees \u2014 and there are minimum investment requirements to meet.You want a well-diversified portfolioIf you want a well-diversified portfolio, you can look into options like Betterment, which offers investors a core portfolio of ETFs from 13 asset classes. Betterment also offers a wide range of account types \u2014 unlike Public.com \u2014 including individual and joint non retirement accounts, Roth, traditional, rollover, and SEP IRAs, trusts, and other tools to help you diversify your investments.You want to make use of your spare changeThere aren\u2019t many apps that allow you to invest with the spare change in your wallet, but Acorns does. This app allows you to round up on your purchases and invest the \u201cspare change\u201d into the stock market \u2014 something that Public.com doesn\u2019t offer. You will have to pay a monthly maintenance fee to use this feature (or any), but it can be worth it for investors who want to make use of their money in every way possible.Final Thoughts on Public.comWould I recommend the Public.com investing app? If you\u2019re attracted to the community aspect of the app and can see yourself using it responsibly without getting addicted, I think Public.com is a fun way to get started investing.That being said, I wouldn\u2019t make Public.com my main investing app. It doesn\u2019t have many of the features that platforms like Fidelity offer, which is where I keep the majority of my stock portfolio \u2014 and it lets me set up any type of account.It also does not have the research features and tools offered by Fidelity, or the investing automation features of a platform like M1 Finance, my favorite investment app and brokerage. You can check out my M1 Finance review here.As such, I would likely use Public.com as a fun investing app to build out a small percentage of my portfolio \u2014 and then take a few more risks with it.\u00a0"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Passive Income","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stock Investing","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/\/stock-investing\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Public.com Review: Get Up to $300 in Free Stock With Our Code!","item":"https:\/\/moneydoneright.com\/passive-income\/stock-investing\/public-com-review\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]