Investing comparison
Ally Invest vs Public
Updated
Before you compare: This compares features and fees from each company's own pages. It isn't investment advice, and investing involves risk, including loss of money.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Short answer
Ally Invest and Public are both investing apps. Ally Invest Robo Portfolios: the Cash-Enhanced Portfolio has a 0% advisory fee (it keeps 30% as a cash buffer), and the Market-Focused Portfolio has a 0.30% annual advisory fee, while Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Ally Invest vs Public at a glance
Ally Invest and Public are both investing apps. This page puts what each company's official pages and app store listings say side by side, with the date we checked every fact. The sources differ on 8 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Management or subscription fee
Ally Invest Robo Portfolios: the Cash-Enhanced Portfolio has a 0% advisory fee (it keeps 30% as a cash buffer), and the Market-Focused Portfolio has a 0.30% annual advisory fee. Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account minimum
Ally says there's no minimum deposit to open a Self-Directed brokerage cash account. Margin accounts require $2,000, and Robo Portfolios require a $100 initial minimum deposit. Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
Ally Invest lists $0 commissions on eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs priced $2 and higher. Securities under $2 have a $4.95 base commission plus one cent per share. Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account types
Ally Invest lists these account types: Individual, Joint, Custodial, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA and Rollover IRA. Public lists these account types: Traditional & Roth IRAs and Crypto IRAs. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Fractional shares
Public says it supports fractional shares, so you can invest in any stock with any dollar amount. We haven't verified this for Ally Invest yet, so check the official site for Ally Invest before you decide. We checked Public on Oct 24, 2026.
Automatic investing
Ally says it reviews Robo Portfolios daily and rebalances them automatically, with fee-free rebalancing. Public says you can schedule recurring buys in any stock, ETF or crypto, for any amount, weekly, biweekly, monthly or on a custom cadence. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Managed portfolios (robo)
Ally Invest Robo Portfolios, with a $100 minimum. Public offers Generated Assets portfolios, rebalanced quarterly (its Dividends portfolio, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
Ally Invest Securities and Apex Clearing are members of SIPC (up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash). An additional policy through London Underwriters covers securities and cash up to an aggregate of $150 million, limited to $37.5 million per customer, including cash of up to $900,000. Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
App store rating
Ally Invest has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 114,169 ratings. Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026. Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score.
What it costs
Ally InvestAlly Invest Robo Portfolios: the Cash-Enhanced Portfolio has a 0% advisory fee (it keeps 30% as a cash buffer), and the Market-Focused Portfolio has a 0.30% annual advisory fee.
PublicPublic's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example).
Bars show only when every app here lists a yearly price, so these prices sit side by side without them. Prices are list prices from each app's own page, before tax and any offer. Investing fees appear as each company states them. A yearly advisory fee is a percent of your balance, not a monthly price, so it never gets a bar or a price tag.
At a glance
App Store rating
- Ally Invest
- 4.7114,169 ratings
- Public
- 4.785,572 ratings
Source
- Ally Invest has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 114,169 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Platforms
- Ally Invest
- Not verified yet
- Public
- Not verified yet
Source
- Ally Invest: Not verified yet.
- Public: Not verified yet.
Account minimum
- Ally Invest
- Ally says there's no minimum deposit to open a Self-Directed brokerage cash account. Margin accounts require $2,000, and Robo Portfolios require a $100 initial minimum deposit.
- Public
- Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000.
Source
- Ally says there's no minimum deposit to open a Self-Directed brokerage cash account. Margin accounts require $2,000, and Robo Portfolios require a $100 initial minimum deposit. ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000. public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
- Ally Invest
- Ally Invest lists $0 commissions on eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs priced $2 and higher. Securities under $2 have a $4.95 base commission plus one cent per share.
- Public
- Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply.
Source
- Ally Invest lists $0 commissions on eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs priced $2 and higher. Securities under $2 have a $4.95 base commission plus one cent per share. ally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply. public.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
- Ally Invest
- Ally Invest Securities and Apex Clearing are members of SIPC (up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash). An additional policy through London Underwriters covers securities and cash up to an aggregate of $150 million, limited to $37.5 million per customer, including cash of up to $900,000.
- Public
- Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000.
Source
- Ally Invest Securities and Apex Clearing are members of SIPC (up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash). An additional policy through London Underwriters covers securities and cash up to an aggregate of $150 million, limited to $37.5 million per customer, including cash of up to $900,000. ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. public.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Features
We haven't verified a feature list for either app yet, so this grid is empty for now.
✓ means the official site lists it. ? means we haven't verified it yet, not that the app lacks it.
Screen by screen
Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store and Google Play images are the apps' own marketing, so they can show sample data and staged layouts. Help center images come from the app's support articles. See every app's screens.
Other screens
Ally Invest
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Ally Invest listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Ally Invest listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Ally Invest listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Ally Invest listing.App Store listing, as of
Public
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of
Ally Invest and Public, side by side
Rows marked “Differs” are where the official sources say different things, and 8 rows do here.
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps.
| Field | Ally InvestInvesting appAlly Invest is Ally's investing service in the Ally app, with self-directed trading and Robo Portfolios. Ally's savings account has its own entry.Visit Ally Invest's site | PublicInvesting appPublic is an investing app for stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and crypto, with IRAs and managed Generated Assets portfolios.Visit Public's site |
|---|---|---|
| Management or subscription feeDiffers | Ally Invest Robo Portfolios: the Cash-Enhanced Portfolio has a 0% advisory fee (it keeps 30% as a cash buffer), and the Market-Focused Portfolio has a 0.30% annual advisory fee.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees | Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example).As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| Account minimumDiffers | Ally says there's no minimum deposit to open a Self-Directed brokerage cash account. Margin accounts require $2,000, and Robo Portfolios require a $100 initial minimum deposit.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing | Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| Stock and ETF commissionsDiffers | Ally Invest lists $0 commissions on eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs priced $2 and higher. Securities under $2 have a $4.95 base commission plus one cent per share.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees | Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Account typesDiffers | Ally Invest lists these account types: Individual, Joint, Custodial, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA and Rollover IRA.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing | Public lists these account types: Traditional & Roth IRAs and Crypto IRAs.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com |
| Fractional shares | Not verified yet. | Public says it supports fractional shares, so you can invest in any stock with any dollar amount.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Automatic investingDiffers | Ally says it reviews Robo Portfolios daily and rebalances them automatically, with fee-free rebalancing.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing | Public says you can schedule recurring buys in any stock, ETF or crypto, for any amount, weekly, biweekly, monthly or on a custom cadence.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Managed portfolios (robo)Differs | Ally Invest Robo Portfolios, with a $100 minimum.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing | Public offers Generated Assets portfolios, rebalanced quarterly (its Dividends portfolio, for example).As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| ProtectionDiffers | Ally Invest Securities and Apex Clearing are members of SIPC (up to $500,000, including $250,000 for cash). An additional policy through London Underwriters covers securities and cash up to an aggregate of $150 million, limited to $37.5 million per customer, including cash of up to $900,000.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing | Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com |
| Platforms | Not verified yet. | Not verified yet. |
| App store ratingDiffers | Ally Invest has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 114,169 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing | Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing |
App store ratings are a dated snapshot from each store listing, not our score. “Not verified yet” means we don't have a current official source for that line. How we source and date this data. Spotted a change? Tell us if something changed.
Weighing a third option? Add up to two more apps to this table and compare up to four side by side.
Which fits your Money Type?
There are four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Each card matches one type to what the sources say about these two apps.
StrategistNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Save the Raise.
SpenderNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Sleep on It.
SaverNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Put It to Work.
ScramblerNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Bills First.
Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz. It takes about two minutes.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Another option: Fifecta
If neither Ally Invest nor Public feels right, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.
FAQ
How much does Ally Invest charge?
Ally Invest Robo Portfolios: the Cash-Enhanced Portfolio has a 0% advisory fee (it keeps 30% as a cash buffer), and the Market-Focused Portfolio has a 0.30% annual advisory fee. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
How much does Public charge?
Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
What is Ally Invest's app store rating?
Ally Invest has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 114,169 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
What is Public's app store rating?
Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
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Keep comparing
- See Ally Invest alternatives, closest category first.
- See Public alternatives, closest category first.
- Browse our guide to the low-cost brokerage accounts.
- Want the bigger picture? Compare more money apps.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Want a plan built on your Money Type?
Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, so you know where each dollar goes.
Sources and confidence
- Last checked
- Not verified yet
- 3 of 20 facts
Ally Invest8 of 10 verified, 2 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feeally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionsally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typesally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharesNot verified yet
- Automatic investingally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)ally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionally.com/invest/robo-automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- PlatformsNot verified yet
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
Public9 of 10 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feepublic.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumpublic.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionspublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typespublic.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharespublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Automatic investingpublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionpublic.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- PlatformsNot verified yet
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Reference: sipc.org/for-investors/what-sipc-protects, checked Oct 24, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than its app's window (8 days for apps whose rates change often, 35 days for the rest), it reads “Not verified yet” until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.
This is education, not financial advice.
