SoFi Invest and Public.com sit in the same category: commission-free, beginner-friendly investing apps with fractional shares and no account minimum, aimed at people who want to start small without a steep learning curve. They overlap heavily on the basics, so the decision mostly comes down to which extras actually matter to you — banking integration, asset variety, or access to a financial advisor.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best for an all-in-one banking + investing app | SoFi Invest |
| Best asset variety (alternative investments, bonds) | Public.com |
| Best for free access to a financial advisor | SoFi Invest |
| Best for retirement account matching | SoFi Invest (1% IRA match) |
| Best 24/7 customer support | Public.com |
| Best crypto offering | Neither is strong; SoFi charges a 1% spread |
The Basics Are Nearly Identical
Both platforms charge $0 commissions on U.S. stocks and ETFs, offer fractional shares, and have no account minimum to open a taxable brokerage account. Both also offer $0 per-contract options fees, which is genuinely rare — most brokers that don’t charge a commission still charge a small fee per options contract. Neither platform will meaningfully out-cost the other for a typical buy-and-hold investor sticking to stocks and ETFs.
SoFi Invest: The Financial Ecosystem Play
SoFi’s core pitch is integration: investing, checking, savings, and lending products all live under one login. For someone who already banks with SoFi or wants to consolidate their financial life into a single app, that’s a real convenience most competitors don’t offer.
A few specific perks stand out:
- 1% IRA match: SoFi matches 1% of IRA contributions, which on a maxed-out $7,500 contribution for 2026 works out to an extra $75 — a modest but genuinely free bonus not many brokers offer.
- Free financial advisor access: Standard SoFi members get one complimentary session with a financial planner; SoFi Plus members ($10/month) get unlimited sessions. Few discount brokers offer human advisor access at any price point, let alone free.
- Wide mutual fund selection: SoFi offers roughly 6,800 no-transaction-fee mutual funds, including access to liquid alternative funds (commodities, precious metals, real estate) that Public.com doesn’t match.
The trade-offs: research tools are described as basic across independent reviews, the trading platform lacks advanced features for active traders, and customer service has drawn more complaints about slow response times than Public.com.
Public.com: Broader Asset Access, Simpler Focus
Public.com’s differentiator is breadth of asset classes accessible from a single portfolio — stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds, and alternative investments (art, collectibles, and similar assets), aimed at investors who want to diversify beyond the traditional stock-and-ETF mix without opening multiple accounts. It also generally scores better than SoFi on customer service response quality in independent broker comparisons, with 24/7 support.
Public.com doesn’t offer SoFi’s banking integration or IRA matching, and its mutual fund selection is narrower. It’s a more focused investing app rather than an attempt at a full financial ecosystem.
Fees to Watch on Both Platforms
- Inactivity/closure fees: SoFi charges a $25 inactivity fee after six months without logging in (easily avoided) and a $100 fee to close an IRA.
- Wire transfer fees: SoFi charges for wire transfer withdrawals, though ACH transfers are free on both platforms.
- Crypto spreads: SoFi charges a 1% spread on crypto trades — worth knowing if crypto is a meaningful part of your portfolio, since that’s a real cost even without an explicit commission line.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you want one app that also handles your everyday banking, value the free financial advisor access, or plan to max out an IRA and want the 1% match, SoFi Invest’s ecosystem approach delivers more practical value. If you want the broadest possible range of asset classes in one portfolio — including bonds and alternative investments — and prioritize responsive customer support over integrated banking, Public.com is the better fit. Neither platform is built for advanced, high-frequency trading; both are squarely aimed at investors who want a simple, low-cost way to start and don’t need institutional-grade research tools.
Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. We are not licensed financial advisors. Fee and feature information reflects publicly available data as of 2026 and is subject to change — verify current terms directly with each provider before opening an account. Some links on this page may be affiliate links.
Last reviewed: July 2026.