Public Alternatives: what you keep, gain and lose
By Jay Rocco, Chief Editor, FullStack Alpha. Updated . Prices checked on each vendor's own site.
Public is a broker known for multi-asset investing in one app. These alternatives are matched on the features Public actually has, so each one shows what you keep, what you gain and what you give up if you switch.
8 of these 10 alternatives are free to start, the cheapest paid plan is $8.99/mo, and on average they cover 60% of what Public does.
Best Public alternatives
1. Alpaca (Partial overlap, covers 63% of Public)
API-first brokerage enabling developers to deploy algorithmic and AI trading systems natively.
You keep: Options analytics, MCP / AI connector, API access, Broker connection, Crypto. You gain: Automated trading, Backtesting, Paper trading. You lose: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Managed portfolios.
Watch out: The free data feed is IEX only and delayed, so real-time full-market data costs $99 a month.
Price: Free, paid from $99/mo. Public vs Alpaca
2. Moontower (Close replacement, covers 75% of Public)
Options volatility analytics with vol surfaces, skew and earnings screens, trade ideas and a cited AI agent.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Options analytics, MCP / AI connector, API access, Crypto. You gain: nothing new. You lose: Managed portfolios, Broker connection.
Watch out: Pricing is billed annually, so you commit about $1,188 up front.
Price: From $99/mo. Public vs Moontower
3. QuantWheel (Close replacement, covers 75% of Public)
Options platform for wheel sellers and GEX traders, with screeners, a journal, AI chat and broker trading.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Options analytics, MCP / AI connector, API access, Broker connection. You gain: Portfolio tracking. You lose: Managed portfolios, Crypto.
Watch out: Broker links are read-only, so no auto trading.
Price: From $29/mo. Public vs QuantWheel
4. Questrade (Different angle, covers 38% of Public)
Canadian broker with an MCP for Claude and ChatGPT, plus Flows: if-this-then-trade rules run by Questrade Pro.
You keep: AI chat assistant, MCP / AI connector, Broker connection. You gain: Automated trading, Charting, Global markets. You lose: Stock screener, Options analytics, Managed portfolios, API access, Crypto.
Watch out: Plus costs $19.99 a month and bond and mutual fund trades carry fees.
Price: Free, paid from $19.99/mo. Public vs Questrade
5. Composer (Partial overlap, covers 63% of Public)
Visual platform for building algorithmic trading strategies using plain-English logic blocks.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Managed portfolios, MCP / AI connector, API access, Broker connection. You gain: Automated trading, Backtesting, Strategy builder. You lose: Stock screener, Options analytics, Crypto.
Watch out: Free tier automates only one strategy, so running several needs a paid plan.
Price: Free, paid from $10/mo. Public vs Composer
6. Agenticks (Close replacement, covers 75% of Public)
AI agent that turns a plain-English trading idea into coded rules, backtests it and can trade it at your broker.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Options analytics, MCP / AI connector, Broker connection, Crypto. You gain: Automated trading, Backtesting, Strategy builder. You lose: Managed portfolios, API access.
Watch out: Paid plan prices could not be confirmed, so check the site before budgeting.
Price: Free plan. Public vs Agenticks
7. AltIndex (Partial overlap, covers 63% of Public)
An AI stock picker using alternative data and social sentiment to generate scores and predictive buy signals.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, MCP / AI connector, API access, Broker connection. You gain: AI trade signals, Alerts. You lose: Options analytics, Managed portfolios, Crypto.
Watch out: Starter caps you at 25 watchlist stocks and 3 screener filters.
Price: Free, paid from $29/mo. Public vs AltIndex
8. Tastytrade (Partial overlap, covers 50% of Public)
An options-first brokerage with AI-assisted analytics and probability tools built for active derivatives traders.
You keep: Options analytics, MCP / AI connector, Broker connection, Crypto. You gain: Portfolio tracking. You lose: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Managed portfolios, API access.
Watch out: Options cost $1 per contract to open, capped at $10 per leg.
Price: Free plan. Public vs Tastytrade
9. AllInvestView (Partial overlap, covers 63% of Public)
Multi-broker portfolio tracker with an AI assistant that imports trades, fixes errors, sets alerts and builds tax reports.
You keep: AI chat assistant, Managed portfolios, MCP / AI connector, Broker connection, Crypto. You gain: Portfolio tracking, Global markets. You lose: Stock screener, Options analytics, API access.
Watch out: Free plan caps you at 10 holdings and 1 portfolio.
Price: Free, paid from $8.99/mo. Public vs AllInvestView
10. Tradier (Different angle, covers 38% of Public)
API-first US broker with a hosted MCP server, so ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor can read data and place orders.
You keep: MCP / AI connector, API access, Broker connection. You gain: Charting. You lose: AI chat assistant, Stock screener, Options analytics, Managed portfolios, Crypto.
Watch out: The free 2 months require a $500 deposit within 30 days.
Price: Free, paid from $10/mo. Public vs Tradier
Questions people ask
What is the best alternative to Public?
Moontower is the closest replacement, covering 75% of Public's core features. Questrade has the highest Directory Rank of the group if you want an all-round upgrade.
Is there a free alternative to Public?
Yes. Alpaca has a free plan and keeps 5 of Public's 8 core features. 8 alternatives on this page are free to start.
What is the cheapest alternative to Public?
AllInvestView starts at $8.99/mo. Prices were checked in Oct 2026.
Why do traders switch from Public?
Free to open, but premium extras and cash yields change often. Less robust analytical depth than dedicated quantitative platforms.
What does Public do that most alternatives miss?
Few alternatives here match its managed portfolios. If you rely on that, test any replacement before you cancel.