Webull vs Public for investors and IRA savers in 2026

By Nicolas StrautLast updated October 7, 20268 min read

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Key takeaways

IRAs held $19.9 trillion in assets at the end of the second quarter of 2026, up 9.2% from the first quarter.¹
When choosing between Webull and Public, start with how much you put into an IRA each year before you compare trading features, because that number decides whether Webull's paid plan beats Public's free match.
Webull is the stronger fit for an IRA saver who contributes more than $1,600 a year and keeps Premium, and Public for an investor who wants a published cash yield, bonds, and Treasuries without a subscription.

In this article

Webull vs Public at a glance
What is Webull?
What is Public?
Webull vs Public features compared
Webull vs Public costs for three kinds of saver
Webull vs Public for a Roth IRA
Should you choose Webull or Public?
Price your own match before you open an account
Frequently asked questions about Webull vs Public

Webull and Public both pay a 1% match on IRA contributions without a subscription, and Webull's $40-a-year Premium plan raises its match to 3.5%. At that price, Premium nets more than Public's $20-a-month Reserve plan and its 4% match at every contribution up to the 2026 limit.² Outside the IRA, both charge $0 on US stock and ETF options. Public publishes a cash yield and sells bonds and Treasuries, while Webull's own pages don't state its cash and margin rates. This guide compares Webull and Public across the IRA match, the two paid plans, cash, options, and bonds, and the cost to leave.

Webull vs Public at a glance

Webull vs Public is a tie on the base IRA match and differs on almost everything else. Webull's figures were read on its IRA and pricing pages and Public's on its IRA page, Reserve page, and fee schedule, all on October 6, 2026.

	Webull	Public
IRA match on contributions	1%, or 3.5% with Premium	1%, or 4% with Reserve
Match on transfers and rollovers	1% with Premium, for a limited time	Uncapped 1% on IRA and ACATS transfers since September 14, 2026
Holding period for matched money	Not stated on Webull's IRA page	5 years
Paid tier	Premium, $40 a year	Public Reserve, $20 a month
IRA types	Traditional, Roth, rollover	Traditional and Roth
Options	$0 on US-listed options; $0.50 per contract on certain index options	$0 per contract on stock and ETF options, plus a $0.06 to $0.18 rebate
Cash yield	Sweep APY not confirmed	3.30% APY, no fees; 3.75% with Reserve
Bonds and Treasuries	Not confirmed	Yes
Outgoing transfer fee	$75 per stock transfer	$100 outgoing ACAT

What is Webull?

Webull is an app-first broker that leads with its IRA: traditional, Roth, and rollover accounts, with old 401(k) plans moved over through a rollover partner, Capitalize. Its Premium plan costs $40 a year and raises the IRA contribution match to 3.5%. For a retirement saver, the Premium match is Webull's main selling point.

Tweed's Webull review covers the trading app and its tools, which this page sets aside to focus on price.

What is Public?

Public is a commission-free broker that charges $0 on stocks, ETFs, and options under its fee schedule updated September 23, 2026. Public takes no payment for order flow on equity trades placed in its app. It sells bonds and Treasuries next to stocks and runs a high-yield cash account in the same app.

Public is a Tweed partner. Its IRA page advertises a 1% match on annual traditional and Roth contributions, and thePublic review covers its safety record, paid tier, and business model.³

Webull vs Public features compared

Webull Premium nets the most from the IRA match, and Public wins on cash, bonds, and published terms. Each section opens with the broker that comes out ahead.

The IRA match

Webull wins for a yearly IRA contributor who pays for Premium, because $40 a year buys a 3.5% match. Public Reserve pays the bigger match, 4%, but at $240 a year it nets less than Webull Premium at every contribution up to the 2026 limit. Without a paid plan, the two tie at 1%. Public says matched money must stay five years. Webull's IRA page states no holding period, so check Webull's terms before you count on keeping its match.

Rollovers and transfers

A saver moving an old 401(k) or IRA gets 1% at Webull, but only with Premium and only while its limited-time offer runs. Public's "uncapped 1% match" has covered IRA transfers and ACATS transfers since September 14, 2026, with no subscription and a 5-year hold. Tweed didn't confirm that a direct 401(k) rollover counts. Because the match is uncapped, a six-figure transfer earns 1% on the full amount.

Webull Premium vs Public Reserve

Webull Premium is the cheaper plan by a wide margin, and it nets an IRA saver more at every contribution up to the 2026 limit. Public Reserve, which replaced Public Premium, costs six times as much. Its value is split between a 4% IRA match paid monthly over 12 months and a 3.75% cash rate.

	Webull Premium	Public Reserve
Price	$40 a year	$20 a month ($240 a year)
IRA contribution match	3.5%	4%, paid monthly over 12 months
Transfer match	1%, for a limited time	1%, also paid on the free Public Core tier
Cash rate	Not confirmed	3.75% APY
Other perks	Not covered here	Priority support

Cash yield

Public wins on idle cash, because it advertised 3.30% APY with no fees on October 6, 2026, or 3.75% with Reserve. Webull's sweep APY wasn't confirmed on its own pages. Public's rate moves with short-term interest rates. Treat it as a snapshot, not a promise.

Options trading

Public wins narrowly for an options trader, because both brokers charge $0 per contract on US stock and ETF options. Only Public pays a rebate, $0.06 to $0.18 per contract through its Options Rebate Program. Webull charges $0.50 per contract on certain index options, according to its pricing page.

Bonds, Treasuries, and crypto

Public sells bonds and Treasuries in the same app as stocks, and Treasuries were shown at 4.31% on its site in October 2026. That rate moves with the market. Public also sells crypto, which a third-party custodian, Zero Hash, holds outside SIPC protection. Neither bonds nor crypto were confirmed on Webull's pages for this update. Public is the only one of the two confirmed to offer bonds, Treasuries, and crypto in one account.

Webull vs Public costs for three kinds of saver

Webull vs Public costs come down to the IRA, because Webull's pages didn't confirm the cash and margin rates needed to price anything else. The tables below use the 2026 limit and today's terms for every year, leave out market returns, and assume the money stays long enough that neither broker claws back the match.

An IRA saver maxing the 2026 limit

A saver who maxes the IRA every year comes out $737.50 ahead at Webull with Premium after five years compared with Public Core, and $812.50 ahead of Public Reserve, before any fee to leave.⁴Without a paid plan, the two tie.

Five years at the $7,500 limit, under age 50	Public Core	Public Reserve	Webull, no Premium	Webull with Premium
Match earned	$375	$1,500	$375	$1,312.50
Subscription cost	$0	$1,200	$0	$200
Net	$375	$300	$375	$1,112.50
Net a year at 50 and older, on $8,600	$86	$104	$86	$261

A saver putting in $1,000 a year

Webull Premium only pays for itself above $1,600 a year in contributions, and Public Reserve's match needs $8,000, so a saver contributing less does better without either plan. At $1,000 a year, either paid plan nets less than a free 1%.

$1,000 a year into an IRA	Public Core	Public Reserve	Webull, no Premium	Webull with Premium
Match	$10	$40	$10	$35
Subscription cost	$0	$240	$0	$40
Net for the year	$10	A $200 loss	$10	A $5 loss

A saver rolling over a $50,000 401(k)

Webull pays $500 on a $50,000 rollover if you hold Premium while the limited-time offer runs. Public pays the same 1% with no subscription if the money arrives as an IRA transfer. The table counts it that way, because Tweed didn't confirm that a direct 401(k) rollover qualifies.

$50,000 moved from an old 401(k)	Public, as an IRA transfer	Webull with Premium
Match	$500	$500
Subscription cost for the year	$0	$40
Offer terms	Uncapped 1%, 5-year hold	Limited time, holding period not stated

Webull vs Public for a Roth IRA

Webull and Public both offer a Roth IRA, and the 2026 IRS rules below apply the same way at either broker, because the limit is per person, not per account. If you're new to the account type, start with what a Roth IRA is and come back.

2026 Roth IRA rule	Figure
Contribution limit, under 50	$7,500
Limit at 50 and older	$8,600
Income phase-out, single	$153,000 to $168,000
Income phase-out, married filing jointly	$242,000 to $252,000

The cost to leave differs: Webull charges $75 for an outgoing stock transfer, and Public charges $100 for an outgoing ACAT.⁵As of October 6, 2026, Public's offer reads "Earn a 1% match on your annual contributions," with no end date stated. TheWebull IRA review covers what Webull's page does and doesn't say about keeping matched money.

Should you choose Webull or Public?

Should you choose Webull or Public? The answer depends more on Premium than on either broker. The lists below describe who each broker fits. If Robinhood's 3% Gold match is also on your list, Public vs Robinhood compares that match with Public.

Choose Webull if

You contribute more than $1,600 a year to an IRA and will keep Premium
You're rolling over an old 401(k) and want a confirmed 1% for as long as Webull's offer runs

Choose Public if

You want a match without paying for a subscription
You keep cash in the brokerage and want a published yield
Bonds, Treasuries, and crypto belong in the same app as your stocks, and you'd like a rebate on options contracts

Price your own match before you open an account

A 1% or 3.5% match pays more as your contribution grows. Run theTweed retirement calculator once with each broker's match, then subtract Webull's $40 fee from the Premium result. Robinhood vs Webull covers the other paid-tier match in this group.

If Public fits, you can open a Public account.

Frequently asked questions about Webull vs Public

Is Public app safe?

Yes, the Public app is safe if the broker fails. Public says SIPC "protects up to $500,000 of the securities in your accounts, including $250,000 in claims for cash." SIPC doesn't cover market losses. Crypto held through Zero Hash is outside SIPC protection.

Is Public.com FDIC insured?

No, a Public.com brokerage account is not FDIC insured, because stocks, ETFs, and bonds are securities and fall under SIPC instead. Its high-yield cash account works differently: cash sweeps to partner banks, each covered up to $250,000. Public's help center put the aggregate FDIC coverage at up to $5 million in August 2026.

Who is better, Webull or Robinhood?

Webull or Robinhood can be better depending on how you'd use the match: Robinhood Gold pays 3% on contributions for $5 a month. Robinhood also pays 1% on transfers and rollovers with no cap, Gold or not. Webull's 3.5% Premium match costs less, but its margin and cash rates weren't confirmed for this update.

Is public a good investing app?

Yes, Public is a good investing app for someone who wants stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, bonds, and Treasuries in one place without paying commission. Its iPhone app held a 4.7-star App Store rating in August 2026. It offers only traditional and Roth IRAs, and mutual funds aren't on its trading list, so a fund investor may outgrow Public.

Does Webull have a minimum deposit?

No, Webull doesn't require a minimum deposit, according to its pricing page on October 6, 2026. You can open a Webull IRA with a small amount. Decide on Premium carefully, because its 3.5% match only beats the free 1% once you contribute more than $1,600 a year.

What is better, Fidelity or Webull?

Fidelity or Webull is better depending on whether you want a match or a free exit. Fidelity pays no IRA match but charges nothing to transfer an account out, and it sells four ZERO index funds at a 0% expense ratio. Webull pays up to 3.5% on IRA contributions with Premium and charges $75 to leave.

Is Webull better than Vanguard?

Webull is better than Vanguard only for a saver chasing a contribution match, since Vanguard pays none. Vanguard is built around its own index funds, many of which need $3,000 to start. Vanguard's $25 annual account fee is waived if you choose e-delivery or hold $1 million in qualifying assets.

Sources

https://www.ici.org/statistical-report/ret_26_q2
https://www.webull.com/trading-investing/ira
https://public.com/ira
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/401k-limit-increases-to-24500-for-2026-ira-limit-increases-to-7500
https://www.webull.com/pricing

Nicolas Straut

Personal finance writer, former Forbes contributor and This Week in Fintech writer. He isn't a financial advisor or a CPA.

nicstraut.com

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