Public offers a $20 sign-up bonus when you open a brokerage account through a referral link and deposit $1,000.
To claim the bonus:
- Sign up using a referral link from a current Public member. This is my referral link. If you use it, thank you! I receive $20 for every qualified sign-up.
- Deposit at least $1,000 as your first transfer.
- Once the deposit clears, choose $20 worth of stock or an ETF from Public’s list.
Two things to know:
- You have 30 days to claim your reward after it becomes available. If you don’t, it expires and can’t be revived.
- And once you claim it, the cash value can’t be withdrawn for 12 months. If you withdraw early, Public can charge an early withdrawal fee of up to $20, which would erase the entire bonus.
Why Choose Public?
I like Public much more than Robinhood because it offers a more balanced approach to investing and focuses on long‑term growth.
The addition of IRAs is a big advantage for retirement planning. Public also offers direct indexing, which is a unique twist compared to other apps.
Overall, I think the app works well for both retirement investing and long‑term trading, alongside commission‑free stock trades.
Check out my full Public review to learn more, and read my article on direct indexing if you’re interested in that feature.
How Other Brokerage Bonuses Compare
I keep an updated list of the best brokerage sign-up bonuses ranked by effective ROI, along with a separate list of apps that offer free stock. Here’s a quick look at some of the top current offers.
| Company | Offer |
| Robinhood free stock | Up to $200 in fractional shares, no deposit. Most people get $5. |
| Stash sign-up bonus | $30 when you deposit $5. Stash charges $3/month, so you net about $21 after three months. |
| moomoo free stock | $30 in NVDA at $500. $100 at $2K. $200 at $10K. $400 at $50K. $1,000 at $100K. Hold 60–180 days. |
| TradeUP bonus code | 1 NVDA share (~$185) at $2K. Up to 50 shares at $1M. Code “wealth.” 30-day hold + 10 trades required. |
| Public free stock | $20 in stock when you deposit $1,000. |
| Frec $250 bonus | $250 cash when you deposit $20,000+ into a direct indexing portfolio. Must hold 90 days. |
| Acorns sign-up bonus | $20 when you set up a $5 recurring investment. Acorns charges $3/month, so you break even after about seven months. |
For bonuses beyond brokerages, see my list of apps that pay you to sign up, which covers sign-up bonuses across banking, cash-back, and other popular apps.
Verdict
The 12-month hold period on this bonus puts it toward the bottom of the list compared to other brokerage sign-up offers available right now.
The bonus alone isn’t worth chasing.
That said, I like Public as a brokerage more than most of its competitors.
Even for active trading, I find Public easier to use than Robinhood. The UI and overall experience are a clear step up from Webull, moomoo, and TradeUP too.
If you’re going to use Public anyway, take the bonus. But don’t sign up just for $20.
