Mezzi vs. Public.com

When it comes to choosing between Mezzi and Public.com, the decision depends on your financial goals:

• Mezzi: Ideal for those managing multiple accounts across brokerages like Fidelity or Vanguard. It provides AI-driven financial advice to optimize taxes, reduce fees, and manage risks. Mezzi doesn’t execute trades but focuses on improving your overall portfolio performance with read-only access. Subscription costs range from $299–$1,499/year.
• Public.com: Best for active traders looking for a commission-free platform to trade stocks, ETFs, crypto, and bonds. It also offers community features, AI tools, and a 3.30% APY cash account. Public is free to use, with a Premium subscription at $10/month for advanced tools.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Mezzi	Public.com
Primary Use	AI financial advice	Active trading
Cost	$299–$1,499/year	Free (Premium: $10/month)
Trade Execution	None	Yes
Tax Tools	Advanced strategies	Basic tools
Account Aggregation	Multi-institution (read-only)	Single platform
Target Audience	Professionals with complex portfolios	Beginners & active traders

If you want personalized advice for tax efficiency and long-term planning, Mezzi is the better choice. If you prefer community-driven trading and managing assets in one place, go with Public.com.

The AI Brokerage Quietly Taking on Schwab, Fidelity & Vanguard

What Is Mezzi?

Mezzi is an SEC-registered investment adviser that uses AI to help with wealth management. Unlike traditional services, Mezzi doesn’t require you to transfer your assets. Instead, it connects directly to your existing brokerage accounts - like Fidelity, Vanguard, or Schwab - through read-only access. This is done using trusted aggregators such as Plaid and Finicity (Mastercard). By doing this, Mezzi gets a full view of your financial landscape, spanning 401(k)s, IRAs, and taxable accounts, without ever moving your funds or executing trades.

The platform’s AI provides fiduciary guidance on important topics like tax optimization, portfolio diversification, and retirement planning. Mezzi takes a different approach to fees too. Instead of charging the typical 1% AUM fee, it offers a flat annual subscription. Over 30 years, this could result in significant potential savings, depending on your portfolio size and investment returns. Now let’s break down Mezzi’s standout features, who it’s designed for, and how much it costs.

One of Mezzi’s key strategies, called "tax alpha", aims to enhance after-tax returns by approximately 1%-2% annually in certain scenarios. On a $1M portfolio, this could potentially result in $10,000 to $20,000 in additional after-tax value each year, depending on individual circumstances. Its AI actively monitors your accounts to provide actionable advice year-round, including tax-loss harvesting, managing wash sale risks, and optimizing between Roth and Traditional accounts. For instance, if you sell a position to harvest a loss, Mezzi will notify you when the 30-day wash sale window has passed, so you can decide whether to repurchase.

Mezzi's Main Features

One of Mezzi’s most talked-about tools is the Portfolio X-Ray. It highlights overlapping stock exposure across ETFs, mutual funds, and individual holdings, helping you spot when you’re unknowingly paying fees for the same stocks.

Shuping, Founder of Summer AI, shared: "Mezzi's X-Ray feature allowed me to uncover exposure to stocks I didn't realize I had".

For retirement planning, Mezzi goes beyond generic calculators. It builds automated plans based on your actual account data. Whether you’re aiming for a traditional retirement or pursuing FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) at 45, Mezzi offers tailored contribution strategies, including mega backdoor Roth options. Plus, it adjusts your plan automatically as markets or your personal situation change.

Who Mezzi Is For

Mezzi is ideal for financially savvy professionals managing complex portfolios across multiple platforms. It’s especially popular with doctors, tech workers, and other professionals who need reliable, high-level guidance without the hefty fees of traditional advisors.

Andre, Author of FAANG Fire, remarked: "I've tried a lot of personal finance products. This is the only one with deeply integrated AI and the team is shipping updates quickly".

Mezzi appeals to those who are confident handling their own trades but want expert insights to back their decisions.

Mezzi Pricing

Mezzi offers three subscription tiers to suit different needs:

• Core: $299/year. This includes unlimited AI chat, proactive monitoring, the X-Ray tool, tax optimization guidance, and returns analysis across all connected accounts.
• Plus: $499/year. Adds advanced AI capabilities, early access to new features, and concierge support via video, phone, and email.
• White Glove: $1,499/year. Includes everything in Plus, plus personalized AI coaching via video calls and unlimited support from the Mezzi team.

What Is Public.com?

Public.com is a trading platform that combines commission-free investing with social features. It describes itself as the "world's first agentic brokerage", offering AI-driven tools that can manage portfolios and automate strategies for users. The platform supports a wide range of assets, including over 9,000 stocks and ETFs, more than 40 cryptocurrencies, and options - all accessible through a mobile-focused interface. Beyond trading, it fosters a community-driven experience.

What sets Public.com apart is its emphasis on community interaction. Users can engage in discussion boards to exchange ideas and explore "Themes", which are curated collections of stocks centered on specific topics like Space Exploration, Fighting Disease, or Green Power. The "Most Popular Stocks" theme is updated monthly based on user activity. Interestingly, 56% of investors report relying on friends for advice when making investment decisions, highlighting the value of this feature.

Public.com also offers AI-powered tools to enhance the investing experience. The Generated Assets feature allows users to create custom, investable indexes with plain-language prompts, which can then be backtested against benchmarks like the S&P 500. Additionally, the Alpha Research Assistant, leveraging GPT-4, answers questions about individual stocks and market trends. For earnings season, the platform's Earnings Hub provides AI-generated summaries of calls and key performance metrics.

Jessica Inskip, Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, remarked: "Public is doing some genuinely innovative things, especially with Generated Assets and fixed income. It's exciting to see a broker rethink how investors generate ideas".

However, Public.com has its limitations. It does not currently support mutual funds, futures, or forex trading, and lacks custodial accounts or trusts - though these features are reportedly on the way. Despite these gaps, the platform's overall offerings stand out. Public.com's order execution quality is measured at 94%, slightly below the industry average of 97.51%. Nevertheless, it has been recognized with #1 rankings for Crypto Trading and AI Tools in 2026 by StockBrokers.com.

Public.com's Main Features

Public.com enhances the trading experience with several standout features. Its social trading tools allow users to follow friends, view their portfolios, and join discussions directly within the app. For options traders, the platform offers rebates ranging from $0.06 to $0.18 per contract, effectively incentivizing trading activity.

The Treasury Account feature provides fractionalized access to U.S. Treasury bills, offering a high-yield alternative to traditional savings accounts. As of April 2026, the High-Yield Cash Account delivers a 3.30% APY with up to $5 million in FDIC insurance through partner banks. Public.com also opens the door to alternative investments, including fractional shares of fine art, collectibles like sneakers and comic books, and even music royalties, such as those from the Shrek franchise.

For investment research, the Key Moments feature integrates AI-generated summaries into asset performance charts, helping users understand significant price movements. The platform's mobile-first interface has also drawn praise for its polished design. NerdWallet's Sam Taube described it as having "aesthetic touches that feel a little more elegant" compared to other trading apps.

Who Public.com Is For

Public.com appeals to new investors and casual traders who value community-driven insights. According to a survey, 26% of Public's users turn to online communities for feedback on their investments. The platform is particularly well-suited for beginners exploring thematic investing or testing out AI-generated portfolio tools. However, it may not satisfy advanced traders looking for in-depth technical analysis or access to mutual funds. As noted by StockBrokers.com, "Public shines as a place for cash, Treasuries, crypto, or passive investing, but it lacks the depth and flexibility to replace a primary brokerage".

Public.com Pricing

Public.com offers commission-free trading for stocks and ETFs. Options trading is also commission-free, with rebates of $0.06 to $0.18 per contract based on trading volume. Cryptocurrency trades incur a 1.25% markup for orders above $500, while smaller orders have fees ranging from $0.49 to $6.49.

For users seeking additional perks, Public Premium is available for $10 per month or $96 annually. This subscription unlocks enhanced data, Morningstar research, and extended-hours trading. Premium access is free for accounts with balances over $50,000. Non-premium users can access extended-hours trading for $2.99 per trade. The Generated Assets feature carries a 0.49% annual management fee, while Direct Indexing requires a $1,000 minimum investment and a 0.19% annual fee.

Other costs include a 1% uncapped match for users transferring existing brokerage portfolios, a $100 fee for outgoing ACAT transfers, and a $3.99 monthly inactivity fee for accounts with no activity for six months and balances under $70.

Mezzi vs. Public.com: Feature Comparison

Mezzi and Public.com cater to different aspects of financial management. Mezzi serves as an AI-driven wealth management platform, consolidating accounts from various institutions like Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard into one dashboard for a complete view of your finances. It operates with read-only access, offering portfolio analysis and fiduciary advice while leaving trade execution to your existing brokerages. On the other hand, Public.com is a trading platform where users can actively buy and sell stocks, ETFs, crypto, and bonds all in one place.

While Mezzi excels at portfolio analysis, Public.com focuses on real-time trading. Public.com offers commission-free trades, options rebates, and even a 1% IRA match. Mezzi doesn’t handle trades directly but provides actionable insights, such as identifying tax-loss harvesting opportunities, avoiding wash sale risks, and crafting rebalancing strategies.

Manish Jain, Mezzi's CEO, explains: "We are an AI fiduciary financial advisor registered with the SEC to provide you with holistic advice for tax, retirement, and asset allocation".

Here’s how both platforms align with different financial goals.

Wealth Management vs. Trading Execution

Mezzi’s strength lies in comprehensive wealth optimization. By connecting to hundreds of U.S. brokerages, it assesses your entire financial portfolio without requiring asset transfers. Its AI uncovers risks like sector overexposure and suggests tax-efficient rebalancing. Mezzi users reportedly save an average of $10,000 in advisory fees compared to traditional financial advisors.

Public.com, however, is built for active trading. It allows users to manage assets directly within their Public account, offering tools like automated recurring purchases and real-time trade execution. With a 99.994% uptime, Public also provides a High-Yield Cash Account with 3.30% APY and up to $5 million in FDIC insurance. For retirement savers, Public.com offers Traditional, Roth, and Crypto IRAs with an uncapped 1% match on rollovers and transfers.

Next, let’s examine how each platform approaches portfolio management and account visibility.

Account Aggregation and Portfolio View

Mezzi offers a holistic portfolio view, analyzing accounts across multiple institutions to identify risks like wash sales, overlapping investments, and inefficient asset locations in Roth, Traditional, and taxable accounts. This cross-account analysis is something traditional advisors often can’t provide if they manage only a subset of your assets.

Public.com, in contrast, operates as a self-contained ecosystem. While it supports automation through a robust API, its primary focus is on managing assets held within the platform. Public encourages users to consolidate portfolios by offering a 1% match on transfers, but it lacks the multi-institution analysis that Mezzi provides.

Jessica Inskip of StockBrokers.com notes that Public.com "shines as a place for cash, Treasuries, crypto, or passive investing, but it lacks the depth and flexibility to replace a primary brokerage".

Now, let’s see how AI and community features differentiate these platforms.

AI Advice vs. Community Insights

Mezzi’s AI delivers personalized fiduciary advice, analyzing your connected accounts to provide tailored guidance on tax strategies, portfolio risks, and asset allocation. Its advanced reasoning models, including GPT-5 for Plus members, answer complex financial questions anytime. According to Manish Jain, Mezzi’s focus on precision ensures accurate exposure calculations.

Public.com emphasizes a community-driven approach. Users can engage in discussions, follow friends’ portfolios, and access insights through its Alpha Research Assistant, powered by GPT-4. Additionally, the Generated Assets feature allows users to create custom index ETFs with simple prompts. A survey found that 26% of Public’s users rely on its community for investment feedback.

Feature	Mezzi	Public.com
Primary Function	AI Fiduciary Wealth Management	Active Trading & Execution
Account Access	Read-only aggregation (multi-institution)	Direct execution (single platform)
Advice Model	Personalized AI Advisor (SEC-registered)	Community insights & AI research tools
Retirement Focus	Allocation & tax optimization across IRAs	1% IRA contribution match
Tax Strategy	Automated tax-loss harvesting insights	Direct indexing for tax optimization
Trade Execution	None (User trades at their brokerage)	Real-time trading of stocks, crypto, bonds
Order Execution Quality	N/A	94% (below 97.51% industry average)

Pros and Cons

Let’s break down the key strengths and weaknesses of Mezzi and Public.com to help you decide which platform aligns with your financial goals.

Mezzi stands out for its comprehensive wealth management tools and tax optimization across multiple accounts, while Public.com focuses on being a low-cost trading platform with features for generating yield.

Mezzi offers SEC-registered fiduciary AI advice that looks at your entire portfolio without requiring asset transfers. This approach can significantly lower advisory fees compared to traditional models. Its tax optimization tools are especially valuable, identifying opportunities for AI tax-loss harvesting and tracking wash sale risks across all connected accounts - capabilities that many advisors lack when they only manage part of your assets. On the downside, Mezzi’s subscription costs range from $299 to $1,499 per year, and it does not execute trades, meaning you’ll need to act on its recommendations manually through your existing brokerage accounts.

Public.com, on the other hand, takes a more active trading approach with community-driven features. It provides commission-free trading and offers rebates of $0.06–$0.18 per options contract. The platform also includes a high-yield cash account with a 3.30% APY and up to $5 million in FDIC insurance. Additionally, Public.com offers a 1% IRA match on contributions and transfers. However, it has some drawbacks: it doesn’t support mutual funds, charges crypto transaction fees ranging from $0.49 to 1.25%, and its order execution quality is rated at 94%. Access to advanced research tools and market data requires a Premium subscription costing $10 per month.

Sam Taube of NerdWallet points out: "Public is almost certainly the only broker that will pay you to trade options".

Comparison Table

Here’s a side-by-side look at how the two platforms compare:

Aspect	Mezzi	Public.com
Primary Strength	Fiduciary advice & tax optimization across all accounts	Low-cost trading with yield features
Cost	$299–$1,499/year subscription	Free (Premium: $10/month or $96/year)
Trade Execution	None (advice only)	Yes (stocks, ETFs, crypto, bonds, options)
Tax Tools	Advanced (tax-loss harvesting, wash sale tracking)	Basic (direct indexing for on-platform assets)
Account Aggregation	Multi-institution (read-only)	Single platform (direct holdings)
Yield Products	N/A	3.30% APY cash account; 3.71% Treasury ladders
Options Trading	Not supported	Rebates up to $0.18/contract
Mutual Funds	Supported via aggregation	Not offered
User Ratings	4.7/5 (Apple App Store, 97 ratings)	4.4/5 (NerdWallet); 3.0/5 (StockBrokers.com)
Key Limitation	No trade execution; subscription cost	Below-average execution quality; lacks mutual funds
Best For	Investors seeking holistic advice & tax efficiency	Active traders & passive income seekers

Which Platform Should You Choose?

The right platform depends on how you prefer to manage your finances.

Go with Mezzi if you have accounts spread across multiple financial institutions and want a unified view of your portfolio without transferring assets. Mezzi offers secure, read-only access to various accounts and operates as an SEC-registered fiduciary advisor. For example, if your portfolio is worth $1 million, Mezzi's tax strategies could save you anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 annually.

Manish Jain, Mezzi's CEO, explains, "We are an AI fiduciary financial advisor registered with the SEC to provide you with holistic advice for tax, retirement, and asset allocation".

This makes Mezzi an excellent choice for those seeking comprehensive financial advice.

On the other hand, choose Public.com if you prefer active trading within a single brokerage account. Public.com allows commission-free trades and offers the chance to invest in AI-driven thematic indexes, such as the "Top 20 Large Cap AI Leaders" index. This index comes with a 0.49% annual fee and requires a $1,000 minimum investment.

Mezzi focuses on managing your entire portfolio, while Public.com is tailored to executing trades actively. The decision ultimately boils down to whether you want an all-encompassing financial overview or a streamlined trading experience. Some investors might even use both - leveraging Mezzi for overall financial strategy while using Public.com as a platform for executing specific trades.

Conclusion

When comparing Mezzi and Public.com, it’s clear that each platform caters to distinct financial goals and investor preferences. Mezzi operates as an SEC-registered fiduciary advisor, offering personalized wealth management by aggregating accounts and providing tailored insights. On the other hand, Public.com focuses on commission-free trading across stocks, ETFs, crypto, and bonds, while incorporating dynamic social and community features to enhance user engagement.

The right choice ultimately depends on what you need. If you’re a professional managing multiple accounts and looking for fiduciary-level advice on tax strategies, finding hidden fees, and portfolio risk - without transferring your assets - Mezzi offers a comprehensive solution, with annual fees ranging from $299 to $1,499.

In contrast, Public.com appeals to beginners and active traders who value an intuitive trading experience combined with social features like Discord groups and portfolio sharing. While it excels in trade execution and fostering community interaction, it doesn’t provide the in-depth wealth advisory services that Mezzi does.

FAQs

How does Mezzi keep my linked accounts secure with read-only access?

Mezzi prioritizes the security of your linked accounts by partnering with well-known platforms such as Plaid and Finicity. These integrations are strictly read-only, ensuring your financial data remains secure and is only accessed for viewing. This setup allows you to keep an eye on your accounts with peace of mind, knowing your sensitive information is protected.

What actions do I still need to take after Mezzi gives advice?

After Mezzi shares its financial advice, it’s up to you to put that guidance into action. This means linking your investment accounts, keeping an eye on performance, and leveraging Mezzi’s insights to spot opportunities for tax savings and fine-tuning your portfolio. You’ll also need to handle your investments by making trades or adjustments through your brokerage account - either manually or with automation tools if they’re an option.

Which Mezzi plan should I choose for my portfolio complexity?

Mezzi provides a range of plans designed to match varying portfolio needs. The basic plan works well for simpler portfolios, offering essential features at no cost. For those seeking more advanced tools, paid plans range from $9.99 to $499 annually, delivering options like tax optimization and wealth consolidation. If you’re managing a high-net-worth portfolio or dealing with complex assets, the higher-tier plans offer the robust capabilities you might need. However, for straightforward portfolios, the basic or lower-cost options should cover your needs effectively.

Disclosures:

• This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
• Past performance is not indicative of future results. No guarantee of future performance or outcomes is implied.
• Savings and performance examples are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Actual results will vary based on individual circumstances, portfolio composition, market conditions, and fees.
• Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or that the SEC has approved the company or its services.

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