Public and Betterment are both investment platforms, but they have some important differences. With Public, you are in control of your investment choices. You can also connect with a community of investors to learn about the market. Betterment, on the other hand, builds your portfolio by selecting ETFs on your behalf. In other words, Betterment manages your money and investments. And because Betterment handles your portfolio, it charges an annual management fee. Whether one is better than the other depends on your needs and investment objectives.