E*TRADE vs M1 Finance
E*TRADE is an online broker with one of the best user interfaces. How does it compare to M1 Finance? Read our comparison chart below.
E*TRADE offers stock trades at $0 per trade. There is a $500 minimum deposit, no maintenance fee and no inactivity fee.
While M1 Finance offers automated investing with no commissions or trading fees. M1 lets you select your own investments and their automation will manage it for you. This is great for investors who want a say. The downside is that there are no human advisors. The minimum to start is just $100.
Compare E*TRADE with M1 Finance, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.
E*TRADE | M1 Finance | |
|---|---|---|
Learn more about E*TRADE - | Commission Free Stock Trading - | |
Benefits and Features | ||
| Stock Trading | ||
| Options Trading |
| |
| Annual Fee | A $3 monthly platform fee will apply to clients with less than $10,000 in M1 assets or without an active M1 Personal Loan. | |
| Cryptocurrency Trading | ||
| Minimum Deposit | $0 for self-directed brokerage accounts; Managed portfolios start at $500 minimum | $100 ($500 for IRAs, $5,000 for Trust Account) |
| Mutual Fund Trading | $0 for no-load, no-transaction-fee funds; $19.99 for transaction-fee funds | |
| Commission Free ETFs | All U.S. listed ETFs | |
| Phone Support | Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm EST | |
| Live Chat Support | ||
| Email Support | ||
| Human Advisors | ||
| Assets Under Management | ||
| Penny Stocks | ||
| Tax Loss Harvesting | No, but offers tax minimization features | |
| Goal Tracker | ||
| Automatic Deposits | ||
| Broker Assisted Trades | ||
| Good For | DIY investing with passive portfolio management | |
| Inactivity Fee | $50 (for accounts with $50 or less and no trading or deposit activity for 90+ days) | |
| Maintenance Fee | $3 monthly platform fee for accounts with less than $10,000 in M1 assets, or without an active M1 Personal Loan | |
| Online Platform | ||
| iPhone App | ||
| Android App | ||
| Banking | Checking account offers no minimum balance requirements, free online bill pay, and unlimited debit card and check transactions. | |
| Mobile App | ||
| Desktop App | Power E*TRADE Pro (requires you to execute at least 30 trades during a calendar quarter or maintain brokerage account balance of at least $250,000) | |
| Two-Factor Authentication | ||
| Futures Trading | $1.50 per contract, per side + fees (excluding bitcoin futures) | |
| Customer Service | ||
| Locations | ||
| Online Community | ||
| Seminars | ||
| Trading Platform | ||
| Virtual Trading | ||
| Fractional Shares | ||
| Taxable Accounts | ||
| 401k Plans | ||
| IRA Accounts | ||
| Roth IRA Accounts | ||
| SEP IRA Accounts | ||
| Trust Accounts | ||
| 529 Plans | ||
CreditDonkey® Reviews | ||
| Stock Trading | ||
| Options Trading | ||
| Banking | ||
| Mobile App | ||
| Commissions and Fees | ||
| Ease of Use | ||
| Online Community | ||
| Research | ||
| Trading Platform | ||
| Annual Fee | ||
| Minimum Deposit | ||
| Customer Service | ||
| Pros & Cons | Pros:
| Pros:
|
| Bottom Line | Online broker with one of the best user interfaces... | Commission-free investing app that allows you to choose your own investments... |
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. E*TRADE: Pricing information from published website as of 11/18/2025. M1 Finance: Pricing information from published website as of 12/26/2023. | ||
Which is Better: E*TRADE or M1 Finance?
Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing E*TRADE or Robinhood.
In short: E*TRADE's research is notable.








