M1 Finance vs Acorns

M1 Finance is a no-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments. How does it compare to Acorns? Read our comparison chart below.

M1 Finance offers free automated investing with no commissions or account fees. Unlike other robo-advisors, 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.

While Acorns is geared towards young investors who have trouble saving. This investment app automatically rounds up and invests your spare change whenever you make a purchase. The service fee starts at $3/month for accounts. There is no minimum to open.

Compare M1 Finance with Acorns, side-by-side. Read on for an in-depth look, including ratings, reviews, pros and cons.

	M1 Finance	Acorns

	Visit Site	Visit Site
	SPECIAL OFFER M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus - Learn More Read M1 Finance Review	SPECIAL OFFER $20 Investment Bonus - Learn More Read Acorns Review
	Benefits and Features
Savings		No
Stock Trading	$0	Part of service fee. No add-on trading fees.
Options Trading	No	No
Annual Fee	None	$3/mo for Acorns Personal (includes personal taxable account, IRA, and checking account) $5/mo for Acorns Personal Plus (includes everything in Personal, emergency fund, and 25% match on rewards) $9/mo Acorns Premium (includes everything in Personal Plus, investment accounts for kids, 50% match on rewards, and custom portfolio)
Cryptocurrency Trading	No	No
Minimum Deposit	$100	$0
Checking		Yes
Mutual Fund Trading	No	No
Commission Free ETFs	All U.S. listed ETFs	A selection automatically chosen by Acorns
Phone Support	Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm EST	Yes
Live Chat Support	No	No
Email Support	Yes	Yes
Human Advisors	No	No
Robo Advisor	Hybrid; You choose your own investments and M1 trades & manages your portfolio for you	Yes
Assets Under Management	$4.5 Billion	$4.7 Billion
Tax Loss Harvesting	No, but offers tax minimization features	No
Goal Tracker	No	Yes
Automatic Deposits	Yes	Yes
Broker Assisted Trades	Included	Acorns automatically invest and trade for you
Good For	DIY investing with passive portfolio management	Beginners; Passive investors; Those who have trouble saving/investing on their own
Inactivity Fee	$20 (for accounts with less than $20 and no activity for 90+ days)	None, but you will keep paying the monthly fee
Maintenance Fee	$0	Monthly fee for the service
Online Platform	Yes	Yes
iPhone App	Yes (4.6 stars, 33.3k ratings)	Yes (4.7 stars, 760k ratings)
Android App	Yes (4.5 stars, 15.7k ratings)	Yes (4.3 stars, 156k ratings)
Banking	All users can open a M1 Spend account with free debit card. No monthly service fees and no balance requirements.	Included in Acorns Personal ($3/mo). Free metal debit card, no minimum balance, no overdraft fees, and 55,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide.
Mobile App		Yes
Two-Factor Authentication	Yes	Yes
Locations	No	No
Online Community	No	No
Seminars	No	No
Virtual Trading	No	No
Fractional Shares	Yes	Yes
Taxable Accounts	Yes	Yes
401k Plans	No	No
IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
Roth IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
SEP IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
Trust Accounts	Yes	No
529 Plans	No	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews

Annual Fee
Minimum Deposit
Customer Service
Mobile App
Ease of Use
Research
Pros & Cons	Pros: Choose your own investments Can invest in individual stocks No account fees Cons: No research No human advisors Can only trade once a day	Pros: No minimum to open account Invest with spare change Cash-back program Cons: Fees are high for small balances No tax benefits Limited investment options
Bottom Line	No-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments... Read full review	Investment app that automatically invests your spare change. Good for young investors to get into the habit... Read full review
	Visit Site	Visit Site
	M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus Transfer and Earn Up to $15,000 Commission Free Stock Trading	$20 Investment Bonus Try Acorns Today! Acorns Invest: Invest Spare Change
Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details. M1 Finance: Pricing information from published website as of 02/28/2020 Acorns: Pricing information from published website as of 09/28/2020.

M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus

Open a new M1 investment account. Deposit $10,000 or more into the account within 14 calendar days of account opening. Promotional credit will depend on the deposited value made into the account.

Deposited Value	Promotional Credit
$10,000 - $29,999.99	$75
$30,000 - $49,999.99	$150
$50,000 - $99,999.99	$250
$100,000+	$500

This offer is only for customers who have never registered for an M1 user account.

Get Deal

Expires 12/31/2023

Transfer and Earn Up to $15,000

Complete an Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) of at least $100,000 in aggregate and earn up to $15,000. Promotional credit will depend on the amount transferred to the account.

Transfer Account Value	Promotional Credit
$100,000 - $249,999.99	$250
$250,000 - $499,999.99	$1,000
$500,000 - $999,999.99	$2,000
$1,000,000 - $1,999,999.99	$4,000
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999	$10,000
$5,000,000+	$15,000

This offer is valid for new and existing M1 customers.

Get Deal

Expires 11/15/2023

Commission Free Stock Trading

Start Investing

M1 Finance allows investors the choice of ETFs and stocks. M1 charges no management fees or commission.

$20 Investment Bonus

Get $20 Investment Bonus

Open an Acorns account (new users only)
Set up the Recurring Investments feature
Have your first investment be made successfully via the Recurring Investments feature

Try Acorns Today!

Get Deal

Acorns Invest: Invest Spare Change

Automatically Save and Invest

Which is Better: M1 Finance or Acorns?

Still need help deciding which investing is better? Read the in-depth reviews below. You may also be interested in comparing M1 Finance or Robinhood.

In short: M1 Finance's annual fee is excellent.

Articles on M1 Finance

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M1 Finance Alternatives

M1 Finance is a popular app for fee-free investing. But is there a better option for you? Find out in this detailed guide to M1 Finance alternatives.

Articles on Acorns

Acorns

Acorns automatically invests your spare change. But can it help make you money? Find out if this app is safe and legit.

Is Acorns Legit or Safe

Acorns lets you invest spare change from every purchase. But is it safe to use? Learn just how secure the micro-investing app is.

How to Make Money Using Acorns

Acorns "rounds up" everyday purchases and invests it for you. What's the catch? Read this review to find out how to make money using the app.

Comments

Olivia Tabor from Texas
on April 2019 said about Acorns:
I have both Acorns and Robinhood and even though they each serve a different purpose I don't have the freedom of stock purchase that I really like. I believe Acorns diversifies for my needs more effectively.

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