M1 Finance vs Betterment

M1 Finance is a no-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments. How does it compare to Betterment? 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 Betterment offers automatic investing starting at an annual fee of 0.25% of your account balance. There is no fee to open an account and no minimum deposit required. All balances get automatic rebalancing, tax loss harvesting, and access to financial experts.

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

	M1 Finance	Betterment


	SPECIAL OFFER M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus - Learn More Read M1 Finance Review	SPECIAL OFFER Get up to 1 Year Managed Free - Learn More Read Betterment Review
	Benefits and Features
Savings
Stock Trading	$0
Options Trading	No
Annual Fee	None	0.25% for accounts under $100,000 0.40% for accounts $100,000+
Cryptocurrency Trading	No
Minimum Deposit	$100	$0
Checking		No-Fee Checking
Mutual Fund Trading	No
Commission Free ETFs	All U.S. listed ETFs
Phone Support	Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm EST	Yes
Live Chat Support	No	No
Email Support	Yes	Yes
Human Advisors	No	Yes ($100k minimum)
Robo Advisor	Hybrid; You choose your own investments and M1 trades & manages your portfolio for you
Assets Under Management	$4.5 Billion	$14 Billion
Tax Loss Harvesting	No, but offers tax minimization features	Yes
Goal Tracker	No	Yes
Automatic Deposits	Yes	Yes
Broker Assisted Trades	Included
Good For	DIY investing with passive portfolio management
Inactivity Fee	$20 (for accounts with less than $20 and no activity for 90+ days)
Maintenance Fee	$0
Online Platform	Yes	Yes
iPhone App	Yes (4.6 stars, 33.3k ratings)	Yes
Android App	Yes (4.5 stars, 15.7k ratings)	Yes
Banking	All users can open a M1 Spend account with free debit card. No monthly service fees and no balance requirements.
Mobile App		Yes
Two-Factor Authentication	Yes
Locations	No
Online Community	No
Seminars	No
Virtual Trading	No
Single Stock Diversification		No
Fractional Shares	Yes	Yes
Taxable Accounts	Yes	Yes
401k Plans	No	Yes
IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
Roth IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
SEP IRA Accounts	Yes	Yes
Trust Accounts	Yes	Yes
529 Plans	No	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews

Annual Fee
Minimum Deposit
Customer Service
Mobile App
Ease of Use
Research
Human Advisors
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 investment Customized portfolios Automatically invest extra funds Cons: Limited investment options High fees for large investors
Bottom Line	No-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments... Read full review	Great robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies... Read full review

	M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus Commission Free Stock Trading Transfer and Earn Up to $15,000	Get up to 1 Year Managed Free Get 1 Month Managed Free Get 6 Months Managed Free
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 Betterment: Pricing information from published website as of 04/04/2018

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

Commission Free Stock Trading

Start Investing

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

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 6/17/2023

Which is Better: M1 Finance or Betterment?

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

Articles on M1 Finance

M1 Review

M1 Finance lets you invest in stocks and ETFs without fees. But is it safe? Find out the pros and cons, and if it's legit.

Best M1 Finance Pie

M1 Finance is a fee-free investment app offering pre-selected portfolios called "pies." What's the best M1 Finance Pie? Find out.

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 Betterment

Betterment Investing

Betterment offers low fees and good returns. But there are risks you should NOT ignore. Read this review to see if Betterment is better.

Betterment Fees

Betterment offers no minimum deposit and good returns. But are the fees worth it? Read on to learn about this robo-advisor's costs.

Is Betterment Safe

Betterment offers low fees, no minimum balance and good returns. But is it a good idea? Find out if it's safe to invest your money with this robo-advisor.