M1 Finance vs Vanguard

M1 Finance is a no-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments. How does it compare to Vanguard? 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 Vanguard offers $0 commission on stock and ETF online trades, $0 commission on Vanguard mutual funds, and no minimum deposit.

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

	M1 Finance	Vanguard


	SPECIAL OFFER M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus - Learn More Read M1 Finance Review	Norton Internet Security 60-day free subscription - Learn More Read Vanguard Review
	Benefits and Features
Stock Trading	$0	$0
Options Trading	No	$0 + $1-per-contract fee. Discounts available if you have more than $1 million assets invested in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Annual Fee	None
Cryptocurrency Trading	No
Minimum Deposit	$100	$0
Mutual Fund Trading	No	$0 for Vanguard mutual funds
Commission Free ETFs	All U.S. listed ETFs	Around 1,800 ETFs from about 100 other companies
Phone Support	Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm EST
Live Chat Support	No
Email Support	Yes
Human Advisors	No
Robo Advisor	Hybrid; You choose your own investments and M1 trades & manages your portfolio for you
Assets Under Management	$4.5 Billion
Tax Loss Harvesting	No, but offers tax minimization features
Goal Tracker	No
Automatic Deposits	Yes
Broker Assisted Trades	Included	$25.00
Customer Service		Monday-Friday 8am -10pm ET
Good For	DIY investing with passive portfolio management
Inactivity Fee	$20 (for accounts with less than $20 and no activity for 90+ days)	$0
Maintenance Fee	$0	$20/year. Waived if account owner signs up for e-delivery service OR have at least $10,000 in Vanguard ETFs and mutual funds
Online Platform	Yes
iPhone App	Yes (4.6 stars, 33.3k ratings)
Android App	Yes (4.5 stars, 15.7k ratings)
Banking	All users can open a M1 Spend account with free debit card. No monthly service fees and no balance requirements.	No
Mobile App		Yes
Desktop App		Yes
Two-Factor Authentication	Yes
Forex Trading		Yes
Futures Trading		No
Locations	No	No
Online Community	No	No
Seminars	No	Yes
Virtual Trading	No	No
Fractional Shares	Yes
Taxable Accounts	Yes
401k Plans	No
IRA Accounts	Yes
Roth IRA Accounts	Yes
SEP IRA Accounts	Yes
Trust Accounts	Yes
529 Plans	No
	CreditDonkey® Reviews

Annual Fee
Minimum Deposit
Customer Service
Mobile App
Ease of Use
Research
Stock Trading
Options Trading
Mutual Fund Trading
Commissions and Fees
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: Large selection of mutual funds and commission-free ETFs Broker assistance is available at no additional cost Easy to use Cons: Commission structure penalizes frequent traders Customer service wait times Commission costs on non-Vanguard investment options
Bottom Line	No-fee robo-advisor that allows you to choose your own investments... Read full review	Good choice for ETF and mutual fund investors interested in Vanguard-sponsored investments... Read full review

	M1 Investment Account - Up to $500 Bonus Transfer and Earn Up to $10,000 Commission Free Stock Trading
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 Vanguard: Pricing information from published websites as of 09/15/2019.

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 $10,000

Complete an Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) of at least $50,000 in aggregate and earn up to $10,000. Promotional credit will depend on the amount transferred to the account.

Transfer Account Value	Promotional Credit
$50,000 - $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+	$10,000

This offer is valid for new and existing M1 customers.

Get Deal

Expires 3/31/2023

Commission Free Stock Trading

Start Investing

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

Which is Better: M1 Finance or Vanguard?

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.

In short: M1 Finance's mobile app is notable. Vanguard's research is worth mentioning.

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Vanguard Brokerage may be a full-service broker, but typically long-term investors preferring ETFs and mutual funds see the greatest return on their investment with them.