Finance

Best Apps Like M1 Finance in 2026

M1 Finance lets you build custom "Pie" portfolios that automatically invest and rebalance without paying commissions or management fees.

Why People Look for M1 Finance Alternatives

No real-time trading — orders execute in one or two daily windows.
Limited options, crypto, and international stock access.
Customer support response times have drawn criticism.
M1 Premium features like smart transfers require a monthly subscription.

6 Best Alternatives to M1 Finance

Each app below addresses a specific gap in M1 Finance's offering. We picked them based on real user review patterns and feature differentiation.

Betterment

Goal-Based Robo-Advisor Investing

Betterment manages a diversified ETF portfolio tailored to your goals and risk tolerance. It automates tax-loss harvesting, rebalancing, and dividend reinvestment without requiring you to pick holdings.

Hands-off investors who want full automation Digital: 0.25%/year; Premium: 0.40%/year
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Wealthfront

Automated Investing with Tax Optimization

Wealthfront offers robo-advising with tax-loss harvesting, direct indexing, and a high-yield cash account. Its Path financial planning tool projects retirement and major goals.

Savers who want tax-optimized automated portfolios 0.25%/year; no trading commissions
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Robinhood

Commission-Free Trading with Fractional Shares

Robinhood offers fractional shares and commission-free trading for investors who want to self-direct without automation. Its simplicity suits casual investors who prefer manual control.

Self-directed investors who want to pick their own stocks Free; Robinhood Gold from $5/month
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Schwab Intelligent Portfolios

Free Robo-Advising from a Major Broker

Schwab Intelligent Portfolios charges no advisory fee and invests in a diversified ETF portfolio. It requires a $5,000 minimum and holds a cash allocation as part of the portfolio.

Investors with $5K+ who want free robo-advising Free (0% advisory fee)
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Acorns

Micro-Investing Through Round-Ups

Acorns rounds up everyday purchases and invests the spare change into diversified ETF portfolios. It is designed for people who struggle to save and invest consistently.

New investors who want to build habits through micro-investing From $3/month
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Public

Social Investing with Multi-Asset Access

Public offers self-directed investing in stocks, ETFs, bonds, crypto, and alternatives with a social feed. Unlike M1, trades execute in real time rather than scheduled windows.

Self-directed investors who want real-time execution and community Free; Public Premium from $10/month
Explore Public data →
How we found these alternatives

M1 Finance appeals to self-directed long-term investors who want automation without handing full control to a robo-advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions

M1 earns revenue from M1 Premium subscriptions, margin lending (M1 Borrow), interest on cash, and payment for order flow. Its freemium model keeps basic investing free.

Yes. You can add individual stocks and ETFs to your Pie alongside pre-built Expert Pies. M1 purchases fractional shares so your full portfolio balance stays invested according to your target allocation.

Yes. M1 supports Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, and rollover IRA accounts alongside taxable individual and joint accounts.

App Vulture tracks and compares investing apps including M1 Finance alternatives, showing ratings trends, update cadence, and user sentiment to help you choose the right platform.

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