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Betterment vs M1 Finance

Betterment is a great robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies. How does it compare to M1 Finance? Read our comparison chart below.

Betterment offers automatic investing starting at $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000. 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.

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

 

Betterment

M1 Finance

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Compare Pricing - Learn More

Read Betterment Review

SPECIAL OFFER
Commission Free Stock Trading - Learn More

Read M1 Finance Review

 

Benefits and Features

Savings
  • Betterment Cash Reserve - Earn 4.75% APY**
 
Stock Trading 
$0
Options Trading 
No
Annual Fee
  • Digital: 0.25% annual fee for accounts with $20,000 or more or with monthly recurring deposits of $250 or more, $4/month for accounts with less than $20,000
  • Premium: 0.65% for accounts $100,000 or more
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 
Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0
$100 ($500 for IRAs, $5,000 for Trust Account)
Checking
No-Fee Checking
 
Mutual Fund Trading 
No
Commission Free ETFs All U.S. listed ETFs
Phone Support
Yes
Monday - Friday 9:30 am to 4 pm EST
Live Chat Support
No
No
Email Support
Yes
Yes
Human Advisors
Yes ($100k minimum)
No
Robo Advisor
Yes
 
Assets Under Management
$50+ Billion
$4.5 Billion
Minimum Investment
$0
 
Tax Loss Harvesting
Yes
No, but offers tax minimization features
Goal Tracker
Yes
No
Automatic Deposits
Yes
Yes
Broker Assisted Trades 
Included
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
Yes
Yes
iPhone App
Yes
Yes (4.6 stars, 33.3k ratings)
Android App
Yes
Yes (4.5 stars, 15.7k ratings)
BankingOffers checking account with a free debit card, and a high-yield cash account 
Mobile App
iOS & Android
Check
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
Yes
No
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 FeeStarStarStarStarHalf StarStarStarStarStarStar
Minimum DepositStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStarStar
Human AdvisorsStarStarStarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Customer ServiceStarStarStarStarEmpty StarStarStarStarHalf StarEmpty Star
Mobile AppStarStarStarStarHalf Star
Ease of UseStarStarStarStarHalf Star
ResearchStarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty Star
Pros & ConsPros:
  • No minimum investment
  • Customized portfolios
  • Automatically invest extra funds
Cons:
  • Limited investment options
  • High fees for large investors
Pros:
  • Choose your own investments
  • Can invest in individual stocks
  • Morning and afternoon trade windows
Cons:
  • No research
  • No human advisors
  • Platform fee
Bottom LineGreat robo-advisor for beginners with low fees, good tools, and tax strategies... Read full reviewCommission-free investing app that allows you to choose your own investments... Read full review

Blank fields may indicate the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the product website for details.

Betterment: Pricing information from published website as of 04/04/2018

M1 Finance: Pricing information from published website as of 12/26/2023.

Which is Better: Betterment or M1 Finance?

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


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.

Is Betterment Worth The Fee

Betterment will manage your investments, but they charge a fee. Is Betterment worth the fee? Read on to answer all your questions.

Betterment Roth IRA

Is Betterment a good way to invest for retirement? What about the fees and withdrawals? Read on to learn how Betterment's Roth IRA account works.

Betterment vs Wealthfront

Betterment and Wealthfront are two of the oldest and most popular robo-advisors. Is there a difference? Which is better for you? Read on to find out.

Articles on M1 Finance

M1 Review

Is M1 Finance legitimate and safe? Find out the pros, cons, fees, and more. An essential read for beginners interested in M1 Finance.

Best M1 Finance Pie

M1 Finance is a commission-free investment app offering ready-made portfolios that are made up of "pies." What's the best M1 Finance Pie? Find out.

M1 Finance Alternatives

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

Which Do You Think is Best?





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