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M1 Finance Product Profile
The hybrid between a brokerage and a robo-advisor — build your own portfolio, automate the investing
Editorial review record is being refreshed.
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Product resource
M1 Finance
Free plan available
The Bottom Line
M1 Finance is The hybrid between a brokerage and a robo-advisor — build your own portfolio, automate the investing. This profile summarizes the product's current positioning, available features, pricing notes, and primary sources while the independent editorial review record is being refreshed.
What is M1 Finance?
M1 Finance was founded in 2015 by Brian Barnes in Chicago, Illinois. It raised $300M+ in venture funding and manages $8B+ in assets. The 'pie' portfolio model is M1's core innovation: a visual, circular chart where each slice represents a holding's target allocation. When you deposit money, M1 automatically buys fractional shares to maintain your pie percentages. M1 has expanded from just brokerage into banking (M1 Spend checking account), borrowing (M1 Borrow — portfolio margin loans), and premium services (M1 Plus).
What does M1 Finance offer?
M1 Invest is free with no trading commissions, no management fee, and no minimum (though $100 recommended to start). Fractional shares mean $1 buys a piece of any stock or ETF. Expert pies: pre-built portfolios curated by M1 for specific strategies (dividend, growth, retirement). Dynamic rebalancing: deposits and dividends go to underweight positions first. M1 Premium ($3/mo) includes an FDIC-insured checking account, 1% APY on savings, portfolio line of credit (M1 Borrow at portfolio% rate), and a 1% cash-back card. Traditional and Roth IRA available.
M1 Basic (free)
$0
/month
M1 Premium
$3
/month
Editorial assessment refresh
We are re-sourcing our prior score and tier before publishing a numerical rating or testing claim for this product. The product details, pricing notes, and linked sources remain available while that work is completed.
Ready to try M1 Finance? Free plan available — no credit card required.
Get M1 Finance →Frequently Asked Questions
Is M1 Finance worth it in 2026?
M1 Finance has a current product profile, but we are not publishing an independent value verdict until its editorial review record is sourced. Confirm current pricing, limits, and fit with the provider.
What is M1 Finance best for?
M1 Finance is best for: Passive investors who want to maintain a specific stock/ETF allocation without active trading, Index fund investors who want more control than a robo-advisor but more automation than a traditional brokerage, Investors building a dividend portfolio (the pie model makes DRIP allocation maintenance easy).
Does M1 Finance have a free plan?
Yes — M1 Finance offers a free tier: Free forever — no management fee, no trading commissions; $100 minimum recommended to start.
What are the best M1 Finance alternatives?
Top alternatives to M1 Finance include betterment, wealthfront, fidelity.
Review the current product details and sources above, then confirm plan limits and pricing directly with the provider before choosing a plan.
Get M1 Finance →Free tier available — no credit card required