M1 Finance Pricing Explained: All Plans, Costs & Fees (2026)
Complete breakdown of M1 Finance pricing — all plans, hidden fees, and how to save money.
M1 Finance Pricing Overview
M1 Finance is one of the most affordable investing platforms available today, with a completely free tier that rivals paid competitors. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Chicago, M1 Finance charges either $0/month for M1 Basic or $3/month for M1 Premium. This puts it at the absolute lowest end of the brokerage pricing spectrum—most competitors charge between $0-$15/month, but M1's free option with minimal limitations makes it exceptionally competitive for budget-conscious investors.
The platform's core value proposition centers on its "Pie" portfolio system, which lets investors build diversified portfolios using fractional shares with zero trading commissions. For passive investors and automated portfolio builders, M1 Finance's pricing structure is difficult to beat.
All M1 Finance Plans Compared
M1 Finance offers two straightforward pricing tiers:
| Feature | M1 Basic (Free) | M1 Premium ($3/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $0 | $3 ($36/year) |
| Trading Commissions | $0 (stocks & ETFs) | $0 (stocks & ETFs) |
| Fractional Shares | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Trading Window | Once per day | Unlimited intraday trades |
| Automatic Rebalancing | Yes | Yes |
| Dividend Reinvestment | Yes | Yes |
| M1 Borrow (Portfolio LOC) | No | Yes |
| Performance Analytics | Basic | Advanced |
| Account Types | Taxable, IRA (Traditional, Roth, SEP) | Taxable, IRA (Traditional, Roth, SEP) |
M1 Basic ($0/month)
M1 Basic is completely free and includes all the core features that make M1 Finance attractive: commission-free stock and ETF trading, fractional shares, automatic portfolio rebalancing, and dividend reinvestment. The main limitation is the single daily trade window, which restricts you to one execution window per trading day. This is intentional—M1 designs the free tier for passive, long-term investors who aren't constantly adjusting positions.
For most buy-and-hold investors, this daily window is irrelevant. You set up your Pie, contribute money, and let automation handle the rest. However, if you need the flexibility to trade multiple times throughout the day, you'll need to upgrade.
M1 Premium ($3/month)
For just $3/month (or $36/year), M1 Premium removes the daily trading window restriction and unlocks unlimited intraday trades. This is the key differentiator. Premium users also gain access to M1 Borrow, a portfolio line-of-credit that lets you borrow against your holdings without liquidating positions—useful if you need cash flow while staying invested.
Premium also includes more advanced performance analytics and reporting. For active traders or those who value maximum flexibility, the upgrade is negligible cost-wise.
Free Plan / Free Trial
M1 Finance's free tier isn't a trial—it's a permanent, full-featured free account. There's no time limit, no feature restrictions beyond the daily trading window, and no "free trial" that expires and converts to paid. You can use M1 Basic indefinitely.
Is the free tier worth starting with? Absolutely, especially if you're a passive investor. The free plan covers:
- Unlimited commission-free trades (within the daily window)
- Fractional shares down to $1 investments
- Automatic rebalancing and dividend reinvestment
- Support for retirement accounts (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA)
- A mobile app with portfolio tracking
- Educational content
The free tier covers the entire use case for hands-off, buy-and-hold investors. You only need Premium if you want intraday trading flexibility or M1 Borrow access. Many investors never upgrade.
Hidden Costs and Fees
M1 Finance's pricing is remarkably transparent, but there are a few costs to know about:
- Margin Fees (M1 Borrow): If you use M1 Borrow through Premium, interest rates apply to borrowed amounts. The exact rate depends on your balance and credit profile, but it's positioned as a competitive alternative to traditional margin accounts.
- No Data Fees: M1 doesn't charge for real-time stock quotes or research tools—these are included with all accounts.
- No Account Minimums: You can open an account with $0 and invest as little as $1 per holding thanks to fractional shares.
- No Inactivity Fees: Leaving your account dormant incurs no charges.
- Transfer Fees: Moving money to/from linked banks is free. Transferring investments from another brokerage typically involves no fee, though some brokers may charge an outgoing transfer fee on their end.
- ETF Expense Ratios: Like all brokerages, the underlying ETFs you own carry expense ratios (typically 0.03%-0.5% annually), but this is an investment cost, not a M1 fee.
M1's lack of hidden fees is one of its biggest selling points. The two-tier pricing ($0 or $3/month) is simple and predictable.
M1 Finance Pricing vs Competitors
How does M1's pricing compare to other brokerages?
| Broker | Free Tier | Premium Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 Finance | $0/mo (daily trades) | $3/mo (unlimited trades) | Passive long-term investors |
| Fidelity | $0/mo | $0/mo (no premium tier) | All investors; more asset classes |
| Schwab | $0/mo | $0/mo (no premium tier) | Comprehensive offerings; active traders |
| Webull | $0/mo | $0-$13/mo (various tiers) | Active/day traders; options |
M1 Finance vs. Fidelity & Schwab: Fidelity and Schwab both offer free accounts with unlimited intraday trading and no subscription tiers. They also support more asset classes (options, bonds, etc.). However, M1 Finance's Pie portfolio system and automated rebalancing are features these platforms don't replicate as cleanly. Fidelity and Schwab target broader audiences; M1 specifically targets passive, rules-based investors.
M1 Finance vs. Webull: Webull offers free basic trading but charges $2.99-$13/month for premium subscriptions that unlock advanced data and features. Webull caters more to active traders with options support. M1's $3/month premium is cheaper and more straightforward.
The verdict: M1 Finance's pricing is tied for the lowest in the industry (alongside truly free platforms), but the real advantage is simplicity and the targeted feature set. You're not paying for features you don't need; you're paying for the Pie system and automation.
Is M1 Finance Worth the Price?
For passive, long-term investors: M1 Finance is exceptional value. The free tier eliminates commission fees entirely and automates portfolio management. Even if you upgrade to Premium ($36/year), you're still spending less than a single coffee per month for unlimited trading flexibility. For buy-and-hold retirement savers, this is a no-brainer.
For active traders: M1 Finance may feel limiting. You can't trade options or futures, there are no advanced charting tools, and the basic tier restricts you to one trade per day. If you need these features, platforms like Webull, TD Ameritrade, or E*TRADE are better fits, even if they cost more.
When to upgrade to Premium ($3/month): If you find yourself wanting to rebalance or make adjustments multiple times within the same trading day, Premium is worth the minimal cost. It also unlocks M1 Borrow, which is valuable if you want leveraged access to your portfolio without selling holdings. At just $36/year, the upgrade decision is easy—the question is whether you need the features, not the cost.
Overall rating for value: M1 Finance earns a 4.1/5 from TradingToolsHub users, and the pricing supports that. No trading commissions, fractional shares, and automated rebalancing at no cost is genuinely hard to beat. The lack of options and advanced tools keeps it from being a 5-star platform for all investor types, but for its target audience, it's excellent.
How to Save on M1 Finance
M1 Finance's pricing is already minimal, but here are ways to maximize value:
- Stick with M1 Basic if you're passive: Most buy-and-hold investors never need Premium. Save the $36/year by avoiding unnecessary upgrades.
- Use the daily trade window strategically: On M1 Basic, make your trades during the daily window (typically around market open or close). This lets you avoid the Premium subscription entirely.
- Combine with M1 Plus (if offered): M1 occasionally runs promotions bundling M1 Premium with additional benefits like discounted M1 Borrow rates. Watch for these limited-time offers.
- Leverage dividends and contributions: On the free tier, dividends reinvest automatically and new contributions trigger rebalancing without extra trades. This maximizes the free tier's capabilities.
- Use fractional shares wisely: M1's fractional share feature lets you invest any dollar amount, avoiding cash drag and minimizing idle money. This is free and maximizes your returns per dollar invested.
- No sign-up bonuses currently: M1 Finance doesn't advertise standard cash-back promotions like some competitors, so pricing is straightforward—you pay exactly what's listed with no hidden credits or time-limited offers to rely on.
The bottom line: M1 Finance's already generous pricing leaves little room for "saving." You're either using the free tier (optimal for passive investors) or paying $3/month (optimal for anyone needing intraday flexibility). Both represent some of the lowest costs in the industry.
