M1 Finance vs. Fidelity Introduction
Fidelity spends more on marketing than M1 Finance. But does that automatically make Fidelity the stronger brokerage?
Review our breakdown below.
Pricing
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
|
Fidelity
|
$0
|
$49.95
|
$0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
M1 Finance
|
$0
|
na
|
na
|
$0
|
$0
|
Category 1: Investing Methods
At M1 Finance, investors build and manage Pies. These are baskets that can hold equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). M1 provides prebuilt Pies, and customers can also create their own. Many Pies are organized around a theme like Domestic Dividend or Short-Term Bonds.
Because M1 allows a Pie to be built however you want, it can be made with a single stock or fund. But orders do not route to the market on demand. Instead, M1 processes trades during scheduled windows, and there are two available each day.
Fidelity clients can send orders whenever the market is open. These orders cover more than just stocks and ETFs, too: bonds, mutual funds, and option contracts are all available. Fidelity also provides products like life insurance, annuities, and access to foreign stocks.
In addition to self-directed investing, Fidelity provides advisory programs in both digital and human-assisted formats. The lowest costs are on its digital option, which uses this tiered schedule:
- Less than $25,000 in assets: free
- More than $25,000: 0.35% per annum
M1 Finance does not add management fees for using Pies beyond the expense ratios inside any funds you hold. Fidelity’s robo portfolios use funds that do not charge management fees.
Winner: Fidelity
Category 2: Websites
To place an order at M1 Finance, you’ll use a very straightforward website. The order form has few features and functions more like an order request; M1 collects requests and routes them to the market at set times.
Charting on M1’s website is extremely limited—mostly basic lines with little to no tooling.
Fidelity’s website is the opposite experience. The trade ticket supports multiple order types, including stop and trailing orders, plus several time-in-force choices. Charts can be expanded to full-screen and include tools for comparisons and company events.
Winner: Fidelity
Category 3: Desktop Software
If Fidelity’s website isn’t enough, clients can step up to the broker’s desktop platform. Active Trader Pro delivers a professional trading experience with no platform fee or required account minimum. In our testing, these tools stood out:
- Basket trading (ability to send multiple orders at the same time)
- Level II quotes
- Advanced option strategies
- Live streaming of Bloomberg Television
- Real-time alerts
- Sophisticated charting tools with technical analysis
Since M1 Finance is built more for long-term, automated investing, it does not offer a desktop trading platform.
Winner: Fidelity
Category 4: Mobile Platforms
M1 Finance’s simple web setup carries over to its mobile app. The app closely follows the site’s layout and keeps the same streamlined toolset. For example, users can browse prebuilt Pies, build custom ones, and view charts in landscape mode.
However, M1’s mobile platform does not provide advanced trading tools. Fidelity’s app does, including a strong order ticket and charting with technical indicators. The app also offers webinars and podcasts, and mobile check deposit is a nice bonus.
Winner: Fidelity
Category 5: Education and Research
For basic research, M1 Finance provides a simple screener on its website. It includes only a small set of filters, such as P/E ratio and market cap. Security pages have limited details, and most investing education comes in short FAQ-style articles.
Fidelity’s education library is far deeper, with articles, videos, podcasts, webinars, in-person events, and more. Topics range from options and margin to annuities and retirement planning.
Another strong point at Fidelity is the depth of information on stock profile pages. Users can find tools like analyst ratings, pdf reports, technical analysis, ESG ratings, and many other resources.
Winner: Fidelity
Category 6: Margin Borrowing
Both brokers in this comparison offer margin borrowing. $2,000 account balance is required. M1 and
Fidelity clients can borrow up to 50%. Fidelity also provides portfolio margin, which can
increase buying power for qualified accounts.
M1 Finance clients pay 5.65%, while Fidelity’s rates vary
from 7.525% to 11.825%. Although Fidelity is clearly more expensive, its software provides stronger margin tools, including a calculator for hypothetical trades and a widget that shows an individual stock’s margin requirements. Fidelity also offers limited margin in IRAs, which M1 Finance does not offer.
Winner: M1 Finance
Category 7: Other Services
IRAs: M1 Finance offers three IRA types (Roth, Traditional, and SEP). Fidelity offers these plus several more.
IPO Availability: Fidelity customers with deep pockets can participate in Initial Public Offerings before they reach the secondary market. M1 Finance customers cannot.
Fractional-share Trading: Whole-dollar investments can be made at either firm. At M1, these are actually required as the broker’s order form doesn’t offer whole-share trading.
Dividend Reinvestment Program: Both firms offer DRIP service, but M1 Finance requires a minimum $25 reinvestment amount.
Extended Hours: It’s possible to trade in pre-market and after-hours sessions at Fidelity. M1 Finance doesn’t offer these sessions, and in fact, it doesn’t even offer the entire regular session.
Winner: Fidelity
Recommendations
Long-Term Investors and Retirement Savers: Either broker is a good choice.
Beginners: Although M1 Finance is designed for new investors, Fidelity does a much better
job in the customer support and educational arenas.
Stock/ETF Trading: With Active Trader Pro and excellent security research tools, it’s an easy decision.
Small Accounts: Both brokers are great.
M1 vs Fidelity Assessment
M1 Finance aims to stand out with its Pie-based investing style. But overall, it still comes up short versus Fidelity, which continues to outclass much of the competition.
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Updated on 3/25/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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