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Webull vs M1 Finance in 2026
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Webull vs. M1 Finance Introduction
Before you open any brokerage account, it helps to know how each firm actually handles investing. Webull and M1 Finance take very different approaches, and the differences matter.
Pricing
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
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Webull
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$0
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na
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$0 per contract
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$0
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$0
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M1 Finance
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$0
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na
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na
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$0
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$0
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Promotions
Webull:
3.5% match on contributions and $20 stock bonus with $500 deposit at Webull.
M1 Finance:
Currently, no promotions.
Services
| Broker Review |
Cost |
Investment Products |
Trading Tools |
Customer Service |
Research |
Overall Rating |
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Webull
|
|
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M1 Finance
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Investment Offerings
M1 Finance is built around Pies. A Pie is a basket that holds stocks and ETFs, and the platform also supports adding cryptocurrencies as slices. M1 provides many ready-made Pies with themes like retirement, ESG, and global exposure, so it’s easy to pick one and start.
If you want more control, M1 Finance also lets you build your own Pies by adding holdings and setting target percentages. You can create multiple Pies and combine them into a portfolio, and each Pie can hold a large number of positions.
Either way, M1 is still self-directed investing: the account owner decides what to hold, and M1 doesn’t run a managed portfolio program for you.
Webull supports self-directed trading, and it also has an automated investing option through its
advisory service. For self-directed traders, Webull goes beyond M1’s lineup by adding products like
options, futures, bonds, and a large list of OTC stocks. M1 Finance does not support OTC securities.
A big advantage at Webull is access to full sessions. The main U.S. market session runs from 9:30 am, EST, until 4:00 pm.
M1 Finance works differently: trades are submitted as requests and then executed in trading windows rather than continuously all day. Regular members generally use the morning window, and some members can access an afternoon window as well.
M1 Finance and Webull can both be used for taxable and retirement investing. M1 Finance also offers account registrations like custodial accounts and trusts that won’t be found at Webull.
Winner: Webull
Margin Accounts
Webull uses a tiered schedule for margin loans, and its platform displays multiple margin-related values on supported securities.
M1 Finance uses a different setup called M1 Borrow. Eligible accounts can borrow against a portion of invested value, and the rate is presented as a flat percentage. M1’s platform shows maintenance requirements, but the overall margin toolset is more limited than Webull’s.
Winner: Again, it seems debatable
Websites
Even though both companies have web access, their software is very different. M1 Finance has a straightforward site for managing portfolios and placing order requests. Because M1 trades in windows, users don’t send live orders to the market. Instead, you add holdings to Pies (or adjust allocations), and M1 executes the batch at the next window. As a result, there are no advanced order types on the M1 website.
Charting on M1 is also minimal. There aren’t many tools, and the display is intentionally simple.
Webull offers much more advanced charting on the web, including full-width charts, multiple display styles, and a wide range of indicators.
Webull also provides full order tickets (and multiple layouts). With these, traders can use advanced order types like OCO, multi-leg options tools, and (where supported) short selling controls.
Winner: Webull
Mobile Apps
On mobile, the story is similar. The M1 app is clean and easy to use, and the bottom menu is organized by what you’re trying to do (invest, borrow, spend, or research). The Invest area is where you manage Pies, and the Research area is where you look up securities.
Webull’s app is more trading-focused and includes multiple order ticket styles. One layout is designed for rapid trading with large buttons, which can be useful for quickly submitting orders.
Another tool on the Webull app that you won’t see on M1 is built-in social features.
Winner: Webull
Extra Services
IPO Access: Webull has it. M1 Finance does not.
Fractional-share Trading: Available at both broker-dealers.
IRAs: An Individual Retirement Account can be opened at either brokerage house in Roth or Traditional format. M1 Finance also has the SEP account. Webull offers multiple IRA types and even allows more than one IRA in some cases. Only M1 Finance charges a fee to close an IRA (currently, that’s $100).
Banking Tools: M1 Finance has something called Spend. It comes with a checking account and a
debit card. A savings account is in the works. Webull pays a very high
3.35% APY interest on cash balances.
Dividend Reinvesting: Available at both brokers.
Winner: M1 Finance
Recommendations
Active Stock Trading: No doubt about it, it is Webull. Paper trading is also available.
Small Accounts: M1 Finance requires $500 in an IRA to start investing (or $100 in a taxable account). Webull has no minimum.
Beginners: A broker-built Pie sounds beginner-friendly, but many new investors find the Pie workflow less intuitive than a traditional order ticket. For simple small-dollar trading plus strong simulated tools, we lean toward Webull.
Mutual Fund Trading: Neither brokerage firm here has it, but Charles Schwab has thousands of funds. Not a single one of them has a transaction fee.
Long-Term Investors & Retirement Savers: M1 Finance has a collection of retirement Pies that might be of assistance to investors trying to build a nest egg.
Webull vs M1 Finance Summary
Yes, these two brokerage firms are very different, both in their philosophies and in their actual
trading tools.
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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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