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  • $800M+ in rewards earned by clients.
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Disclaimer: Payward Interactive, Inc. is registered as a Money Services Business with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), which is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The FinCEN registration number for Payward Interactive, Inc. is 31000270997766.

There are so many powerful crypto trading platforms, with many offering similar features. Choosing between them isn’t as straightforward as you may think, and that’s where this review comes in. Today, we’ll compare and contrast M1 Finance vs Robinhood to help you decide between the two.

Robinhood vs M1 Finance: Comparison at a Glance

The two exchanges in today’s showdown share several common features as well as their own unique strengths. This table provides you with a quick overview of what each platform has to offer.

Criteria
Robinhood
M1 Finance
Best For
Simplified trading
No-effort trading
Accessibility
Easy-to-use interface
Visual-friendly interface
Compliance
SEC and FinCEN registered
SEC and FINRA-registered
Security
2FA, cold storage, and biometrics
2FA, encryption and cold storage.
Account Setup
Simple setup with KYC
Easy setup with required KYC
Cryptocurrencies
30+ cryptocurrencies available
BTC, ETH, and LTC only
How These Exchanges Are Different

Both options in the M1 Finance vs Robinhood comparison are mainly for trading traditional stock. However, the surge in the popularity of cryptocurrencies forced them to also start listing crypto on their platforms.

This article is meant to provide users with a quick guide to decide which provider meets their crypto trading needs. For a more in-depth discussion of these platforms, you should read our Robinhood review and compare it to our M1 Finance review.

Reading our in-depth analyses will provide you with a comprehensive guide on what these exchanges have to offer, how easy they are to use, and whether we recommend them.

M1 finance

M1 Finance

  • Banking super app with stocks, ETFs, IRAs, credit cards and more
  • Community pies where you can follow other investor’s strategies
  • M1 checking account offers up to 1% APY
  • Access to crypto-based stocks like COIN, Microstrategy and more
Cryptocurrencies supported None
Fees No management fees
Robinhood

Robinhood

  • A great one-stop shop for anyone looking to invest in cryptocurrency or stocks
  • Easy onboarding procedure requires very little from user
  • Fully regulated financial institution in the United States
  • Support for BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, DOGE, ETC, and BSV
Cryptocurrencies Supported BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, DOGE, ETC, BSV
Fees Commission free trading

This table is meant to compare key features and capabilities of two trusted crypto investment platforms. We cover what makes each one unique, so you can decide which is right for you.

Features
Robinhood
M1 Finance
Established
2013
2015
Headquarters
California, USA
Illinois, USA
Fees
Commission-free with spreads on payments
Monthly fee & 1% charged by crypto partner
Mobile app
iOS and Android
iOS and Android
Beginner-friendly
Yes
Yes, focus on automation
Advanced trading options
Limited crypto trading options
Crypto “Pie” system
Wallet integration
Custodial wallet
Custodial wallet
Flagship features
Commission-free stock & crypto trading
Pie system trading
Buy/deposit methods
Bank transfers
Bank transfers
Fiat trading
Available
Available
Gold and precious metals
No
No
Withdrawals
Crypto and fiat withdrawals
Fiat withdrawals
Staking and earning features
Limited staking
No
Customer support
Self-service resources, email & phone support
Email and live chat

Which One Is Better, Robinhood or M1 Finance?

Both exchanges in the Robinhood vs M1 Finance comparison offer well-suited platforms for investing. However, what separates them is the goals of their users.

M1 Finance caters to hands-off investors who don’t mind automating their portfolio holdings. Their ideal users don’t trade daily and value a diversified portfolio for the long term.

On the other hand, Robinhood is great for casual investors who want to trade stocks and crypto in a manner that is simple and low cost.

FAQs


The main differences are that the former caters more to active traders while the latter aims to serve passive long-term investors.


Both are commission-free. However, Robinhood charges a spread on transactions, while M1 Finance charges a 1% fee through their crypto trading partner, Bakkt. This fee is built into the trade price.


M1 Finance is built for automation, while Robinhood is optimized for active trading.


Robinhood does not have an account minimum, while M1’s account minimum is approximately $100.


M1 is the better platform for long-term investors, and its pie system is designed to encourage a long-term investing strategy.

Jinia Shawdagor

About the Author

Jinia Shawdagor

Jinia is a fintech writer based in Sweden focused on the cryptocurrency market and blockchain industry. With years of experience, she contributes to some of the most renowned crypto publications such as Cointelegraph, Invezz and others. She also has experience writing about the iGaming industry.

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