CMC Markets vs M1 Finance

CMC Markets vs M1 Finance Comparison Table 2024
CMC Markets M1 Finance
4.7
3.9

Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.

M1 Finance is a US brokerage that allows users to build a customizable investment portfolio from a range of 6000+ stocks and shares, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. The innovative 'pie' based portfolio management system allows traders to build several portfolios with different aims, and the brokerage supports machine-learning tools that can provide automated portfolio management.

Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Customer Reviews
4.5
Bonus Offer
M1 Finance Plus free for 3 months on new accounts
Comment by Reviewer
"With advanced charting tools and an extensive range of tradable CFDs, including an almost unrivalled selection of currencies and custom indices, CMC Markets provides a fantastic online platform for traders of all levels. " "M1 Finance remains a great choice for US investors who want a straightforward, commission-free way to invest in stocks and crypto. The intuitive dashboard, customizable portfolios and fractional shares should appeal to all experience levels and investing goals. "
Pros
  • The web platform delivers a fantastic user experience with advanced charting tools for day trading and customizable features, catering to both beginners and experienced traders. MT4 (but not MT5) is also supported.
  • CMC offers excellent pricing, including tight spreads and low trading fees for all but stock CFDs. The Alpha and Price+ schemes also offer perks for active traders with up to 40% discounts on spreads.
  • CMC Markets is heavily regulated by reputable financial authorities and maintains its stellar reputation, helping to ensure a secure and trustworthy trading environment.
  • The brokerage continues to stand out with its wide range of value-add resources, including pattern recognition scanners, webinars, tutorials, news feeds, and research from respected sources like Morningstar.
  • Thanks to additional extras like a bank account and loan service, M1 Finance continues to offer a one-stop shop for investors
  • The broker offers commission-free stocks with low fees, plus fractional shares, making it a great choice for beginners
  • The broker delivers a clean and easy-to-use dashboard that illustrates the current composition of your portfolio
  • The firm offers a straightforward proprietary platform with intuitive portfolio management tools
  • Multiple portfolios can be facilitated, with up to five accounts under the same login
  • Customizable 'pies' allow investors to curate their own ETFs
  • The range of 6000+ stocks and ETFs is highly competitive
  • Bitcoin trading is available through M1 Crypto
Cons
  • Despite improvements, the web platform still requires enhancements to make it as intuitive to trade on as software from rivals like IG.
  • While CMC offers an above-average suite of assets, there is no support for trading real stocks and UK clients can’t trade cryptocurrencies.
  • Trading stock CFDs incurs a relatively high commission, especially compared to the cheapest brokers like IC Markets.
  • An inactivity fee of $10 per month is applied after 12 months of inactivity, which may deter casual investors.
  • The CMC Markets app offers the complete trading package but the design and user experience trails category leaders like eToro.
  • Despite offering stocks and ETFs, M1 Finance doesn’t provide trading on mutual funds or options
  • Unlike competitors such as Betterment, M1 does not employ any human financial advisors
  • M1 Finance is only available in the US – eToro is a top alternative for the UK market
  • Accounts with less than $20 and no trading activity for 90 days are charged a fee
  • The way trades are placed puts transaction timing out of your control
  • You cannot consolidate external accounts for planning purposes
  • There are no stop-limit or stop-loss orders
Awards
  • Best Trading App 2023 - DayTrading.com
  • No.1 Platform Technology 2022
  • No.1 New Tool 2022
  • No.1 Most Currency Pairs 2022
  • Best Trade Execution 2021
  • Best Forex Broker For Beginners 2021
  • Most Transparent Forex Broker Europe 2020
  • Best Trading Platform 2020
  • Best Trading App 2019
  • Best Customer Service 2018
  • Best Roth IRA Accounts - 2020
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting Stocks, ETFs, OTC stocks
Demo Account
Yes Yes
Minimum Deposit
$0 $100
Trading Platforms
  • Web
  • MT4
  • Own
Payment Methods
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots $1
Regulator
FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA SEC, FINRA
Margin Trading
Yes Yes
Margin Rate
1% 3.5 - 5%
STP Account
No No
ECN Account
No No
DMA Account
No No
MAM Account
No No
PAMM Account
No No
LAMM Account
No No
Demat Account
No No
AI / Machine Learning
No Yes
Robo Advisor
No Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes No
Market Maker
Yes No
P2P Trading
No No
Spot Trading
Yes Yes
Mobile Apps
iOS & Android Yes
App Review

The award-winning app from CMC Markets has transformed mobile trading. The app’s modern and customizable interface offers a unique user experience, distinct from competitors. Moreover, with its comprehensive charting capabilities featuring 25 technical indicators and 15 drawing tools, as well as its fast and stable trading environment, it’s an exceptional choice for day traders.

Android App Rating
3.7
iOS App Rating
4.1
Auto Trading
Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader Yes
Copy Trading
No No
Social Trading
Yes No
Trade Signals
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes No
Tournaments
No No
Demo Competitions
Yes No
Ethical Investing
No Yes
Custodial Account
No Yes
Guaranteed Stop Loss
Yes No
Inactivity Fee
$10 $20
Islamic Account
Yes No
Account Currencies
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • SEK
  • NOK
  • SGD
  • PLN
  • USD
Stock Exchanges
Commodities
CFD Trading
CMC lets you trade CFDs on 12,000+ assets across currencies, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and treasuries. Spreads are relatively tight, there are no hidden fees and the industry-leading MetaTrader 4 platform is also supported for leveraged trading. Year after year, CMC shines as one of the best CFD brokers in the market. CFD trading not offered
Leverage
1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro)
FTSE Spread
1 pt
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
Oil Spread
3.5
Stocks Spread
0.02 $0
Forex Trading
CMC presents an extensive array of 300+ forex pairs characterized by tight spreads and rapid executions, surpassing the offerings of many competitors in terms of currency diversity. Forex indices also present a fairly unique and holistic way to speculate on the value of key currencies like the USD, EUR and GBP. Forex trading not offered
GBPUSD Spread
0.9
EURUSD Spread
0.7
EURGBP Spread
1.1
Assets
300+
Currency Indices
  • USD
  • EUR
  • GBP
  • JPY
  • CAD
  • AUD
  • NZD
  • CHF
Cryptocurrency
CMC Markets offers trading on popular digital tokens like Bitcoin but really stands out for its crypto indices that provide broader exposure to the cryptocurrency market. There is also minimal slippage and an excellent 99.9% fill rate, making CMC a great option for active crypto day traders. M1 Finance users can open a crypto account to invest in 10 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano and Solana. You can also invest in six crypto-related funds and ETFs, which are a good way to get broader exposure to the digital currency market.
Spread
From 1.3 Variable
Coins
  • BTC
  • BCH
  • ETH
  • LTC
  • EOS
  • TRON
  • NEO
  • ADA
  • XLM
  • BTC
  • ADA
  • AVE
  • ETH
  • LINK
  • ALDO
  • BAT
  • ATOM
Crypto Lending
No No
Crypto Mining
No No
Crypto Staking
No No
Auto Market Maker
No No
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
More Comparisons
CMC Markets
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