Freetrade is a London-headquartered investing platform that offers zero-commission trading on thousands of UK, European and US stocks and ETFs through a beginner-friendly platform. Open a standard investment account, a self-invested pension or a stocks and shares ISA and start building a portfolio from as little as £2.
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.
Bonus Offer
M1 Finance Plus free for 3 months on new accounts
Comment by Reviewer
"Freetrade provides a simple and affordable way for casual investors to build a diverse portfolio of 6000+ US, UK and European stocks with zero commissions."
"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
FCA-regulated brand with FSCS cover for investors
Thousands of US and UK stocks and hundreds of ETFs to choose from
Very competitive pricing vs competitors with low fees and zero commissions
Earn interest on uninvested cash with competitive rates
Transfer/move ISAs from other accounts
News and blog feed updated regularly
Built-in customer support via live chat
Fast revenue withdrawals
Dividends on stocks
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
Competitors have larger selection of assets
Trading platform lacks deep analytical tools
Less suitable for active, high-volume traders
Many countries not accepted
No leveraged trading
No demo account
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 Online Trading Platform 2020 - British Bank Awards
Best Share Trading Platform 2019 - British Bank Awards
People’s Choice 2019 - Good Money Guide
Best New Investment Service 2019 - Consumer Investment Awards
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.
