Empower vs M1 - BrokerCue
BrokerCue

Select your country to see eligible brokers

Account eligibility and broker availability depend on your country of residence. Setting this now allows us to hide brokers that do not accept clients from your country.

Broker Comparison

Empower vs M1

Compare Empower and M1 side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Empower

Empower

High-balance hybrid advisory clients

Empower is a US hybrid robo-advisor combining automated portfolio management with access to human financial a…

VS
M1

M1

Long-term investors using automated portfolios

M1 combines automated Pies for stocks, ETFs, funds and crypto with scheduled trade windows, cash accounts and…

Head-to-head comparison

Empower vs M1
Feature Empower M1
Minimum deposit - -
Stock trading fee Commission-free trading on investment accounts Regulatory expenses occur when users sell a stock or ETF
Regulators SEC, FINRA, SIPC SEC, FINRA
Best for High-balance hybrid advisory clients Long-term investors using automated portfolios
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Crypto
-
Bonds
-
Funds
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Investment Plans
Money Market Funds
-
Margin
-

Pros & cons

Empower

Empower

Pros

  • Comprehensive free financial dashboard with net worth, retirement planner and fee analyzer
  • Hybrid model gives access to human advisors alongside automated portfolio management
  • Tax-loss harvesting and tax location strategy included in advisory fee
  • Tiered fees decrease as assets grow, reaching 0.49% above $10 million
  • Client assets held at established independent custodians with SIPC protection
  • High-yield cash account with FDIC insurance up to $5 million
  • Dedicated advisors and estate planning access at higher asset tiers
  • Commission-free trading on investment accounts

Cons

  • $100,000 minimum investment required to access any managed advisory services
  • Advisory fee of 0.89% on the first $1 million is high relative to robo-only competitors
  • No direct-to-consumer trading platform for active self-directed trading
  • No demo account available
  • No support for forex, CFDs, futures or options trading
  • Tax and estate planning features restricted to higher asset tiers
  • Free tools may prompt upsells for users approaching the $100,000 threshold
M1

M1

Pros

  • No commission, trading or management fees on self-directed brokerage accounts
  • Pies invest new deposits toward target allocations automatically
  • Dynamic rebalancing buys underweight Slices first
  • One-click rebalancing returns a Pie to preset targets
  • Cash accounts show 3.10% APY and FDIC insurance up to $4.75 million
  • Margin loans shown at 5.65% with no minimum payment or late fees
  • Crypto Pies use Bakkt custody and can trade 7 days a week

Cons

  • $3 platform fee applies below $10,000 in M1 assets unless waived
  • Trades execute during scheduled trade windows, not in real time
  • Crypto holdings are not FDIC or SIPC insured
  • Crypto on-demand trading is limited to 10 trades per calendar month
  • Margin loans require at least $2,000 invested in eligible accounts
  • Crypto can't be included in an IRA
  • Outgoing account transfers cost $100
Empower

Empower

Empower is a US hybrid robo-advisor combining automated portfolio management with access to human financial advisors, built on the foundation of Personal Capital.

Visit Empower Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

M1

M1

M1 combines automated Pies for stocks, ETFs, funds and crypto with scheduled trade windows, cash accounts and margin loans.

Visit M1 Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Not the right match?

Line up any two brokers side by side, or browse the full list to find your next platform.

Compare another broker Browse all brokers