BROKER COMPARISON

M1 Finance vs Webull: Automated Pies vs Active Trading

M1 is designed to automate long-term portfolios and reduce decision friction. Webull is designed to keep you engaged with charts, alerts, and trading workflows. Pick the one that matches how you actually behave.

$M1 Finance vs Webull hero banner showing two smartphones separated by a “vs” lightning bolt, comparing automated investing and fractional shares with active trading tools and crypto support.$

Educational content only. Not personalized investment advice.

Eligibility, pricing, and product availability vary by country and can change. Verify current terms on the official broker sites before opening/funding.

Overall verdict

M1 wins if you want a rules-based long-term portfolio you can ignore. Webull wins if you want trading tools and you accept higher temptation to tinker.

Best for

Automation-first investors
Simple ETF/stock portfolios
People who want fewer decisions

Not ideal for

Non-US investors (often limited)
“Exact timing” execution styles
Anyone prone to overtrading

Quick pick: M1 for automation. Webull for trading tools.

Choose M1 Finance (pies) → Choose Webull (trading) → Non-US? Consider IBKR →

Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you open an account using our links. You do not pay extra.

TL;DR: the honest answer

Choose M1 if you want automation (pies + auto-invest) and you trade rarely.
Choose Webull if you want charts, alerts, (where available) options, and an active trading workflow.
Watch the real cost: behavior. A “free” broker is expensive if it makes you trade more.
Non-US reality: eligibility is usually the bottleneck; a global core like IBKR is often the practical base.

At a glance

Category	M1 Finance	Webull
Core style	Automated “pie” portfolios; invest on schedule	Trading-first app; charts, alerts, frequent orders
Best for	Long-term investors who want automation and low turnover	Active traders who want tools and engagement
Behavior nudges	“Set weights, follow rules”	“Check charts, take trades”
Execution focus	Not designed for intraday timing	Designed for intraday workflows
Non-US fit	Often limited (verify eligibility)	Often limited and region-dependent (verify eligibility)

Always verify current fees, product access, and residency rules before committing.

When M1 Finance is the better tool

M1 is built around a simple idea: define target weights once, then let automation push cash into the underweight holdings. The win is reducing decision fatigue and preventing “I should trade today” impulses.

Best use case: long-term ETF portfolio + scheduled deposits.
Strength: automation, allocation discipline, and low turnover by design.
Trade-off: less control over intraday timing and advanced order management.

Read M1 review → Diversification (Learn) → Rebalancing (Learn) →

When Webull is the better tool

Webull is a trading workflow: charts, watchlists, alerts, and (where supported) options and other products. It is built to be used often, which is great if you trade with rules — and dangerous if you trade from boredom.

Best use case: active trading, short-term strategies, paper trading, frequent monitoring.
Strength: tools, speed, and a “trader” interface.
Trade-off: higher temptation to overtrade and chase noise.

Read Webull review → Why fees really matter → Study: 0.03% vs 1% →

Costs: what actually matters

“$0 commissions” is not the same as low all-in costs. What matters depends on your behavior: long-term investors feel compounding drag; traders feel execution, spreads, and leverage costs.

Execution + spreads: active traders feel this far more than long-term holders.
Margin interest: if you borrow, this can dwarf commissions.
Paid tiers/add-ons: subscriptions become the recurring cost you can’t “trade away.”
Behavior tax: overtrading is often the largest hidden fee.

If you’re optimizing for decades, prioritize: fees, cash drag, and (for non-US) FX drag.

Non-US investors: the practical answer

If you live outside the US, eligibility and product access usually decide this for you. Do not build a long-term plan around a broker you can’t reliably open, fund, and keep.

In most cases, use a global core broker like Interactive Brokers, then decide whether you need a separate trading app at all. Also read: Best broker for US ETFs (non-US).

CLUSTER

Next steps: understand each platform

M1 Finance review Brokers

Automation-first investing: pies, auto-invest, and the constraints you accept.

Webull review Brokers

Trading-first platform: charts, activity, and where costs hide.

Best broker for automated portfolios Brokers

If the goal is “set rules once,” this is the bigger decision framework.

M1 Finance vs Interactive Brokers Brokers

Automation-first vs full access broker: when IBKR is the better long-run fit.

CLUSTER

Next steps: process, discipline, and costs

DCA vs lump sum (guide) Learn

If you invest regularly, a repeatable plan beats timing and tinkering.

Study: annual rebalancing Study

Define a simple rule so your portfolio doesn’t drift into a new risk profile.

Fees really matter Learn

Commission-free marketing doesn’t capture spread, FX, and execution costs.

Beginner investing mistakes Learn

Common traps: overtrading, chasing signals, and letting a “fun app” derail a plan.

M1 Finance vs Webull FAQ

Which is better for long-term ETF investing: M1 or Webull? +

M1 is usually better because its pie-and-auto-invest structure pushes low turnover and allocation discipline. Webull can be used for long-term holding, but the product is designed for frequent trading behavior.

Which is better for active trading and charting? +

Webull. It is built around charts, watchlists, alerts, and trading workflows. M1 is not designed for intraday execution.

Is Webull cheaper than M1? +

It depends on how you use them. Both can be low-cost for basic US stock/ETF trading, but traders should focus on execution/spreads and margin interest, while long-term investors should focus on recurring subscription costs and staying invested consistently.

Can non-US investors use M1 or Webull? +

Often not, or only in limited ways, depending on residency. If you are non-US, default to a global broker like IBKR and treat M1/Webull as optional.

Should I use one broker or both? +

Many people use two accounts: M1 for an automated long-term core (if eligible) and Webull as a separate trading sandbox. The key is strict role separation so short-term trading does not derail the long-term plan.

Bottom line Pick the platform that makes your best behavior easier.

Open M1 Finance → Open Webull → Back to Brokers hub →

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Educational content only. Not personalized investment advice.

Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own investment, tax, and legal decisions and for confirming eligibility and fees with each provider.