ZacksTrade vs M1 Finance Comparison: Fees, Features, and More (2026)

ZacksTrade and M1 Finance are two leading discount brokerages offering commission-free stock and ETF trading. Use this head-to-head comparison table to evaluate fees, features, trading tools, and account options to help you decide which broker is right for you in 2026.

Head-to-Head Comparison: ZacksTrade vs M1 Finance (2026)
Feature ZacksTrade M1 Finance
Website https://www.zackstrade.com/ https://www.m1finance.com/
Broker Type Discount Self-directed discount brokerage
Trading: Stock & ETF? Yes Yes
ETF & Stock commission $0.01 per share (minimum $1); 1% of trade value below $1/share $0 commission; $3/mo platform fee if assets <$10k (waived at $10k+ or with loan)
Fractional Shares? No Yes (to 1/100,000th of a share)
Percent Allocations? Yes; Rebalance Portfolio Yes (M1 Pies with custom target % allocations)
Crypto Trading? No Yes (Bakkt Crypto Account; BTC, ETH, LTC; US 18+)
Crypto Fees Not applicable Bakkt 1% (100 bps) on buys/sells (in exec. price); M1 $0 commission
Options Trading? Yes No
Options Fee $1 for first contract + $0.75 per additional N/A
Bond Trading Available? Yes; corporate and government bonds No
Receives payment for order flow (PFOF)? Yes Yes (receives PFOF ~$0.002/share)
Interface: Web trading? Yes Yes (web m1.com and iOS/Android apps)
Desktop trading? Yes; Zacks Trade Pro/Client Portal/app No
API Trading? No No
Mutual Funds: Offered? Yes No
Total Mutual Funds Not publicly stated None
NTF Mutual Funds Not publicly stated None
Non-NTF Fund Fee $27.50 N/A
Early Redemption Fee? Varies by fund N/A
Redemption Hold (Days) Fund-specific N/A
Early Redemption Fee Fund-specific N/A
Accounts: Margin Accounts? Yes Yes; Individual/Joint brokerage accounts include M1 Margin Loan by default ($2,000 min equity). Not for IRAs.
IRAs Offered? Yes; Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover Yes; Traditional, Roth, and SEP IRAs available ($500 minimum).
HSAs Offered? No No
Money Market Sweep? No Yes; High-Yield Cash Account has FDIC bank sweep. Invest-account cash does not auto-sweep (transfer required).
CDs Offered? No No
Robo-Advisor: Offered No No (self-directed Pies/auto-invest; optional non-discretionary M1 Advisory)
Robo-Advisor Service None M1 Pies (self-directed); M1 Advisory / M1 Advisor (AI, non-discretionary)
Robo-Advisor Fees Not applicable $3/mo platform fee if <$10k assets (waived at $10k+ or Personal Loan); advisory currently 0% (up to 0.20%)
Basics: Headquarters Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
Year Founded 2013 2015
Clearing Firm Interactive Brokers LLC M1 Finance LLC (self-clearing Individual/Joint); Apex Clearing (IRA/Trust/Custodial)
Local Branches? No; online broker No
New Account Minimum $0 $100 (individual/joint taxable); $500 (IRAs)

Once you’ve chosen a broker, find high-performing, investable model portfolios at RecipeInvesting.com


Picked a Broker? Now Build Your Perfect Portfolio

Find high-performing, investable model portfolios (Tactical, Strategic, and Managed) at RecipeInvesting.com.

Get FREE Access
Recipe Investing Logo

Compare ZacksTrade to All Brokers