By now, you are probably familiar with M1 Finance! Let us start with the main question:
Is M1 Finance available in the UK?
No, M1 Finance is not available in the UK. To open an M1 Finance account, you need to tick a few boxes: be over 18, be a US citizen or permanent resident (a green card holder), and have a current US mailing address.
As of this writing, M1 Finance has not announced any plans to expand outside the US. It is something we will try to keep you posted on if any update comes up. Want to know the M1 Finance alternatives available in the UK? Keep reading – we have got you covered.
In a nutshell, what is M1 Finance?
M1 Finance is based in the US, launched in 2015, and presents itself as an investing platform with three distinct services:
- Invest: you can invest on your own in over 6,000 stocks and funds (both ETFs and index funds), build custom investment pies, or pick from a range of expert-built pies, while enjoying automated deposits and portfolio rebalancing.
- Borrow: you can borrow up to 50% of your investment portfolio’s value, with interest rates starting from around 5.65% (subject to change). You can use it to leverage your portfolio and increase potential returns, or as a flexible loan for expenses (a car, a holiday, student loans, and so on), and even as an emergency fund.
- Spend: M1 Finance gives you access to a debit card much like any other bank. M1 also offers a high-yield cash account for your uninvested cash. (Note: M1 has discontinued its old “M1 Plus” membership and now applies a $3 monthly platform fee on accounts with less than $10,000 in assets, waived above that or with an active M1 personal loan.)
What M1 Finance alternatives can I find in the UK?
As you just witnessed, M1 Finance offers a wide variety of services within the same app. As we are not aware of the particular aspect you may be looking for, we will give you our best choices for each feature inside M1 Finance.
Are you looking for low-cost online brokers?
eToro
Commission-free stock and ETF trading (other fees apply). You can also diversify your investing by copying other traders. Easy-to-use website and mobile app, trusted by a global clientele of over 40 million people. Read our eToro review.
52% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
Interactive Brokers
Founded in 1978, IBKR is one of the world’s most trustworthy brokers. It offers an enormous range of financial products (stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, and more) and low currency conversion (FX) fees. Check our Interactive Brokers review.
Are you looking for the Robo-Advisor side of M1 Finance?
InvestEngine
InvestEngine is a UK-based robo-advisor and investment platform focused on ETFs. It is a great solution for buy-and-hold investors who want to invest in ETFs for the long term. Check our InvestEngine review.
inbestMe
A robo-advisor with multiple portfolio options and customisation. The service is fully automated and even offers tax-loss harvesting (tax efficiency). It charges a maximum management fee of 0.41% per year, decreasing for larger portfolios. Access to a human advisor is available for amounts above €100,000.
Moneyfarm
Another strong robo-advisor offering a stress-free, managed wealth service. Following its 2025 pricing overhaul, Moneyfarm charges a 0.25% platform fee plus a management fee that starts at around 0.45% for actively managed portfolios and falls as your balance grows (roughly 0.70% in Moneyfarm’s own charges, before underlying fund costs). Fixed-allocation portfolios are cheaper.
Is it safe to invest in the fintechs mentioned above?
All the investment fintechs in this article are regulated and/or registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Eligible clients are covered up to £85,000 for investments by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). So, in the unfortunate event of bankruptcy, your money should be safeguarded, subject to the scheme’s conditions.
Despite being relatively young, these platforms proved capable of withstanding the massive spike in volatility seen in March and April 2020 during covid-19. We had not seen that much market instability since the 2007-08 global financial crisis, so it is reassuring that none of these apps suddenly went down as happened with Robinhood, a US-based peer of M1 Finance.
Still undecided?
At the end of the day, it all depends on your specific situation (profile, preferences, objectives, and so on) and on the importance you place on each factor involved.
In general, it is crucial to always be aware of the fees charged, to make sure the platform is regulated by a top-tier institution such as the FCA in the UK, to know the range of products it lets you trade (not all platforms allow you to trade EU stocks, for instance), and to understand how responsive its customer service is, among other factors.
Explore the platforms and decide for yourself!
A reminder that the above should not be construed as investment advice and should be considered information only. Investors should do their own research and exercise due diligence regarding the services and opportunities best suited to their risk, return, and impact strategy.
