Investing comparison
M1 vs Public
Updated
Before you compare: This compares features and fees from each company's own pages. It isn't investment advice, and investing involves risk, including loss of money.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Short answer
M1 and Public are both investing apps. M1 doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts, while Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026, and the official sources differ on 8 of the 10 rows in the table below.
M1 vs Public at a glance
M1 and Public are both investing apps. This page puts what each company's official pages and app store listings say side by side, with the date we checked every fact. The sources differ on 8 of the 10 rows in the table below.
Management or subscription fee
M1 doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. It charges a platform fee of $3/month, waived for clients with more than $10,000 on the platform. Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account minimum
Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000. We haven't verified this for M1 yet, so check the official site for M1 before you decide. We checked Public on Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
M1 Finance LLC doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Account types
M1 lists these account types: Individual, Joint, Custodial, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA and Trust. Public lists these account types: Traditional & Roth IRAs and Crypto IRAs. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Fractional shares
M1 says fractional shares let you build your portfolio to your exact percentages, from 6,000+ U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs. Public says it supports fractional shares, so you can invest in any stock with any dollar amount. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Automatic investing
M1 lists auto-invest with recurring transfers, Dynamic Rebalancing and one-click rebalancing. Public says you can schedule recurring buys in any stock, ETF or crypto, for any amount, weekly, biweekly, monthly or on a custom cadence. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Managed portfolios (robo)
M1 says you can build your portfolio yourself or let M1 Advisor help you decide. Advisory services come from M1 Advisory Services, LLC. Public offers Generated Assets portfolios, rebalanced quarterly (its Dividends portfolio, for example). We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
M1 Finance LLC is a member of SIPC, which protects the securities and cash in your brokerage accounts up to $500,000 (including up to $250,000 in cash) if the firm were to fail. Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026.
Platforms
M1 lists iOS and Android. We haven't verified this for Public yet, so check the official site for Public before you decide. We checked M1 on Oct 24, 2026.
App store rating
M1 has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 75,216 ratings. Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. We checked both on Oct 24, 2026. Store ratings are a dated snapshot from each listing, not our score.
What it costs
M1M1 doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. It charges a platform fee of $3/month, waived for clients with more than $10,000 on the platform.
As of · m1.com
PublicPublic's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example).
Bars show only when every app here lists a yearly price, so these prices sit side by side without them. Prices are list prices from each app's own page, before tax and any offer. Investing fees appear as each company states them. A yearly advisory fee is a percent of your balance, not a monthly price, so it never gets a bar or a price tag.
At a glance
App Store rating
- M1
- 4.775,216 ratings
- Public
- 4.785,572 ratings
Source
- M1 has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 75,216 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. App Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Platforms
- M1
- iOS
- Android
- Public
- Not verified yet
Source
- M1 lists iOS and Android. m1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public: Not verified yet.
Account minimum
- M1
- Not verified yet
- Public
- Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000.
Source
- M1: Not verified yet.
- Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000. public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Stock and ETF commissions
- M1
- M1 Finance LLC doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts.
- Public
- Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply.
Source
- M1 Finance LLC doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. m1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply. public.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Protection
- M1
- M1 Finance LLC is a member of SIPC, which protects the securities and cash in your brokerage accounts up to $500,000 (including up to $250,000 in cash) if the firm were to fail.
- Public
- Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000.
Source
- M1 Finance LLC is a member of SIPC, which protects the securities and cash in your brokerage accounts up to $500,000 (including up to $250,000 in cash) if the firm were to fail. m1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
- Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000. public.com, as of Oct 24, 2026.
Features
We haven't verified a feature list for either app yet, so this grid is empty for now.
✓ means the official site lists it. ? means we haven't verified it yet, not that the app lacks it.
Screen by screen
Pick a task to see what each app shows for it. App Store and Google Play images are the apps' own marketing, so they can show sample data and staged layouts. Help center images come from the app's support articles. See every app's screens.
Other screens
M1
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the M1 listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the M1 listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the M1 listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the M1 listing.App Store listing, as of
Public
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 1 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 2 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 3 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image 4 of 4 from the Public listing.App Store listing, as of
M1 and Public, side by side
Rows marked “Differs” are where the official sources say different things, and 8 rows do here.
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps.
| Field | M1Investing appM1 is an investing app where your portfolio is a Pie of stocks and ETFs you choose, with automation and retirement and custodial accounts.Visit M1's site | PublicInvesting appPublic is an investing app for stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and crypto, with IRAs and managed Generated Assets portfolios.Visit Public's site |
|---|---|---|
| Management or subscription feeDiffers | M1 doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. It charges a platform fee of $3/month, waived for clients with more than $10,000 on the platform.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example).As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| Account minimum | Not verified yet. | Public says the minimum investment for Generated Assets like its Dividends portfolio is $1,000.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| Stock and ETF commissionsDiffers | M1 Finance LLC doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public says it offers $0 commission trading on self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts for US-listed securities placed online. Regulatory, subscription, wire transfer and paper statement fees may still apply.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Account typesDiffers | M1 lists these account types: Individual, Joint, Custodial, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA and Trust.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public lists these account types: Traditional & Roth IRAs and Crypto IRAs.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com |
| Fractional sharesDiffers | M1 says fractional shares let you build your portfolio to your exact percentages, from 6,000+ U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public says it supports fractional shares, so you can invest in any stock with any dollar amount.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Automatic investingDiffers | M1 lists auto-invest with recurring transfers, Dynamic Rebalancing and one-click rebalancing.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com/invest/automated-investing | Public says you can schedule recurring buys in any stock, ETF or crypto, for any amount, weekly, biweekly, monthly or on a custom cadence.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/invest/stocks |
| Managed portfolios (robo)Differs | M1 says you can build your portfolio yourself or let M1 Advisor help you decide. Advisory services come from M1 Advisory Services, LLC.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public offers Generated Assets portfolios, rebalanced quarterly (its Dividends portfolio, for example).As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8 |
| ProtectionDiffers | M1 Finance LLC is a member of SIPC, which protects the securities and cash in your brokerage accounts up to $500,000 (including up to $250,000 in cash) if the firm were to fail.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Public Investing is a member of SIPC. Securities in your account are protected up to $500,000.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: public.com |
| Platforms | M1 lists iOS and Android.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: m1.com | Not verified yet. |
| App store ratingDiffers | M1 has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 75,216 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing | Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing |
App store ratings are a dated snapshot from each store listing, not our score. “Not verified yet” means we don't have a current official source for that line. How we source and date this data. Spotted a change? Tell us if something changed.
Weighing a third option? Add up to two more apps to this table and compare up to four side by side.
Which fits your Money Type?
There are four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Each card matches one type to what the sources say about these two apps.
StrategistNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Save the Raise.
SpenderNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Sleep on It.
SaverNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Put It to Work.
ScramblerNeither app's sources confirm a feature we match to this type yet, so the quiz is the better place to start.
First fix: Bills First.
Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz. It takes about two minutes.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Another option: Fifecta
If neither M1 nor Public feels right, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.
FAQ
How much does M1 charge?
M1 doesn't charge commission, trading or management fees for self-directed brokerage accounts. It charges a platform fee of $3/month, waived for clients with more than $10,000 on the platform. We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
How much does Public charge?
Public's Generated Assets portfolios list a management fee of 0.49% a year (its Dividends portfolio page, for example). We checked this on Oct 24, 2026.
What is M1's app store rating?
M1 has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 75,216 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
What is Public's app store rating?
Public has 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store from 85,572 ratings. That's a snapshot from the store listing on Oct 24, 2026, not our score.
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Keep comparing
- See M1 alternatives, closest category first.
- See Public alternatives, closest category first.
- Browse our guide to the low-cost brokerage accounts.
- Want the bigger picture? Compare more money apps.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Want a plan built on your Money Type?
Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, so you know where each dollar goes.
Sources and confidence
- Last checked
- Not verified yet
- 2 of 20 facts
M19 of 10 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feem1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumNot verified yet
- Stock and ETF commissionsm1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typesm1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharesm1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Automatic investingm1.com/invest/automated-investing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)m1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionm1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Platformsm1.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
Public9 of 10 verified, 1 not verified yet, last checked Oct 24, 2026
- Management or subscription feepublic.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account minimumpublic.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Stock and ETF commissionspublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Account typespublic.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Fractional sharespublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Automatic investingpublic.com/invest/stocks, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Managed portfolios (robo)public.com/generated-assets/dividends-2f14c2d8, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionpublic.com, as of Oct 24, 2026
- PlatformsNot verified yet
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Reference: sipc.org/for-investors/what-sipc-protects, checked Oct 24, 2026.
Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than its app's window (8 days for apps whose rates change often, 35 days for the rest), it reads “Not verified yet” until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.
This is education, not financial advice.
