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Best Investment Apps 2026: Acorns vs M1 vs Stash Compared

Investment apps democratised investing by removing minimums, commissions, and complexity barriers. The challenge is that “investment app” now encompasses fundamentally different products: Acorns automates small spare-change investing through round-ups; M1 Finance automates portfolio allocation through a “Pie” system with zero commission trading; Stash combines fractional share investing with financial education and a banking product. Empower (formerly Personal Capital) focuses on wealth tracking and retirement planning rather than active investing. This comparison clarifies which app matches which wealth-building stage.

Quick verdict

Complete beginners / zero effort: Acorns — round-ups invest your spare change automatically.
DIY investors who want automation: M1 Finance — free, with powerful Pie-based allocation.
Beginners who want to learn: Stash — investing wrapped in education.
Tracking existing wealth: Empower — free net-worth and retirement tools.

Quick Comparison Table

Acorns

Acorns’ core mechanic is round-ups: it rounds every linked card purchase to the nearest dollar and invests the difference. A $4.60 coffee becomes a $0.40 investment. Over a year of regular spending, this can automate $300–$600 into a diversified ETF portfolio without any conscious action. The “found money” feature adds bonus contributions from partner brands. Acorns invests in five diversified ETF portfolios (conservative to aggressive) — there’s no individual stock or custom portfolio selection. At $3–$9/month, the fee is high as a percentage for small balances (a $100 balance paying $3/month is paying 36% annually in fees) but becomes reasonable as the balance grows above $5,000–$10,000.

Pros: truly zero-effort automation, a great way to start from nothing, and found-money bonuses.
Cons: the flat monthly fee is a heavy percentage drag on small balances (36% a year on $100), and there’s no custom portfolio or stock selection.
Best for: complete beginners and passive micro-savers building the habit.

M1 Finance

M1 Finance is built around “Pies” — customisable portfolios where you allocate percentage weights to stocks and ETFs, and M1 automatically invests deposits and rebalances back to your target allocation. You can build a custom Pie, use an expert-designed Pie, or mix both. There are no commissions, no management fees on the basic tier, and fractional shares are available. M1 is the strongest option in this group for intermediate investors who want automation without surrendering control of their portfolio construction. The minimum is $100 for taxable accounts, $500 for retirement.

Pros: $0 commissions and $0 basic-tier fee, automated investing and rebalancing, fractional shares, and full control of allocation.
Cons: a $100 minimum ($500 for retirement) and less hand-holding than the beginner apps.
Best for: DIY investors who want automation without giving up control — the best long-run value here.

Stash

Stash is a financial education platform that also lets you invest. The educational content — explanations of what each ETF or stock represents, plain-language risk ratings, financial literacy modules — is built into the investment flow. The Stock-Back card rewards purchases with fractional shares of relevant companies (buy at Amazon, earn Amazon stock). Stash is best for beginners who want to learn while they invest rather than those optimising for returns or automation efficiency.

Pros: education built into the investing flow, the Stock-Back card, and fractional shares from $5.
Cons: the same flat-fee drag on small balances as Acorns, and it’s not optimised for returns or efficiency.
Best for: beginners who want to learn the basics as they invest.

Empower

Empower (formerly Personal Capital) is primarily a wealth aggregator — you connect all your financial accounts (bank, brokerage, 401k, mortgage) and get a unified net worth view, portfolio analysis, fee checker, and retirement planning tools, all for free. The paid advisory service ($100K minimum, 0.89% AUM) provides human financial advisors and a managed portfolio. For investors who already have assets spread across multiple accounts and want clarity, the free tracking tools are genuinely useful regardless of whether you use the advisory service.

Pros: genuinely useful free net-worth aggregation, a retirement planner and a fee analyser.
Cons: the advisory service needs $100K and charges 0.89% AUM, and free users should expect sales outreach.
Best for: people with assets already spread across accounts who want a single, clear overview.

Fee Impact: $10,000 Balance Over 10 Years

How to choose

If you have almost nothing saved and won’t act on your own, Acorns’ round-ups build the habit. If you want to learn as you go, Stash. If you’re ready to choose an allocation and automate it cheaply, M1 Finance is the best value. And if you already have assets across accounts, Empower’s free tools give you the clearest picture. A key watch-out: the flat monthly fees on Acorns and Stash are a small dollar amount but a large percentage on a small balance — as your balance grows, the free options (M1, Empower) keep more of your money working.

A note on risk

These are brokerage apps, so accounts are typically SIPC-protected — which covers the failure of the broker, not losses from the market. All investing carries the risk of loss, and past performance doesn’t predict future returns. Watch fees closely on small balances, where a flat monthly charge can dwarf your returns. This article is general information for comparison purposes, not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

Which app is cheapest?
M1 Basic ($0) and Empower’s free tier cost nothing. Acorns and Stash charge a flat $3–$9/month, which is a heavy percentage on small balances but reasonable as the balance grows.

Acorns or M1 Finance?
Acorns is fully passive (round-ups, preset portfolios, flat fee). M1 lets you design and automate your own portfolio for free with a $100 minimum — better value as your balance grows.

Are these apps safe?
The brokerage accounts are generally SIPC-protected against broker failure, but that doesn’t protect you from market losses. Use strong security on any app that links your accounts.

The Bottom Line

Best for complete beginners who want zero friction: Acorns. Round-ups automate investing without requiring any decisions. Best when you’re starting with very little and want passive accumulation.

Best for DIY investors who want automation without fees: M1 Finance. Zero-commission, zero-fee (basic tier), with powerful Pie-based portfolio automation. The best value for intermediate investors.

Best for beginners who want to learn: Stash. Educational content integrated with investing. Stock-Back rewards add a fun gamification layer. The fee is high relative to M1 but the educational value justifies it for the right stage.

Best for existing investors tracking overall wealth: Empower. Free net worth aggregation, retirement planning, and fee analysis for those with assets already spread across accounts.

Read the individual reviews: M1 Finance, Stash, Empower, and Acorns.

Last updated: June 2026. App fees and features change frequently — verify current pricing before signing up.

Written by Q

The Optimum Wealth Fanatic

Every product reviewed on this site goes through 10–40 hours of independent research — fee structures, fine print, real user experiences from Reddit, Trustpilot, and BBB complaints, plus wealth impact calculations showing the actual dollar difference over 10 years. No marketing fluff. No "I tested this." Just the math, the trade-offs, and an honest verdict.

Last reviewed: June 27, 2026 · About Q · Affiliate Disclosure