How much does an AI financial advisor cost?
AI financial advice is commonly priced four ways:
- A percentage of assets advised on
- A flat subscription
- Bundled into a platform fee you already pay
- No charge with conditions.
Advice described as “included” may still sit on top of a platform cost.
What does an AI financial advisor actually charge for?
AI financial advisors charge in four common ways, and which one applies matters more than the headline number.
Percentage of assets under management (AUM). An annual percentage of the balance it advises on, often billed monthly or quarterly. Because it’s a percentage, the dollar cost rises as the balance grows — the fee at a $10,000 balance isn’t the fee at $100,000.
Flat subscription. A fixed price that doesn’t move with your balance.
Bundled into a platform fee. The advisory service carries no separate charge, and the platform may earn revenue another way — a membership or platform fee, interest on cash, payment for order flow, or securities lending. These are generally disclosed in a provider’s filings rather than on its pricing page, which is why “no advisory fee” and “no cost” are different statements.
At no charge, with conditions. Free during a promotional window, above a balance threshold, or as an incentive to consolidate assets. The condition, and its end date, is the part worth reading.
Is there a free AI financial advisor?
Some carry no separate advisory fee. Fewer cost nothing at all — the platform hosting the advice may charge for something else.
Two questions separate them:
- Is the advisory service billed separately? If yes, at what rate and on what balance.
- What does the platform charge apart from the advice? This can include a membership or account fee, a minimum balance requirement, trading costs, or a spread on cash.
A provider can accurately say it charges no management fee while the account still costs something to hold. That’s two line items, not a contradiction — and the figure that captures the whole picture is the total cost of holding the account, not the advisory fee alone.
Which AI financial advisors charge no management fee?
Several charge no separate advisory fee. That is not the same as free — the cost usually sits somewhere else, in a platform or membership charge, in how the provider earns on cash or order flow, or in a promotional window with an end date. Rankings also change, so the durable answer is in the attributes below, each generally available in a provider’s own disclosures.
| What to check | Where to find it | Why it decides the cost question |
| Advisory fee schedule | Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 | States what the adviser charges, and whether it may waive or change it |
| Whether the fee is capped or waivable | Form ADV Part 2A, Item 5 | A waiver the firm can withdraw isn’t a permanent rate |
| Platform or membership fee | The provider’s fee schedule | Charged whether or not you use the advice |
| Account minimum to open or to qualify for advice | Account-opening disclosures | Money you tie up can be a cost |
| Registration status | adviserinfo.sec.gov · BrokerCheck | A registered adviser files its fees publicly; an unregistered tool may not |
Form ADV Part 2A is a key document to check. Item 5 sets out what the adviser charges — including whether a current rate is a waiver the firm can withdraw later. Where a provider’s marketing and its Form ADV differ, the Form ADV is the one filed with its regulator.
Do AI financial advisors require an account minimum?
A minimum can be a cost even when no fee is charged. Three forms are common:
- A minimum to open the account — some self-directed platforms set a low or no opening minimum, while firms offering advice often set a higher one.
- A minimum to qualify for the advice, where the account opens freely but advice unlocks at a balance.
- A minimum to avoid a fee, where the platform fee is waived above a stated balance.
How the cost compares to paying a person
A human advisor and an AI financial advisor service aren’t priced on the same basis, and they buy different things. A human advisor can offer someone who knows your circumstances, planning across holdings a platform may not see, coordination with your tax and estate professionals, and a person to talk to when markets fall. An AI advisory service can offer a lower cost, availability outside business hours, and a lower balance requirement to reach advice at all.
Each has limits: human advice typically costs more and quality varies by individual; AI advice works only from the data it can access. What a human advisor costs is covered in is a financial advisor worth it.
The M1 bottom line
M1 Advisor is included at no additional cost through December 31, 2027.
M1 Advisor recommends and you decide — it doesn’t place trades or move money on your behalf. It reads all your M1 accounts in detail and sees balances from accounts you link elsewhere, and the advisory duty covers securities held on the M1 platform.
Frequently asked questions
That depends on what it replaces, and whether an advisor is worth it at all is the bigger question underneath. If your situation is straightforward and your accounts sit in one place, a service with no separate advisory fee may cover what you need for very little. If your assets are spread across firms, or you hold concentrated equity compensation, software may not reach the parts that matter most — and a person may be the better use of the money.
M1 Advisor is included at no additional cost through December 31, 2027. Separately from the advisory service, M1 charges a $3 monthly fee to access the platform, waived when total M1 assets reach $10,000 on at least one day during the billing cycle.
Advisory products and services are offered by M1 Advisory Services, LLC, an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Advisory services are distinct from the brokerage products and services offered by M1 Finance LLC. Clients receiving advisory services must also maintain brokerage accounts with M1 Finance LLC, which is a separate legal entity and a Member FINRA/SIPC. For important information about M1 Advisory Services, LLC, including fees, services, and conflicts of interest, please review our Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. This content is educational and is not personalized investment, tax, or legal advice, and it is not a recommendation of any particular service, tool, or strategy. Descriptions of AI tools and advisory arrangements are general and may not reflect any specific product’s terms. Registered investment advisers owe fiduciary duties to their advisory clients; broker-dealers are subject to Regulation Best Interest with respect to recommendations. These standards differ in scope and application, and the obligations that apply depend on the nature of the relationship.
M1 does not provide tax or legal advice; consult a qualified professional about your situation. Brokerage products and services are offered by M1 Finance LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered by M1 Advisory Services LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.
Using the M1 platform costs $3 a month, waived at $10,000 in total assets; other fees may apply, for details see the M1 Fee Schedule.
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