Properties of the observed exoplanets around M dwarfs compared with the properties of all observed exoplanets. Red: companions (exoplanets and brown dwarfs up to 60M_j) with M_P > 1M_j around M dwarfs (M_⋆ < 0.5M_⊙). Black: exoplanets with M_P < 1M_j around M dwarfs. Blue: companions with M_P > 1M_j around higher mass stars (M_⋆ > 0.5M_⊙). Green: exoplanets with M_P < 1M_j around higher mass stars (M_⋆ > 0.5M_⊙). Brown: companions around brown dwarfs (M_⋆ < 0.08M_⊙). Data taken from https://exoplanet.eu/ (Schneider et al. 2011). This database uses the Hatzes & Rauer (2015) definition for planets (based on the mass-density relationship) and so it includes objects with masses 13− 60M_j, which would be classified as brown dwarfs according to their mass. The inclusion of these objects does not affect the discussion presented in this paper.