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Who doesn’t like free stuff? Borrow books at the library for free, kids eat free at certain restaurants, and free dessert on your birthday all provide something for nothing.
But maybe you’re looking for a freebie that’s a little more valuable. How about some free stock through an investment account?
Free shares of stock are given to new users of certain trading platforms. But you may have to take a few steps like some free offers. These can include making a minimum deposit to a new account, making a trade, or opening a brokerage account. A minimum balance may also be required.
Some of these investing platforms offer free trades of the free stocks they offer, and it’s up to you if you want to hold them for the long term or sell them for a quick profit.
Here are short reviews of 10 trading platforms that give beginners, or even active traders, free stock.
Jump To
Overview of the best apps that give free stock
App Best for | Best For |
Moomoo | Trading in China stocks |
Tornado | Community collaboration |
Robinhood | Beginners |
Public.com | Buying fractional shares |
Webull | Day trading |
Acorns | Savers |
Stash | Beginners |
M1 Finance | Long-term passive investing |
SoFi Invest | Beginners |
Firstrade | Target date funds |
The best apps that give free stock
Moomoo
Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Moomoo offers commission-free trading on U.S. stocks.
It also sells Hong Kong and China A-shares, which allow you to buy stocks from Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shenzhen exchanges using U.S. dollars through your Moomoo account. Regulatory fees are about $2 to $3 per order for China stock trading, plus 0.03% of the investment amount.
Moomoo gives new users who open a brokerage account five free stocks on depositing $100 and 10 free stocks on a deposit of $1,000.
Top-rated investing insights app for busy professionals
- Stock Recommendations that have beaten the S&P 500 by over 12% - Past 4 years & counting.
- Jargon-free market news with stock research, actionable in just 3-5 minutes.
- Data-drive analysis and personalized recommendations to empower you to make smarter investment decisions.
Tornado
Formerly called Nvstr, Tornado says on its website that there’s “no funny business” in what it does and that it sets one clear price: $9.99 monthly to make up to 50 commission-free trades. “We don’t profit from encouraging excessive, gamified trading,” the company says.
It allows new users to receive a bonus worth up to $1,000 in cash to invest through the app. Users must make an initial deposit of $1,000,000 to get the free bonus. Rewards can only be withdrawn one year after receiving them.
Tornado creates an investment community for users to join conversations with leading investors. You can see what stocks people buy and sell and compare them to your portfolio.
Robinhood
You may have heard about the trading app Robinhood for the meme stock phenomenon it helped start in January 2021. Investors joined to boost ailing companies GameStop and AMC, causing huge losses for hedge funds that beg against them.
Robinhood is still around, offering trading in stocks, options trading, cryptocurrency, fractional shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It doesn’t charge commissions or trading fees, but for $5 per month, the Robinhood Gold premium service gives you $1,000 of interest-free margin with free access to Morningstar stock research reports.
Robinhood gives new users one share of free stock when opening an account and linking it to a bank account. They can keep or sell the stock after two trading days and keep any money they earn.
Public.com
Public.com aims at Millennials and Generation Z by making pricier shares of stocks more affordable through fractional investing. By buying fractional shares of companies, funds, and crypto, investors can own part of a share and still be involved in the ups and downs of the investment.
Sign up for Public and open a brokerage account with an initial deposit as low as $1, and you’ll get a free slice of stock worth $20 through a random drawing.
Like a few other free stock trading apps, Public has a social feed for members to share why they believe in certain companies or don’t believe in them and post comments on trades made by others. Users can also aggregate investments by interest areas or values to find a list of stocks they may want to invest in through this free investing platform.
Webull
The trading app Webull gives new users free fractional shares of stock with a share price between $3 to $3000, but under certain conditions. Fractional shares in six, 10, or 12 stocks are rewarded for depositing any amount into a Webull account.
It offers real-time data, extended hours trading, analytical tools, and other benefits that make it appealing to day traders. Other features include commission-free stocks, ETFs, options, fractional shares, and retirement accounts.
Acorns
Starting as a small-dollar investing platform in 2011, Acorns has expanded into other financial products, such as checking and retirement accounts.
Link your credit or debit cards to Acorn, which will round up every purchase, with the change from those purchases automatically invested once it adds up to $5.
Acorn doesn’t necessarily give new users free shares from the stock market. Instead, they’re given free shares through the Acorns Earn program when they use a company’s service or product and spend above a certain amount. For example, for every $1 spent at Amazon, Amazon will invest $0.03 in stocks in your Acorn account. You can then use the bonus money to invest however you want.
Stash
Like Acorns, Stash has a program that’s like getting cash back for purchases but instead gives fractional shares of stock for making purchases at qualifying retailers Stash works with.
Stash helps customers invest in stocks and ETFs, including fractional shares. It isn’t a robo-advisor that directs you to stocks to purchase. You set your investment goals, and Stash gives you a portfolio of stocks that match your goals.
Stash is a personal finance app that offers banking services, such as a debit card, ATM access, and early direct deposit of your paycheck.
Top-rated investing insights app for busy professionals
- Stock Recommendations that have beaten the S&P 500 by over 12% - Past 4 years & counting.
- Jargon-free market news with stock research, actionable in just 3-5 minutes.
- Data-drive analysis and personalized recommendations to empower you to make smarter investment decisions.
M1 Finance
M1 Finance is a robo-advisor investment platform with brokerage accounts and banking services.
It doesn’t give free shares of stock to new investors, but it has a promotion of up to a $500 cash bonus for transferring an amount of money from another brokerage account or any other account you have to an M1 Finance account. At least $100,000 must be deposited over 14 days to get the $500 bonus, and lesser cash rewards are given for lower transfers. Promotions on the site change occasionally, so check it to see if the $500 bonus is still valid.
M1 Finance focuses on long-term passive investing and offers mutual funds and automatic portfolio rebalancing.
SoFi Invest
SoFi Invest offers a range of investment options that beginners and long-time investors may want: stocks and ETFs, fractional shares, cryptocurrency, IPO investing, automated investing, and retirement accounts.
New users get one share of stock worth up to $1,000. The stock is picked randomly, and SoFi puts the odds of getting a $1,000 share at 0.028%. The highest likelihood is getting a stock share worth $5, with an 85% chance.
Firstrade
Firstrade offers a range of investment options, including stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds, options, and retirement accounts. Set a target date, and it will recommend a fund for you.
Open a Firstrade account, and it gives you $250 in transfer fee rebates. However, you need to complete a full account transfer for $2,500 or more to receive the full rebate amount.
Promotions change at the site, so checking once before opening an account is best.
Summary of best apps that give free stock
App | Account minimum | Signup bonus | Commission | Monthly fee |
Moomoo | $0 | 5 free stocks on depositing $100 | $0 | $0 |
Tornado | $0 | $10-$1,000 cash for trading | $4.50 per trade | $9.99 |
Robinhood | $0 | 1 free share for opening account | $0 | $0 |
Public.com | $1 | 1 free share for opening account | $0 | $0 |
Webull | $0 | Fractional shares of stock for an initial deposit | $0 | $0 |
Acorns | $0 | Bonus $ for purchases | $0 | $3-$5 |
Stash | $1 | Fractional stock for purchases | $0 | $3-$9 |
M1 Finance | $100 | Up to $500 cash for funding account | $0 | $0 |
SoFi Invest | $5 | 1 free share for opening account | $0 | $0 |
Firstrade | $0 | $250 in transfer rebate fees | $0 | $0 |
FAQs
How much will my free stock share be worth?
If a trading app gives you a free share of stock, it will likely be chosen at random and could be any value that the company limits it. Some give shares worth $100. The best signup bonus was getting upto 15 free stocks from Moomoo. What’s more likely, however, is that you’ll get a share worth $5 or so since the highest-priced shares have the lowest odds of being chosen.
Why can’t I find the free offers you list?
As of this writing, the rewards of free stock shares and cash back, among other rewards, are accurate and are being offered. However, promotions can often change on these websites, so the promotion you’re looking for may have expired and only be available for a limited time. A new promotion may take its place, or sites may stop offering them for a while or completely. Check each site for updates. And be aware of the requirements for getting any freebies. Some companies require transferring funds after opening an account, and some require holding the free stock for a few months before selling it, among other conditions.
Should I use free stock as an enticement to invest?
Probably not. Taking a slight chance of getting a stock share worth a few thousand dollars is one thing when deciding which investing app to use. But then investing your own money just because an app gave you cash back or some other reward can lead you to invest money you’re not prepared to lose. However, opening a free account can give you the chance to see how the app works and if it’s as easy to use as you need it to be. If so, and you’re ready to invest your hard-earned money, then consider the free share of stock a bonus for finding an investment app that works for you.
Top-rated investing insights app for busy professionals
- Stock Recommendations that have beaten the S&P 500 by over 12% - Past 4 years & counting.
- Jargon-free market news with stock research, actionable in just 3-5 minutes.
- Data-drive analysis and personalized recommendations to empower you to make smarter investment decisions.
Why you should use apps that give free stock
Apps that give new users free stock can be worth checking out to see if they have all the services you need. As we put it in the last FAQ, a free share of stock shouldn’t be the main reason for opening a brokerage account. But a bonus can make commission-free trading easier on your wallet.
The bottom line
With less than $100, you can start investing in stocks, ETFs, and other things to create an investment portfolio. Fractional shares can be bought, too, giving new investors a chance to purchase high-priced stocks without having to buy a full-priced share of stock.
Be on the lookout for a monthly fee, trading fees, account minimums, or other charges for using the service. Many of the investing apps we reviewed don’t charge commissions or a monthly fee, but some do. And many charge other fees.
A mobile app on iOS or Android may offer free shares of stock for opening accounts, referring friends, or transferring money into an account. That can make them easy to try, though you may want to start by trying one service to see if it meets your investment needs.
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Writer
Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance writing and editing. He has worked at newspapers, where he won a Pulitzer Prize, and has written for numerous online publications. These include AOL, US News & World Report, WiseBread, Bankrate, AARP, and many websites focusing on housing, credit and insurance. He lives in California with his wife and daughter.
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