Want to invest but earn a bonus for signing up for an account? These are some of the best platforms that will give you free stocks just for signing up.
For neophytes who plan to dabble in stocks for the first time, the process can be overwhelming.
Developing solid investment strategies based on your financial goals is a long process. Those who aren't well versed in the ins and outs of the stock market may be setting themselves up for failure.
Without stock market prowess, it's best to invest in relatively low-risk options. From there, you can start to familiarize yourself with various investment opportunities while getting a feel for what works best for you.
The stock market can be highly erratic, but some shares are more stable compared to others. Still, nothing is safer than free stocks.
If you're an investor looking for free stocks, I have good news for you: there are a lot of legitimate options available.
A plethora of investment platforms are constantly on the lookout for new subscribers, and offering free stocks is a way for them to attract more investors.
It doesn't matter how experienced you are in investing. There are tools out there to help you buy and sell stocks with minimal risks. All you need to do is to find a platform that best reflects your investment strategies.
To help you in your search, we compiled a list of websites that offer free stocks for experienced traders, neophyte investors, and anyone in between.
Table of Contents
Robinhood
What is Robinhood?
Robinhood is one of the most popular free-trading apps. It allows investors to trade options, stocks, cryptocurrency, and exchange-traded funds without having to pay fees or commissions. And when it comes to brokers offering free trades, Robinhood is a pioneer.
The Robinhood app features a clean, user-friendly interface that is first-time-trader friendly. There are no fees or minimums for opening an account with Robinhood. This free-to-use philosophy is a major selling point for the platform.
Robinhood was created to remove some of the common barriers that prevent neophyte traders from dabbling in the stock market.
For new investors, Robinhood is a godsend. Traders with little to no investing experience will be able to develop stock investment strategies while quickly reviewing results.
By joining a waitlist, Robinhood users can also get access to the platform's new FDIC-insured cash management service, which offers a high interest rate.
Robinhood makes money through its subscription service: Robinhood Gold. This a margin account, which means it allows you to borrow money from Robinhood to buy stocks.
This gives you more flexibility to take advantage of opportunities and the possibility of greater gains.
Robinhood Gold also comes with a variety of additional functions. Level II market data by Nasdaq and professional research from Morningstar give you more in-depth information than you'd normally have access to.
A higher limit on instant deposits further enhances your flexibility to invest gains straight away instead of needing to wait five days for funds to clear.
Robinhood Gold allows you to have more control over your portfolio. This helpful service is only $5 a month after a 30-day free trial.
How to get free stocks on Robinhood:
Robinhood offers free stock for signing up. Once your brokerage account is approved, you'll get a free stock. The value of the stock you'll receive ranges from $2.50 to $200, distributed randomly from the platform's inventory.
You can keep your shares for as long as you want or sell them after they've been deposited in your account in two days.
Webull
What is Webull?
Webull is a commission-free online stock trading platform that launched in 2018. Though relatively new, the platform's easy-to-use interface and in-depth analytical features have garnered it its fair share of traders and made it a formidable competitor to Robinhood.
Through Webull, you can trade stocks and ETFs for free. For guidance, it has tools and reports that can help you make the right investment decisions. Webull's tools have free trial options, which means you can use them for free before deciding if they're worth making a deposit on.
Some of the platform's tools include real-time market data (Nasdaq TotalView, Nasdaq Basic, and NBBO), various technical indicators, advanced charts, and active customer service. These tools help users analyze trends and companies to make profitable trading opportunities.
Webull is completely free, making it a great starting point for users who are new to investing. With $100 to begin and free stock, you can use Webull for as long as you want before strategizing for your next investment.
How to get free stocks on Webull:
Webull offers first-time users two free stocks. To get your first Webull free stock, sign up here and create your account within 24 hours. After officially signing up, you must make an initial deposit of at least $100 to get your second free share.
Shares are randomly distributed from Webull’s inventory and may be worth up to $1,000.
Like what you hear? Read more in this Webull review.
M1 Finance
What is M1 Finance?
Founded in 2015, M1 Finance is an online financial services company that offers automated investing. With the freedom of customization, it allows its customers to establish a portfolio crafted to their specifications.
Just like Webull, M1 Finance is completely free. The platform offers its users a vast range of expert portfolios to choose from. However, they can also create a custom portfolio if they prefer.
Users may set up automated investments that take away from their account at a chosen interval.
M1 Finance is also one of the very few investment platforms that allows users to invest in fractional shares. Unlike regular shares, fractional shares let you to invest a minimal amount with companies that usually require a larger share price. This makes it easier to invest every penny in your account.
With military-grade encryption and two-factor authentication, users can be confident that their information is protected.
M1 Finance also offers lending and checking account services apart from offering its free investing features.
All users get 1% cashback on all purchases from their checking account with a high-interest rate of 1.5% for Plus users.
How to get free stocks on M1 Finance:
First time users who sign up here will be offered a $10 bonus, which they can invest however they want. After this, you can also get an additional $10 for every friend you refer to the platform. For referrals, you'll get your bonus once your friends fund their accounts.
See Related: How to Use M1 Finance [Tutorial]
Acorns
What is Acorns?
For users who are only looking to invest a small amount of money each month, Acorns is a great option.
After connecting your credit or debit card, this platform allows you to automatically round up your purchases to the nearest dollar. Once rounded up, the platform takes what's left of your digital spare change and adds it to your ETF.
Though you won't get rich by investing in ETFs, Acorns is a great place to start, especially for neophyte traders.
Apart from offering free shares of stocks, the platform is also closely tied with a variety of famous businesses. These partnerships have allowed the platform to offer more rewards to its users.
Whenever you shop with a specific company, it deposits a small amount of stock into your Acorns account. An example of this is Amazon, which provides users with stock equivalent to around 3% of their purchases.
You'll be able to receive similar rewards with other popular brands like Uber and Casper.
Interested investors may sign up for two main subscription levels. The Core plan at $1 a month offers basic features which include financial advice, automated investing, rewards for purchases, and others.
College students may sign up for this tier for free.
The $3 a month Acorns Spend offers users an FDIC-protected checking account with no overdraft, minimum balance, or ATM fees. You can also get bonus investments of up to 10% of purchases at the businesses you visit every day.
It's a great option to start investing with small amounts of money.
How to get free stocks on Acorns:
Sign up here to get a $5 bonus upon signing up for a new account. After completing the signup process, the platform will deposit $5 in your account which you can invest according to your preferences.
Stash Invest
What is Stash Invest?
Stash's goal is to make the entire complicated process of selecting investments, specifically exchange-traded funds and stocks, easy and quick for beginners.
More than just an investing app, Stash allows its users to save, learn, and bank. Its focus is on offering educational resources to assist users in managing their money. The platform offers helpful articles as well as interactive tools to support beginners in building a diversified portfolio.
Users get access to a variety of features depending on their subscription, but all tiers receive free stock rewards on their purchases.
The basic plan costs $1 a month, with access to personal and debit investment accounts. Stash Invest's financial education resources are also at your disposal.
For $3 a month, users can use even more powerful features like tax benefits for retirement investing as well as fractional shares.
For $9 a month, Stash offers its full set of tools, which includes a metal debit card with double rewards, investing accounts for two children, and a monthly market insights report.
How to get free stocks on Stash Invest:
All new users get a $5 sign-up bonus from Stash, which they can use to invest. Register for an account here to be eligible for the bonus. Users who link a direct deposit to their Stash Invest account will also be given another $20 bonus.
See Related: Acorns vs Robinhood vs Stash
Groundfloor
What is GroundFloor?
GroundFloor is a little different from the other platforms we have on the list. While others allow you to invest in a variety of companies, GroundFloor is a crowdfunded lending and investing platform that only focuses on real estate.
Here, investors can fund loans for a variety of fix-and-flip properties.
The concept is simple. Borrowers submit a loan package that includes photos of the property, detailed numbers, and more. The platform reviews the proposals and selects which of the loan packages it will allow to be listed.
Once approved, both accredited and non-accredited investors have several days to generate funds for the loan, with most loans having a term of 6–12 months.
Investors will then receive a predetermined interest on top of their loan once the principal is returned. They may use their gains to invest in another property or withdraw them to their bank account.
How to get free stocks on GroundFloor:
Users may receive a $10 bonus on their first GroundFloor investment if they sign up through this link, connect their bank account, and fund their Groundfloor account with a minimum of $10.
They'll receive the $10 investment credit once their funds have been posted to their Groundfloor account.
See Related: Alternative Investments 101
iConsumer
What is iConsumer:
One of the best apps for free stocks, iConsumer allows you to earn shares in exchange for purchases at specific businesses. This rewards-based shopping application is partnered with several popular brands including Walgreens, Staples, eBay, and Overstock.
Think of iConsumer as a cash-back site like Ibotta or Ebates, but with the added bonus of free stocks. On top of stocks, users will also get Maximum Cash Back, with the platform rebating 95% of their commissions.
For example, if iConsumer earns 10% from the store, the user gets 9.5%.
Each purchase you make on the iConsumer platform adds to your investment account, and users get access to over 2,000 retailers. You can sell your stocks at any time with iConsumer. If you're a regular shopper, you won't find it hard to build a sizeable amount.
Do note that iConsumer isn't like your ordinary investing account, so your funds aren't secured by the SIPC.
How to get free stocks on iConsumer:
Anyone who makes $25 in purchases using the iConsumer application gets 500 free shares. Create your account here and follow the registration process.
Schwab
What is Schwab?
Charles Schwab, or Schwab for short, is an American company that offers a plethora of investing tools along with a variety of financial services. Its wide range of accounts and tools make it the perfect platform for traders with varying needs.
It also provides one-on-one consultations along with expert recommendations based on data.
Schwab is a great platform for new investors who are just learning the ropes, with more than 300 articles and videos about investing. Schwab's unique selling point is its highly versatile technology.
It suits a wide variety of investors, from self-directed and active traders to clients who seek out investment advice and need help with their portfolio.
Schwab is well known for its robust ETF screener, deep level of customizability, and the equal functionality of both its web platform and mobile app.
The platform also offers a 100% guarantee for any unauthorized activity on your account, which means there's no reason to worry about losing funds through fraud.
How to get free stocks on Schwab:
New users can get free stock worth $100 by just signing up for an account on the Schwab website. You can also get a bonus award up to $500 when referred by a Schwab client.
See Related: 10 Best Dividend Income Trackers
Bumped
What is Bumped?
This free app is close to becoming one of the best apps that give you free shares of stocks. Bumped works very much like the cashback apps Dosh and Drop, but instead of racking up points or cashback, users earn free fractional shares of stock from their favorite companies based on their purchases.
There is currently a waitlist to join Bumped with a duration of as long as two months.
After setting up a Bumped account, users must link their credit card(s) and select their “loyalties” across various categories. This determines what type of purchases will rack up rewards.
For example, if a user selects Sam's Club as his loyalty in the club warehouse category, he'll earn rewards of up to 1% of his purchases at Sam's using his linked credit card.
Users generally earn stocks in the company they are purchasing from, but some options will reward them with index funds or fractional shares instead of actual company stock.
As a new app, Bumped has a limited list of retailers that includes McDonald's, Spotify, Netflix, Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, and others.
How to get free stocks on Bumped:
Users who sign up for the Bumped waitlist will be notified once they're granted access. Once you have access, you must register for a free account, add your credit card(s), and then select your preferred loyalties for each category.
You'll earn free fractional shares off of all purchases from your selected brands.
See Related: Is Dividend Growth Investing Right for You?
Nvstr
What is Nvstr?
Nvstr is a trading platform that champions collective wisdom: you get to see what trusted friends and famous investors are buying to help you make good investment decisions and build a profitable portfolio.
It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned veteran or a first-time investor, the platform offers technology that assists you in making wise decisions. There are no minimums on this platform, and you can allocate your portfolio with a click of a button.
Nvstr boasts of an easy-to-understand platform that offers simple insights for users. Instead of having to read pages about a stock, the website offers a list of pros and cons with insightful bullet points. The information is vetted through collaborative discussions in the community and between your trusted friends.
The platform's portfolio optimizer helps you decide how much money you should invest in stocks you like. The optimizer uses technology based on the Nobel Prize-winning work of Harry Markowitz and his team.
While the platform charges a $4.50 commission per stock trade, there are no membership fees, monthly fees, account closing and opening fees, and funds transfer fees.
How to get free stocks on Nvstr:
New users who create a free account will be rewarded with a bonus that amounts up to $1,000. You'll receive this reward if you place a trade within two months. Do note, however, that you won't be able to withdraw this reward for 12 months.