How To Get Free Stocks: 10 Best Ways
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
Edited by
Emily Gadd
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When it comes time to invest, knowing what the best stocks to buy, when to buy them and at what price can be an overwhelming prospect.
What might make it less intimidating is if you were able to get some stocks for free or in addition to money you were already going to invest. With less anxiety about out-of-pocket expenses, investing may be looking up.
10 Best Ways To Get Free Stocks
It may sound too good to be true, but many companies offer free stock or money to invest in their account for signing up through their services or apps. With no or low cost and little effort, you could begin building your portfolio immediately. If you are looking to begin investing or just want to expand your investment portfolio, here are 10 options to get the best free stocks.
- Acorns: $5 bonus offer
- Fundrise: Up to $100 bonus offer
- M1 Finance: Up to $750 bonus offers
- Moomoo: Up to 25 stocks
- Public: $150 – $10,000 bonus offer
- Robinhood: $5 to $200 range of bonus offers
- SoFi Invest®: $5 to $1,000 range of bonus offers
- Webull: $3 to $3,000 range of bonus offers
1. Acorns
- Free stock value: $5
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: Download the Acorns app, sign up for a membership and make a $5 investment.
Eligibility Requirements: New customers only.
Value of Free Stocks: Acorns membership is built around helping you make tiny investments towards your long-term savings goals.
Additional Features: Round-Ups and Acorns Earn can also help you invest more.
Other Things to Consider:
- $3 monthly fee for the bronze plan
- $6 monthly fee for the silver plan
- $12 monthly fee for the gold plan
- Fixed fee model
- No self-directed investing options
Promotion Page: $5 Bonus
Pros and Cons of Acorns
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Robo-advisor functionality | Fewer investment selections than competitors |
| Fixed-fee model | Relatively high fixed fees for smaller balances |
2. Fundrise
- Free stock value: Up to $100
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: Existing customer can refer a friend using their unique referral link and earn bonus shares based on how much money is in their account. The friend will also the same bonus.
Eligibility Requirements: Be an existing customer.
Additional Features:
- IRA accounts available
- Low minimum investment
- High illiquid investment
Other Things to Consider:
Fundrise is a real estate investment platform that offers multiple account options, as well as the Fundrise iPO. Investing on such a platform allows you to diversify your portfolio with real estate holdings.
Promotion Page: Fundrise Invitation Program
Pros and Cons of Fundrise
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Don’t need to be accredited to invest | Low liquidity for investment |
| Low minimum deposit for investment | Complicated fee structure |
3. M1 Finance
- Free stock value: Up to $750
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: Existing customers can send their unique referral code to a friend. If the friend signs up and invests at least $10,000, both people get $75. You can get this bonus up to ten times.
Eligibility Requirements: Existing customers only
Additional Features: M1 Finance has a useful financial and investment app. On it, you can spend, borrow and save with your own customizable strategies.
Other Things to Consider:
- No commissions
- Wealth-building financial tool options
- Fractional shares on stocks and ETFs
Promotion Page: Invest Bonus
Pros and Cons of M1 Finance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low expense ratios | No tax-loss harvesting |
| Fractional share trading | No access to human advisors |
4. Moomoo
- Free stock value: Up to 25 stocks
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
Moomoo is an investing platform with an intuitive app that allows you to trade with professional-grade tools. It offers a variety of tools, including powerful stock charting software.
How It Works: Moomoo’s welcome bonus allows you to get more stocks based on how much money you deposit. A $100 deposit gets you five free stocks. A $2,000 deposit gets you 25 free stocks.
Eligibility Requirements: Offer ends March 31, 2025. You must meet the qualifications for 60 days to unlock the stock.
Value of Free Stocks: You “draw” a free stock from a pool of stock with values that range from $2-$2,000.
Additional Features:
- Can get up to 15 free stocks
- $0 commission fees
- Free paper trading
- Low margin rates
Promotion Page: Moomoo Welcome Bonus
Pros and Cons of Moomoo
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Powerful stock charting software | Fewer features than other leading competitors |
| Free Level 2 market data | Does not have a robo-advisor feature |
5. Public
- Free stock value: $150 – $10,000
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: Get a bonus when they transfer their stock portfolio to Public. Transferring $5,000 over will get you at least $150. A $5,000,000 transfer can get you $10,000
Eligibility Requirements: Available to new and existing customers.
Additional Features:
- Commission-free trading
- Investment opportunities for curated lists of stocks and ETFs
- No payment for order flow
Other Things to Consider:
Public.com started with the intention of opening the market to everyone publicly. Through it, you can invest in stocks, crypto, ETFs and alternative assets. There is even a social feed aspect for users to exchange information about companies.
Promotion Page: Cash Bonus to Transfer Account
Pros and Cons of Public
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can trade alternative assets | Fewer investment tools than leading competitors |
| Social investing features | Doesn’t support mutual funds |
6. Robinhood
- Free stock value: $5 to $200
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: You get a free stock when you sign up for its service. Once signed up, you play a pick-a-card game and get a free share of stock, which will range in value.
Eligibility Requirements: Sign up for an account and link your bank account or debit card.
Value of Free Stocks: 99% of customers will get a stock value at $5.
Additional Features: The investment app Robinhood offers commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs and crypto. It has an intuitive interface available for desktop and mobile access.
Other Things to Consider:
- Intuitive interface
- Limited investment offerings and tools
- No account minimums
Promotion Page: Open An Account and Get Free Stock
Pros and Cons of Robinhood
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Commission-free trading | Fewer analysis tools than leading competitors |
| Desktop and mobile access | Limited investment opportunities |
7. SoFi Invest®
- Free stock value: $5 to $1,000*
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: SoFi offers an Active Invest account, and when you open one and deposit $50, you get a sign-up bonus of a free stock valued anywhere between $5 and $1,000.
Eligibility Requirements: Must be over 18 years old and have at least $50 in your account
Value of Free Stocks: SoFi states that about 85% of the free stock will be worth $5.
Additional Features: SoFi Invest has you covered for a litany of investment strategies. Whether it is trading stocks or ETFs, SoFi is a good central launching point from which you can manage your finances. This offers you more control with automated investing options you can do yourself.
Other Things to Consider:
- Robo-advisory services
- Commission-free trading
- Fractional shares
- No account minimums
Promotion Page: The SoFi Invest Claw Game Promotion
Pros and Cons of SoFi Invest
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Automated investing options | No tax-loss harvesting |
| No options contract fees |
8. Webull
- Free stock value: $3 to $3,000
- Available via: App Store or Google Play
How It Works: Sign up for an account using the link on Webull’s homepage. Fund the account with at least $500 and maintain the minimum balance for at least 30 days.
Eligibility Requirements: New customers only. Offer expires March 5, 2025.
Value of Free Stocks: According to Webull, there is a 92% chance that your reward share will be worth $3
Additional Features: Webull is a comprehensive trading app that offers professional-grade analysis tools as well as real-time stock alerts.
Other Things to Consider:
- No minimums
- Commission-free trades
Promotion Page: Earn Free Fractional Stock
Pros and Cons of Webull
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can buy fractional shares of stocks | Doesn’t support mutual funds |
| Voice command option | No robo-advisor service |
Final Take
If you are new to investing and want to get a jump-start, researching what companies and platforms offer bonuses or free stocks is a good first step. If you are going to be investing anyway, get more bang for your buck.
*Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. Probability percentage is subject to decrease.
Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view SoFi’s fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees
INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE
Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options
Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some common questions about platforms that offer free stocks.- Are free stocks really free?
- Most companies will require you to at least sign up for their platform. Some will require you fund your account with a certain value.
- Can I sell free stocks immediately?
- It depends. Robinhood allows you to sell your gift stock after you've had it for three trading days but you can't take the money out of your account for at least 30 days.
- Do I pay taxes on free stocks?
- If you sell your stock and make a profit, you will have to pay capital gains taxes. Consult a tax advisor to make sure you know how much tax money you owe.
- What happens if my free stock loses value?
- If you don't sell your share, there's a chance it can regain value.
- Can I get free stocks on multiple platforms?
- Yes, several platforms either offer free stock or bonus money to invest in their platform.
