The best free stock promotion right now is Robinhood's new-user bonus, which drops a randomly valued share (often worth $5 to $200, occasionally higher) into your account when you fund it. Webull stacks multiple fractional shares for depositing $100 or more. SoFi Invest pays a cash bonus you can use to buy any stock or ETF. In this guide we rank every current promo by expected value, unlock difficulty, and whether the underlying brokerage is actually worth keeping after you grab the bonus.
Quick Answer
- Best overall free stock promo: Robinhood — simple signup, one random share, no minimum deposit to unlock
- Best for a bigger guaranteed bonus: Webull — up to 20+ fractional shares when you deposit $100
- Best cash bonus (use it however you want): SoFi Invest — straight cash deposit that works on stocks or ETFs
- Best for hands-off investors: Acorns — small signup credit plus round-up investing on autopilot
How free stock promotions actually work
Free stock promos are customer acquisition offers. A brokerage hands you a small asset (one random share, a cash bonus, or a fractional share) in exchange for opening and funding a brokerage account. The broker bets that a percentage of bonus-chasers will stay, deposit more money over time, and eventually generate revenue through payment for order flow, margin, or premium tiers. That's the deal — and it's a fine deal to take, as long as you understand three things.
First: the "value" of a random share is heavily skewed. Most users receive a share worth somewhere between $3 and $15. The headline "up to $200" or "up to $1,700" outcomes exist but are rare. Budget your expectations at roughly $5 to $10 per signup.
Second: promos usually require a small deposit (often $5 to $100) and sometimes a holding period before you can withdraw. Read the fine print before you fund.
Third: opening a brokerage account is a soft credit pull at most — it does not ding your FICO score. (You can confirm this by monitoring your credit with Credit Sesame, which tracks soft and hard pulls for free.) Stacking three to five of these promos in a weekend is a legitimate way to pick up $30–$100 in free equity.
At-a-glance comparison
| Brokerage | Bonus type | Typical value | Minimum deposit | Key downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robinhood | Random free share | $5–$200 | $0 | Share value is luck of the draw |
| Webull | Stacked fractional shares | $20–$300 | $100 | Tiered — biggest bonus needs $2,000+ |
| SoFi Invest | Cash bonus | $25 (varies) | $10 | Cash is locked to the brokerage account |
| Moomoo | Up to 15 free shares | $50–$400 | $100 | Must hold deposit 60 days |
| Public | Free fractional stock | $3–$70 | $20 | Smaller average value |
| Acorns | Signup credit | $5–$20 | $5 | Comes with a small monthly fee |
| Fidelity | $100 cash (when promoted) | $100 (when promoted) | $50 | Offer isn’t always running |
Our picks
Robinhood — Best overall free stock promotion
Why we picked it: The simplest, fastest free share in the industry. No minimum deposit, no tier games — fund with a dollar, get a random share. It’s the lowest-friction free-stock promo available, which is why we rank it first.
Best for: First-time investors who want to see how brokerage accounts work without putting real money at risk, and bonus-chasers stacking multiple promos.
Key benefits: Zero minimum deposit, clean mobile-first app, fractional shares, commission-free trades on stocks and ETFs, optional retirement account with a 1%–3% IRA match for Gold subscribers.
Watch-outs: The random share is usually on the low end ($5–$15). Payment for order flow has drawn regulatory scrutiny. Options trading defaults can lull newer users into risky positions.
See Robinhood’s current offer — or browse every live brokerage promo on WalletGrower
Webull — Best for a bigger guaranteed bonus
Why we picked it: Webull’s tiered promo stacks actual fractional share value the more you deposit. A $100 deposit typically unlocks five to ten fractional shares, and larger deposits ($2,000+) can push the bonus into the $200–$400 range.
Best for: Investors with $100–$5,000 to deposit who want a predictable bonus rather than a lottery-style random share.
Key benefits: Tiered bonus structure, advanced charting, paper trading mode, fractional shares, and an extended-hours trading window that retail brokers often charge for.
Watch-outs: The interface is aimed at active traders and can feel busy. Fractional shares are usually of popular large-caps, so your bonus tracks the market.
SoFi Invest — Best cash bonus
Why we picked it: SoFi pays a simple cash bonus that lands in your brokerage account. Cash is flexible — you pick the stock or ETF. It’s also inside the SoFi ecosystem, so the same login covers savings, credit card, loans, and insurance via Lantern.
Best for: Investors who want to pick their own first stock and people already using SoFi for banking.
Key benefits: Cash is fungible (not a random share), automated investing options, retirement accounts included, and direct integration with Lantern for insurance comparisons.
Watch-outs: The promo amount fluctuates. SoFi’s automated investing has a small management fee above free robo tiers at competitors.
Moomoo — Best for a stacked multi-share bonus
Why we picked it: Moomoo’s "deposit and hold" promo can deliver 10–15 fractional shares for relatively small deposits, provided you hold the funds for 60 days.
Best for: Investors willing to park cash for two months in exchange for a more valuable bonus than Robinhood typically delivers.
Key benefits: Strong research tools, level-2 market data on a free tier, and fractional shares of well-known tickers.
Watch-outs: 60-day holding period is real — pulling out early forfeits the bonus.
Public — Best for community-oriented investors
Why we picked it: Public’s bonus is smaller on average but the app emphasizes education, creator commentary, and transparency around payment for order flow (which Public has dropped).
Best for: First-time investors who want a social layer while they learn, and anyone uncomfortable with PFOF.
Key benefits: No payment for order flow, fractional "slices" of stocks, bond investing via Treasuries on a free tier, and clear education modules.
Watch-outs: Average bonus value is lower. Some premium features sit behind a paid tier.
How to stack promos without tanking your credit
Brokerage signups are almost always a soft credit pull, which does not affect your score. That means you can realistically open two to five accounts in a weekend, capture each bonus, and consolidate later. Track each one with a credit monitoring app so you have a single feed of what’s been pulled. Credit Sesame is free and shows both soft and hard pulls, plus it flags any new accounts that appear on your report so you catch identity issues early.
If you’re worried about paperwork, think of it the same way you think of opening a bank account. 1099-DIV and 1099-B forms are now delivered digitally by every major broker on this list, and you’ll receive them whether you keep the account open or roll the asset over.
Why brokerages give away free stock
The back-of-the-envelope math is straightforward. A brokerage pays $20 to acquire a user. If 30% of those users stay past year one and deposit $2,000 on average, the lifetime revenue from payment for order flow, margin interest, and premium tiers clears $40–$70 per user. The promo pays for itself within a year.
You, the user, are the counterparty. Your job is to capture the bonus and then decide — on the merits of the app — whether to keep money there, move it, or keep the account open with a small balance. Don’t confuse "I got a free $10 share" with "this is the right long-term home for my portfolio." Those are separate decisions.
If you want an alternate way to earn cash while you wait out holding periods, apps like Swagbucks pay for surveys, video watching, and receipt scanning. The income is modest but real — most stackers pull $10–$50 a week. Albert does the opposite: automates small savings transfers into an investing account so your brokerage gets funded without thinking about it.
Common mistakes when claiming free stock promos
Selling the free share immediately. Some promos require you to hold the share for 30 to 60 days before you can sell or transfer. If you sell early, the promo gets clawed back.
Ignoring the tax impact. A free share is reportable income at its cost basis on the day it was deposited. It’s small, but it shows up on your 1099 the next tax year. Keep records.
Opening too many accounts on the same day. Each brokerage verifies your identity. Opening six accounts in an hour sometimes triggers anti-fraud reviews that delay every bonus. Spread signups over a few days.
Using a debit card that needs verification. ACH direct funding from a bank account is faster than card funding for most promos. Link the bank first.
What to do after you collect the bonus
Pick one brokerage to be your main home. Evaluate it on three axes: cost (commissions, expense ratios on ETFs, monthly fees), features you actually use (fractional shares, retirement accounts, tax-loss harvesting, research tools), and UX (does the app fight you or help you?). Move your long-term money there and let the rest of the bonus accounts sit dormant.
If you want to fold investing into a broader "earn more, save more" routine, browse the Grow Wealth Hub for guides on retirement accounts, tax-advantaged investing, and automatic rebalancing. The Earn Hub covers everything that puts cash into your account to deposit in the first place.
Which should you choose?
If this is your first brokerage account and you want the lowest-friction path to actually owning a share of a real company, open Robinhood. If you have $100+ to deposit and want a predictable bonus, open Webull. If you’d rather have cash than a random share, open SoFi Invest. If you’re already saving with an automated tool and want investing on autopilot, Acorns slots in naturally.
If you’re stacking, the order that minimizes dead time is: Robinhood first (funds in minutes), then SoFi, then Webull (tiered), then Moomoo (60-day hold runs in the background). Public can slot in anywhere.
Methodology: how we ranked these
We ranked every promo on four factors: expected dollar value (what the average new user actually receives, not the headline number), unlock difficulty (minimum deposit, holding period, trade-count requirements), the quality of the underlying brokerage after the bonus is gone, and the likelihood that the promo will still be live when you read this page.
We update this ranking monthly by checking each brokerage’s public offer page and internal tracking of reader-reported bonus values. Brokerages that frequently change promo terms mid-campaign are ranked lower on reliability even if their headline value is high.
No brokerage on this list paid to be included. Some links route through engine.tech partner programs for attribution, but our editorial ranking is independent of commission rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free stock promotion right now?
Robinhood is the easiest: no minimum deposit, one random share instantly. Webull pays more if you can deposit $100 or more. SoFi Invest pays cash instead of a random share. Which is "best" depends on whether you want speed (Robinhood), predictability (Webull), or flexibility (SoFi).
Is it worth signing up for multiple free stock promotions?
Yes, within reason. Brokerage signups are soft credit pulls so they do not hurt your score, and stacking three to five promos in a weekend is a common way to pick up $30–$100 in free equity. Just track holding periods and tax reporting.
Do free stock promotions hurt my credit score?
No. Opening a brokerage account is a soft credit pull or no pull at all. You can monitor for any inquiries with a free service like Credit Sesame to be sure.
What are the taxes on a free stock from a promo?
The value of the share at the time it lands in your account is reportable income. It will appear on your 1099 the following year. If you sell the share later, you also owe capital gains tax on the difference between that value and your sale price.
How much is a free Robinhood share usually worth?
The median reader-reported value is around $8. Most users get $5–$15. A small percentage receive $50+ shares, and a handful get very high-value outliers. Budget your expectations at around $8–$10 per signup.
Should I use one of these brokerages long-term or just grab the bonus?
Grab the bonus regardless. Then evaluate whether the brokerage earns your ongoing business on cost, features, and UX. Robinhood, SoFi, and Webull are all legitimate long-term homes; choose based on what you actually want to do.
Related reading on WalletGrower
- Grow Wealth Hub — every guide on investing, retirement, and compounding
- Best online brokerages in 2026
- Earn Hub — ways to generate the cash to fund these accounts
- Money Basics — banking, credit, and budgeting fundamentals
Editorial & affiliate disclosure: WalletGrower is a personal finance publication operated by Fiat Growth, LLC. Our editorial team writes every guide independently and our ranking methodology is documented on each page. We may earn a commission when readers sign up for products we link to, but our recommendations reflect what we believe helps readers the most, not what pays the most. Nothing on this page is financial, tax, or legal advice — your situation is unique and you should confirm details with the provider and, when relevant, a qualified professional.
Reviewed for accuracy by the WalletGrower editorial team. Rates, fees, and offers change frequently; always verify terms on the provider's site before applying.