Believe it or not, lots of investing platforms offer the opportunity to get free stocks and shares in the UK. There’s been an explosion of FinTech trading and investing platforms over the past few years and many will offer a free stock or share upon signing up. Keep reading to find out how to get your free stocks!
Free Stocks In The UK
The UK retail investment space has seen a surge of new entrants over the last few years. From robo-advisors to stocks and shares investment apps to cryptocurrency platforms, the choice has never been greater for the UK retail investor.
When I started trading more than a decade ago, it was through online-only brokers with just a handful of well-designed trading platforms. If you’re getting started today, getting your hands on some free stocks and shares is a great starting bonus!
In this article I’ll go through the details of the best ways to get free stocks and shares in the UK, but if you want to cut straight to the offers, here’s a summary to begin with.
Free Stocks & Shares From UK Platforms
- Shares – Free Stocks Worth Up To £5
- FreeTrade – Free Stock Worth Up To £200
- Trading 212 – Free Stock Worth Up To £100
- Stake – Free Stock Worth Up To £100
Cash Bonus Offers From UK Platforms
- InvestEngine – Free Welcome Bonus Up To £50
- Circa5000 – Free £100 Bonus
- Coinbase – Free £5-10 in Bitcoin or Ethereum
How To Get Free Stocks & Shares In The UK
As mentioned above, there’s lots of competition among UK retail investment platforms at the moment. It feels like every week there’s a new trading or investing app being listed on Seedrs or CrowdCube to raise money.
Because of this competition, many investing platforms offer incentives for new clients to join them. A common incentive is offering a free share for signing up and funding your account.
There are usually limits to the value of the free share or it will be a free stock in a company from a shortlist that the platform has decided on. Unfortunately, your free share won’t be in Berkshire Hathaway!
Now, if you’re new to trading or investing you shouldn’t stick to a platform just because of a free share offer. You should decide which is the best platform for you based on a range of factors. But there’s nothing to stop you from signing up to the offers below, getting the free share and closing your account if you don’t want to continue using it.
Just beware there are some restrictions on when you can sell your free stock for cash. The conditions of each offer and how to get them are covered below. For more detailed reviews and comparisons of UK investment apps visit our Investing hub.
UK Investing & Trading Apps With Free Stocks
Below are the latest free share offers with UK investing and trading platforms.
Shares.io Free Share Offer – Worth Up To £5
Shares is a new investing app in the UK with an emphasis on community and learning. It offers over 1,500 US stocks to invest in for a simple flat fee of £1 per trade.
It has some innovative features which help to set it apart from its rivals. You can follow other investors in the app as well as display your own trades if you’d like to.
Another interesting feature is that if a stock you want to invest in is not currently available with Shares, you can make a request directly in the app for it to be added.
Shares is a fast-growing platform, now with over 150,000 users in the UK since launching in 2022. It’s a great platform, particularly for new investors, as its social features allow you to build your investing knowledge and to learn from your peers.
Sign up using the link below to claim £5 in free shares to help you get started. As with all investing, capital is at risk if you invest. (T&Cs and fees apply).
Shares – Key Details
- Stocks, Shares & Funds: 1,500+ US stocks
- Products/Accounts: Investment account
- Fees:
- US Shares: £1 per order
- No FX, deposit, or platform/custody fees
- Withdrawals via debit card: 2% (min. 55p) – withdrawals via bank transfer or open banking are free
- Minimum Investment: £1 (+£1 fee)
- FSCS Protection: No, but US investments are protected up to $500k by the SIPC and funds are safeguarded in line with the Electronic Money Regulations 2011.
- Trustpilot Rating: 4.5
*Capital at risk if you invest. T&Cs and fees apply. Generation Money may receive compensation if you sign up. Read more on how this site is financed.
FreeTrade Free Stock Offer – Worth Up To £200
FreeTrade is an investment app that lets users browse and invest in over 6,000 US, UK and European shares. It is commission-free and lets anyone invest in stocks for as little as £2. FreeTrade is only available as a mobile app.
Like many of the newer trading apps, FreeTrade offers the ability to invest in fractional shares, which tends to target younger users. That means you can buy a ‘fraction’ of a stock, making investing much more affordable.
The app has an intuitive design that makes it easy to use by beginners and experienced investors alike. It supports thousands of stocks listed on the London Stock Exchange, NYSE, NASDAQ as well as ETFs & Investment Trusts.
The UK-based company is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
How To Get Your Free Stock With FreeTrade
- Click this link and follow the sign up instructions
- Download the app to your phone
- Setup your account including the W-8BEN form which is required for investing in US stocks and shares
- Deposit at least £1 into your account
You can sell the share once you’ve received it but you’ll have to wait 30 days before you can withdraw the cash.
As with most of these free share offers, the probability is weighted towards you receiving a lower value share. FreeTrade states that 95% of free shares awarded will be valued at £3-10. But there is still a chance of landing a £200 share!
Trading 212 Free Stock Offer – Worth Up To £100
One of the longest running ways to get a free stock in the UK is with Trading 212. It’s a trading app which I’ve used for many years now and in my opinion is one of the best retail trading apps.
You can register via a desktop computer/laptop or your mobile and enjoy commission-free investing in over 7,000 global stocks and ETFs. The platform has a powerful and user-friendly interface that makes it suitable for traders of all skill levels.
Trading 212 allows you to trade in stocks and shares directly and using CFDs, which are highly leveraged financial instruments. It’s authorised and regulated in the UK by the FCA. It is also protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This means that up to £85,000 of your account balance is protected by the regulator is Trading212 were to go bust.
It’s also worth mentioning that Trading 212 keeps client funds in segregated bank accounts to ensure safety and comply with regulations.
Users can choose between a mobile trading app for iOS and Android devices or a web platform. To access the mobile apps on your device, you need to download them from the relevant app stores.
The Trading 212 platform is powerful with real-time price feeds and a fully customisable interface. There are technical analysis tools and an economic calendar to stay up to date with the latest market happenings. A section dedicated to learning materials can help increase your trading knowledge.
How To Get Your Free Stock With Trading 212
- Click this link to begin the sign up process
- Use the following promo code: 41QY0qh
- Sign up to an Invest Account or a CFD account
- Deposit at least £1 into your account within 30 days of opening it
- You’ll then receive the free share within 3 working days
If you already have a Trading 212 account and have not previously received a free share, you can use the following code to still get a free share:
The shares are randomly chosen and you could get any share with a current value of £1 to £100 (or $1-100/€1-100). You must open an account using one of the referral links above or manually add the promo code in your account to claim your free share.
You can immediately sell the share for cash, but you cannot withdraw this cash until 30 days after you receive the free share.
Stake Free Stock Offer – Worth Up To £100
Stake is a good place to start if you want to invest but don’t have the time for complex platforms and long KYC processes. They’re an Australian online investing platform that specialise in US stocks and shares.
Stake is available in the App store and anyone can set up an account in minutes with nothing more than an ID to start buying shares. The app gives users access to ASX and Wall Street, all in one place. You can choose from 2,000+ ASX stocks and ETFs as well as 7,000+ U.S. stocks and ETFs.
One of the best features of Stake are the low trading fees. You can trade US stocks and shares commission-free and FX fee-free, unlike Trading 212 and FreeTrade. They do however charge 0.5% on all deposits and withdrawals so bear this in mind when signing up and funding your account.
How To Get Your Free Stock With Stake
- Click this link
- On Stake’s website, click Get Free Stock
- Complete the account sign up process
- Fund your account by depositing at least the minimum – currently £50 – within 24hrs of signing up
- Play the game and spin the wheel and you’ll receive your free stock
Risk warning: when you invest, your capital is at risk.
You will receive a free share of either Nike, Dropbox, GoPro or a mystery share. One Nike share is currently worth around $130, or around £100 which is a great bonus.
Remember, it will cost you at least 25p to fund your account with £50 so there is a very small cost of doing this. But the free share you will receive will be worth much more than this so it’s still worth it.
You can sell the free share as soon as you receive it but you will not be able to withdraw the cash until 30 days after you received the share.
UK Investing & Trading Apps With Free Cash Offers
Rather than offering free stocks in the UK, some platforms will offer a cash bonus for signing up instead. Below is a round-up of the best bonus offers you can get at the moment.
InvestEngine – Up To £50 Welcome Bonus
InvestEngine is one of the newer robo-advisor platforms to enter the market. It offers fully managed ready-made portfolios which takes the complexity out of building and managing your own investment portfolio. InvestEngine also offers a DIY service where you can build your own portfolio which has zero platform fees.
With InvestEngine you can invest in 590+ ETFs through either the Managed or DIY portfolios. The DIY investment approach is suitable for those who are looking for more hands-on experience. Users can choose to open an ISA or a General Investment Account. There’s also a business account for if you run a business and want to get a return on its spare cash.
It should be noted that you cannot buy stocks and shares directly with InvestEngine as they’re focused entirely on ETFs. The main benefits of the ETF focused platform are its low cost and easy diversification. All robo-advisors use ETFs to construct their portfolios.
The fee structure with InvestEngine’s managed portfolio is still one of the lowest of any UK robo advisors with a 0.25% annual fee. Fund charges are on top of this, as with any provider, and are an average 0.22%.
InvestEngine is regulated by the FCA and has FSCS protection. For more details on InvestEngine read our independent InvestEngine review.
How To Sign Up To InvestEngine
Click the link below and you’ll be taken to InvestEngine’s Welcome Bonus page, where you can sign up and claim your bonus.
Up To £50 Welcome Bonus
Over 550 ETFs to invest in. Commission-free.
Get a free welcome bonus of up to £50 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine.
Ts&Cs apply. Capital at risk if you invest.
Up To £50 Welcome Bonus
OFFER: Get a Welcome Bonus of up to £50 when you invest at least £100 with InvestEngine.
Ts&Cs apply. Capital at risk if you invest.
Circa5000 – Free £100
Circa500, formerly known as Tickr, is an investment app with a focus on ethical or impactful investing. This means exposure to companies that are sustainable, eco-friendly, eco-conscious and socially responsible.
Impact investing is a growing area in finance and its now not uncommon to see investment platforms offering Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) friendly funds. The idea behind such an app is good as it gives beginner and everyday investors access to companies in a sector with great growth potential. Dedicated impact funds broke through the $1 trillion barriers in 2021.
Circa500 makes impactful investing simple, sustainable and accessible. CIRCA5000 is a Certified B Corporation authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All funds are FSCS protected up to a limit of £85,000. Users can choose between several account types. You can choose to have your account as a Stocks and Shares ISA, a General Investing Account (GIA) or a Junior ISA.
On opening an account you get £15 added to your CIRCA5000 account. Circa5000 is so focused on a People & Planet theme alongside impact investing that it also allows users to offset their carbon footprint with a monthly subscription plan. To meet every investor’s risk profile, the app lets you decide how much risk you want to take: cautious, balanced or adventurous.
How To Get Your Free £100 Bonus
- Click this link to go to Circa5000’s website
- Enter your email address to register
- Complete the account setup by downloading the app. You’ll be emailed a link to do so
- Fund your account with £100 or more
Your £100 bonus will be credited to your account within 45 days, but it’s usually much faster than that.
You must keep the £100 bonus in your account for at least 45 days. After that, you can choose to withdraw it if you like.
Coinbase – Get £5-10 Worth Of Free Bitcoin or Ethereum
Coinbase is a US-based cryptocurrency exchange. Users can trade and invest in about 100 cryptocurrencies. Over the last 5 or so years, cryptocurrencies – and Bitcoin in particular – have rocketed in popularity. They’re rarely out of the news and mainstream financial institutions now also take crypto seriously.
If you’re interested in buying and selling crypto, then Coinbase is a good beginner-friendly option. It may have higher fees than other crypto exchanges but it has a low minimum for funding your account. The minimum amount you need to buy cryptocurrency on Coinbase is £2.
Upon signing up, you gain access to two platforms: the original Coinbase platform, where you can buy, sell, send and spend cryptocurrencies, and Coinbase Pro which is designed for more serious crypto traders.
After registration, you need to complete the verification of your account to unlock different tiers of withdrawal and deposit. A verification using a photo ID will result in 10 euros of bitcoin added to your account.
How To Get Your Free £5 of Bitcoin or Ethereum
- Follow this link
- Sign up and complete your account setup including photo ID verification
- That’s it, you should receive £5-10 of Bitcoin or Ethereum into your account
To sell the crypto you receive, you will need to fund your account with at least £100. You’re then able to sell the crypto for GBP and withdraw it to your bank account if you wish.
There’s also an ‘earn while you learn’ feature on Coinbase. If you complete their online crypto learning modules and successfully pass the tests at the end, you will be rewarded with free crpyto!
Cryptocurrency disclaimer: Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more
by the FCA, although it is in the process of becoming so, and does not currently have FSCS protecton.
Free Stocks In The UK – Other Factors To Consider
Getting free stocks in the UK is a great incentive if you’re looking to begin investing or trading. But it’s important to make sure you understand the terms and conditions of these offers, which I’ve covered above.
Remember, you’re under no obligation to continue using any of the above platforms after signing up and getting the free stock or bonus. It is, however, a good opportunity to try out different platforms and get a little bonus at the same time. Once you’ve tried out a few platforms you can decide which is right for you.
Investing is a longer term proposition whereas trading is usually done over a much shorter time period. It’s important to understand the differences between trading vs investing to decide which one is more suitable for you. Both come with risks, but they can also be highly rewarding with the right approach and mindset.
