How to get free stocks and shares in the UK

Trading and investing platforms are fighting to get you on board, and they’re willing to give away free stocks and shares to convince you.

We’ve tried to call out the nitty gritty details in our guide to help you get free stocks, shares or cash from UK investing platforms, and we’ve also included other types of promos like refer-a-friend deals. Take a look at all the best deals below.

Current free share promos

We’ve rounded up all the free share bonuses and referral offers available to UK investors, with promoted partners shown first. In all cases, T&Cs apply.

Platform	Offer	Average received	Link
IG	Up to £300 free UK shares	£59.88	Get offerCapital at risk
eToro	£50 free stocks	£50.00	Get offerCapital at risk
XTB	5 Vanguard ETF shares welcome bonus	£18.75	Get offer Capital at risk
IG	£50 to £1,000 free US shares	£86.24	Get offerCapital at risk
Lightyear	Up to £100 with code FINDER	£20.98	Get offerCapital at risk
Trading 212	Up to £100 with code FINDER	£22.45	Get offerCapital at risk
InvestEngine	Up to £200 welcome bonus	£29.73	Get offer Capital at risk
Robinhood	Up to $175 free shares	$8.08	Get offerCapital at risk
Scottish Friendly	£25 gift card	£25.00	Get offer Capital at risk
Wealthyhood	Up to £200 free ETF shares	Not disclosed	Read reviewCapital at risk
Dodl	£30 gift voucher	£30.00	Read reviewCapital at risk

How to get your free shares in a few simple steps

Most of the time, getting free stocks is really simple and requires little effort. The process for each provider is slightly different, so check out our individual guides below for provider specific how-to lists.

1. Check the free offers available. We’ve listed some of the best ones above with the things you’ll need to consider.
2. Get a referral link (and click on it!) You might need to ask a friend to refer you. We have some referral links too.
3. Sign up. You’ll often need to be a new member for this process to work.
4. Deposit the minimum amount. A lot of providers have a minimum deposit. You’ll need to put this amount into your account before you get the shares.
5. Satisfy any additional conditions. There might be additional things you’ll need to do – such as keep your money invested for a certain period.
6. Get your free shares. See! We told you it was easy.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the offers on the market today.

XTB: 5x free VALL shares

Where most platforms operate a lottery system, giving free stocks worth between £x and £y, with only a small proportion of users getting the more valuable stocks, XTB is giving everybody 5 free Vanguard ETF shares. Not a fractional share, but 5 whole ones. At the time of writing, a VALL share is worth between £3.50 and £4. If you haven’t heard of this ETF, it’s like a bundle of investments in over 6,000 companies across developed and emerging markets worldwide.

To get the free shares, you need to be a new XTB customer opening a general investment account (GIA) and you need to deposit at least £50 to the new account and place a trade, within 7 days of opening it. There’s a limited number of stocks available, and when they’re gone they’re gone! Otherwise, this promotion expires 25 October.

How to get the free share

1. Open a new XTB account. Use Finder’s link.
2. Accept the promotion’s terms. This needs to be done in the app.
3. Fund your account. Deposit at least £50 within 7 days to qualify.
4. Place a trade. Buy at least 1 share in a company or ETF within your first 7 days.
5. Get your free shares. Within 7 days of your initial application, your free shares will be added to your account.

How easy is it to get the free shares?

Pretty easy. This is quite a rare deal! You just have to deposit £50 to your new account and place a trade within your first week.

Something to consider

Don’t expect overnight stratospheric growth from VALL… it’s a very diversified ETF.

Claim free shares

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IG: Up to £300 free UK shares

One of the most established names in trading, IG is offering a fresh sign-up incentive for new UK investors. If you open a new account using the code WELCOME300 before 31 December 2026 and place at least £300 worth of net trades in your first 30 days in a qualifying IG account, you’ll get up to £300-worth of UK shares. No referrals needed, you just sign up and invest. This is a chunky offer, and you can see more in-depth details on our dedicated IG free shares guide.

This offer is an excellent way to get started with IG’s extensive 0% commission investing platform. You can choose between a general investment account (GIA), a stocks and shares ISA, or even a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). However, your free stocks will get paid into your GIA.

How to get the free stock

1. Sign up and open a Share Dealing account. You’ll need to be a new IG customer and use code WELCOME300 when opening your account.
2. Choose your account type. Select a GIA, ISA or SIPP.
3. Invest at least £300. This doesn’t have to be a single trade but it must add to up to at least £300 within the same calendar month as your first investment. Currently, this deal runs until midnight on 31 December 2026.
4. Keep your trading account active. Maintain an average of £300 invested in your Share Dealing Account for 3 full calendar months after the month in which your first trade was placed.
5. Receive your free shares. IG will award you your free UK share bundle worth between £40 and £300 after at least 3 months if you meet all the criteria.

How easy is it?

Pretty straightforward! You only need to invest a total of £300 during the first calendar month that you join and begin investing and maintain a balance of at least £300 for 3 full calendar months.

Something to consider

Your free shares will be credited to your general investment account (GIA), not your ISA or SIPP, even if you choose one of those account types for your initial investment. The value of your bonus free-stock bundle is randomised, but weighted towards smaller values (the lowest possible being a still-very-respectable £40).

60% of participants will receive £40-£50, 25% will receive £50.01-£75, 10% will receive £75.01-£100, 4% will receive £100.01-£200 and 1% will receive £200.01-£300. That gives an average value of £59.88.

Claim offer

Capital at risk

IG: Up to £1,000 free US shares

IG is also offering a £1,000 sign-up incentive for new UK investors, BUT with a minimum investment requirement of £500. If you open a new account using the code SHARES1K in October in a qualifying IG account, you’ll get up to £1,000-worth of US shares. IG runs concurrent promos, but you can only use one.

You can choose between a general investment account (GIA), a stocks and shares ISA, or even a self-invested personal pension (SIPP). However, your free stocks will get paid into your GIA.

How to get the free stocks

1. Sign up and open a Share Dealing account. You’ll need to be a new IG customer and use code SHARES1K when opening your account by 31 October 2026.
2. Choose your account type. Select a GIA, ISA or SIPP.
3. Invest at least £500. This doesn’t have to be a single trade but it must add to up to at least £500. You’ll need to invest this minimum amount by midnight on 31 October 2026.
4. Keep your trading account active. Maintain an average of £500 invested until 31 January 2027.
5. Receive your free shares. IG will award you your free UK share bundle worth between £50 and £1,000 by 28 February 2027 if you meet all the criteria.

How easy is it?

Pretty straightforward…. but that’s a hefty minimum investment requirement and you do have to wait until potentially the end of February to collect. And then it might only be £50-£62 of stocks.

Something to consider

Your free shares will be credited to your general investment account (GIA), not your ISA or SIPP, even if you choose one of those account types for your initial investment. The value of your bonus free-stock bundle is randomised, but weighted towards smaller values (the lowest possible being a still-very-respectable £50).

60% of participants will receive £50-£62, 25% will receive £63-£97, 10% will receive £98-£182, 4% will receive £183-£399 and 1% will receive £400-£1,000.

Claim offer

Capital at risk

eToro: £50 worth of free assets

One of the biggest global investing platforms, eToro, is currently offering a flat £50-for-everybody welcome bonus for new users who deposit £200. Unlike referral-only deals, this offer is available simply for signing up and funding your account — no need to rope in friends (although eToro does run separate referral promotions from time to time).

If you’re new to eToro, check out our in-depth eToro review. It’s worth knowing that the platform focuses on global stocks, many of which are US-listed and traded in dollars. It’s a slick, beginner-friendly app, though one thing to note is that it doesn’t offer an in-house stocks and shares ISA (instead supporting Moneyfarm’s ISA through the eToro app).

To get the bonus, you need to be a new eToro customer and make a £200 first deposit. It has to be your first deposit – laters ones don’t count towards your eligibility. You also can’t withdraw that £200 for at least 90 days – if you do, you void your eligibility.

How to get the welcome bonus

1. Open an account. You’ll need to use Finder’s link.
2. Verify your account. You’ll need to fully verify your identity before you can qualify for the promotion.
3. Pick your stock. During the registration process, you’ll be invited to select a stock from a list provided by eToro.
4. Fund your account. Make a first-time deposit of at least £200. Only your first deposit counts, and the money needs to stay in your account for 90 days.
5. Get your free assets. Once all conditions are met, your free asset is usually added to your account within 7 days.

How easy is it to get the free shares?

Fairly straightforward, as long as you’re happy to leave your deposit untouched for 90 days. It’s rare for every new user to get such a chunky reward – normally it’s a randomly assigned value. There’s no trading requirement, and you don’t need to refer anyone to qualify. The main hurdle is the minimum deposit, which is higher than some other UK free-share deals, but the rewards can also be bigger!

Something to consider

The bonus stocks are not placed inside an ISA. Your investment is held in a standard taxable GIA account.

You should also be aware that eToro applies a $10 monthly inactivity fee if you don’t log in for 12 months (easy to avoid, but worth knowing).

Claim welcome bonus

Capital at risk

Lightyear: Up to £100 free fractional share or ETF

Join Lightyear using Finder’s referral link and the code “FINDER” to get a free fractional share or ETF of your choosing worth between £10 and £100.

What’s great is that you get to pick which stock or ETF you want from a selection instead of being randomly assigned shares that you may not want.

How to get the free stocks

1. Open an account with Finder’s link. Use the code “FINDER”.
2. Verify. Once your account is open you’ll need to verfiy using an ID.
3. Deposit funds. Once your account is verified, you’ll need to make a deposit of at least £100 within 15 days.
4. Get your free stocks. Lightyear should let you pick your free shares and credit your GIA, provided you qualify and used the FINDER promo code.

How easy is it to get the free stocks?

Lightyear’s free share welcome bonus is probably one of the easiest out there with very few hoops to jump through, but you do need to deposit at least £100 within 15 days of signing up, which is a slightly higher amount than some other free stock deals.

Something to consider

The value of your bonus fractional shares is randomised, but weighted towards smaller values (the lowest possible being a bit of a sad £10).

80% of participants will receive £10-£20, 15% will receive £21-£50, 3% will receive £51-£75 and 2% will receive £76-£100. That gives an average value of £20.98.

Claim free shares

Capital at risk

Robinhood: $7-$175 free fractional stock

New Robinhood sign-ups that have been appproved, linked their bank account and made a deposit within 14 days can choose a free fractional stock from a selection of 22 S&P 500 companies. The selection of companies seems quite random: it’s the largest 2 “within the top 13 sectors, both based on market cap, per August 29, 2025 data”… But a free stock’s a free stock!

You can also refer up to 5 friends to get free fractional share rewards. The free stocks you receive will be worth at least $7 and again, the maximum value is $175. You can refer as many friends as you like until you hit $1,500 in bonus stock in a year.

It’s important to appreciate that Robinhood is for trading US stocks – commission-free, but US stocks only. You can open an account in the UK, but note that funds you deposit are immediately converted to US dollars. Learn more in our Robinhood review.

How to get the free stocks

1. Open an account. Get the app, create logins and verify your identity.
2. Link your bank account and make a deposit. You’ll need to do this within 14 days of opening the account to be eligible.
3. Get a notification promting you to claim your reward. You’ll be invited to claim a specified cash value to use toward fractional shares. You get 60 days to claim the reward.
4. Pick your stock and place your trade. Robinhood has a shortlist of 22 S&P 500 stocks to choose from.
5. Refer friends for more rewards. You can then get more free stocks by referring your friends to Robinhood (provided they sign up and make a deposit). Again, you get 60 days to claim each reward before it expires.

How easy is it to get the free stocks?

Robinhood could certainly make this more straightforward, and it doesn’t help that it’s a very hard company to contact, from our research. Online documentation about the promotions is also quite tucked away.

While some other apps just give you your reward, Robinhood notifies you that it’s ready to claim, and you then have 60 days to do so. Pretty frustrating stuff! You can’t withdraw the cash from selling the stocks for 30 days.

Something to consider

Whether you’re getting the sign-up or referral reward, Robinhood states that approximately 96% of participants will receive a net cash value of $7 to $8. Approximately 2% get $8-$15, 1% get $15 to $25, 0.9% get $25 to $50 and 0.1% get $50 to $175.

Claim free shares

Capital at risk

Trading 212: £8-£100 free shares

Join Trading 212 using Finder’s referral link or use the code “FINDER” and you can get free fractional shares worth up to £100. From time to time you can also then refer up to 5 friends to get more free fractional shares (we’ll update this page when the next refer-a-friend promo launches).

The free stocks you receive through the Finder link will be worth at least £8 and the maximum value is £100.

How to get the free stocks

1. Open an account. Use the Finder link or promo code “FINDER”, which is valid for accounts created within the last 10 days (open your app, go to the 3-line menu at bottom right, and select ‘Use promo code’).
2. Verify. Once your account is open you’ll need to verfiy using an ID.
3. Deposit funds. Once your account is verified, you’ll need to make a deposit of at least £1.
4. Get your free stocks. Trading 212 will credit your free fractional shares within 3 business days.
5. Keep referring friends. From time to time you can get more free stocks by referring your friends to Trading 212. You can refer up to 5 more people and they just need to follow the same process you did.

How easy is it to get the free stocks?

Trading 212’s “FINDER” promo code for free shares worth up to £100 is probably one of the easiest out there with very few hoops to jump through and the £1 minimum deposit makes it affordable for anyone.

Something to consider

The Trading 212 free share promotion only runs from time to time and there’s usually only a small window of a few weeks to get your free shares.

80% of participants receive £8-25 share value, 15% receive £25-50, 3% receive £50-75 and 2% receive £75-£100.

Claim free shares

Capital at risk

InvestEngine: £20-£200 sign-up bonus

Sign up to InvestEngine using our link and you’ll receive a bonus of between £20 and £200 (randomly generated) when you deposit and invest £100. InvestEngine also has a referral programme where both you and the person you refer will receive a bonus of up to £100, paid into your InvestEngine accounts. You can refer up to 25 friends to InvestEngine to keep receiving referral bonuses.

Note that InvestEngine is all about ETFs – you can’t invest in individual shares. Learn more in our InvestEngine review.

How to get the InvestEngine welcome bonus

1. Use our link and create an account. Follow our unique referral link and create your account by clicking “get started”.
2. Complete registration and choose investments. After completing the sign up process, you need to deposit and invest at least £100, in line with InvestEngine’s T&Cs.
3. Claim your bonus. You’ll get a notification to claim an extra £20 to £200 and it will be added to your account with 5 business days.
4. Remain invested. You need to leave it invested for 12 months to keep your bonus, but you can refer friends and family to earn up to 25 more bonuses.

How to get the InvestEngine referral bonus

1. The person referred needs to open an account. If you’ve been referred, you’ll need to use the referral link your friend sends you from within their account.
2. Fund your account. You need to deposit at least £100, in line with InvestEngine’s T&Cs.
3. Choose your investments. This can be ready-made portfolios or you can create your own portfolio of exchange-traded funds.
4. Get your referral bonus. This usually happens fairly promptly, though you need to leave it invested for 12 months.

How easy is it?

It’s easy to get the welcome bonus but you do have to keep it invested with your original £100 for 12 months before you can withdraw it.

Something to consider

You need to fund your portfolio with £100 within 30 days, and it must stay invested with the welcome bonus for a year, or InvestEngine may take away your bonus. 75% of participants receive £20-24, while 15% receive £28-34, 5% receive £42-56, 3% recieve £75-100, and 2% will recieve £150-200.

Scottish Friendly: £25 referral voucher

This isn’t really a free share, but it is a freebie. The £25 My Rewards gift vouchers can be redeemed at a range of outlets throughout the UK, including the Apple Store, John Lewis & Partners and Love2shop

How to get the freebie

1. Your friend opens an account. They can do this on the website. They’ll need to enter the code “RECAF” when completing the application form.
2. They’ll receive their gift 28 days after investing. They’ll also receive yours, and can pass it along.

All that’s left to do is choose where to spend it.

How easy is it?

It’s fairly straightforward, with the only real catch being that the referred friend (or friends – you can refer multiple) has to give you your reward, because they’ll receive both. Fine if you trust them!

Something to consider

Scottish Friendly just offers ISAs where you opt into ready-made investments (rather than picking your own stocks). So this is worth bearing in mind if you want access to wider investment options.

Get your welcome gift

Capital at risk

Dodl: £30 referral voucher

Dodl has launched a referral promotion that lets you claim a free £30 Blackhawk voucher if you refer a friend or are referred by a friend. Blackhawk’s a gift card and reward provider that offers vouchers for a wide range of retailers and service providers, such as TK Maxx and Spotify.

The referred friend has to open a general investment account, ISA, LISA or pension and add at least £500 to the account within 120 days – this can either be with an account top-up or by transferring an account, but it can’t be transferred from AJ Bell.

Dodl is for UK stocks only, but it does offer commission-free trading. Learn more in our Dodl review.

How to get your gift voucher

1. Open an account with Dodl. You can choose any of the accounts that Dodl has on offer.
2. Fill out the referral form on Dodl’s website. It asks for the details of the person who referred you and the details you signed up with.
3. Deposit at least £500. This can be either with a brand transfer or by transferring your account from another provider.
4. Get your voucher. You and your friend will receive an email with a voucher code in the calendar month after your deposit.

How easy is it?

It’s a doddle – you just need to fill out a form and you’re good to go.

Something to consider

You’ll need to be a Dodl customer with at least £500 in your account when the voucher arrives and your voucher may be reclaimed if you close your account or transfer out within 12 months.

Capital at risk

Wealthyhood: £5-£200 free ETF share on referral

Wealthyhood is offering a free ETF share worth up to £200 (though it could also be as little as £5) to existing account holders when they refer friends to join (the friends get a free share too).

How to get the free stock

1. Open an account. At the moment, Wealthyhood only offers a General Investment Account.
2. Make your first investment. You can start investing from as little as £20.
3. Refer your friends. You can enter their email in your account or share your unique referral code or link.
4. Get your free ETF. This should only take around 5 days. You can’t sell your ETF for 60 days, and will also lose it if you close your account within 60 days.

How easy is it?

Pretty easy. Bear in mind that your friend will need to invest at least £100 within 7 days for you both to get your free ETF share. Wealthyhood states that your free share share will appear on each of your accounts within a maximum of 5 days.

Something to consider

In practice, your free ETF share may range anywhere from a minimum of £5 to a maximum of £200. You’re more likely to get a lower-value share as the probabilities are weighted. Wealthyhood doesn’t specifiy exact probabilities (tut tut), but it says it tries hard to “reward genuine friend invites better”. Mysterious!

Wealthyhood currently only offers a General Investment Account (no ISA, for example).

Capital at risk

Bottom line

It’s possible to get free stocks and shares simply by signing up to some platforms, as long as you haven’t signed up for an account before and you meet all the criteria. Another option if you have an account is referring friends.

You should never invest in a hurry but these deals can sometimes have expiry dates or get changed at a moments notice. So act quick if you want to benefit from the cash or free stocks offer. Free shares shouldn’t be the only reason you join a platform, but it’s definitely a bonus.

Frequently asked questions

• Is it safe to invest using a trading app?

  As with all investing, there’s the risk that you could lose the money that you invest. You can help to protect yourself from investment risk by diversifying your portfolio (which is investment talk for not putting all your eggs in one basket).

• Will my free share be subject to tax?

  It could be. Some trading platforms won’t put your free share into your ISA, so any profits you make will be subject to capital gains tax, which is payable if you earn more than £3,000 in a tax year.

  If the provider allows you to redeem the free share in your ISA, then you won’t have to pay tax on the profits as long as it doesn’t take you over the £20,000 allowance in a year.

• Can I cash in my free shares?

  You can. Some providers ask that you don’t withdraw the money for a set period, while others let you sell and cash in right away. Make sure you know what your chosen provider lets you do.

• Is it possible to get a free share more than once?

  In many cases it is possible to get more than one free share — typically if the provider has some sort of referral program. You often can’t get the free share for signing up more than once, but you can refer friends for more.

• How can I trade stocks for free?

  There are plenty of “free” trading apps. These are typically commission free, so there could be additional charges for things like foreign exchange or withdrawing your money.

  Trading 212 and eToro are two popular commission-free trading apps.

• Can I buy shares in UK stock?

  You can! These shares are often listed on the London Stock Exchange, so look out for a provider that lets you buy these shares. We’ve listed some of the best trading apps to help you find one that suits you.

• Which is the best free share offer?

  There are loads of great ones. The best one for you will depend on what suits you best. Remember, you’ll likely be using the platform for a while, so choosing the right provider probably matters more than the freebies. (We won’t like though, a nice freebie is never gonna hurt).

• Which app gives free stocks?

  Freetrade and Stake both give out free shares to new members. Some other providers have freebies on offer to their new members in the form of vouchers or a top-up to your account, such as Scottish Friendly and InvestEngine.

• How can I earn free shares?

  In some cases, you can get free shares just by signing up, although you may need a referral link from a friend. Some providers are giving out free shares if you refer friends, too.

Warning: The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. *Disclaimer: The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products finder has access to track details from and is not representative of all the products available in the market. Unless indicated otherwise, products are displayed in no particular order or ranking. The use of terms ‘Best’, ‘Top’, ‘Cheap’ including variations, are not product ratings and are subject to our terms of use. You should consider seeking independent financial advice and consider your personal financial circumstances when comparing products.