How to Get Free Stocks In the UK: A Comprehensive 2022 Guide
Written by, Marija Petkova
Updated September, 5, 2022
It is possible to get free stocks and shares in the UK.
Yes, that’s right! Fueled by a competitive market and rising fintech adoption rates, many investment platforms in the UK are offering free stocks and shares as part of their sign-up bonus.
In this article, we will show you exactly how to get free stocks in the UK and provide you with a list of the most generous investment platforms that offer them.
Free Stocks and Shares in the UK
Free stocks and shares are used by most investment platforms as a way to lure new customers. They are usually part of the platform’s sign-up offer.
There are several perks to getting free stocks in the UK.
First off, there are no additional costs involved other than the standard trading fees applied by the platform. In most cases, though, you would have to fund your account with at least one pound to get your free share.
What’s more, this option is great for both novices to stock trading and seasoned investors. It gives the former a low-risk entry into the stock market, while it provides more experienced traders with a few extra shares in their portfolio.
There are downsides, though. Whenever you are playing the stock market, no matter how low-risk the investment is, there is always a chance you won’t see any returns. But as long as you are aware of the risks involved and make educated, careful decisions, you can dabble in free stock trading.
How to Get Free Stocks in the UK?
Below you will find a list of some of the top-rated UK apps with free shares and stocks. (Please note that the order in the list is random. Also, the offers might change with time)
1. Freetrade
- Number of free shares awarded: One free share
- Value of free shares awarded: £3–£200
Freetrade is a commission-free investing app, founded in 2016. Boasting over one million users, it has a wide offer of investment opportunities, including fractional shares, US and UK stocks and ETFs.
It also gives new users a free share when they refer a friend to the site.
How it works:
- Click on the Free Share button on the app & send the link to a friend
- Your friend will accept, download the app, sign up and complete a W-8BEN
- They will fund their account with a minimum of £1
- You both will get free shares
Free shares are randomly chosen by the algorithm from 250 free instruments. You may invite as many people as you want, but there’s a limit of up to 10 free shares per month, and you aren’t allowed to advertise the sign-up offer on social media.
2. Stake (aka HelloStake)
- Number of free shares awarded: One free share
- Value of free shares awarded: US$50
Stake is a digital stock brokerage firm that focuses on American equities. An Australian company, Stake has recently expanded its services and now offers over 6,000 US equities and ETFs as well as free stock trading to UK residents. It is widely considered as one of the best investment apps in the country.
To help you get started with the platform, Stake will give you one free share when you open and fund your account.
How to get your free share on Stake:
- Create your account
- Deposit £50 into the account within 24 hours
- Enter the promo code (in this case INTHEGAME)
Their current free promotion will give you a free stock in Nike, valued at US$50. Stake runs different promotions throughout the year, so you could also end up with shares in other companies like Dropbox or GoPro.
3. Orca
- Number of free shares awarded: One free share
- Value of free shares awarded: up to £200 or fractions of stock
Orca is a commission-free investing app that provides free stocks for signing up. Headquartered in the UK, the company provides plenty of investment opportunities. It also partners with ISA/GIA UK providers, allowing you to open an ISA account right from the app.
So far, Orca has awarded its users with over 50 thousand in free stocks and shares.
Here is what you need to do to get one:
- Download Orca’s app and open an ISA/GIA
- Make a deposit of at least one pound
- Invite a friend
- When your friend opens and tops up their account, you will both get a free share worth up to £200 or fractions of stock.
It takes about 2 minutes on average to register with the platform, although it could be a week before the free share is deposited into your account.
4. Trading 212
- Number of free shares awarded: One free share
- Value of free shares awarded: £100
Trading 212 is another free stock trading platform. This UK based, FCA-authorised investing platform offers zero-commission stock trading with access to 10,000 global stocks and ETFs and boasts over 14 million downloads.
New users get a share of stocks for free through the company’s referral program, provided they are of legal age to start investing and are a resident of one of the countries eligible for the promotion.
Here is how it works.
- Firstly, you need to have an active Trading 212 Invest or ISA account
- Go to the ‘’more’’ tab on the app
- Click on the ‘’get free shares’’ button
- Click on the ‘’share’’ button.
- Your friend will create an account and make a minimum deposit of £1
- You and your friend will receive a free share 3 business days after the deposit is made
Note that you are limited to five referrals, but even if you use up your bonus, any friends you refer to Trading 212 can still get free shares and stocks.
Alternative Apps
If you thought you could earn only free stock from trading platforms in the UK, you are in for a surprise. Like some of the banks that give you money for opening an account, there are investment platforms that award you with cash upon signing up.
Here are a few of them:
You and the friend you refer to the site will both get a £25 bonus once you invest a minimum of £100. With InvestEngine you can refer up to 25 friends, so you can receive a total of £625 in referral bonuses deposited in your portfolio. You could also get a nice £500 ISA cashback bonus and enter a prize draw by engaging with the brand.
When you and the referral deposit at least £5 into your respective accounts, you will get CIRCA5000 credit up to £100, as well as two trees planted in Indonesia. You may not win free stocks and shares, but you will receive cash and get to do your bit for the environment, so a win-win all around.
This investment platform offers several sign-up bonuses. With it, you can refer up to 50 friends and get a bonus of £10 for each referral. You could also get a 0.20% cashback, receive a £20 welcome bonus for your first investment with Wombat or be included in a cash prize draw.
Ziglu has a £5 customer referral programme which comes into effect once you and your friend buy any cryptocurrency on the app in the amount of £5. The reward is paid into your account in Sterling or in crypto of Ziglu’s choice. If you are one of the 2 million UK adults who has invested in crypto, this is one of the best bonuses you can get.
This app requires a noticeably bigger investment of £250 but comes with the possibility to earn up to £750, i.e. £25 per person (who will also receive the same amount) by referring friends to the app.
Conclusion
Getting shares and stocks for free is a great way to start your investment journey. Just make sure you do proper research and remember that all investments come with risks involved.
Frequently Asked Questions And Their Answers
Will my free share be taxed?
In short, yes. Selling and buying shares, as well as earning income from dividends is taxable. For more information, take a look at this site.
Is it possible to sell my free shares?
Yes. Now that you know how to get free stocks in the UK and where to find them, you can use this bonus to start investing. Keep in mind that some platforms have conditions in place that require you to keep the free share for at least a year in your portfolio, so make sure that you read the T&Cs very carefully.
My name is Marija, and I'm a financial writer at DontDisappointMe. Although finance might not be everyone's cup of tea, my 10+ years of working in one of the biggest banks in my country, and my interest in extensive research on everything finance/investment-related, have made me somewhat of an expert in the field (if I do say so myself). No longer having the passion to work in a corporate setting, I decided that I couldn't let all of this knowledge go to waste so I started writing. And, here I am! Today I try to share my knowledge with my audience in the hopes of making this topic as simple and interesting as possible. In my leisure time, I like spending time with my family and travelling to new locations.