Robinhood was one of the more popular commission-free brokerages in its early days. Back then, some people could even draw Apple stock, but the signup lottery mechanism has since changed. Reader ragdoll drew a Visa share worth $190.
The odds are actually not very high. According to Robinhood’s official description, the chance of getting Visa is 1/250. There are three stocks in this tier, including Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson, each worth at least $150.
You have a 1 in 250 chance of getting Microsoft ($200.8) , Visa ($195.06) , or Johnson & Johnson ($148) .You have a 1 in 350 chance of getting Kinder Morgan, PG&E, or Halliburton.
If you haven’t signed up before and want to try your luck:
- Sign up: Robinhood signup link
- After signing up, make a deposit and you’ll get one free stock; you can deposit as little as $0.01
Some lucky readers have also received Tesla from Moomoo (worth $700 at the time; he later sold it) and Microsolf from Firstrade (worth $200).
Other brokerages and investment accounts introduced on this site are listed below.
Stock Investing Basics
- Introduction to the basics of U.S. stocks
- U.S. Stock Basics: What Are ETF/ETN, and How to Buy and Invest in Them
- How to invest in Chinese concept stocks in the U.S.? (Using Moomoo as an example)
- How to invest in Hong Kong stocks from the U.S.
- Introduction to paper trading for U.S. stocks (2026 update)
- How beginners can pick U.S. stocks: a step-by-step guide!
- Side-by-side review of U.S. stock trading platforms: which one is the strongest?
- How to transfer stocks between investment platforms (ACATS)
- How should you file taxes on U.S. stock investing?
- Introduction to Chinese-owned brokerages in the U.S.
Below are a few commonly used U.S. stock brokerages and their signup bonuses
| Overview | Signup Bonus | Quick Take |
|---|---|---|
| Moomoo (Futu) | Get $1,030 in stock +8.1% APY | Professional, no commissions, and free Level 2 market data. Good for both beginners and advanced users. Chinese-language customer service available. Requires SSN |
| TradeUp (Tiger Brokers) | 50 shares of NVDA + chance to win 5 shares + 4% for three months | No commissions, supports U.S. and Hong Kong stocks, and offers WebTrading. Chinese-language customer service available. Available globally. |
| Webull | $100 Amazon +12 fractional shares +1 month of Premium membership | No commissions, with frequent deposit-for-stock promotions |
| BBAE | Up to $650 reward | 0 commission, 0 fees; Chinese-friendly, and you can open an account without SSN/ITIN |
| Robinhood | 1 free stock | No commissions, with an interest-bearing cash account. Simple interface that is beginner-friendly |
| Interactive Brokers | Up to $1,000 | Wide product coverage. Professional, comprehensive trading platform, and high cash interest rates. |
| TradeStation | $250 | Professional trading platform with a full set of supporting tools |
| Schwab | Up to $1,000 | Professional and easy to use. Global ATM fee-free withdrawals, and $0 stock commissions |
| Fidelity Brokerage Account | Sign-up link | Well-established brokerage, no trading fees, and TurboTax included |
| BIT (formerly Matrixport) | Deposit and trade to get $210 | Supports direct crypto deposits and withdrawals, no China CRS, and you can register directly with an ID card |
| SoFi Invest | Get $75 for opening an account | No commissions, supports Stock Bits |
| WealthFront | Manage up to $5,000 for free | Automated investing and wealth management |
| M1 Finance | Deposit funds and get $10 | No commissions, with automatic investing based on your portfolio |
If you do not have SSN/ITIN but still want to trade U.S. stocks, take a look at the brokerages/platforms below. All of them allow registration using a full set of Chinese documents, and you can sign up with just an ID card or passport. None of them participate in China CRS
- BBAE: Chinese-friendly; you can open an account without SSN/ITIN.
- BIT (formerly Matrixport): You can open an account with just an ID card, and approval can be completed within a few hours.
- Bitget: Identity verification can be completed with an ID card/Chinese passport.
If you want to invest in U.S. stocks from mainland China, see this summary