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 Basics
- How to Choose a U.S. Brokerage in 2026? Comparing Long-Term Investing, Active Trading, Chinese Users, and Account-Opening Bonuses
- Introduction to U.S. Stock Market Basics
- U.S. Stock Basics: What Are ETFs/ETNs, and How to Buy and Invest in Them
- How Beginners Can Pick U.S. Stocks: A Step-by-Step Guide!
- How Should You File Taxes on U.S. Stock Investments?
- How to Transfer Stocks Between Investment Platforms (ACATS)
- Introduction to Paper Trading for U.S. Stocks (2026 Update)
- Are Chinese-Owned Brokerages in the U.S. Safe?
- How to Invest in Chinese ADRs in the U.S.? (Using Moomoo as an Example)
- How to Invest in Hong Kong Stocks from the U.S.
Below are introductions and sign-up bonuses for several commonly used U.S. stock brokerages.
| Review | Sign-up bonus | Quick take |
|---|---|---|
| Moomoo (Futu) | $200 stock card + $1,000 NVDA + 8.1% APY | Feature-rich, with a good Chinese-language experience. Market data, Level 2, options, and cash management are all practical, making it suitable for everyone from beginners to active traders. |
| TradeUp (Tiger Brokers) | 50 NVDA shares + chance to win 5 shares + 4% for three months | Good for active trading. Trading fees and margin are relatively competitive for U.S. tax residents, and it supports Web Trading, Level 2, and Chinese-language customer service. |
| Webull | 12 fractional shares + 1 month of Premium membership | Strong market-monitoring and active-trading features, with relatively complete charts, technical indicators, options, and pre-market/after-hours trading. Best for users who trade frequently. |
| BBAE | Up to $650 bonus | Relatively convenient account opening for Chinese users, and you can apply without an SSN/ITIN. Chinese-language support is good, but there is currently a Platform Fee, so it is not ideal for small-balance high-frequency trading. |
| Robinhood | Chance to get 1 stock | Simple interface and easy to use, suitable for beginners buying U.S. stocks for the first time. Gold users also get a high yield on idle cash and a lower Margin Rate. |
| Interactive Brokers | Up to $1,000 | Highly professional, with support for global markets and multiple currencies. Margin costs are competitive, and it also supports account opening for Chinese residents, making it suitable for advanced and global investors. |
| TradeStation | $250 | Geared more toward professional and active trading, with strong advanced charting, strategy backtesting, and automated trading features. Ordinary long-term investors may not need it. |
| Schwab | Up to $1,000 | Good for long-term investing and larger asset balances, and convenient for buying ETFs and CDs. Checking and worldwide ATMs are also strengths, but the default interest rate on idle cash is relatively low. |
| Fidelity brokerage account | Sign-up link | A long-established full-service brokerage, suitable for long-term investing, ETFs, and retirement accounts. Cash management is also solid, making it a good primary brokerage for the long run. |
| BIT (formerly Matrixport) | Deposit and trade to get $210 | Suitable for Chinese users and digital-asset users. You can use funds such as USDT/USDC to allocate to U.S. stocks. It is not a traditional U.S. brokerage, so fees and the asset custody structure need to be reviewed separately. |
| SoFi Invest | Open an account to get $75 | Simple to use and supports Stock Bits, making it suitable for small-balance and long-term investing. Professional market data and trading tools are limited, so it is not suitable for frequent trading. |
| M1 Finance Invest | Deposit money to get $10 | Focuses on Pies and automated investing. It is suitable for long-term recurring investments after setting your stock and ETF allocations, but not for users whose main focus is active trading. |
If you do not have an SSN/ITIN but still want to trade U.S. stocks, you can consider the brokerages/platforms below. They can be registered entirely with Chinese documents, using either an ID card or passport. None participate in China's CRS.
- BBAE: Chinese-user-friendly; you can open an account without an SSN/ITIN.
- BIT (formerly Matrixport): You can open an account with an ID card, and approval can take just a few hours.
- Bitget platform: Identity verification can be completed with an ID card or Chinese passport.
If you are in mainland China and want to invest in U.S. stocks, see this summary:
