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
- How to Choose a U.S. Brokerage in 2026? A Full Comparison for Long-Term Investing, Active Trading, China-Based Users, and Signup Bonuses
- Introduction to U.S. Stock Market Basics
- U.S. Stock Market Basics: What Are ETF/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 Trading as an Example)
- How to Invest in Hong Kong Stocks from the U.S.
Below are introductions to several commonly used U.S. stock brokerages and their signup bonuses.
| Overview | Signup Bonus | Quick Take |
|---|---|---|
| Moomoo Futu | Get a $350 stock card + $1,000 NVDA + 8.1% APY | Comprehensive features and a strong Chinese-language experience. Quotes, Level 2 data, options, and cash management are all practical, making it suitable for everyone from beginners to active traders. |
| TradeUp Tiger Brokers | Get 50 NVDA shares + draw for 5 shares + 4% for three months | Good for active trading. For U.S. tax residents, trading fees and margin are relatively competitive. It supports Web Trading, Level 2 data, and Chinese-language customer service. |
| Webull | 12 fractional shares + 1 month of Premium membership | Strong market-watching and active-trading features. Charts, technical indicators, options, and pre-market/after-hours trading are fairly complete, making it suitable for frequent traders. |
| BBAE | Up to $650 in rewards | Convenient account opening for users in China, with no SSN/ITIN required to apply. Chinese-language support is strong, but it currently has a Platform Fee, so it is not ideal for small-balance, high-frequency trading. |
| Robinhood | Draw 1 stock | The interface is simple and easy to use, making it 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 China residents, making it suitable for advanced investors and global investors. |
| TradeStation | $250 | More geared toward professional and active trading. Advanced charting, strategy backtesting, and automated trading features are relatively strong, but ordinary long-term investors may not need them. |
| Schwab | Get up to $1,000 | Good for long-term investing and larger asset balances. Buying ETFs and CDs is convenient. Checking and global ATM access are also advantages, but the default interest rate on idle cash is relatively low. |
| Fidelity Brokerage Account | Signup link | A long-established full-service brokerage, suitable for long-term investing, ETFs, and retirement accounts. Cash management is also good, making it a strong choice as a long-term primary brokerage. |
| BIT (formerly Matrixport) | Get $210 for deposits and trading | Suitable for users in China and digital-asset users. It can be used to allocate USDT/USDC and other funds into U.S. stocks. It is not a traditional U.S. brokerage, so you should review fees and the asset custody structure separately. |
| SoFi Invest | Get $75 for opening an account | 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 Investing | Get $10 for depositing money | Focused on Pies and automated investing. It is suitable for long-term dollar-cost averaging after setting your stock and ETF allocations, but not for users mainly focused on active trading. |
If you do not have an SSN/ITIN but still want to trade U.S. stocks, you can consider the following brokerages/platforms. They can be opened entirely with China-based documents, and you can register with an ID card or passport. They do not participate in China CRS.
- BBAE: Chinese-user friendly, and you can open an account without an SSN/ITIN
- BIT (formerly Matrixport): You can open an account with an ID card, and approval can be completed within a few hours.
- Bitget platform: Identity verification can be completed with an ID card/Chinese passport
If you are in mainland China and want to invest in U.S. stocks, you can read this overview:
