IG will give new investors up to £200 of free shares in September - should you sign up?

IG will give new investors up to £200 of free shares in September - should you sign up?
By: dailymail Posted On: September 03, 2025 View: 21

Products featured in this article are independently selected by This is Money's specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence.

Popular investment platform IG is giving new clients up to £200 worth of free UK shares this month, provided they invest at least £50 in an investment account, Isa or Sipp.

The UK’s FTSE 100 index has reached a series of all-time highs in 2025, in part driven by investors looking to diversify away from US stocks – which some experts believe are overvalued – and the effects of Donald Trump’s trade wars.

However, in general Britons still prefer the safety of cash over investing. IG says it is hoping its offer will help to encourage people to both start investing and back Britain’s companies in the process.

Investing carries risk and you could back less than you invested, but over the long term investments stand a better chance than cash of beating inflation.

The companies you could own through IG’s promotion include well-known names such as Unilever, Greggs, Rightmove and Tesco.

IG’s deal joins a duo of existing giveaways from Freetrade and Trading 212 – so how does it stack up?

> Start investing with IG and claim your free shares* 

Backing Britain: IG's deal gives you a slice of top UK companies

A good freebie – but some will be luckier than others

If you want to start investing or are looking to try out a new investment platform, receiving UK shares from IG can boost your portfolio, giving you free slices of a selection of top UK companies.

The catch is the shares are randomly allocated. 

The value of shares you receive is down to chance and you're most likely to receive between £40 and £50 worth:

That being said, you only need to invest £50 to receive at least around £50 back in free shares – so the deal is well worth considering.

£s worth of shares  Probability of receiving
£40-£50 60%
£50.01-£100 30% 
£100.01-£150 6% 
£150.01-£200 4% 

To bag the shares, you need to be a new IG customer and make a trade of at least £50 in an investment account, Isa or Sipp between 1 September and 30 September 2025.

You then need to hold the investment until at least 31 October, after which IG will credit the shares to your investment account. They won’t go into your Isa or Sipp, even if you made the initial trade in one of these accounts. Make sure you read the terms and conditions of the deal*.

You should also be aware of IG's custody fees – you must place at least three trades each quarter, otherwise you'll be charged £24 for the period and could quickly eat up any benefits.

> Find out more about IG's free shares offer* 

Do other platforms offer free shares?

Investment platforms regularly run free share offers to encourage people to sign up. Make sure you read all the details about how to claim your shares and the terms and conditions when signing up: 

Trading 212* is giving new customers who are This is Money readers up to £100 worth of free fractional shares when you sign up using our link above, and open an general account or stocks and shares Isa. You're most likely to receive between £8 and £25 worth of shares, but it's good there's a low minimum deposit of £1.

Freetrade* is offering a £10 to £100 free share when new customers sign up and invest £50 using our link. Your share will be a random one from a list of UK and US companies, ETFs and trusts – and like the Trading 212 and IG offers, more expensive shares are rarer.

Compare the best DIY investing platforms

Investing online is simple, cheap and can be done from your computer, tablet or phone at a time and place that suits you.

When it comes to choosing a DIY investing platform, stocks & shares Isa, self invested personal pension, or a general investing account, the range of options might seem overwhelming. 

This is Money's full guide to the best investing platforms 

Every provider has a slightly different offering, charging more or less for trading or holding shares and giving access to a different range of stocks, funds and investment trusts. 

When weighing up the right one for you, it's important to to look at the service that it offers, along with administration charges and dealing fees, plus any other extra costs.

We highlight the main players in the table below but would advise doing your own research and considering the points in our full guide to the best investment accounts.

Platforms featured below are independently selected by This is Money’s specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence. 

DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS AND STOCKS & SHARES ISAS 
Admin charge Charges notes Fund dealing Standard share, trust, ETF dealing Regular investing Dividend reinvestment
AJ Bell*  0.25%  Max £3.50 per month for shares, trusts, ETFs.  £1.50 £5  £1.50 £1.50 per deal  More details
Bestinvest 0.40% (0.2% for ready made portfolios) Account fee cut to 0.2% for ready made investments Free £4.95 Free for funds  Free for income funds More details
Charles Stanley Direct* 0.30%  Min platform fee of £60, max of £600. £100 back in free trades per year  £4  £10 Free for funds  n/a More details
Etoro*  Free Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. Limited Isa, no Sipp.Not available Free n/a n/a More details 
Fidelity* 0.35% on funds £7.50 per month up to £25,000 or 0.35% with regular savings plan.  Free £7.50 Free funds £1.50 shares, trusts ETFs £1.50 More details
FreetradeBasic account free,  Standard with Isa £5.99, Plus £11.99Stocks, investment trusts, ETFs, limited choice of funds.Free Free n/a n/a More details 
Hargreaves Lansdown* 0.45% Capped at £45 for shares, trusts, ETFs Free £11.95 Free  Free  More details
Interactive Investor*  £4.99 per month under £50k, £11.99 above, £10 extra for Sipp Free trade worth £3.99 per month (does not apply to £4.99 plan) £3.99 £3.99 Free £0.99 More details
InvestEngine*Free Only ETFs. Managed service is 0.25% Not availableFree Free Free More details 
iWeb Free  £5 £5 n/a 2%, max £5 More details
Trading 212* Free Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. Not available Free n/a Free More details 
Vanguard  Only Vanguard's own products0.15% Only Vanguard fundsFree Free only Vanguard ETFs Free n/a More details 
(Source: ThisisMoney.co.uk April 2025. Admin % charge may be levied monthly or quarterly

 

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