The past few years have been huge for digital streaming services, with a massive rise in viewer numbers and more streaming services than ever. With so many competing services to choose from, lots of streamers are offering extended free-trial memberships to give potential subscribers a taste of what’s on offer. While there are myriad streaming services out there these days, you should get the most for your money by looking for ones that offer free trials and still have the content you want to watch. We’re taking a look at the most popular streaming services with free trials, starting with those offering extended trials.
Browse streaming platforms by category:
- Current Extended Trials and Special Offers
- On-Demand TV, Live TV and Movies
- Cartoons and Anime
- Horror & Suspense
- Sports
- International Content
Extended Trials, Special Offers and New Services
1. Paramount+
- Free Trial Period: One week
- Cost: $4.99-$9.99/month or $49.99-$99.99/year
CBS All Access rebranded to Paramount+ in 2021, and they’ve since lowered the price of their basic subscription. Subscribers can choose between two tiers after the one-week trial, a standard version for $4.99 a month or a commercial-free tier at $9.99 a month. You can save 16% on either tier by opting for the annual plan. You can stream more than 10,000 episodes of your favorite shows, as well as live sports broadcasts, special events and 24/7 news via CBSN.
Related: Is Paramount+ Worth Subscribing To?
2. YouTube TV
- Free Trial Period: Two weeks
- Regular Cost: $64.99/month
- Limited Time Offer: $14.99 for your first month, after 2 weeks of FREE access to YouTube TV
You can try YouTube TV free for two weeks, after which you would typically pay $64.99 per month, plus get $50 off your first month as well and access over 85 top channels, unlimited DVR space, live sports, and more.
If you’re not interested in subscribing past the free trial, be sure to cancel before the trial is up or you’ll automatically be charged for the next month.
While this service is one of the pricier options on our list, it gives you access to all the perks you previously enjoyed via live TV – such as the Super Bowl, local sports, award shows and more – all for about half the price of the average cable subscription. In our review of YouTube TV, we found the service to be “a great way to get your favorite content at an affordable price,” especially for sports fans, news buffs and anyone else who can’t live without live TV. Related: YouTube TV Review: Everything You Need to Know Before Cutting the Cord
On-Demand Popular TV, Live TV and Movies
3. Sundance Now
- Regular Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $6.99/month, $59.99/year
AMC’s Sundance Now features dozens of films and series, including exclusives. Its library is stacked with acclaimed dramas and true crime shows, and the free trial gives you plenty of time to explore.
4. STARZ
- Free Trial: None
- Regular Cost: $8.99/month
With acclaimed original series like Outlander, STARZ promises unlimited HD streaming and downloads of hit movies, TV shows and bonus content. Enjoy blockbuster hits for the family and horror classics if you love slasher flicks.
Special Deal: Get STARZ for $5 a Month for 3 Months
5. Disney+
- Free Trial Period: None
- Cost: $7.99/month or $79.99/year
Disney+ is one of the hottest streaming services on the market, and the service is so confident in its success, it’s no longer offering a free trial as of August 2020. However, we will be sure to update this article if and when we find a promo code for Disney+ or if the streaming service offers a free trial again. The service gives you access to tons of content from Disney studios including Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and National Geographic. You can also get Disney+ bundled with EPSN+ and the ad-supported version of Hulu for just $13.99 a month. Alternatively, the bundle with ad-free Hulu costs $19.99 per month.
Related: Three Smart Ways to Secure a Trial Disney+ Subscription
6. HBO Max
- Free Trial Period: None
- Cost: $9.99-$14.99/month
HBO Max offers viewers options from across the WarnerMedia catalog, including access to a trove of shows and movies from HBO, Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, CNN and more. Like Disney+, HBO Max is so confident in their content that they no longer offer a free trial. However, they have recently added a lower cost ad-supported subscription option for $9.99 per month, down from the ad-free version cost of $14.99.
7. Peacock
- Free Trial Period: None
- Basic Account: Free (Some plans are free—no credit card required)
- Peacock Premium: $4.99/month
- Peacock Premium Plus: $9.99/month
Read: Is Peacock Premium Worth It?
While Peacock no longer offers a free trial, one of its biggest draws is the fact that users can stream a portion of its catalog for free. Hungry for more? Get everything the service has to offer with the Premium or Premium Plus plans. You’ll just need to decide whether you want to pay more to avoid the ads.
8. Hulu
- Free Trial Period: 30 days
- Cost: $6.99 to $12.99/month
Hulu is offering one of the best free trial subscriptions of any streaming service, giving up 30 days of their ad-supported plan for free. Launched in 2008, Hulu is “the only service that gives viewers instant access to current shows from every major U.S. broadcast network.” That means you can browse libraries of hit TV series and films all in one place for just $6.99 per month — or $12.99 for the ad-free version. Give it a try with a free one-month trial and no strings attached. You can also watch live TV with Hulu + Live TV, which costs $69.99 per month. You can try out this extended service with a seven-day free trial.
9. Amazon Prime Video
- Free Trial Period: 30 days
- Cost: $11.59/month as part of 1-Year Prime Membership
(free with Prime membership which is payable either as $14.99/month or $139/year)
While you can pay for Prime Video on its own, for just a few dollars more per month, you can sign up for a full Prime membership, which comes with Prime Video at no extra cost. In addition to Prime Video’s original content, you can also subscribe to 100+ premium channels like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, MLB.TV and Cinemax. The service lets you pay for the channels you want and cancel anytime with no cable required — and your first 30 days are on the house.
10. Apple TV+
- Special Offer: Three months free with purchase of eligible Apple device.
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $4.99/month
Apple has gotten into the original content game with their service Apple TV+. Original series include For All Mankind, See, and Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. You can try the service out for seven days free, with monthly recurring payments of $4.99 afterwards. While picking up a new Apple product is never cheap, the company is sweetening the deal by throwing in three months of Apple TV+ for free.
11. Netflix
- Free Trial Period: None
- Cost: $9.99 to $19.99/month
The streaming juggernaut has become just as well-known for its original series as its massive collection of mainstream TV shows and films. Plans start at $9.99 per month, and while the service no longer offers free trials, you can cancel or change your plan at any time.
12. SHOWTIME
- Free Trial Period: 30 days
- Cost: $10.99/month or $99/year
SHOWTIME’s streaming service gives you “instant access to commercial-free, award-winning series, movies and sports.” While the service costs $10.99 per month, you can get a 30-day free trial when you first sign up.
13. YouTube Premium
- Free Trial Period: One month
- Cost: $11.99/month
Experience YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube Originals ad-free with a YouTube Premium (formerly YouTube Red) subscription. The company offers a one month free trial followed by a fee of $11.99 per month once the trial ends. You can also choose from a $17.99/month family plan that accommodates up to five family members (ages 13+) in the same household, or a student plan that costs $6.99 per month.
14 . Sling TV
- Free Trial Period: 3 Days
- Cost: $35/month to $50/month
Sling TV gives its subscribers “live TV, only better” by letting them personalize channels as they please. You can currently watch free with a 3 day free trial, which includes customizable add-ons that allow you to explore everything SlingTV has to offer. Plans cost $35/month, but you can bundle both the Orange and Blue plans for $50/month.
15. Philo
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $25/month
You can try Philo risk-free for seven days to see if its streaming collection of more than 60 channels and unlimited recordings is right for you. Be aware, however, that the service isn’t great if you’re interested in sports or the news.
Cartoons and Anime
16. Boomerang
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $5.99/month or $49.99/year
Boomerang makes every day feel like Saturday morning (before 2014, anyway) with its streaming selection of new and classic cartoons, and zero ads. Indulge your inner child with old-school favorites like Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, Garfield, Looney Tunes, Popeye, Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny. Your first week is totally free, and plans start at just $5.99 per month (or $49.99 per year).
17. VRV
- Free Trial Period: 30 days
- Cost: $9.99/month
Considered “the best in anime, gaming, tech, cartoons and more,” VRV features exclusive series and new episodes of your favorite shows with no ads getting in the way. Plus, it includes access to Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Cartoon Hangover and more. You’ll pay $9.99 after your 30-day free trial if you choose to continue your subscription.
18. Crunchyroll
- Free Trial Period: 14 days
- Cost: $7.99-$14.99/month
Love anime and manga? Crunchyroll is for you. This streaming service offers ad-free episodes of your favorite shows just an hour after they air in Japan. Experience your first two weeks free of charge with monthly rates starting at $7.99 thereafter. It really is the most efficient way to watch My Hero Academia.
Horror & Suspense
19. Shudder
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $5.99/month or $56.99/year
Horror lovers, rejoice. Shudder TV lets you stream your favorite thrillers and slasher movies for one low monthly fee of $5.99. You can also pay upfront for an annual membership to drop the price to $4.75 per month, or $56.99 total. And you can set a Deal Alert with us to make sure you don’t miss any Shudder promos in the future.
Sports
20. fuboTV
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $64.99-$79.99/month
fuboTV offers a mix of live sports and TV without the need for cable. It’s also your best option for checking out international soccer games, as well as MLS. With more than 100 channels and at least 250 hours of Cloud DVR space, you can use this streaming service to “record what you love and access it from anywhere.” You can even replay any game, show or movie that aired within the last three days. The base monthly cost is a hefty $64.99, but you can try it for free for your first week.
International Content
21. BritBox
- Free Trial Period: Seven days
- Cost: $6.99/month or $69.99/year
BritBox prides itself on being the largest streaming collection of British TV, with everything from dramas and comedies to documentaries and soaps. If you love the BBC and ITV, you can normally try BritBox free for a week and then choose from a $6.99 monthly membership or a discounted annual rate of $69.99 (around a 16% discount).
Look Out for Extended Free Trials and Promo Codes
While we’ve discussed the standard free trials for all of these services, most of them also offer extensions and special promotional deals from time to time. Make sure to stay updated on all the relevant free trial promo codes and streaming discounts by picking your favorite services and setting a Deal Alert with us.
