Reviews Streaming
Written by Sarah Saril; edited by Steven Cohen
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- Gone are the days of every streaming service giving new users a free month of membership.
- Now, only certain platforms provide a free trial, and often for only one week.
- If you're hoping to try before you buy, you can currently sample services like Hulu and Prime Video.
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With so many streaming services on the market, it's important to find the right one for your tastes. Free trials can be a huge help with that.
Though these trials used to be a given with every major service, that's no longer the case. Major players — like Netflix, Disney Plus, ESPN+, HBO Max, and Peacock — have chosen to drop the feature altogether.
Thankfully, there are still several platforms that provide trial periods so you can watch before you subscribe. If you're hoping to sample some new streaming services without committing to a membership, we've got you covered.
Below, we've rounded up a few notable streaming apps that currently offer free trials, including a few big services and several smaller, specialized platforms. Trial options range from one week to an entire month, so you can get a good idea of what each app has to offer before you pay. Keep in mind, however, free trials are almost always exclusive to new members.
Check out these 14 streaming services that offer free trials
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Hulu
- Free trial length: One month
- Starting price: $7/month ($8/month starting October 10)
Hulu offers one of the best free trial promotions on the market, with a full month of free streaming. To claim Hulu's free trial, just go to its website, and sign up for either the ad-supported or ad-free plan. New subscribers will get their first 30 days free, and you can cancel at any time.
The service offers an impressive library of network TV shows, including next-day streaming for ABC and Fox series. Hulu is also known for originals like "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Only Murders in the Building," so we recommend checking out some of it exclusives during your trial to see if they're worth a subscription.
For more details on Hulu, check out our full guide to Hulu's plans and prices.
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Amazon Prime Video
- Free trial length: One month
- Starting price: $9/month (standalone), $15/month (full Prime membership)
Amazon doesn't offer a free trial that's specific to its streaming service alone, but you can get 30 days of Prime Video for free as part of a full Amazon Prime trial. To get started, simply visit Amazon's website and sign up for Prime.
New and eligible returning members get their first month free, and it comes with all of Prime's typical benefits — including access to Prime Video's full library of movies and shows. To qualify as a returning subscriber, it must be at least 12 months since you were an active member.
The streaming service features a combination of movies and shows, including some popular exclusives like "Wheel of Time" and "The Boys." Amazon Prime as a whole also offers a slew of perks, including free two-day shipping, two-hour grocery delivery, and more.
For more details, read our full guide to Amazon Prime Video.
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Paramount Plus
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $5/month
You can claim a free trial to Paramount Plus by heading to the website, signing up, and picking a plan. New subscribers get their first seven days of either the ad-supported or ad-free plan completely free of charge.
The service features a ton of content from CBS, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, and more. It's also home to newly released Paramount movies after their run in theaters, including hit 2022 films like "The Lost City" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2." You can also find plenty of Paramount Plus original films and series, like "Honor Society" and "Yellowstone: 1883."
Members can also livestream local NFL games that air on CBS, and the Premium plan adds full access to your CBS station. Since the trial is available for either plan, we recommend trying out the Premium option to sample all of the service's perks.
Check out our guide to Paramount Plus for a full breakdown of pricing and plans.
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Discovery Plus
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $5/month
To get a free week of Discovery Plus, just visit the website, choose a plan, and subscribe. New members get their first seven days free and can cancel at any time. Free trials are available for ad-supported and ad-free plans.
The growing service is an excellent choice for fans of reality TV, cooking programs, true crime, and competition series. You can find classic series like "Chopped," "Extreme Makeover," and "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" in its library. Discovery Plus will be merging with HBO Max in summer 2023, but for now, free trials only include Discovery Plus content.
Check out our guide to Discover Plus for more details.
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Apple TV Plus
- Free trial length: Seven days or three months via Best Buy
- Starting price: $5/month
Head to the Apple TV Plus website and sign up with your Apple ID to get a free seven-day trial. It's only available to new subscribers. Alternatively, you can get three months of the service free with either the purchase of an eligible Apple device or through this deal from Best Buy.
Apple TV Plus is among the most affordable services you can subscribe to at only $5 a month, but its media library is limited in quantity compared to the competition. You won't find a back catalog of network shows or studio movies, but the service is home to plenty of popular original series, including "Ted Lasso" and "Severance." The free trial gives you a perfect chance to see if these shows are worth the price of admission before you pay.
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Showtime
- Free trial length: One month
- Starting price: $11/month
Like Hulu and Prime Video, Showtime is another service that gives new members an entire month to sample its streaming selection. You can sign up for the 30-day trial directly through the Showtime website. Keep in mind, however, that the trial is only one week if you subscribe to Showtime as an add-on to Prime Video.
Showtime's streaming service lets you watch everything on the Showtime cable channel, including hit shows like "Dexter," "Shameless," and "Billions." Showtime also has a rotating selection of popular movies from studios like A24, Sony, Warner Brothers, and more.
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Starz
- Free trial length: Seven days (via Prime Video add-on)
- Starting price: $9/month
Starz frequently offers different promotions for new members, but a traditional free trial isn't always available directly through its website. As of August 18, Starz is giving new members a reduced rate of $5 a month for their first three months instead of a trial.
That said, you can still get a seven-day trial to Starz if you sign up as an add-on to Prime Video. Whether you stream directly through Starz or as an add-on channel, the service gives you access to everything on the Starz cable channel. The lineup includes new Sony movies like "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as well as original series like "Outlander" and the "Power" franchise.
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Shudder
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $6/month
To opt into Shudder's free trial, just head to the Shudder website and sign up. New users get their first seven days for free. You can also get a Shudder trial when you sign up as an add-on to Amazon Prime Video.
For horror aficionados, Shudder offers seemingly limitless entertainment, with tons of scary flicks and series to choose from. You won't find many new, big studio releases, but the service offers plenty of skin-crawling original films and series, like "Psycho Goreman" and "Mandy."
Keep in mind, however, that Shudder's content is also included with an AMC Plus subscription, so you may want to also try that service in order to get an extra trial to explore what Shudder has to offer. Learn more in our Shudder review.
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AMC Plus
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $9/month
To get a free trial of AMC Plus, just head to the service's website, create an account, and sign up. New users get their first seven days free.
An AMC Plus subscription gives you access to the AMC, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited libraries for one low cost. With that in mind, fans looking to sample Shudder's catalog can snag an extra week for free by signing up for an AMC Plus trial before or after Shudder's trial expires.
AMC Plus is a great option for cord-cutters who want to stream AMC series at the same time they air on cable. That said, new episodes of some AMC shows, like "Better Call Saul," only remain on the service for a limited time. Check out our guide to AMC Plus to learn more.
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Britbox
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $8/month
To get a free week of Britbox, just sign up for the service on its website. New users get their first seven days for free.
Britbox, a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, is one of the best services for fans of British films and series. It offers subscribers an array of plays, films, miniseries, and TV shows. Its library includes the early seasons of "Doctor Who," and many of Agatha Christie's series.
You can learn more in our Britbox vs. Acorn TV comparison.
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Acorn TV
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $7/month
Acorn TV's free trial can be claimed by creating an account on the Acorn TV website and signing up for the service. New subscribers get their first week free.
Another great option for international movie and TV lovers, Acorn TV features British, Australian, Canadian, and Irish programs. You can find standouts like "Foyle's War" and "Dead Still" in its library.
Learn more about the service and how it stacks up to the competition in our Britbox vs. Acorn TV comparison.
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The Criterion Channel
- Free trial length: 14 days
- Starting price: $11/month
To get a free trial of The Criterion Channel, sign up on the service's website and subscribe. New users get their first two weeks for free.
For those looking to discover or revisit important movies from around the world, The Criterion Channel is the streaming service for you. It's home to over 1,000 classic and contemporary films with historical and artistic significance, along with a constantly refreshed collection of additional films from major and indie studios alike.
A few notable movies available through The Criterion Channel include "Seven Samurai," "Raging Bull," "Paris is Burning," "Bicycle Thieves," "The 400 Blows," "In The Mood for Love," and "Boyhood."
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Crunchyroll
- Free trial length: 14 days
- Starting price: $8/month
To get a free 14-day free trial of Crunchyroll, just hop onto the service's website and sign up for one of its plans. Each of the tiers offers 14 days free for new subscribers. Learn more in our guide to Crunchyroll.
Now the service for anime fans, Crunchyroll has expanded its library to contain the contents of Funimation, VRV, and Wakanim into its already vast collection. That means countless series and films, from nostalgic classics like "Dragonball" to new hits like "Spy x Family."
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BroadwayHD
- Free trial length: Seven days
- Starting price: $12/month
You can start a free seven-day trial of BroadwayHD by signing up for either the monthly or annual plan on the service's website. New members automatically get their first week free.
For those who can't book a ticket for a live show on a whim, BroadwayHD is the next best thing. The service is home to filmed versions of stage musicals, plays, and all forms of theater, making it accessible to enjoy them from the comfort of your own couch.
That said, the platform focuses on older hits rather than current Broadway shows, so fans looking to catch the latest productions at home will be out of luck. Learn more in our BroadwayHD review.
Editor, Deals and How to Watch
Sarah is a Deals Editor for Business Insider’s Reviews team. She also supports our how-to-watch and streaming coverage. She never pays full price if she can help it and is an expert at finding and vetting the best discounts. ExperienceSarah joined the Business Insider Reviews team in 2020, starting as a deals reporter covering the best deals and steals daily. She later migrated to the tech team, where she researched, tested, and reviewed a variety of devices, from gaming mice to Kindle e-readers. Now, she’s returned to her origins, serving as the deals editor to curate only the best discounts and buying advice for readers.She began her career in service journalism in 2018 at Wirecutter as a deals writer, where she absorbed the history of the most frequently discounted products. This has informed her impeccably high standards for what makes a good deal. Ever since her Wirecutter days, Sarah has been an expert deals curator for tentpole sale days like Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.Following her weekly contributions to Business Insider’s Newsletter will illuminate new ways to get the best value on products you use every day.Why you can trust SarahSarah doesn’t recommend any deal she wouldn’t pay for herself. She is skeptical about the advertising language brands use to tout their sales and utilizes all the price-checking tools to ensure they deliver savings.Expertise
- Deal hunting and vetting
- E-readers
- Gaming accessories
- Smart home devices
- Concert tickets
- Travel bookings
- Streaming services
EducationSarah graduated from the California State University of Fullerton with a degree in Marketing. She lives in Southern California and is the proud pet parent of two German Shepherds and one chihuahua. She loves traveling to try delicious food, is skilled in crocheting and sewing, and enjoys reading horror novels (as long as they don’t keep her awake).Say hi (or send a picture of your pet) to Sarah at ssaril@businessinsider.com, or reach her on Twitter at @sarahhahr.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Business Insider here.
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