Who doesn't love free stuff? With the huge number of streaming services out there today, there’s a lot of competition for new subscribers. Because of this, lots of top streamers offer free trials for new customers. With a free trial, you can try out a streaming service and see if it’s right for you – without paying a dime.
But in the last few years, some major streaming services like Netflix have ended their free trial programs. If you’re wondering about the best streaming services with free trials, Flixed is here to help. In this guide, we’ll go over all your options for free trials of live and on-demand streaming services. Let’s get into it.
Live TV services
Live TV services are replacements for traditional cable and satellite subscriptions. They usually offer lots of desirable channels like ESPN, Fox News, HGTV, and Food Network, which you can watch live just like you would with a traditional pay TV subscription. Here are the best live TV services that have a free trial.
Fubo - 7-day free trial
Source: Fubo
Fubo currently offers a 7-day free trial, so you can try it out for free.
Fubo Pro
Try 7 days free
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Stream on ten screens
- 180+ channels
$74.99/month
Fubo Elite
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
$84.99/month
Fubo Premier
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Showtime included
$94.99/month
After the free trial, the cheapest package offered is the Pro package. With this package, you’ll get 150+ top channels including ESPN, Fox News, HGTV, Discovery, and tons of others.
You’ll also get 250 hours of DVR storage, and you can watch on 3 devices at once. You have the option to pay or upgrade to a higher-tier package to upgrade those features, if you want.
Device support is also really good with Fubo. You can watch on pretty much any device you want, including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, web browsers, Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV, among others. Click here to get started with a free 7-day trial.
Philo - 7-day free trial
Source: Philo
Philo has a 7-day free trial, so you can give it a shot for free and see if you like its entertainment-focused channel package. Unlike some competitors, Philo doesn’t have sports, news, or local channels. Instead, it provides channels like Food Network, HGTV, DIY Network, Comedy Central, and 60+ others. This focus on non-sports, non-news, non-local content makes it more affordable.
Philo Base
Try 7 days free
- Unlimited cloud DVR saved for 1 year
- Stream on three screens
- Shows movies and 70+ channels
- 7-day free trial
$28/month
As far as features are concerned, you can get unlimited DVR storage for up to 12 months, which is one of the best offers in the business. You also can stream on up to 3 devices at once, and create 10 individual user accounts.
Device support is great, with web browsers, iOS, and Android supported for on-the-go viewing. At home, you can watch on Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV devices. Click here to get a free trial and see if Philo is right for your household.
Sling TV - 7-day free trial
Source: Sling TV
Sling TV offers a free 7-day trial. After that, you’ll pay for Sling Blue or Sling Orange, or for Sling Orange + Blue. Sling Blue has 40+ channels, including Fox Sports, NFL Network, and some other exclusives. Sling Orange has ESPN, Freeform, and a few other exclusives. If you get Sling Orange + Blue, you’ll get full access to both packages.
Sling Orange
$10 off your first month
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$40/month
Sling Blue
$10 off your first month
- 40+ channels
- Local channels in select cities
- News and entertainment
- Stream on three screens
$45/month
Sling Orange & Blue
$10 off your first month
- General cable replacement
- 45+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$60/month
Along with your Sling TV subscription, you’ll get 50 hours of DVR storage. You can pay $5/month for 250 hours of storage. You can only watch on 1 device at once with Sling Orange, but you can watch Sling Blue channels on up to 3 devices simultaneously.
As you’d expect, Sling TV supports the same devices as its competitors. You can watch on iOS, Android, web browsers, Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and a few others. Click here to get your free trial and see if it’s right for you.
DirecTV Stream - 5-day free trial
Source: DirecTV Stream
After removing its free trial for a little while, DirecTV Stream reintroduced a free 5-day trial just a few days ago, as of publication time. You’ll get 5-days free when you sign up for any of its plans. Currently, their cheapest “Entertainment” package includes 75+ channels including ESPN, TNT, HGTV, and Nickelodeon.
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Try 4 days free
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Optimo Mas
- 100+ live TV channels
- Spanish and English programming
- Three months of Max free
- Unlimited DVR space
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Choice
Try 4 days free
- 105+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$108.99/month
DirecTV Stream Ultimate
Try 4 days free
- 140+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$119.99/month
DirecTV Stream Premier
- Unlimited DVR space
- 150+ channels
- Includes Max Cinemax SHOWTIME and STARZ
- Includes regional sports networks
$154.99/month
With DirecTV Stream, you can store unlimited DVR content for up to 90 days, with a maximum of 30 episodes for each show. You can also stream on up to 20 devices on your home network, or up to 3 devices outside your home network.
Its device support is solid, too. You can watch on iOS, Android, web browsers, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV devices. Click here to get your free 5-day trial and see if DirecTV Stream is right for you.
YouTube TV - 7-Day Free Trial
Source: YouTube TV
YouTube TV has a week-long free trial. There’s only one subscription tier after your trial expires, and it includes 100+ top channels like ESPN, local broadcast networks, Fox News, CNN, AMC, and plenty of others.
YouTube TV Spanish
Only $24.99 for the first 6 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts to share at home
- Stream on three screens
- 30+ Spanish channels
$34.99/month
YouTube TV
Only $54.99 for the first 3 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts for one price
- Stream on three screens
- 100+ live TV channels
$72.99/month
You can watch on up to 3 devices at once with YouTube TV, and record unlimited DVR content for 9 months, so it compares pretty favorably to competitors like Sling TV and Fubo.
Since it’s owned by Google, YouTube TV also has some of the best device support. You can watch on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV, as well as lots of smart TVs and gaming consoles from Xbox and PlayStation. Click here to try YouTube TV free for a week and see if you like it.
Vidgo - 7-day free trial
Source: Vidgo
Vidgo is a newer live TV streaming service that launched in the summer of 2020. It offers a free 7-day trial, and after that its base-tier “English Plus” package that includes 100+ channels. You’ll get ESPN, ABC, Animal Planet, and FX, among a few others.
Vidgo Mas
Only $10 for your first month
- 45+ live Spanish channels
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- Stream on three screens
$39.99/month
Vidgo Plus
Only $10 for your first month
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- 110+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$69.99/month
Vidgo Premium
Only $10 for your first month
- 150+ channels
- On demand content
- Cloud DVR
- Stream on three screens
$84.99/month
Vidgo Ultimate
- All English and Spanish channels
- The most live sports
- News and local shows
- Stream on three screens
$99.99/month
You can watch on up to 3 devices at once. There is no DVR, but you do have the option of using Stremium with Vidgo to add DVR functionality. That will cost an extra fee, however.
Device support is good, with support for web browsers, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, and Chromecast. To learn more, get your free trial, and see if Vidgo is right for you, just click here.
Live + on-demand services
In the last few years, services like DAZN, ESPN+, Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) and Peacock have combined a large selection of on-demand content along with live coverage of certain events and channels. Here are the live + on-demand services that currently offer free trials.
Paramount+ - 7-day free trial
Source: Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is the new name for CBS All Access, and it offers a free 7-day trial for new users. After your 7-day trial, the cheapest plan is the Essential plan. You’ll get live streams of CBS and certain events like the Champions League, as well as a ton of on-demand content from ViacomCBS channels like CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, and more.
You can watch Paramount+on up to 3 devices at once. There’s no DVR, but pretty much every show and event is available to watch on-demand. Paramount+ supports most modern streaming devices, too, including iOS, Android, web browsers, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV. Click here to get your free 7-day trial.
On-demand services
Netflix ushered in the era of VOD (Video On-Demand) streaming back in the early 2010s. Today, there are tons of paid on-demand video streaming services, but not all of them offer free trials. Here’s a quick overview of the best on-demand video services that still offer free trials.
Amazon Prime Video - 30-day free trial
Source: Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is included in Amazon Prime, which offers a free 30-day trial. That makes this one of the most generous free trials, beating out all of the other streaming services on this list. You can also get Prime Video separately, but that only includes a 7-day free trial.
Prime Video
- On demand content
- Stream on three screens
$8.99/month
For your money, you’ll get tons of great content, like the upcoming Lord Of The Rings series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Wheel of Time, The Expanse, and much more. Considering that lots of people subscribe to Amazon Prime just for the shopping benefits like free 2-day shipping, this makes Prime Video very appealing.
Prime Video lets you stream on up to 3 devices at once. It also has good device support. Naturally, you can watch on all Amazon Fire devices, but also on iOS, Android, web browsers, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV. Click here to visit Amazon and get your free trial.
Apple TV+ - 7-day free trial
Source: Apple TV+
Apple TV+ offers a free week-long free trial (terms and conditions apply). You can also get a free 3-month trial with most new Apple devices like iPhones and MacBooks. After that, there’s only one subscription tier, and it’s one of the cheapest services on this list. Apple’s entry into the streaming wars started out slow when it launched in 2019, but now it has lots of hits like Ted Lasso, The Morning Shoes, For All Mankind, and Foundation, to name just a few.
AppleTV Plus
Try 7 days free
- On demand content
- No ads
- Stream on six screens
- Offline viewing
$9.99/month
You can watch Apple TV+ on up to 6 devices simultaneously, which is better than most other VOD services like Prime Video. As you’d expect, Apple TV+ supports iOS and Apple TV. You can also watch on web browsers, Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, though Android support is unfortunately absent. Click here to get your free trial, and see if you like Apple TV+.
Funimation - 7-day free trial
Source: Funimation
Funimation is one of the leading anime streaming services in America, and it offers a 2-week free trial. After your trial, their cheapest plan is the Premium subscription. For your money, you’ll get access to ad-free streaming of more than 15,000 hours of anime including Demon Slayer, Attack On Titan, One Piece, and Afro Samurai. One thing to note is that Funimation mostly focuses on dubs, not subs, though some titles have both. But if you’re an anime fan and prefer subtitles to dubs, this is something to keep in mind.
Premium users can stream on 2 devices, while the Premium Plus plan lets you stream on 5 devices, and unlock some other benefits like episode downloads and exclusive members-only events.
Funimation supports tons of streaming devices, too. You can watch on web browsers, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV, as well as some smart TVs and gaming consoles. Click here to try Funimation’s free trial, and see if it’s right for you.
Crunchyroll - 7-day free trial
Source: Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is Funimation’s biggest competitor in America, and it also has a ludicrously large library of anime titles. It has a free tier, which lets you watch some titles without paying a cent. You can also get a free 2-week trial of its Premium memberships.
Crunchyroll Fan
Try 14 days free
- On demand content
- Stream on one device
- Access to digital manga in English
$7.99/month
Crunchyroll Mega Fan
Try 14 days free
- No ads
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- Offline viewing
- $15 off $100 purchase in the Crunchyroll store every 3 months
- Access to digital manga in English
$9.99/month
Crunchyroll Ultimate Fan
Try 14 days free
- No ads
- On demand content
- Stream on six screens
- Offline viewing
- Access to digital manga in English
- $25 off $100 purchase in the Crunchyroll Store every 3 months
- Annual swag bag
- Access to exclusive Nendoroid figures
$14.99/month
All membership tiers include ad-free access to titles like Attack on Titan, Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and more, along with access to new episodes 1 hour after they air in Japan. You’ll also get special store discounts, and a huge library of manga to read, among other benefits. Crunchyroll also doesn’t have dubs for most of its shows, and focuses on subtitles, though a few shows have both.
You can watch Crunchyroll on just 1 device with the Fan plan, on 4 devices with the Mega Fan plan, and on 6 devices with the Ultimate Fan plan. You can stream on web browsers, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV, as well as some gaming consoles and smart TVs. Click here to check out the free trial, and see if Crunchyroll is the right anime streaming service for you.
What streaming services don’t offer free trials?
There are a lot of streaming services out there that used to offer free trials, but no longer offer any kind of free trial. However, some do offer a money-back guarantee, and all of them allow you to cancel your subscription without any penalties or other fees.
DAZN is one example. In the past, it offered a free one-month trial for new users. But sometime in 2021, this sports streaming service discontinued its free trial. Disney-owned ESPN+, one of DAZN’s biggest competitors, also no longer offers a free trial, after launching with a 7-day free trial back in 2018.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Disney+ and Hulu/Hulu With Live TV, which are also owned by Disney, no longer offer free trials. However, there is a bundle available where you can get Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for just $13.99/month.
Disney+ Basic
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
$7.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Basic
- Includes Disney+ and Hulu
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
$9.99/month
Disney+ Premium
- No ads
- Stream on four screens
- HD and 4K video quality
- Offline viewing
$13.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Basic
- Includes Disney+ Hulu and ESPN+
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
$14.99/month
Disney Bundle Duo Premium
- Includes Disney+ and Hulu
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- Offline viewing
- No ads
$19.99/month
Disney Bundle Trio Premium
- Includes Disney+ Hulu and ESPN+
- No ads
- On demand content
- Stream on four screens
- Offline viewing
$24.99/month
Speaking of on-demand streaming services that no longer offer free trials, Netflix is one of the most prominent streamers that no longer gives new subscribers a free trial. In October 2020, Netflix ended its free trial offering in the U.S. Previously, new subscribers could try it out free for a full month.
Finally, Max, a recent entry into the streaming wars, launched with a free 7-day trial in May of 2020. But by October of 2020, it had already discontinued this option, and it currently doesn’t allow new users to try the service for free.
Eric Liston • Author
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
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