5 Of The Best Streaming Services That Offer Free Trials

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By Keyede Erinfolami/June 12, 2023 10:00 am EST

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Streaming platforms have rapidly multiplied over the past decade. With content scattered across over 200+ platforms, consumers appear to have come right back where they started: paying hefty subscription fees yet unable to find all the content they like in one place.

So if you're shopping around for a streaming platform to pitch your tent with, picking one from the bunch might be quite a tricky task. It's certainly unfeasible to test all of them before you make a decision — that many subscriptions can and will put a significant dent in your wallet.

This is what makes free trials so convenient. With them, you can get the feel of a streaming platform before making a decision to become a paying subscriber. It's also a welcome option in cases of one-time consumption. Say, for example, Peacock is the only streaming platform that carries a movie/show you want to watch, a free trial lets you do that without having to shell out the money for a subscription plan.

But not all streaming platforms offer free trials. We've put together a list of the top five streaming services that do; some of them let you try them out for a week or even a month and have access to their whole library. You can also opt-out at any time during this period without incurring any fees. So without further ado, here are some of the best streaming services that offer free trials.

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One of the most popular streaming services around, Hulu boasts an expansive content library; from classic titles like "The Handmaid's Tale" to contemporary sitcoms like "Abbott Elementary," and beloved kids' shows like SpongeBob SquarePants.

You can access Hulu's entire catalog with a free no-ads plan for an entire month, but once the trial period is over, you'll be charged $7.99/month for their ad-inclusive plan or $14.99/month to continue with an ad-free plan. Of course, if you do not wish to get a paid plan, you can cancel your account before the free trial is over. But if you end up liking the experience, you'll be pleased to know that HBO Max, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime are available as add-ons on Hulu, so you can access their content via your Hulu account, but at an extra cost, of course.

You'll get a 7-day free trial of all these add-ons if you include them in your free Hulu account, but you must remember to remove them before that period runs out else you'll be charged before the main 30-day trial expires. This is a juicy deal by all means, especially when you consider the fact that HBO Max does not even offer a free trial on their official site, but you can get a week's access for free via Hulu.

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Spotify is one of the largest music streaming platforms in the world, and although it offers a free but limited version of its service, it also offers a generous 90-day free trial for its Premium plan for users who sign up with Paypal.

This offer is conditional though, it is only available for the "Individual" plan, and to new or Free users who sign up with Paypal. For other payment methods and the rest of Spotify's packages, the streaming platform offers a standard 30-day free trial, which is still a pretty good offer. Users who have already tried any of the Premium plans are no longer eligible for free trials.

A free trial affords you full access to Spotify's massive audio library, plus ad-free listening, offline play, unlimited skips, and playbacks. After the trial period, Spotify will charge $9.99 per month for an Individual plan, $12.99/month for a Duo plan (two accounts in the same household), and $15.99/month for a Family plan (six accounts in the same household).

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You can get Amazon's on-demand streaming service as part of a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, including all the other exclusive benefits available to Prime subscribers: two-day shipping, Amazon Music, Prime Gaming, and early access to deals and discounts. This offer is only available to new users, or those who haven't had an Amazon Prime membership in at least 12 months.

When the free trial expires, you can continue with a paid Prime membership for $14.99 per month or a one-time annual payment of $139. You can also purchase Prime Video as a standalone subscription for $8.99 per month, which makes it one of the most affordable ad-free streaming services on the market, less than HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount Plus, and Netflix.

If you're a frequent Amazon customer, it's a no-brainer to get the full Prime plan so that you get free express shipping and early access to discounts and other deals. If you're a US college student, you're eligible for an even longer trial period – a whopping 6 months free, and after that, you can continue with a paid plan for half the price.

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YouTube offers its over 2.6 billion users a free version of its streaming service, but it is riddled with ads and other pesky limitations that restrict the viewing experience. The Premium plan removes those caps, allowing full access to ad-free playback, picture-in-picture mode/background play, and exclusive content.

YouTube offers first-timers a 30-day free trial period for this plan, after which you'd have to pay $11.99/month to continue with a premium Individual plan. There's also a family plan that'll cater to five users in the same household for $22.99/month, and a student plan for $6.99/month. A Premium account also includes full access to ad-free YouTube Music, making it a decent bundle deal considering YT Music costs $9.99 per month as a standalone plan.

YouTube's free trial offer for its Live TV package is not so generous, though, and not so straightforward either. The service does not declare a standard trial period — Google says trial lengths can vary — but it's anywhere between five and 14 days. After this period, you'll have to shell out $64.99/month to continue enjoying access to YouTube TV's 100+ channels, discounted to $54.99/month for the first three months. You can also get free runs of add-on channels, including HBO Max, Epix, Spanish Plus, and Showtime during this umbrella trial period.

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Crunchyroll is home to a vast catalog of anime and manga titles including Naruto, Attack on Titan, One Piece, and Demon Slayer, so its 14-day free trial might interest you if you're an otaku.

The platform boasts over 30,000 episodes, and you can get access to them for free if you don't mind watching 480p video and having ads interrupt your stream. However, its premium packages allow ad-free streaming and offline viewing on up to six different devices, depending on your plan.

After the two-week trial of these premium features, it'll cost you $7.99/month to continue enjoying them. Crunchyroll extends the trial period from two weeks to a month for Amazon Prime members, so that's one more benefit of a Prime subscription.

Whether you're in the process of selecting a streaming platform or two as your main entertainment channel(s), or simply looking for a quick binge that doesn't cost you money, these services should meet your content needs. Remember to cancel your subscription before the free trials end if you don't want to get a paid plan. If you do decide on paying for any of these services, we have a couple of tips for getting the most out of your streaming subscriptions to help you get maximum bang for your buck. Happy streaming!