Who doesn’t love a free trial? We’ve compiled a list of all of the ten most popular streaming services that offer free trials in the UK and US! From Hulu to Disney+, this is your guide on how to stream movies and TV shows.
Ever since the pandemic hit us, we’ve been streaming content all the more. A 2020 Nielsen report said that since the quarantine began in March 2020, streaming on television is up by 85 per cent, which leads to a staggering estimated total of 400 billion minutes of streamed TV. This massive increase in viewer numbers has pushed streaming services to promote lucrative offerings periodically, especially since there is heavy competition to keep services on their toes.
Currently, lots of streaming services are offering extended free-trial memberships to provide potential subscribers with a look into what they are offering. The myriad of streaming services are great but should give you a bang for your buck. We’ve reviewed ten of the most popular streaming services that currently offer free trials, so you can test each one out and decide on the best one for yourself.
Note: Before you dive into the list with full enthusiasm — but start panicking when you see that most of these services are geo-restricted and only available in the USA – let us tell you that you can easily access any of these in the UK and avail of their free trials by using a reliable VPN (you can read more about unblocking streaming services with VPNs on StreamingRant.)
HBO MAX – Best for old and new hit movies
HBO Max has a cool interface and is loaded with the most popular TV shows and movies. The variety of shows such as Rick and Mort, Friends, the Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter movies means that children and adults alike have something to watch at all times.
What does it offer?
The free trial: Unfortunately, HBO no longer offers a free trial of HBO Max. However, if you had an HBO Now subscription, you may get the HBO Max subscription for free. To utilize the free trial, you will need to check your HBO subscription through your AT&T app(my AT&T) because a subscription through AT&T might entitle you to either a one-month,three-month, or one-year subscription for free.
However, if you didn’t get HBO through AT&T, there’s a strong chance that you will have to pay the full price for HBO Max.
Regular cost: Priced at $14.99 per month ( or $9.99 with ads and no 4K support) HBO Max adds a lot more to be an imperative competitor to Netflix. The extensive library of HBO Max is a visual treat for viewers. From Studio Ghibli, Wonder Woman 1984, classic ‘Friends’ and much more, HBO Max has almost become the Warner Brothers Pictures’ destination for the biggest movies in 2021.
NETFLIX – The king of all streaming services
It’s an undisputed fact that Netflix remains the best streaming service in the market. Netflix provides unlimited streaming of TV shows, movies, comedy shows, and Netflix ORIGINALS (like The Witcher and Stranger Things) for a monthly subscription fee.
What does it offer?
The free trial: Netflix currently only offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial.
Regular cost: The Basic plan costs $9 per month, allowing one person to sign up at a time and delivers up to an HD quality stream. The Premium Plan costs $18 per month and allows four people to stream at a time while delivering up to an Ultra HD quality stream.
DISCOVERY PLUS – A wholesome collection of real-life entertainment
Discovery+ offers access to over 55,000 TV episodes from networks like the Food Network, Discovery Channel, and TLC.
What does it offer?
Free trial: First-time subscribers get a 7-day free trial when they sign up for Discovery+.
Regular cost: It costs $4.99 per month but with ads whereas the $7 per month subscription is completely ad-free.
HULU – Cord-cutters rejoice!
Hulu is the place to be if you want to keep up with the latest TV shows but don’t want to invest in a cable subscription or HD antenna. The service provides access to most major network shows and a bunch of cable shows the day after they air. As a subscriber, you can also access a show’s current season or all of the program’s seasons.
What does it offer?
The free trial: Hulu offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial of its standard service or a 7-day free trial of its Hulu and Live TV package.
Normal costs: Hulu has four different plans for would-be subscribers to choose from. Hulu Basic costs $6/month and gets you access to most of Hulu’s content, along with a healthy dose of pesky ads. Hulu Premium costs $12/month and gets subscribers ad-free content to most of Hulu’s content. Then you can bundle the Basic and Premium plans with Hulu’s Live TV package for $55/month and $61/month, respectively.
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO – The best streaming service, just a click away
For an avid online shopper, Amazon Prime isn’t unfamiliar news. For just $119 per year, you get free two-day shipping on your purchase, a free kindle book each month, and unlimited access to both Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Video. Similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video has a variety of movies, television, and original shows.
What does it offer?
The free trial: If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you get a free premium subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
Regular cost: If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, a subscription to Amazon Prime Video costs $9/month (Amazon Prime costs $13/month or $6.50/month for students).
DISNEY PLUS – A streaming service loved by kids and families alike
Disney Plus has remained a giant in this category and shows no sign of going anywhere. Disney has a hold of a large chunk of properties such as Marvel, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and much more. Priced at just $8 per month, it’s one of the cheapest streaming services and the best part is the content is viewable in 4K resolution with HDR colour palettes as well.
What does it offer?
The free trial: When you first sign up, Disney+ offers you a 7-day(30-day) free trial.
Regular cost: Disney+ costs $7/ month or $70/year.
APPLE TV+ – Seamless streaming and star-studded content
For already Apple users who have subscribed to multiple streaming services, the ease of linking everything in one place creates the easiest and hands-on single command central of sorts. A couple of years ago, Apple levelled up its Apple TV box and app with Apple TV Plus. Having additional shows such as The Morning Show and Ted Lasso added a much-needed appeal.
In comparison, however, Apple TV Plus doesn’t have a library of licensed shows or movies, like Netflix or Hulu. There aren’t full seasons of its shows available on the platform. At the launch, it only had nine shows with just five more to be added later.
What does it offer?
The free trial: On the purchase of a new Apple device you get a 1-year free trial of Apple TV+. If you haven’t bought a new Apple device, you can get a 7-day free trial. Note: Apple extended its free trial period for people who first signed up for Apple TV+ until July 2021, meaning they get a 21-month free trial. PlayStation 5 owners also were treated to 6 months free recently, and you may still be able to claim that if you haven’t yet.
Regular cost: Apple TV+ costs only $5/month or $50/year, and that includes Family Sharing.
SHOWTIME – To bring out the classics lover from within
An award-winning streaming service that continuously offers high-quality entertainment. The service boasts a myriad of classic movies and shows such as 1917, The Bodyguard, Homeland, Dexter, and many more.
What does it offer?
Free Trial: a 30-day free trial for first-time subscribers.
Regular cost: Once your free trial is over, its costs $10.99 per month.
PEACOCK – Best for exploring a large-free catalog
Peacock is the streaming service of NBCUniversal, and it’s the odd one out in this list. It has a tiled interface and a big-name network behind it. The best part? It hosts live TV news and sports activities along with original series and a large catalogue of TV shows and movies.
What does it offer?
Free Trial: The free tier offers tons of ad-supported content.
Regular cost: There are two tiers available. For ad-supported premium, it is $5 per month. However, you can go ad-free on the premium plus plan for about $10 per month.
YOUTUBE PREMIUM
An unusual choice that is slowly gaining momentum. It can be noted that people stuck at home during the pandemic were consuming short and long-form video clips for free. YouTube has recently launched a subscription to further streamline the consumer experience. You can get rid of those pesky banners and video ads by subscribing to YouTube Premium.
It is offered as a 30-day free trial which provides the user with ad-free video viewing on the service. The best part? You can finally listen to videos in the BACKGROUND while using your phone as well as also download clips.
What does it offer?
The free trial: YouTube Premium offers a 1-month (30-day) free trial for first-time subscribers.
Regular cost: YouTube Premium costs $12/month after the free trial is over. Subscribers get an ad-free access to all YouTube and YouTube Music content.
So, which streaming service should you go for?
You don’t have to limit yourself to one. It’s all about picking several services – after trying the best ones for free, of course – based on your budget and the type of content you wish to consume.
Good luck!
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[…] It’s 5 minutes before kickoff. Your team is playing and you don’t know where you can watch it. This is becoming the annoying norm for many sports fans, as the broadcasting rights are ever more fragmented. You can watch one game on free TV, another on cable or pay TV and more and more games are exclusively on yet another streaming service. […]