Don’t miss your chance to stream for free over the holidays

Choosing a streaming service to scan for content can be exhausting. You open up six or seven different ones and peruse the catalogs, seeing what was added recently and what might be different from when you previously looked. Maybe you actually stop and choose something to watch. Maybe you just disgustedly switch to another platform and start the process all over again. Actually landing on what seems satisfying at that moment in time can feel like it takes forever.

There are a lot of streaming services that you probably haven’t tried yet, furthering your possibilities of finding good content to watch. So, how do you know if you should commit to one? How do you know if it’s worth it? Luckily, there are still plenty that offer free trials to give you the freedom to search through and test them out before you commit. While the rise of free streaming services has helped squash the idea that you need to be paying for streamers in the first place, a lot of the best shows are on paid platforms.

You won’t see a Netflix free trial any time soon, as the company put a hard-stop to those in 2020. But many notable platforms still let you enjoy free trials to test them out. Here’s a list of streaming services that still offer free trials.

1 Paramount+

There are multiple free trials available

Paramount+

If you’re a Star Trek fanatic and are pumped for Star Trek: Section 31, you need to consider getting a Paramount+ subscription. Paramount+, owned by Paramount Global, was launched in 2014 as CBS All Access and rebranded to Paramount+ in 2021. It expanded its original setup by offering more than just shows from CBS, as it now has original series, live sports, movies, and more.

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As home to CBS shows, Nickelodeon classics, and even some NFL games, there are a lot of reasons to try to find a Paramount+ deal.

If you want to test Paramount+, you can give both kinds of subscriptions a test run. There’s Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which is an ad-free subscription that includes the ability to download shows and movies and stream CBS. It also gives you full access to SHOWTIME. This is $13 per month after a seven-day free trial, but if you don’t want to pay that much, there is Paramount+ Essential for $8 per month after a free trial for a week. This is an ad-supported subscription that lets you stream on three devices at once.

There’s no reason not to give this a test run, as you can cancel after the seven days without having to commit.

2 Hulu

Say “Yes Chef” while watching The Bear for free

Tech-daily / Unsplash
 

Hulu has award-winning shows and movies, such as The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale, Shogun, Only Murders in the Building, Nomadland, Anatomy of a Fall and many more. With an easy-to-use interface, Hulu has become a staple in many households, as it also offers live TV as an option as well. You can get a bulk of channels without paying for a separate cable subscription.

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It’s hard to find something better than this.

Hulu offers 30 days of a free trial for its Hulu base plan. This is an ad-supported plan that gives you access to all of Hulu’s standard content. It costs $10 per month after those first 30 days.

There is another free trial that Hulu offers, albeit a much shorter one. The Hulu + Live TV free trial lasts for three days, so you might want to pick a three-day weekend to truly test it out. That gives you access to over 95 live TV channels, an unlimited DVR, ESPN+ with ads, and ad-supported Disney+.

This bundle is $83 per month after those initial three days.

3 Apple TV+

Free of ads and free for a while when you try it

Apple/Pocket-Lint

Apple TV+ is a unique streaming service — you can get subscriptions for it by purchasing other things. Apple offers 12-month, six-month, and three-month free trials with the purchase of various Apple devices. The offer automatically appears in your Apple Account, but if you didn’t just buy a new iPad or iPhone, you can still get a free trial to test out the streamer.

With Academy Award winner Coda and Emmy Award winners Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, Apple TV+ has some premium content. Plus, with contracts with MLS and MLB, you’ll get soccer and baseball during their seasons.

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All you need to do to get the free trial is go to Apple’s website and sign up for it. You’ll get a seven-day free trial and can cancel it at any time. If you like it, you can keep the subscription for $10 per month. Apple TV+ has no ads, so you don’t have to worry about juggling ad-free or ad-supported subscriptions.

Your subscription works on the mobile app as well, meaning you can stream on that new iPhone or iPad.

4 Fubo TV

Stream live sports and shows for free

Fubo

Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and other streaming services that offer live TV may be better known, but don’t sell Fubo TV short. Fubo TV is known for its bevy of live sports options, as it offers over 200 live channels for you to watch. Popular channels like ABC, FOX, NBC, and CBS are included, as well as regional sports networks and other preferred cable channels are provided.

Fubo TV is an answer to replacing your cable subscription.

It gives you a seven-day free trial to get acquainted with its layout and streaming options. After that free trial, there isn’t a set price for your subscription, as it’s based off of what you actually choose in terms of channels. The standard choice is $80 per month, but there are plans as low as $60 per month. Fubo TV also offers unlimited cloud DVR space, meaning you can tape anything you missed and watch it later on without problems.

5 Prime Video

Another lengthy trial option for fans

Amazon / Pocket-lint

Amazon has spread its wealth around as the shopping conglomerate has showcased Prime Video for many years now. As it expands its library and its streaming rights, adding the NBA to its NFL and MLB packages, Prime Video has become essential for many households to have. Luckily, there’s still a very long free trial that fans can try before they commit.

Prime Video is included with any Amazon Prime membership, so if you already save a ton of hassle by shopping through Amazon with Prime, you get the added perk of watching stuff for free.

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The free 30-day trial gives users access to shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fallout, Cross, Reacher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as movies like American Fiction, Dear Santa, and Traitor. If you don’t want an Amazon Prime account and only want Prime Video, it is $9 a month.

6 DirecTV Stream

Get as many channels as you want

DirecTV

DirecTV Stream is another streaming subscription that helps you eliminate the need for a cable subscription. With multiple customizable packages, it provides a myriad of options. There are a lot of regional sports packages, movie and film packages, as well as entertainment and sports packages. DirecTV also lets you stream from its app on a number of devices, so you can bring your TV with you wherever you go.

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You can enjoy a five-day free trial of DirecTV Stream before you are asked to select the plan that you want. There is the Entertainment + Sports package currently for $87 per month, which is normally $102 per month. There is also the Choice package, currently for $95 per month, which is normally $115 per month. Finally, you can opt for the Ultimate, which is normally $130 per month but currently $110 per month at the time of writing.