Whether you consider yourself an Olympic-level binge-watcher or believe that slow and steady wins the race, it's nice to test-drive streaming services before making a commitment. These services, once used to supplement traditional cable TV, have soared in popularity over the past few years. Now, you couldn't pay us to sit through a commercial break! Take a complimentary spin with well-established services like Netflix [1], Hulu [2] and Amazon Prime Video [3], or branch out to newbies like Disney+ [4] and YouTube TV or Apple TV+ [5] to satisfy your cravings for everything from blockbuster films to original content with a cult following. Here's your cheat sheet for navigating your way through some of the most popular streaming services' free trials.
Netflix
- Trial length: One month
- Monthly price after trial: $9 for the basic package, $13 for the standard package, and $16 for the premium package.
- Highlights of its library: Original content includes hits like The Crown, Orange Is the New Black [6], and Atypical, along with original movies that we've grown to cherish. Other popular content includes a rotating selection of cable series like The Good Place [7], Grey's Anatomy [8], Arrow.
- Sign up for Netflix here [9].
Hulu
- Trial length: 30 days for the basic and ad-free packages, or one week for Hulu + Live TV and premium channel add-ons like Cinemax, Showtime, HBO, Starz, etc.
- Monthly price after trial: $6 for the basic subscription, $12 for ad-free streaming, $45 for Hulu + Live TV ($51 for no ads) and anywhere from $8 to $15 for each channel add on
- Highlights of its library: Original content includes The Handmaid's Tale [10], The Wrong Mans, Difficult People, and more. Hulu also has next-day episodes available for popular shows like The Bachelor [11], This Is Us, and Dancing with the Stars [12].
- Sign up for Hulu here [13].
HBO NOW
- Trial length: Seven days
- Monthly price after trial: $15
- Highlights of its library: Popular shows include Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies, Watchmen, Veep, The Wire and nearly three decades worth of Emmy-winning shows, films, miniseries, and documentaries.
- Sign up for HBO Now here [14].
Disney+
- Trial length: 7 days
- Monthly price after trial: $7
- Highlights of its library: Original content includes The Mandalorian [15], Encore and more. The new streaming service also features blockbusters from Pixar, Marvel and Disney, including classics like The Little Mermaid, Bambi and Lady and the Tramp, as well as hits like The Avengers and Disney Channel original series like Lizzie McGuire and The Descendants.
- Sign up for Disney+ here [16].
Amazon Prime Video
- Trial length: 30 days
- Monthly price after trial: $9 for Amazon Prime Video, or $13 for a full Amazon Prime membership
- Highlights of its library: Original content includes The Boys, The Man in the High Castle, Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel [17], Goliath and more. Other popular content includes a large library of recent and classic movies.
- Sign up for Amazon Prime Video here [18].
Apple TV+
- Trial length: Seven days
- Monthly price after trial: $5
- Highlights of its library: Original content includes The Morning Show [19], Servant, See, The Elephant Queen and more.
- Sign up for Apple TV+ here [20].
YouTube TV
- Trial length: 14 days
- Monthly price after trial: $50
- Highlights of its library: Though it currently has no original content, Youtube TV is an alternative to traditional cable, offering subscribers cable network streaming and live broadcast television with over 70 channels to choose from, including TLC, HGTV, The Food Network, NBC, ESPN, and more.
- Sign up for YouTube TV here [21].