I Tested Every Free Trial Streaming Service—Here Are the Best Ones in 2026
Some free trials last an entire month.
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Streaming services add up fast. One minute you’re subscribing to watch a show, and suddenly you’re hemorrhaging $100 a month across five different platforms. As someone who watches an embarrassing amount of TV for work (and pleasure!), I’ve become something of a free trial streaming service expert. They’re the perfect way to test drive a platform before committing to a monthly subscription, and we might as well make the most of them.
Best Free Trial Streaming Services in 2026 at a Glance
- Editor’s Pick: DirecTV
- Best Free Trial: Hulu
- Best for Sports: Fubo
- Best for Live TV: Philo
- Best for Originals: Apple TV+
- Best for Anime: Crunchyroll
- Best Add-on Service: Prime Video
- Best Always Free Option: Sling Freestream
While streamers like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max have discontinued their free trials, there are still plenty of other top-tier streaming services that offer them in 2026, with trials ranging from five days to a full month. Up ahead, I’ve rounded up the best options for accessing popular movies, TV shows, and live TV channels without paying upfront. Each free trial has been tested by yours truly, so consider this your guide to streaming smarter, not harder.
Our Top Picks for Free Streaming Trials in 2026
Not all free trials are created equal. Some give you 30 days to explore everything, while others only offer three days. Below, I’ve broken down each streamer’s trial length, what’s included, and the content that makes the service worth trying.
EDITOR’S PICK
Get DirecTV Stream for Free
– Free trial: 5 days
– Includes local networks and 90+ channels
– Includes local networks and 90+ channels
DirecTV’s streaming service delivers dozens of live channels without the installation appointment or equipment fees that traditional cable demands. After testing DirecTV’s five-day free trial, I found it hits the sweet spot between convenience and content variety. Its Entertainment package gives you access to networks like ABC (hello, The Bachelor and Grey’s Anatomy), Bravo (home to The Real Housewives franchise), and E! for all your celebrity news.
I found myself actually using the DVR feature more than I expected, especially for recording shows like Saturday Night Live and catching up on Law & Order: SVU marathons. Currently, the entry price sits at $49.99 for your first month (regularly $84.99). With a five-day trial, you’ll have plenty of time to see how you’ll actually use all those channels and catch up on your favorite shows.
I found myself actually using the DVR feature more than I expected, especially for recording shows like Saturday Night Live and catching up on Law & Order: SVU marathons. Currently, the entry price sits at $49.99 for your first month (regularly $84.99). With a five-day trial, you’ll have plenty of time to see how you’ll actually use all those channels and catch up on your favorite shows.
BEST FREE TRIAL
Get Hulu for Free
– Free trial: 30 days
– Large library of shows, movies, and Hulu Originals
– Large library of shows, movies, and Hulu Originals
Hulu remains my go-to recommendation for anyone who takes their binge-watching seriously. Its 30-day trial is very generous, giving you enough time to power through at least two or three complete series. At $9.99 monthly after the trial, it’s also one of the more affordable streamers on the market.
The original programming here is consistently strong. The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building, and The Bear all call Hulu home. I’ve also found myself rewatching comfort shows like How I Met Your Mother and discovering older gems in their back catalog. If you want live TV, there’s also a separate three-day trial for Hulu + Live TV at $82.99 per month. That package includes nearly 100 networks, plus access to Disney+ and ESPN+, making it a great one-and-done streaming option for your needs.
The original programming here is consistently strong. The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building, and The Bear all call Hulu home. I’ve also found myself rewatching comfort shows like How I Met Your Mother and discovering older gems in their back catalog. If you want live TV, there’s also a separate three-day trial for Hulu + Live TV at $82.99 per month. That package includes nearly 100 networks, plus access to Disney+ and ESPN+, making it a great one-and-done streaming option for your needs.
BEST FOR SPORTS
Get Fubo for Free
– Free trial: 5 days
– Includes local networks and 200+ channels
– Includes local networks and 200+ channels
I initially signed up for Fubo to catch baseball games, but testing it during football season showed me just how comprehensive the sports coverage really is. The seven-day trial covers more than 235 channels, with sports options that go way beyond the basics. You get ESPN, NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, and niche offerings like GolTV and Boxing TV.
Fubo’s entertainment channels are solid too: FX, HGTV, Food Network, and Nickelodeon all make the cut, so you’re not stuck watching games 24/7. The Pro plan starts at $54.99 for the first month, then jumps to $84.99. The cloud DVR gives you space for over 1,000 hours of recordings, which seems excessive until you realize how quickly that fills up during playoff season.
Fubo’s entertainment channels are solid too: FX, HGTV, Food Network, and Nickelodeon all make the cut, so you’re not stuck watching games 24/7. The Pro plan starts at $54.99 for the first month, then jumps to $84.99. The cloud DVR gives you space for over 1,000 hours of recordings, which seems excessive until you realize how quickly that fills up during playoff season.
BEST FOR LIVE TV
Get Philo for Free
– Free trial: 7 days
– 70+ channels
– 70+ channels
Philo is the streaming service that knows exactly what it is: No sports, no news, no broadcast networks—just 70+ entertainment channels for $28 a month, which makes it the cheapest cable alternative I’ve tested. I appreciate that Philo doesn’t try to be everything. You get AMC (including access to AMC+), HGTV, Food Network, MTV, Comedy Central, and Hallmark Channel.
This streamer is perfect if you want Love It or List It marathons and Real World Homecoming, but you don’t want ESPN or CNN cluttering your channel guide. The unlimited DVR stores recordings for 12 months, and there are over 70,000 on-demand titles available. The seven-day free trial gives you a solid sense of whether this focused approach works for your viewing habits.
This streamer is perfect if you want Love It or List It marathons and Real World Homecoming, but you don’t want ESPN or CNN cluttering your channel guide. The unlimited DVR stores recordings for 12 months, and there are over 70,000 on-demand titles available. The seven-day free trial gives you a solid sense of whether this focused approach works for your viewing habits.
BEST FOR ORIGINALS
Get Apple TV+ for Free
– Free trial: 7 days
Apple TV+ has carved out a clear identity in the streaming wars: fewer shows, bigger budgets, better talent. At $12.99 monthly, the company focuses on quality over quantity. The seven-day trial lets you sample prestige dramas like The Morning Show and Severance, plus feel-good hits like Ted Lasso and Shrinking. Apple doesn’t flood the platform with content, so you won’t feel overwhelmed trying to figure out what to watch.
If you buy a new iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you get three months free. That’s actually how I first tried the service, and I ended up keeping it longer than I had planned.
If you buy a new iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you get three months free. That’s actually how I first tried the service, and I ended up keeping it longer than I had planned.
BEST FOR ANIME
Get Crunchyroll for Free
– Free trial: 7 days
Crunchyroll has become the go-to destination for anime streaming, and for good reason. The service updates incredibly fast, with new episodes available shortly after they air in Japan. Everything comes dubbed and subtitled in English. At $7.99 monthly after the trial, it’s one of the more affordable streaming options. Even if you’re not deep into anime culture, shows like My Hero Academia and One Piece have mainstream crossover appeal. For fans and newcomers alike, the seven-day trial gives you enough time to catch your favorite series or see if this genre clicks for you.
BEST ADD-ON SERVICE
Get Prime Video for Free
– Free trial: 30 days
Prime Video is technically part of the larger Amazon Prime subscription ($14.99 monthly or $139 annually), but its 30-day trial gives you access to everything: the streaming service, free shipping, Prime Music, and Prime Gaming. The video library includes originals like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. But I mostly use it for the back catalog of movies and shows that rotate in and out.
This streamer is especially worth tacking on during Prime Day, when you need to justify your impulse purchases with free two-day shipping. But if you only want the streaming part, you can subscribe to just Prime Video for $8.99 per month—though you’ll miss out on the shopping perks.
This streamer is especially worth tacking on during Prime Day, when you need to justify your impulse purchases with free two-day shipping. But if you only want the streaming part, you can subscribe to just Prime Video for $8.99 per month—though you’ll miss out on the shopping perks.
BEST ALWAYS FREE OPTION
Get Sling Freestream for Free
– Free Trial: None needed—it’s always free!
Rounding out the list is Sling Freestream, where you don’t have to pay anything to get access to around 100 channels focused on news programming, including ABC News Live, CBS News, BBC News, and local affiliates, depending on your area. That’s right: No trial period that you’ll forget to cancel and no credit card required—just free live TV streaming.
The trade-off? It’s ad-supported, and the selection focuses primarily on news and limited on-demand content, along with some movies and TV episodes thrown in. For background news or casual viewing without spending money, it’s a solid option. I keep it bookmarked for mornings when I want to listen to the news while getting ready. If you want more channel options beyond news, Sling TV offers paid plans starting at $40 per month with entertainment, sports, and lifestyle networks like ESPN, CNN, HGTV, AMC, and more.
The trade-off? It’s ad-supported, and the selection focuses primarily on news and limited on-demand content, along with some movies and TV episodes thrown in. For background news or casual viewing without spending money, it’s a solid option. I keep it bookmarked for mornings when I want to listen to the news while getting ready. If you want more channel options beyond news, Sling TV offers paid plans starting at $40 per month with entertainment, sports, and lifestyle networks like ESPN, CNN, HGTV, AMC, and more.
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