Which streamers offer free trials in 2026?
Which streamers offer free trials in 2026?
Many top streaming services no longer offer free trials. Which still do, and how long do you get to watch free?
It wasn’t all that long ago that it seemed all major streaming services offered a free trial of some length. Even Netflix once had a free viewing window, but all that changed in 2020, when streaming services were must-haves as the COVID-19 pandemic forced populations to stay indoors.
These days, only a few of the top on-demand streamers still offer a free trial. Which services still provide free viewing windows before forcing you to pay, and how long do you get? We’ll explain it all below and let you know which streamer has our favorite free trial of them all.
Everything you need to know about streaming free trials in 2026
Which on-demand streaming services offer free trials?

AMC+
AMC+ includes a library of originals such as “Dark Winds,” “Interview with the Vampire,” titles from The Walking Dead franchise, as well as Shudder and Sundance Now access.
The streamer offers a seven-day free trial, after which its ad-supported plan costs $8 per month, and its ad-free Premium plan is $11 per month. AMC+’s free trial is available when signing up directly, as well as through Prime Video and The Roku Channel.
AMC+
AMC+ is a premium subscription streaming bundle owned by AMC Networks. It offers curated access to award-winning originals, indie films, and prestige television. Launched in June 2020, the service combines content from AMC with flagship brands such as BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited, delivering a rich library of exclusive programming and early episode access.
Apple TV
Apple TV has a free trial that runs for seven days for new customers who sign up through its website, or through Prime Video or The Roku Channel. Purchasers of Apple products are frequently offered a 30 to 90-day free trial of Apple TV as well, so keep an eye out for emails and notifications about free offers after you buy an iPhone, iPad, or any other Apple device.
Apple TV’s library is almost 100% original TV shows and movies, with popular titles like “Severance,” “Silo,” “Ted Lasso,” and many others helping make the platform home to some of the most well-reviewed shows on streaming. After the trial, plans cost $13 per month, or $100 per year.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Fox One
Fox One is a newer direct-to-consumer service that offers all news, sports, and entertainment from top Fox brands. Viewers can stream their local Fox station, as well as FS1, FS2, Fox News, Fox Weather, and more. Its $20-per-month base plan comes with a seven-day free trial when signing up directly through the service’s website, as well as on Roku and Prime Video.
Fox One
Launched August 21, 2025, Fox One is a direct-to-consumer streaming service from Fox Corporation. Billed as a “major digital initiative,” Fox One brings together the full range of Fox’s leading news, sports, and entertainment brands, offering live and on-demand access in one unified platform.
Fox Nation
Fox Nation has a more niche audience, with a large selection of conservative-focused news, comedy, and lifestyle content, with a sprinkling of live sports such as Real American Freestyle. It doesn’t feature any live channel streams as its companion service, Fox One does, but it delivers a diverse lineup of content nonetheless.
Its free trial is also seven days in duration, after which its annual plan costs $71 per year, and its monthly plan is $9. You can get the free trial by signing up through Fox Nation, Prime Video, or Roku.
Fox Nation
Fox Nation is an entertainment streaming service created by Fox News and gives subscribers access to full, commercial-free episodes from well-known right-wing personalities like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, as well as entertainment from Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer, Sharon Osbourne, Roseanne Barr, and Rob Schneider. Fox Nation service can be accessed as a standalone streamer or as an add-on to the live TV streaming services DIRECTV and Fubo.
Hulu
In the first half of 2026, Hulu did offer a 30-day free trial to certain customers based on how they signed up. But in mid-June, the Disney-owned streaming service ended the program. Now, whether you are a new or returning Hulu subscriber, whether you sign up for the ad-supported or ad-free tier, or whether you subscribe to Hulu on its own or as part of a bundle, you will be required to pay before you can begin streaming
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Peacock (Premium Plus on Prime Video)
Peacock does not offer a free trial on any plan if you sign up through its website or other third-party platforms, with one exception. Customers who add Peacock as an additional subscription through Prime Video can enjoy a seven-day free trial on the service’s Premium Plus plan, which offers most titles without ads. After the trial, Premium Plus costs $17 per month and includes the full Peacock library, including all live sports on the streamer, plus a live stream of the user’s local NBC station.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Prime Video
Prime Video does not offer new subscribers who only want to sign up for the streamer itself a free trial. Users can get a month of Prime Video free, however, if they’ve never signed up for Amazon Prime before.
Amazon Prime has a 30-day free trial for new customers, and Prime Video is one of the included benefits of that bundle. After the trial, continuing a Prime membership costs $15 per month, and upgrading to ad-free Prime Video is an extra $5.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
Which live TV streaming services offer free trials?

DIRECTV
DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial to all customers who sign up for its Signature packages or Genre Packs, but there’s one important thing to remember: new customers only get DIRECTV’s free trial if they sign up to stream their channel package through the DIRECTV app on their own device.
Receiving your DIRECTV package through a satellite does not include a free trial, nor will signing up to stream through a Gemini device rented from DIRECTV. The company’s Genre Packs start at $21 per month as of June 25, and its Signature packages start at $90 per month.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Frndly TV
The “skinny” bundle streamer Frndly TV lives up to its name by offering a seven-day free trial to new subscribers. This trial is available everywhere you can sign up for Frndly TV, and after the trial ends, the streamer has monthly plans starting at just $9, or annual plans that break down to a starting price of $7 per month.
Frndly TV
Frndly TV is a budget-friendly live TV streaming service in the United States that focuses on family-friendly and lifestyle programming. Launched in 2019, the service offers a curated lineup of channels that includes Hallmark Channel, UPtv, Lifetime, MeTV, INSP, The Weather Channel, Game Show Network, and dozens more. It’s designed for viewers who want wholesome content without the’ high cost or complexity of larger streaming bundles.
Fubo
Fubo comes with a free trial, but one that can vary greatly depending on factors outside the customer’s control, including what time of month it is and others. Its trial can last as few as one day or as many as seven, but you’ll be able to find out how long you have to enjoy the service free on the service’s home page before you pick your plan.
After the trial, the skinny Fubo Sports service is $56 per month, and the more comprehensive Pro plan starts at $74 per month.
Fubo
Fubo is a live TV streaming service offering a robust lineup of approximately 150 premier channels, with plans starting at $63.99 per month. This entry-level package provides access to local broadcast affiliates 18 of the leading 35 cable channels channels, and valuable regional sports networks (RSNs).
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV allows new and returning customers to enjoy a three-day free trial with its $90-per-month base plan. This plan includes access to Disney+ and ESPN Select as well, but the Disney+ subscription will come with ads during playback of on-demand content. Upgrading to ad-free Disney+ is possible, but this will revoke the free trial offer from Hulu + Live TV.
Unlike many of its competitors, Hulu + Live TV does not offer a variety of subscription options. The streamer’s sole channel package comes with 90+ popular cable networks, including local broadcast channels.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 70 channels for $89.99 per month. Hulu + Live TV base plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs). Subscribers get free access to Disney+ and ESPN Select at no extra charge.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV’s free trial is similar to Fubo’s in that it can change based on factors that are often opaque to consumers. We’ve observed YouTube TV offer free trials as short as two days or as long as 21, depending on a myriad of variables. Nonetheless, YouTube TV is by far the most popular live TV streaming service on the market and offers a trial with all packages, including its core plan with 100+ channels, and on its various genre plans.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 60 channels for $82.99/month. This plan includes local channels 32 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs) in select markets. The base plan includes more than 100 live channels, including major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, as well as popular cable channels such as ESPN, CNN, FX, USA Network, and TNT. Local channels are included in most markets, making YouTube TV a full replacement for traditional cable for many viewers.
Which streamers offer our favorite free trials?
Our favorite on-demand free trial belongs to Apple TV for a few reasons. First, it’s consistent for all new subscribers, so there’s no guessing about how long a viewer gets to try it. And viewers get the trial no matter how they choose to add the streamer, whether standalone or as part of a larger subscription.
Apple TV has one of the most unique libraries in all of streaming, being comprised nearly 100% of high-quality original shows and movies. But it’s also one of the streamers that gets the least exposure outside of major release events, and the free trial offers curious viewers a low barrier to try its content to see if they can’t find a new favorite.
YouTube TV is our top free trial among live TV streamers, with DIRECTV a close second. Even though YouTube TV’s trial is inconsistent in length, in our observation, the streamer most often provides trials of either 10 or 21 days in duration. That’s longer than any other live TV streamer, and YouTube TV has a large (and growing) selection of packages to choose from that let viewers pay for channels they want without feeling trapped in content they won’t watch.
See all free trials at top streaming services in 2026
| Streamer name | Free trial length | Who is eligible? |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | 5 days | New subscribers only |
| Frndly TV | 7 days | New subscribers only |
| Fubo | 1 - 7 days | New subscribers only |
| Hulu + Live TV | 3 days | New and returning subscribers |
| YouTube TV | 2 - 21 days | New subscribers only |
| AMC+ | 7 days | New subscribers only |
| Apple TV | 7 days | New subscribers only |
| Fox Nation | 7 days | New subscribers only |
| Hulu | 30 days | New and returning subscribers |
| Prime Video | 30 days | New Prime subscribers only |
Which streamers do not offer free trials?
A large number of premium live and on-demand streamers do not offer free trials in 2026. Some of these services have never provided a free trial, while others once did, and have since suspended the practice. See which streaming services do not offer free trials in the lists below:
On demand:
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
