Streaming services are getting more expensive. Get a free trial where you can.
Photo by Tucker Bowe
Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more
It’s 2024 and most streaming services — for movies/shows and music, alike — have raised prices in the past year. Netflix, Max, Disney+, Paramount+ and Spotify Premium (to name a few) have all done so. Other services have, for the first time, introduced an ad-supported tier that still costs money. Baffled you’re seeing commercials while watching Prime Video, a service you already pay $15/month for? That’s why.
The point is: the streaming services you’ve been using for years are getting more expensive, and it’s more difficult than ever to find a deal. Many of them offer free trials … but you need to be a new subscriber to take advantage.
Of course, if there’s a movie or show you really want to watch and you’ve never subscribed to that service, you can beat the system (for a short time anyway). Below, we’ve rounded up the most popular streaming services — including ones for movies and shows but also music — and what free trials they are currently offering.
Movies and Shows
Max (Previously HBO Max)
HBO
Max
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$10/month
Free Trial?
No
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Home to countless hit shows, including White Lotus and True Detective
Vast library of classic and newer movies, from Pulp Fiction to Blue Beetle
Cons
Weekly episode drops make bingeing difficult
No 4K streaming with cheaper subscription plan
The free trial: There is no longer a free trial of Max. When the streaming service launched in May 2020, HBO offered a 7-day free trial, but this offer ended in December 2021.
Normal costs: A subscription (without ads) to Max costs $16/month or $150/year. HBO recently launched a cheaper version of Max, which costs $10/month, but it comes with ads and doesn’t support 4K or offline downloads.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$10/month
Free Trial?
No
Number of Tiers
3
Pros
Home to an extensive library of original shows including Stranger Things and The Crown
Vast Library of classic shows, documentaries and new movies
Cons
Standard plan costs $10/month and now has ads
No free trial anymore
The free trial: Netflix no longer offers a free trial. It had previously offered a 30-day free trial, but it ended that promotion in October 2020.
Normal costs: Netflix offers three different plans. The Standard (with Ads) plan costs $10/month, allows one person to be signed on at a time and delivers up to an SD quality stream. The Standard plan costs $15.49/month, allows two people to be streaming at once, and delivers up to an HD quality stream. And the Premium plan costs $23/month, allows four people to be streaming at once, and delivers up to an Ultra HD quality stream.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
YouTube Premium
Youtube
YouTube Premium
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$14/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
1
Pros
Watch videos on YouTube without getting interrupted by ads
A subscription to YouTube Music Premium is also included
Cons
YouTube Premium lacks the extensive library of popular movies and shows
You might not need music streaming if you already subscribe to another service
The free trial: YouTube Premium offers a 3-month free trial for first-time subscribers.
Normal costs: YouTube Premium costs $14/month after the free trial is over. Subscribers get ad-free access to all YouTube and YouTube Music content.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Discovery+
Discovery+
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$5/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
A lot of exclusive content for nature documentaries, reality TV, cooking shows and more
7-day free trial for first-time subscribers
Cons
The cheapest subscription still comes with ads
The free trial: First-time subscribers get a 7-day free trial when they sign up for Discovery+.
Normal costs: There are two different tiers for Discovery+ subscribers. A $5/month subscription still comes with ads, while a $9/month subscription is completely ad-free.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Hulu
Hulu
Hulu
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$8/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
4
Pros
You can get a great bundle deal with Disney+ and ESPN+, as well as a Live TV package for cord cutters
New subscribers can get a pretty substantial free trial
Cons
Cheapest subscription still comes with ads
The free trial: Hulu offers a 30-day free trial of its standard service or a 7-day free trial of its Hulu and Live TV package.
Normal costs: Hulu offers two different primary plans: Hulu (Ads) costs $8/month (or $80/year) and gets you access to most of Hulu’s content, but there will of course be ads. Hulu (No Ads) costs $18/month and gets subscribers ad-free content to most of Hulu’s content.
Additionally, there are Hulu + Live TV plans that bundle Hulu’s Live TV package with ESPN+ and Disney+. These plans cost between $77/month and $90/month.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon
Amazon Prime Video
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$15/month (with Prime)
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Membership is a nice perk of a Amazon Prime subscription
Free trial for new subscribers
Cons
As of January 2024, you need to pay an extra $3/month for ad-free viewing
The free trial: If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you get a free premium subscription of Amazon Prime Video. If you’re not a Prime subscriber, you can sign up for a 30-free trial and that comes with a free trial of Prime Video, too.
Normal costs: As mentioned, Prime Video is free for all Prime subscribers (Prime costs $15/month or $7.49/month for students). However, as of January 29, 2024, Prime Video is an ad-supported service. If you don’t want to see ads, you’ll have to pay an extra $3/month.
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, an ad-supported subscription to Amazon Prime Video costs $9/month. You can pay $12/month for Prime Video without ads.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Disney+
Disney
Disney+
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$8/month
Free Trial?
No
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Tons of exclusive content from Marvel, Disney, Pixar and Star Wars
You can bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu for a pretty good deal
Cons
The most affordable plan now comes with ads
No free trial available
The free trial: Disney no longer offers a free trial.
Normal costs: Disney+ has two different subscription plans. The Basic plan (with ads) costs $8/ month or $80/year. The Premium plan (no ads) costs $14/month or $140/year. You can bundle a subscription with ESPN+ and Hulu for around $20/month, here.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Apple TV+
Apple
Apple TV+
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$10/month
Free Trial
Yes
Number of Tiers
1
Pros
It’s the only place to access Apple Original films and shows
3-month free trial when you purchase an eligible device
Cons
Not as much original content as likes of Netflix or HBO (but that’s starting to change)
The free trial: Apple offers a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ for first time subscribers. You get a 3-month free trial of Apple TV+ when you buy an eligible new Apple device.
Normal costs: Apple TV+ costs $10/month or $99/year, and that includes Family Sharing.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Paramount+
Paramount
Paramount+
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$6/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
You get access to original shows like Yellowstone, Halo and Fire Country
A premium subscription gets you access to Showtime’s extensive catalog of original shows and movies
You can watch Champions League and Europa League soccer matches
Cons
Cheapest subscription still has ads
Catalog of original content isn’t as large as rivals
The free trial: Paramount+ offers a 7-day free trial for first time subscribers.
Normal costs: Paramount+ offers two different plans. The Essential plans costs $6/month and, since it’s “ad-supported,” you will see a limited amount of commercials. The Paramount+ with Showtime plan costs $12/month and spares you the ads (unless you’re watching live TV); it also now gives you access to Showtime shows and movies.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
NFL+ Premium
NFL
NFL+ Premium
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$7/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Allows you to watch pretty much any game you want in real time.
Free trial for new subscribers
Cons
Need to subscribe to NFL+ Premium to get a more Red Zone-like experience
The free trial: NFL+ is the rebranded name of NFL Game Pass. Like before, it offers a 7-day free trial for whatever plan you decide to subscribe to.
Normal costs: NFL+ costs $7/month (or $50/year). There is also a higher-end tier, called NFL+ Premium, which costs $15/month (or $100/year) and allows you to watch full game replays.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
ESPN+
ESPN
ESPN+
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$11/month
Free Trial
No
Number of Tiers
1
Pros
Allows you to watch a wide variety of live sporting events
Gives you access to ESPN’s extensive catalog of original documentaries, series and films
You can bundle with Hulu and Disney+ to get a package subscription for less
Cons
No free trial
The free trial: ESPN no longer offers a free trial for its ESPN+ service.
Normal costs: ESPN+ costs $11/month or $110/year. (You can bundle a subscription with Hulu and Disney+ for $15/month or $25/month; the more expensive option gets you an ad-free Hulu subscription).
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Music
Photo by Tucker Bowe
Spotify
Spotify
Spotify
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$11/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
3
Pros
Gives you access to a huge catalog of music and podcasts
A very intuitive app experience
Spotify Connect makes streaming to wireless speakers very easy
Cons
Still no tier for listening to lossless tracks
The free trial: Spotify offers a 30-day free trial of Spotify Premium, its ad-free service.
Normal costs: Spotify Premium currently costs $11/month for an individual plan. A Duo plan, two Premium accounts designed for “a couple under one roof,” costs $15/month. A Family plan, which includes up to six Premium accounts for “family members living under one roof,” costs $17/month. There are $6/month plans for students, too.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Apple Music
Apple
Apple Music
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$11/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
You have access to lossless and spatial tracks
You really need an Apple Music subscription if you have a HomePod smart speaker
Cons
User experience isn’t as great on non-Apple devices
You need to use a separate app to listen to podcasts
The free trial: Apple Music offers a 30-day free trial to first-time subscribers.
Normal costs: Apple Music currently costs $11/month for individuals, $17/month for a family plan or $6/month for college students.
As of November 2023, Apple has discontinued its Voice plan that was designed for HomePod owners who just wanted to use Siri voice commands for music control.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Tidal
Tidal
Tidal
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$11/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
One of the best and most intuitive apps for music streaming
A HiFi Plus subscription allows you to listen to Master Quality tracks
A subscription gets you access to artist exclusives, music videos and live concerts.
Cons
You need to have a HiFi Plus subscription for highest-quality tracks, and that can be expensive
The free trial: Tidal offers a 30-day free trial to new subscribers of its HiFi and Plus plans.
Normal costs: Tidal offers two plans. Tidal HiFi costs $11/month and allows you to listen to lossless tracks (up to 1411 kbps) without ads. Tidal HiFi Plus is the most premium service, costing $20/month, allowing you to listen to Master Quality tracks (up to 9216 kbps) and giving you audio that supports Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Pandora
Pandora
Pandora
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$5/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
One of the most affordable music streaming services
30-day and 60-day free trials depending on which tier service you’re interested in trying
Cons
Cheaper-tier subscription isn’t completely ad-free
No option for listening to lossless-quality tracks
The free trial: Pandora offers a 30-day free trial of Pandora Plus and a 60-day free trial of Pandora Premium to first-time subscribers.
Normal costs: Pandora Plus costs $5/month and users can skip unlimited songs and download some songs for offline listening. Pandora Premium costs $10/month and allows subscribers to have everything the Plus plan offers, but they can download unlimited songs and they can also create and share playlists.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon
Amazon Music Unlimited
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$10/month (for Prime members)
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Extra long free trial period
Subscribers have access to an extensive catalog of lossless audio tracks, as well as tracks that support Dolby Atmos
One of the more affordable lossless music services
Cons
App experience isn’t as intuitive as other music services
More expensive for non-Prime members
The free trial: Amazon Music Unlimited offers a 3-month free trial to new subscribers who also purchase an eligible device (like an Echo smart speaker). Other new subscribers can get a 30-day free trial.
Normal costs: Amazon Music Unlimited costs $10/month (or $99/year) for Prime members or $11/month for non-members.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Deezer
Deezer
Deezer
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$12/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
1
Pros
Premium plan is one of the more affordable options for lossless quality listening
Gives you the ability to play CD-quality FLAC files
Cons
Free plan doesn’t support lossless streaming and has ads
Doesn’t support as high-resolution tracks as other lossless services
The free trial: Deezer offers a 30-day free trial.
Normal costs: Deezer Premium costs $12/month and allows you to listen to FLAC tracks in lossless quality. There is a Free plan for non-lossless audio.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)
Qobuz
Qobuz
Qobuz
Specs
Cheapest Subscription
$11/month
Free Trial?
Yes
Number of Tiers
2
Pros
Extensive catalog of lossless quality tracks
You can purchase high-resolution audio tracks
Cons
Along with Tidal, it’s one of the more expensive options for lossless listening
Lacks some features that other music streaming services have
The free trail: Qobuz offers a 30-day free trial to new users of its standard subscription plan, Qobuz Studio.
Normal costs: A subscription to Qobuz Studio costs $11/month. Qobuz Sublime, which allows you to purchase high-resolution audio tracks for up to 60% off, costs $15/month.
(Need help canceling your subscription? Click here)