Verified April 2026
Best Hulu Alternatives With Free Trials in 2026
Hulu's 30-day trial is the longest among major streaming services. But you have options. Here is every service that still offers a trial in 2026, and those that do not.
All streaming services - trial status April 2026
Hulu (With Ads / No Ads)
Hulu + Live TV
YouTube TV
Sling TV Blue
Paramount+
Apple TV+
Netflix
Disney+
Max (HBO)
Peacock
The trial rotation strategy
If you are trying to watch a specific set of shows across multiple services without committing to long subscriptions, you can rotate through the services that offer trials. Cancel each before billing, then move to the next. This is legal and within each service's terms.
Example 4-month rotation for under $30
The strategy works best if you track what you want to watch before signing up for each service, so you make the most of trial windows. Always cancel before the trial ends - set a calendar reminder for Day 29 on Hulu and Day 6 on 7-day services.
Why Hulu's trial is the longest
At 30 days, Hulu's free trial is the most generous trial from any major on-demand streaming service. Netflix, Disney+, and Max all eliminated their trials between 2020 and 2022. Paramount+ and Apple TV+ still offer 7-day trials. Sling and YouTube TV offer 3-5 days on live TV tiers.
Hulu brought the 30-day trial back in 2026 after a period when no trial was available. The reinstatement appears to be a subscriber acquisition strategy to compete with Netflix's growing ad-supported tier. It may not remain this generous permanently - if you are considering the trial, doing it now is the conservative play.