Hulu free trial: what you need to know to stream without paying

Disney+, Hulu and ESPN icons on Apple TV
(Image credit: WhatToWatch.com)

Many people think that free trials on the best streaming services have gone the way of the dodo: since the sign-up frenzy of yesteryear, many of the big movie and TV streamers no longer offer ways to watch without paying. However that's not true of Hulu and Hulu With Live TV.

You'll be glad to know that there is a Hulu free trial, not just on the standalone video-on-demand streamer but on its live TV streaming service equivalent Hulu with Live TV too.

So you can test out Hulu (standard or live) for seven days before your first paid day of a subscription. Sound good? Here's what you need to know about the Hulu free trial, including a very handy link to sign up:

How to get your Hulu free trial

The secret to getting a free trial with Hulu is that ... there is no secret. There's no trick. There's no special code or three things you have to know or one website that's going to tell you exactly how to unlock the magic of the Hulu free trial. It just exists.

Good news, right now there's a week-long Hulu free trial of its streaming service. It used to be a month long, but it's not any more.

When you initially sign up for a Hulu account, you're going to fork over a little information. Your name, an email address and some payment info. That's all standard stuff, whether you're truly using the Hulu free trial as a way to feel things out or if you're fully intending on using Hulu for what it's intended and paying your fees in the process.

It's all right there on the first button you see on the Hulu website — "Free trial." Or "Get the first week free." Nobody's trying to trick you. Nobody's making you jump through any hoops. If you're signing up for Hulu, you're going to get that free trial.

And that's true whether you're getting the most basic of Hulu services or if you're going for the plan that gets rid of most advertising. It's also true if you're opting for Hulu With Live TV. They all have free trials.

The two catches about the Hulu free trial

OK, there actually are two things you need to know here. First is that the Hulu free trial is mostly for new sign-ups, but also for "eligible returning live TV subscribers." That's in the fine print and it's just something you should be aware of.

Second is that Hulu is owned by Disney and Disney is real big on upselling you the Disney Bundle. That gets you Hulu and Disney Plus for a single price. You can get it with the ad-supported Hulu service for $10.99 a month or the "premium" ad-free Hulu experience for $19.99 a month. There's also the option to throw in ESPN Plus for a little extra monthly.

And you know what? Those are all good deals that will save you money over buying the services separately, essentially getting you three services for the price of two. But what they don't include is a free trial.

Side note, you can get all of the streaming services of the Disney Bundle with Hulu with Live TV, which also has a free trial.

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Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Writer

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.

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