16 Best Netflix Alternatives With Free Trials

Are you looking for the best Netflix alternatives with free trials? Yes? Here are some of the best alternatives to Netflix.

There was a time when people used to rely on DVDs and cable television for their entertainment. Netflix has changed the way we consume TV shows and movies.

Netflix is a subscription-based video-on-demand (VOD) streaming service. It revolutionized how people consume media by pioneering the “binge-watching” culture and establishing the subscription-based streaming model as the dominant way to watch television and movies.

Netflix allows subscribers to watch a massive library of TV shows, movies, documentaries, and original content. Literally, Netflix is dominating the video-on-demand industry with over 270 million subscribers.

Over the years, many Netflix competitors emerged in the video-on-demand industry. Therefore, you might want to explore Netflix alternatives.

Why Consider Alternatives to Netflix?

Netflix is one of the powerhouses of the streaming service industry. It doesn’t mean Netflix is the best fit for everyone.

Netflix subscribers may consider alternatives for various reasons, often centered on cost, content, and features.

Here are the main reasons why a subscriber might look for a different streaming service:

• Price Increases: Netflix has raised its subscription costs multiple times over the years, especially for its premium (4K) and ad-free tiers. Netflix’s standard plan costs $17.99 per month (USA).

• Ad-Supported Tiers: Netflix launched its ad-supported tier in 2022. It certainly lowers the subscription cost, but some users prefer to avoid ads entirely.

• Free Trials: Major Netflix competitors offer generous free trials to new subscribers. It helps subscribers to determine whether they should opt for a premium subscription. Unfortunately, Netflix no longer offers a free trial.

• Shrinking Licensed Library: Major studios launched their own streaming services. For that reason, they have pulled their popular movies and TV shows from Netflix. This has led to the Netflix content library being smaller and less reliable.

• Lack of Quality Original Content: Netflix produces a massive amount of original content. Recently, Netflix users criticised the quality of movies, web series, and TV shows.

• Regional Restrictions (Geo-Blocking): Netflix content library varies significantly by country due to licensing agreements. A user may see a popular title advertised globally only to find it’s unavailable in their region.

Netflix is still the largest video streaming service. If you’re bored with Netflix or not finding what you’re looking for, switching to a different streaming service is a good decision.

In this post, we’ll explore the best Netflix alternatives with free trials. So, let’s get started!

Netflix Alternatives with Free Trials

1. Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is one of Netflix’s competitors. It is a popular subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service owned by Amazon.

It functions similarly to Netflix, offering a large library of movies, TV shows, and original content that subscribers can stream instantly on various devices.

Prime Video users can subscribe to other premium streaming services (like Showtime or Starz) directly through the Prime Video platform, managing all subscriptions in one place.

Prime Video is included with the Amazon Prime membership.

Amazon Prime Video Popular Original Content:

• The Boys
• Reacher
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
• Fallout
• Fleabag

2. Paramount+

Paramount+ is another subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service owned by Paramount Skydance. Its earlier version was known as CBS All Access.

It serves content from the vast libraries of Paramount Global’s brands, which include: CBS, Showtime, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, and the Smithsonian Channel.

In addition to movies and TV shows, Paramount+ offers live streaming of sports (like NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League) and news.

Paramount+ Popular Original Content:

• The Taylor Sheridan Universe
• The Star Trek Universe
• Halo
• The Good Fight
• School Spirits
• Frasier
• Criminal Minds: Evolution

3. Apple TV+

Apple TV+ is an ad-free, subscription-based streaming service by Apple. It offers a library exclusively consisting of Apple Originals—original television series, feature films, and documentaries.

Apple TV+ doesn’t have an extensive library of TV shows and movies like Netflix. It’s because the streaming service is designed to be a “quality over quantity,” focusing on high-budget, critically acclaimed content featuring major stars and filmmakers.

Unlike popular streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV+ does not license a large catalog of older movies or TV shows from other studios. You can consider it one of the downsides of Apple TV+.

Apple TV+ Popular Original Content:

• Ted Lasso
• Severance
• Silo
• The Morning Show
• Slow Horses
• For All Mankind
• Pachinko

4. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the best video-on-demand streaming service for anime lovers. Unlike Netflix, Crunchyroll focuses primarily on Japanese anime, but also includes manga (comics) and dorama (Japanese live-action dramas).

Crunchyroll hosts one of the world’s largest collections of licensed anime, with over 1,300 titles and a huge number of episodes and movies. Moreover, it offers both subtitled (subbed) and English-dubbed (dubbed) versions of many popular series.

One of the biggest advantages of Crunchyroll is that premium subscribers can watch the newest episodes of many currently-airing anime shows (simulcasts) only an hour or two after they air in Japan, with professional subtitles.

Crunchyroll Popular Original Content:

• Tower of God
• The God of High School
• TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You
• So I’m a Spider, So What?
• In/Spectre
• Noblesse

5. Shudder

Shudder is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service that is dedicated exclusively to horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction titles. If you’re a big fan of the horror genre, Shudder is for you.

Shudder is known for its carefully chosen, high-quality library, often praised by critics and horror enthusiasts for avoiding the endless filler found on more general streaming platforms.

Shudder Popular Original Content:

• Creepshow
• The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs
• The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula
• Cursed Films
• Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror

6. The Criterion Channel

The Criterion Channel is an independent streaming service dedicated to showcasing classic and contemporary films from around the world. It firmly focuses on cinematic art, high technical quality, and rich context.

The streaming service is known for its curated film library. Its mission is to present films as their makers intended, in high-definition restorations.

The Criterion Channel doesn’t produce original content like Netflix. However, the streaming service produces exclusive video content that adds academic and artistic context.

Popular Films on The Criterion Channel:

• Seven Samurai
• 8½
• The 400 Blows
• The Battle of Algiers
• Dog Day Afternoon
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Grand Budapest Hotel

7. AMC+

AMC+ is a premium streaming bundle that combines content from multiple channels and streaming services into a single subscription.

AMC+ combines content from channels and streaming services like AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited.

AMC+ subscribers often get new episodes of major shows up to a week before they air on the regular AMC channel. Moreover, most content is available to stream without commercials.

AMC+ Popular Original Content:

• The Walking Dead Universe
• Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe
• Dark Winds
• Gangs of London
• Kin

8. MGM+

MGM+ is an ad-free subscription streaming service owned by Amazon MGM Studios, a subsidiary of Amazon. It was formerly known as Epix.

The streaming service offers a mix of acclaimed original series, theatrical films, classic film franchises, an extensive library of older movies, and four 24/7 live channels. You can watch its content library without advertisements.

MGM+ Popular Original Content:

• FROM
• Godfather of Harlem
• Billy the Kid
• Domina
• War of the Worlds
• A Spy Among Friends

9. Magnolia Selects

Magnolia Selects is a subscription video streaming service brought to you by Magnolia Pictures. It focuses on offering a curated collection of independent films, documentaries, and foreign cinema.

The streaming service boasts an extensive library of acclaimed and award-winning titles across a diverse range of genres, including independent dramas, documentaries, comedies, and foreign-language films.

10. Film Movement Plus

Film Movement Plus is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service of the film distribution company Film Movement. It is specifically curated for fans of independent, world, and arthouse cinema.

The streaming service focuses on genres like foreign-language films, independent features, cult classics, arthouse cinema, and documentaries. It’s also known for its curated selection of films that have won prizes at major international film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Venice, Sundance, and SXSW.

Film Movement Plus is available as a standalone subscription and as an add-on channel via platforms like Amazon Prime Video Channels and Roku.

11. MUBI

MUBI is another streaming service that focuses on quality over quantity and takes a highly selective approach. It is dedicated to curated, ambitious, and visionary cinema.

Unlike Netflix, which offers vast and non-curated libraries, MUBI’s team of experts selects films from around the globe, focusing on arthouse, independent, classic, and world cinema.

MUBI Popular Original Content:

• Aftersun
• Priscilla
• The Substance
• Perfect Days
• The Mastermind
• Cow

12. Fandor

Fandor is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service, owned by Cineverse. It specializes in independent films, documentaries, classics, and cult films.

Fandor doesn’t have a massive library of TV shows and movies like Netflix. It’s because the streaming service emphasizes human curation rather than algorithmic recommendations. It only provides a curated selection of films to viewers.

Fandor is available as a standalone subscription and as an add-on channel on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, and Roku.

Regional Netflix Alternatives with Free Trials

Popular streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video dominate the entertainment industry globally. However, some regional streaming services often offer rich, locally produced content that rivals Netflix.

Here are some of the best regional Netflix alternatives with free trials.

13. Britbox (UK)

Britbox is a British video-on-demand streaming service, owned by BBC Studios and originally co-owned by ITV. It specializes exclusively in British television programming and is often described as featuring the largest collection of British box sets in one place.

The streaming service aggregates a massive library of British TV series and films from the extensive archives of the BBC and ITV, as well as programming from Channel 4 and Channel 5 in the UK.

Britbox Popular Original Content:

• Line of Duty
• Luther
• Blue Lights
• Sherwood
• Downton Abbey
• Blackadder

14. Now TV (UK)

Now TV, known as Now, is a subscription over-the-top (OTT) streaming service primarily available in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It’s designed for people who want to watch Sky’s TV channels and content without signing up for a full satellite package.

Now TV’s subscription is divided into different content-specific passes:

• Entertainment Pass: It includes unlimited dramas, exclusive shows, HBO box sets, and brand new Sky Originals.
• Cinema Pass: It includes the latest blockbusters on demand and new Sky Original films every month.
• Sports Pass: Access to all Sky Sports channels.

15. BINGE (Australia)

BINGE is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service owned by Hubbl. It’s a top choice for Aussies looking for alternatives to Netflix.

The streaming service offers a large library of television series and films. It’s known for hosting a vast amount of premium content, including many HBO series, as well as movies and shows from major global studios.

BINGE Popular Original Content:

• Colin from Accounts
• Strife
• The Twelve
• Love Me
• Upright
• The Real Housewives of Sydney

16. Stan (Australia)

Stan is an Australian-based over-the-top (OTT) streaming television service. It operates similarly to Netflix, providing on-demand video content.

Stan’s content library is filled with international and local films and television content. However, it has significantly invested in producing its own exclusive shows and films. It is available exclusively in Australia.

Stan Popular Original Content:

• Wolf Creek
• Bump
• No Activity
• The Tourist
• Wolf Like Me
• Black Snow

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Netflix is the most well-known streaming service on the market. It doesn’t mean there are no alternatives to Netflix.

As you can see, many alternatives to Netflix offer a great selection of TV shows and movies. Some alternatives are cheaper than Netflix and offer a free trial.

Whether you’re craving Hollywood blockbusters or anime adventures, there is a streaming service waiting for you. Moreover, you can use free trials to explore the content library.

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