Now, however, Netflix has ended its 30-day free trial offering in most countries. If you want access to all Netflix content, you need to pay.
You Can’t Get a Free Netflix Trial Anymore
As first spotted by The TV Answer Man, Netflix has quietly ended the ability for people to sign up to its service for a free trial.
Free trials have always been a staple of Netflix. The company has offered seven and 30 day trials in the past, designed to hook people in for free with the aim that they then sign up for a paid membership.
Now, when you view the Netflix Help Center for information about free trials, the page reads:
In the majority of countries worldwide, the message is the same. Only some locations, like Portugal and Switzerland, still claim to offer a free trial. It’s unknown whether these countries will also lose their free trials soon.
The fact that Netflix planned to drop free trials worldwide has been on the horizon for some time. It ended the promotion in Mexico in 2018, and began phasing it out in the US this month.
With over 182 million subscribers, Netflix is one of the largest subscription services in the world. However, with the number of streaming platforms on the rise, Netflix is clearly trying to stop people hopping to its platform for a free period to binge the content and then leave.
Can I Still Watch Netflix for Free?
Although the free trial has ended, there are still ways to watch some things on Netflix for free.
In a statement to Variety, a Netflix spokesperson said that the company is “looking at different marketing promotions … to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience”.
In April 2020, Netflix uploaded some of its documentaries to YouTube. This includes the excellent Our Planet, narrated by David Attenborough.
Also, from August 2020, you can now watch some Netflix content without a membership. This includes some of its top tier original content like Stranger Things and The Two Popes.
Do Other Streaming Services Offer Free Trials?
In fact, Apple recently gave away free months of Apple TV+ to existing subscribers to try and retain their loyalty.
