How to Get Top Free or Cheap Streaming Services to Help You Save Money

Gone are the days when cutting the cord would save you money on your TV watching habits. There are loads of fragmented streaming services now, and many of them charge a monthly subscription fee. If you’re not careful (and you don’t know about the cheapest or free streaming services), you could end up paying more for streaming services than you did for your cable package back in the day.

But the good news is that streaming services can be pieced together, unlike the old cable packages. That means if you apply a little strategy, you can still save while watching all your favorite shows.

And if you have the right cell phone carrier, you may be able to access some of the bigger platforms like Netflix or Apple TV+ free of charge too.

What are the cheapest streaming services right now?

There’s no shortage of free streaming services out there, and if you know your shows, you can hack them to save on subscription fees.

Here are a few of the best current deals on streaming services.

Always-Free Streaming Services, Most With Ads

There are a ton of streaming services that are always free. Usually these services have ads, but not all of them do.

Examples of always-free streaming services (or streaming services that have a free tier available):

• Crackle

• Crunchyroll

• PBS

• Pluto TV

• Popcornflix

• Roku channel

• Samsung TV Plus (you don’t have to have a Samsung TV to use it)

• Sling Freestream

• Tubi

• Xumo

• YouTube

Popular Streaming Services You Can Get for Free With Partner Offers

This is super common for cell phone carriers and sometimes even Walmart. You can get free subscriptions to paid streaming services through these partner offers, though they may not be permanent.

Here are some examples:

• Free Max (for AT&T and Cricket customers)

• Free Hulu, Netflix, and Apple TV+ (for T-Mobile customers)

• Free Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ (for Verizon customers)

• Free Paramount+ or Peacock with Walmart+ offer

Streaming Services With Free Trials

Usually, free trials are just seven days. Other services that regularly provide free weeklong trials:

• Fubo TV

• Paramount+

• The Criterion Channel

Although you can’t watch Peacock TV for free or get a free trial, for $7.99 a month, it’s one of the cheapest streaming channels available.

Do streaming free trials come with commitments?

Nope. Usually if you cancel your subscription before the end of a free trial, you’ll be able to avoid paying any additional fees. You’ll lose access to the service, but you’ll also keep money in your wallet.

Are there coupons and promo codes for first-time subscribers?

Not usually. But there are common ways to access free or cheap streaming services, and the best deals are typically available to first-time subscribers.

You May Also Be Interested In:

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