The streaming service that retains the streaming rights to an abundance of multi-million dollar movie franchises, Disney+ came late to the game but towers over much of the competition. Home to Marvel, Lucasfilms, Pixar, National Geographic, and the multitudes of Disney classics and modern hits, Disney+ can be difficult to compare to other streaming services. What makes Disney+ truly special though, is that there is a large selection of content for the whole family to watch, including the kids. As Disney continues to push out more and more content, the youth section grows every day with kid-friendly spin offs of Star Wars (Young Jedi Adventures) and Marvel (Spidey and his Amazing Friends) as well as unique, quality cartoons like Bluey or Disney Channel classics like Even Stevens. Overall, Disney+ packs a punch and appeals to families in a big way, making it one of the most popular streaming services available.
Because of all that, looking for an alternative can be quite challenging. Below are some options of the best Streaming service free trials that can offer atleast a somewhat similar experience. If you're hoping to remove Disney+ from your monthly bill, you can test drive these services before making the switch.
Amazon Prime (30-Day Free Trial)
Attracting more of an adult audience with their latest films and series (like Fallout), Amazon Prime has been consistently releasing original content mostly not suited for a younger audience. including R-rated movies, adult animated series, and documentaries. The overall selection of original content is ever-expanding and available with a membership after a 30-day free trial. After the 30-day trial is concluded, users will be charged only $14.99 a month (or $139.00 a year) to continue viewing and enjoy free shipping on orders from Amazon’s shopping center. There is also a student discount of $7.49 a month (or $69 a year).
Read our review of Prime Video.
Hulu (30-Day Free Trial)
Now fully owned by Disney, Hulu is streaming service with a known reputation for streaming a vast library of popular shows and original movies. Relating to Disney+ and their National Geographic section, Hulu also has a quality selection of original documentaries to dive into. After exploring the vast library that Hulu has to offer in this generous 30-day trial, there are a wide range of subscription options to opt into from $7.99 a month up to just over $100 a month–if you want to include live TV or premium add-ons such as MAX, ESPN+, Disney+, Cinemax, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, and more.
Read our review of Hulu or check out all of the Hulu bundles available.
Paramount+ (7-Day Free Trial)
The studio that already boasted a large portfolio even before the establishment of their streaming service, Paramount+ offers exclusive access to original content such as the Mission Impossible movies, the Halo series, and the entire Star Trek film/series universe. They also have the rights to classic Nickelodean shows like Spongebob Squarepnts and Fairly Odd Parents. With new movies and shows being regularly released, Paramount+ is catching up to its original content competitors. After the 7-day free trial of their services, the recurring monthly amount to stay subscribed will be as low as $4.99 (or $59.99 a year) with limited ads, or $11.99 a month (or $119.99 a year) to add SHOWTIME’s full library and remove almost all ads.
Read our review of Paramount+.
Apple TV+ (7-Day Free Trial)
With a growing library of original, blockbuster-sized films and series, Apple TV+ doesn’t match the quantity of Disney+ but has much quality to offer. Featuring some highly appraised, original shows (Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Masters of the Air) and movies (Killers of the Flower Moon, Spirited, Napoleon), Apple TV+ blindsided the streaming competition with their impressive offers and final products from filmmakers. After the 7-day free trial has expired, the monthly subscription will cost $9.99 at base cost, depending on how many users are added to the account. As a disclaimer for those without Apple products, you will have to create a verified Apple ID to access the premium Apple TV+ streaming library.
Read our review of Apple TV+.
Mubi (7-Day Free Trial)
While the genre and overall tone of the options on Mubi differ greatly from the selection on Disney+, Mubi has a good amount of quality, original content available to stream. Outside of the Mubi-produced content available, there is much arthouse film to watch on this unique streaming service. Presented as a movie theater in a subscription, users can pick from a limited selection of films–every day one is added and one is removed. After the 7-day free trial, subscribers will be charged $14.99 a month to retain their membership.
Read our review of Prime Video.
Can you Watch Disney+ Shows and Movies Without a Subscription?
Since the rights to many blockbuster film sagas/series and animation studios such as Lucasfilms, Marvel, Pixar, and more now belong to Disney, most of this content is available exclusively on Disney+. Unfortunately, Disney+ no longer offers the free trial option. As mentioned above: certain streaming services such as Hulu and Amazon will sometimes temporarily be given streaming rights to some high-demand films, making it possible to catch some Disney+ content without a subscription. However, if their wide array of animated classics and modern marvels is too great to ignore, Disney+ offers bundle deals that are worth looking into.
You can also purchase physical copies of some of the more popular shows, like The Mandalorian, allowing you to sidestep the need for a subscription.
Connor Sheppard is an Oregon-grown culture writer for IGN with previous work on The Manual. Intrigued from a young age by pop culture and movies, he has developed into an experienced critic and consumer of all things media. From his time earning a bachelor's degree in digital communications at Oregon State University, he found a love for writing and appreciating specific actors and directors in the many films he watches. When he's not tapping away on his computer, you can find him watching new movies, practicing Muay Thai, or spending time with great friends and family.
