Netflix is the most popular streaming service on the planet, with roughly 222 million subscribers worldwide. The streamer has a vast catalogue of exclusive documentaries, movies and TV shows, as well as a library of syndicated series. Everything can be streamed or downloaded and taken with you as part of your monthly subscription plan.

For those who don't know, Netflix has three subscription tiers – Basic (£6.99 per month), Standard (£10.99 per month) and Premium (£15.99 per month).

The difference between these price plans is the maximum picture quality available (Basic is limited to standard definition, Standard can stream up to 1080p HD, and Premium maxes out at 4K Ultra HD) as well as the number of devices able to stream from Netflix at the same time (a single screen for Basic, two on Standard, and up to four simultaneous streams with Premium).

But what about a free subscription for newcomers looking to test out Netflix for the first time?

Netflix ditched its 30-day free trial back in December 2019 – removing the ability for viewers to try before they buy. In the past, Netflix allowed anyone to sign-up and start streaming everything in its catalogue for an entire month before paying a penny. Netflix offers all of its subscriptions on a 30-day rolling contract so, at the end of the trial, viewers could decide whether to stick around for another month with no commitment to stay any longer than that.

Netflix would helpfully send a reminder to newcomers three days before the end of the month free trial, so they would have plenty of time to reconsider and cancel before they were charged for the first time. Helpful, right?

With the death of the Netflix free trial, the Californian streamer decided to launch a new option for those who wanted to watch for free. Netflix published a number of episodes from its most popular shows as well as exclusive blockbusters to tempt users to sign-up and explore the rest of the catalogue.

Worldwide phenomenon Stranger Things was included as part of the promotion alongside Sandra Bullock-starring horror film Bird Box, Adam Sandler's all-star comedy Murder Mystery, and Ava DuVernay's Emmy Award-nominated drama series When They See Us.

These were all hosted on a dedicated page on the streamer's website where anyone could watch – with no obligation to create an account, share an email address, or hand over credit card details. It was perfect for those looking to save money who wanted something new to watch.

Unfortunately, the repository of free Netflix shows and movies – previously available by heading to netflix.com/gb/watch-free on any laptop, desktop computer, tablet or smartphone – has now been shuttered.

For those keeping count, that leaves 0 ways to enjoy a free trial of Netflix before signing up to one of its subscription tiers. However, that doesn't mean there aren't some brilliant deals out there to unlock free Netflix...

Yes, there are still a few limited ways to unlock free streaming from Netflix. Notably, these usually require another purchase or you'll need to be an existing customer with another brand. However, until Netflix resurrects the much-loved free trial ...this is all we've got.

It's worth noting that Netflix isn't the only streamer to ditch its free trial in recent years. Disney+, which had offered 30 days of free streaming at launch, has now cancelled its free trial ...although there are still ways to access Disney+ for free. Likewise, after an incredibly generous one-year free subscription to anyone who had bought a new Apple product, Apple TV+ is now available with a seven-day free trial to anyone. New iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac owners can still claim an extended free subscription ...but it's now limited to 3 months.

And lastly, Amazon's Prime Video is still available as part of a 30 day free trial for the Prime membership scheme. As well as unlimited streaming of exclusive boxsets like The Boys, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, and Clarkson's Farm as well as blockbusters like Sound Of Metal, Manchester By The Sea, and The Voyeurs, you'll get next-day delivery (and, in some areas, same-day delivery) on thousands of items, music streaming via Amazon Music to listen ad-free on an Echo smart speaker, and unlimited cloud storage for your photo library.

For a limited time, Sky is offering new customers a free subscription to Netflix. The free plan is available as part of a TV and broadband bundle, which combines the Sky Q set-top box, the Ultimate TV package of channels (this unlocks access to Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Crime, Comedy Central, MTV, TLC, Sky Sports News, Eurosport 1 and 2, Sky History, National Geographic, Discovery, and more), and a 36Mbps broadband package.

At £39 per month, this isn't a good option for anyone who only wants to watch boxsets on Netflix ...but if you're looking to upgrade your TV viewing at home, this is a brilliant choice.

Netflix is deeply integrated with the Sky Q box, so you'll be able to stream shows, documentaries and films from the main menu without switching to another HDMI input or picking up another remote control. You can even use the built-in voice search to hunt for titles across Sky and Netflix at the same time – that way, you'll never end up accidentally renting a film that's included as part of your subscription.

Sky Q will recommend shows from the library of 500 on-demand boxsets from HBO Max, Sky Originals, and Peacock as well as Netflix based on your viewing history too. As we noted in our five star Sky Q review, this is a great way to stumble across new content that you might've otherwise missed as part of your subscription. 

For a limited time, Sky will waive the cost of a Netflix subscription when you bundle its Sky Q box and Superfast Broadband. With average download speeds of 36Mbps, that should be fast enough to watch in up to 4K Ultra HD picture quality on your shiny new Sky Q box.

Set-up costs: £49 | Contract length: 18-months

If you have a pay monthly plan for an Android handset, laptop or tablet with EE that includes a Smart Benefit – you can use this to claim a free subscription to Netflix. The free Netflix offer can be claimed by some SIM-only customers, but it depends on when they signed up as the company has changed the Smart Benefit perks available a number of times over the years.

Once you've selected Netflix as your Smart Benefit, EE will send a text with an activation link that will only be valid for seven days. You'll need to hit the link and enter an email address to set up your complimentary subscription.

If you already have a Netflix account and don't want to lose your viewing history or recommendations, you'll need to make sure to enter the same email address used for your existing account. This should prompt Netflix to ask you to sign-in, instead of signing up for a new account with the streamer.

If you leave EE or switch to a different plan without a Smart Benefit, your Netflix subscription will continue on a rolling 30 day basis until cancelled. As soon as this happens, Netflix will resume billing via the previous payment method set for your account.

EE's Smart Benefit only covers the cost of a Basic plan. Once you've activated it, you can upgrade from Basic to Standard for an extra £4 a month, or from Basic to Premium for an extra £9 a month if you'd like to access the extra features and improved picture quality included with both of these.

If your EE mobile plan comes with a Smart Benefit, you can use that perk to claim a free Basic subscription to Netflix. Best of all, this freebie works for existing Netflix subscribers as well as newcomers, so you won't need to lose your viewing history to unlock the discount!

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