Hulu Eliminated Its Free Trial — Here’s a Workaround
Last month, the service quietly cut its 30-day trial period. Here's how deal-savvy streamers can still get Hulu access for free or at a deep discount.
By Erin Lassner
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Erin Lassner
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July 30, 2026 4:01pm
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In June, Hulu joined Paramount+, Peacock and a host of fellow services in eliminating its free trial. And despite upcoming plans to integrate Disney+ and Hulu‘s app experience, TV fans still need to catch the newest Hulu titles (i.e. House of Stassi, The Shards) — and ideally, at a discount (or more ideally, for free). So, while Hulu no longer offers a 30-day trial directly, deal-savvy streamers can take advantage of free access through partner subscriptions, namely DirecTV and T-Mobile.
editor’s pick: get hulu with directv 5-day free trial
More on each option below.
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Eager to Skip the Wait at Phil Rosenthal's L.A. Diner? The 'Everybody Loves Raymond' Creator Wants to Do You One Better
Hulu Free Trial Offers 2026
Starting with the standout promotion: Get free Hulu access through any of DirecTV’s four Signature packages — Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier — since they all include the Hulu, ESPN, Disney+ bundle and offer a five-day free trial. This means new subscribers can watch at absolutely no cost for five days, and following the trial, Hulu will remain included in the selected live TV streaming package at no extra charge.
get hulu included with directv plans (+ 5-day free trial)
Another lesser-known tip: Select T-Mobile plans now include free access to both Hulu and Netflix. Current phone plans start at $50 per month but the entertainment benefits kick in with the “Experience More” plan ($85 per month), which gets customers a Netflix subscription for free and an Apple TV subscription for $3 per month. The best value is the “Experience Beyond” plan ($100 per month), which includes Netflix and Hulu for free, Apple TV for $3 per month, plus unlimited mobile hotspotting.
get free hulu access with T-MOBILE PHONE PLAN
Best Hulu Deals 2026: Hulu Student Discount
Hulu offers one of the most generous student discounts on the market. Valid as long as you’re a college student, get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99 per month instead of $11.99 per month, a savings of 83 percent.
claim hulu student discount: $1.99/mo.
Best Hulu Deals 2026: Hulu + Live TV
While Hulu eliminated its standalone free trial period, the company retained its three-day free trial for Hulu + Live TV, which, following the trial period, starts at $89.99 per month, and comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+.
Related: The Best Disney+ Free Trial Hacks and Subscription Deals
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