Despite having a viewer count in the upper echelons of the streaming market (200 million!) Netflix is jacking up the prices and trying to kill account sharing once and for all. This has led many to denounce the once-celebrated platform, deeming all of these changes a method of exploitation and predatory capitalism.
And not to mention how addicting the 30-day trial is, viewers usually don’t realize when they got hooked and spent a couple of hundred-odd dollars on a video streaming service. And now, a lot of the initial loyal viewer base that the service had racked up is slowly going away.
So, here’re a few ways how you can get Netflix for free. Read on!
But Why This Sudden Change?
Between Cyberpunk: Egderunners being a massive surprise hit and You being announced for a season 4, a lot is going on Netflix right now, and viewers have never been more spoiled for choice.
If you are part of that crowd interested in catching up with all of the fantastic Stranger Things episodes that you missed, this might be a great deal. Yes, there are actually a few steps that you can take and a few loopholes that you can legally exploit to reduce Netflix’s predatory monthly subscription rates.
How Netflix Subscription Works
The way that Netflix has categorized its subscription model has now made it the industry standard. It has three plans with differing characteristics and prices – $8.99, $13.99, and $17.99 in Basic, Standard, and Premium variants respectively. Both Standard and Premium, however, enable HD streaming and viewing on more screens simultaneously.
While a monthly bill from Netflix might seem like a very insignificant purchase, even the Basic Plan adds up to over $100. But here comes what you’re here for.
How To Get Netflix For Free!
Now we come to the fun part – how to save more than a couple of bucks and possibly get Netflix for free –
1. Use a friend/family member’s account
Ah, the age-old method of sharing one Netflix account with multiple people. So popular, in fact, that it is being stifled by Netflix, with the company thinking so far as permanent bans on accounts that continue to get shared.
Although the user-devised sharing model had been left alone for a while, it seems that Netflix has caught on to it and realized the amount of business they are losing through this method.
So, if you want to save a few bucks and your friend/family member is okay with it, have them share their account with you. Make sure, however, that they know and allow this.
2. Find out about offers that your carrier or other carriers provide
Ever since the popularity of streaming services boomed, carrier services with multi-device high-speed internet plans have made it a point to tie-up with these services to provide short and long-term deals to their consumers.
For example, T-Mobile provides a service called Netflix on Us, which means that you can either get a Basic or Standard plan for absolutely free. But, that comes with the condition that you have at least two plans in a household that run on T-Mobile.
As Netflix no longer offers the first month as a trial period for prospective viewers to figure out if the service is for them, this trial period is no longer being offered anymore. In that case, the only thing you can do is go for a complete subscription from the get-go.
Netflix Alternatives
But, if you don’t like Netflix’s pricing system, here are a few alternatives that you can try out!
1. Hulu
With shows such as Donald Glover’s fantastic series about the dark side of the music industry and navigating hip-hop culture, to the carefully and meticulously crafted mystery The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu has a lot to keep you entertained if you aren’t swayed by Netflix’s banal marketing.
If you want a list of the best TV shows you can watch on Hulu, check out this list.
2. Amazon Prime
The growth of Amazon’s video streaming service has been phenomenal in the last few years, with shows such as Family Guy, Harlem, Making The Cut, and Paper Girls, which are all original efforts.
And more so than that, some of our favorite classics such as Family Guy are available in their entirety on the platform, making it another very enticing Netflix alternative. And yeah, there are ways to get Amazon Prime free for a year as well, depending on your carrier.
2. Disney+
With the company trying to get entertainment in its chokehold, it is no surprise to see that Disney has already got its hands deep into the streaming segment. And with fantastic shows to back it up such as Moon Knight, Daredevil, The Mandalorian, and their own animated classics, you will never run out of things to watch on Disney+.
And as with many other streaming services, Disney+ is also available for free for a year, if you are a Verizon Unlimited user. And, you only pay after the year is over, either $6.99 for a month or $69.99 for a year.
Streaming has never been as open-ended as it is right now. With the competition, the variety of shows, and the pricing, every network and corporation is practically fighting tooth-and-nail for your attention and viewership.
In fact, as we come to terms that Netflix is losing viewers by the second and we might not see it live for long enough, these alternatives start making a lot more sense.
There is no way how to get Netflix for free, but the point is…
You have Netflix alternatives and they’re doing it better.
