July 13, 2026, 12:44 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Netflix is experimenting again with free trial periods for new customers. The streaming service appears to be responding to slowing growth–but the test is currently only running in select countries.
Netflix Brings Back Free Trial Subscription
For the first time since 2020, Netflix is testing free trial subscriptions again. Back then, the streaming provider had eliminated the up to 30-day free period worldwide. Now, the company confirms to the industry service “What’s on Netflix” that free trial access is being offered again in select markets.
According to a Netflix spokesperson, the company regularly evaluates promotional activities to introduce the service to potential subscribers. The trial offers are exclusively for individuals who have not yet subscribed to Netflix. The duration varies by country: free trial periods of seven, 14, or 30 days have been observed.
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Not All Countries Benefit from the Test
Exactly where Netflix is rolling out the free offers remains largely unknown. It is only known that the company’s two largest markets–the U.S. and the U.K.–are currently not included. There is also no announcement for Germany yet.
It is unclear if and when the test will be expanded to other countries. It is also uncertain whether Netflix intends to bring back the trial subscriptions permanently or merely evaluate the response in individual regions. For interested parties in Germany, this means that for now, they can only sign up for one of the regular paid subscriptions.
Netflix Seeks New Growth Impulses
The return of free trial subscriptions is likely part of a larger strategy. Although Netflix remains the world’s largest streaming service with more than 325 million paying subscribers (as of January 2026), growth has recently slowed significantly. According to media reports, viewing time has recently increased by less than two percent.
In recent years, Netflix has already tried various measures to reach new target groups. These include cheaper subscriptions with ads, expanding the gaming offering, and live events. Free trial subscriptions could now be another component to convince previously undecided users of the service. Whether this will become a permanent model again and whether Germany will benefit from it will likely depend on the results of the current test phase.