Paramount+ quietly removed its standard free trial when it raised prices — but that does not mean your only option is paying full price. Six legitimate ways to watch for free or deeply discounted still exist, and most of them Paramount+ does not advertise.
The free trial button disappeared from Paramount+’s main signup page after a January price hike. But the deals moved — they did not vanish. Here is what is actually available right now, answered plainly.
1 Does Paramount+ still offer a free trial in the U.S.? Not directly from their website anymore. But free access through Walmart+, a 7-day trial via Amazon Prime Channels, and DirecTV’s 5-day trial with 3 free months still exist. ▼
2 What is the easiest way to get Paramount+ free right now with the least hassle? If you shop at Walmart at all, Walmart+ is the simplest path. Paramount+ Essential is included automatically — no extra signup, no promo code, no expiration clock. ▼
3 I’m already subscribed and paying full price — can I get a discount without canceling? Yes. Starting the cancellation flow through paramountplus.com — not through Apple or Roku — triggers a “Stay With Us” offer that often gives 2 free months or $2.99/month for 3 months. ▼
4 What do you actually get with the free Essential plan vs. paying for Premium? Essential includes the full on-demand library, live NFL on CBS, all UFC events, and Champions League — with ads. Premium adds Showtime’s full catalog, ad-free on-demand, 4K, local live CBS, and downloads. ▼
5 Are promo codes for Paramount+ real and currently working? Some are. Codes like TIVA and BRAVO for one free month have been independently verified. Always confirm the discount shows on the payment screen before entering card information. ▼
6 Is there a military or veteran discount — and how does it compare to just using Walmart+? Active duty, veterans, and their families get 50% off any plan for life through SheerID verification. That is $4.50/month for Essential or $7/month for Premium — ongoing, not a trial. ▼
7 My phone is with T-Mobile — does that give me any Paramount+ benefit? Yes, but only on the All-In Home Internet plan. T-Mobile’s wireless phone plans do not include Paramount+ by themselves — it is the home internet bundle specifically. ▼
8 Can I watch any Paramount+ shows completely free without signing up at all? A small selection, yes. Paramount+ lets you watch the first episode of select original series with no account required. Tubi, Pluto TV, and Peacock also carry some older Paramount titles for free. ▼
These are the six methods that are currently working. Each has different eligibility requirements and gives you a different tier — here is what you actually get with each one.
Walmart+ membership includes Paramount+ Essential as a standing benefit — not a promo, not a trial, not something that expires after 90 days. Every paid Walmart+ member gets it. The logic for many households: Walmart+ already pays for itself through free grocery delivery and fuel discounts, so Paramount+ is effectively free by that math. If you are not yet a member, the 30-day free Walmart+ trial gives you full Paramount+ Essential access during that window. Government assistance recipients, Medicaid enrollees, and qualifying students pay $6.47/month for Walmart+ — at that rate, Paramount+ Essential works out to essentially zero above what you are already saving on delivery fees. Note: Walmart+ includes Essential, not Premium. The full Showtime library requires upgrading to Premium for an additional $5/month or $50/year through your Walmart+ account — still meaningfully cheaper than subscribing to Premium directly.
How to activate: Log in at walmart.com, go to Walmart+ Benefits, select Paramount+, click Activate, and follow the account linking prompts.
T-Mobile’s All-In Home Internet tier bundles Paramount+ Essential at no additional charge — one of the few remaining carrier internet plans to include a streaming service without an additional fee. The activation is done through the T-Life app, not through Paramount+’s website. This benefit is exclusive to All-In home internet — it does not apply to standard wireless phone plans, even if you have been a T-Mobile customer for years. If you are already on All-In and have not activated Paramount+ yet, you are leaving a benefit on the table. If you are considering switching to T-Mobile home internet and Paramount+ is part of your decision, confirm your address is covered at T-Mobile’s coverage map before making the switch.
Amazon Prime Video Channels periodically offers a 7-day free trial of Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (the Premium tier) for eligible Prime members. The trial gives you full access — the Showtime library, ad-free on-demand viewing, 4K, and local CBS live — for free. It runs through your Amazon account, so your billing is managed there, not directly through Paramount+. Set a calendar reminder for day 5 to cancel if you do not want to continue — Amazon’s cancellation for a Prime Channel is handled through your Amazon subscriptions page, not through Paramount’s website. The trial availability fluctuates — it is not always active, but Amazon resurfaces it during promotional windows. Check the Paramount+ listing on primevideo.com to see whether “Start 7-day free trial” appears for your account.
DirecTV’s streaming service offers new subscribers two stacked free opportunities: a 5-day free trial of their package itself, and — for Entertainment, Choice, or Ultimate plan subscribers — three months of Paramount+ Premium included free as part of the bundle. The total value is significant: Paramount+ Premium alone is worth $13.99/month, so three months is a $42 savings, plus the DirecTV trial on top. This is the closest thing to an extended free trial that currently exists for the full Premium tier. After the 3-month bundle period, Paramount+ reverts to standard add-on pricing within the DirecTV package. This is best pursued only if DirecTV’s streaming service genuinely fits your television needs — not as a hack for free Paramount+, since the DirecTV subscription itself carries a cost after the trial ends.
Paramount+ distributes promo codes through entertainment partners, sponsors, and content launches. These occasionally offer one free month or steep discounts at signup. Currently reported codes for one free month include TIVA, BRAVO (valid through December), and GEDDYLEE. The annual Premium plan code PARAMOUNTPLUS reportedly unlocks 50% off. Codes are distributed for specific audiences and some are geographically limited — not every code works at every address or with every account history. If you subscribed through Apple, Google, or Roku, the coupon field does not appear because billing goes through those platforms — you must sign up directly through paramountplus.com to use a code.
- Go to paramountplus.com — sign up directly, not through Apple or Roku
- Select your plan (Essential or Premium)
- At the payment screen, look for “Have a Coupon Code?” and click it
- Enter the code and confirm the discount appears in your total
- Do not submit payment unless the discount is shown on screen
Many streaming services offer retention deals — a discounted rate offered to subscribers who initiate cancellation — and Paramount+ is among them. The offer is not shown to everyone; it is A/B tested and varies by account. Commonly reported in mid-2026: a “Stay With Us” popup offering 2 free months, or $2.99/month for 3 months. One tech writer received 2 free months of the full Premium plan this way. This only works for subscriptions billed directly by Paramount+ through their website. Apple, Amazon, Roku, and Google handle their own billing and their cancellation flows are separate — Paramount+ has no ability to trigger an offer through those platforms.
- Log in at paramountplus.com (not the app)
- Go to Account → Subscription
- Click Cancel Subscription
- Wait for the popup — do not click past it immediately
- If an offer appears, accept it. If no offer appears, you can still proceed with cancellation.
Before chasing a free method, know which tier it gets you. Most free and bundled access is Essential. Here is exactly what separates the two.
← Scroll right to see full comparison →
| Feature | Essential ($8.99/mo) | Premium ($13.99/mo) | Free via Walmart+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demand library (40,000+ titles) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| NFL on CBS (live) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| All UFC events (live) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| UEFA Champions League | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Ads on on-demand content | Yes (limited ads) | No ads on-demand | Yes (limited ads) |
| Full Showtime library | ❌ Rotating selection only | ✅ Full catalog | ❌ Not included |
| Local CBS live stream | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Download for offline viewing | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| 4K Ultra HD / HDR10 | ❌ 1080p max | ✅ 4K available | ❌ 1080p max |
| Simultaneous streams | 3 streams | 3 streams | 3 streams |
| Annual price (saves ~17%) | $89.99/year | $139.99/year | Free with Walmart+ |
If the reason you want Paramount+ is Showtime originals — Yellowjackets, Dexter: Original Sin, Three Women, The Affair, or Ray Donovan — Essential will leave you frustrated. It includes only a rotating selection of Showtime titles, not the full library. For Showtime access, you need Premium. Walmart+ members can upgrade to Premium for an additional $5/month or $50/year through their Walmart+ account — still cheaper than subscribing to Premium directly at $13.99/month.
Codes change. Always verify the discount appears on your payment screen before entering card information. If a code fails, try another — not all codes work at every address or account type.
These codes are reported for new subscribers or those returning after a 90+ day gap from their last subscription. They do not work on currently active accounts. If you cancelled more than 3 months ago, you may qualify as a “returning subscriber” for a code offer. Use at paramountplus.com only — not through Apple, Google, or Roku.
The $0.99 for 2 months offer has appeared as a direct sign-up promotion tied to content launches — most recently around a major series premiere. It does not require a code; it appears on the main signup page during the promotional window. If you do not see it, the promotional period has ended. At $1.98 total for 2 months of either Essential or Premium, it is essentially a trial by a different name.
- Codes only work through paramountplus.com directly — not through Apple, Google Play, Roku, or Amazon billing
- Most codes are for new subscribers or returning accounts with a 90+ day gap
- Codes cannot be combined with other promotions — do not try to stack a military discount with a free-month code
- Always confirm the discount shows in your order total before submitting payment
- If a code fails at your address, it may be geographically limited — try a different code
These discounts are ongoing — not tied to a promotional calendar or a content launch. They apply for as long as you remain eligible and verified.
Active duty service members, veterans, National Guard, Reserves, and their immediate family members are eligible for 50% off any Paramount+ plan — Essential or Premium — for the lifetime of the subscription. That works out to $4.50/month for Essential or $7/month for Premium, ongoing. Verification is handled through SheerID, which is the same identity platform used by many other brands for military pricing. The process is online-only, typically takes a few minutes, and requires uploading documentation of service or veteran status. This discount cannot be combined with Walmart+’s military discount (Walmart+ at 50% off for qualifying military already includes Paramount+ Essential, so there is no need to stack them). If you specifically want Premium, the direct military discount is likely the cheaper long-term path.
Verified college and university students receive 50% off the Essential plan for 12 months, with the option to renew annually by re-verifying student status. That is $4.50/month for Essential for the duration of enrollment. Verification is also through SheerID using your .edu email or enrollment documentation. The discount applies to the Essential tier — if Premium is your goal, the military path or a Walmart+ upgrade is more economical for non-students. Teachers at K-12 and university level are separately eligible for 50% off with annual re-verification through the same SheerID process.
Spectrum’s TV Select package and eligible TV plans include Paramount+ Essential at no additional charge. This is not universally available — it depends on your specific Spectrum TV plan tier and location. Log in to your Spectrum account to check whether Paramount+ appears under your included streaming benefits. Spectrum also bundles other streaming services (including Peacock, Disney+, HBO Max, and Hulu) in higher-tier packages — if you are already a Spectrum TV customer, it is worth checking what you already have access to before paying for anything separately.
The best way to get Paramount+ free depends on your existing subscriptions and what you are trying to watch. Here is a direct answer for the most common situations.
- Annual billing saves roughly 17% compared to month-to-month on both Essential ($89.99/year vs $107.88 monthly) and Premium ($139.99/year vs $167.88 monthly). If you plan to keep it past two months, annual is the smarter math.
- Walmart+ members can swap between Paramount+ and Peacock once every 90 days. If there is a specific show you want on each, time your switches around it — watch what you need on one, switch, watch the other, switch back.
- Use the $0.99 promotional months when they appear on the signup page — no code needed, just timing. These promotions have appeared around major series premieres and sporting events. Check the signup page around the start of NFL season and major UFC cards.
- Cancel before the billing date, not on it. Paramount+ does not prorate — you access the full paid period you have already paid for, so cancel several days before your next billing date to avoid being charged another month.
- Signing up through Apple or Google Play locks you out of promo codes and retention offers. Both platforms charge Paramount+ a fee, which means they control the billing — Paramount+ cannot apply a coupon or trigger a save offer on a third-party-billed account. Always subscribe directly at paramountplus.com if you plan to use any discount.
- The AARP discount is no longer available to new members. It was discontinued for new sign-ups on December 1, 2025. Only subscribers who activated it before that date are grandfathered in. Any website claiming you can still get the AARP discount is either outdated or inaccurate.
- Discounts cannot be stacked. A military discount cannot be combined with a promo code. A student discount cannot be combined with Walmart+ pricing. Apply for the discount that gives you the best per-month rate and stay with it.
- Canceling through the app sometimes skips the retention offer. The “Stay With Us” popup appears most reliably through the website’s cancellation flow at paramountplus.com — not always through the mobile app’s cancel flow.
Streaming service pricing, plan availability, promotional codes, and partner bundles change frequently. Offers listed reflect reported conditions as of mid-2026 and may have changed. Always verify current promotions directly at paramountplus.com before entering payment information. Promo codes are distributed for specific audiences and geographic markets — not all codes work for all accounts. Discount programs (military, student, teacher) require verification through SheerID; eligibility criteria apply. Walmart+ and T-Mobile plan terms are subject to change by those providers independently of Paramount+. This article is not a paid advertisement for any service.