Similarities

• With both the Blockbuster Online free trial and Netflix free trial, you create an online list of movie and television show titles that are automatically shipped to you at no additional charge. Once you've watched your selections, you return the DVDs in prepaid envelopes, and your next titles are shipped to you. Both Blockbuster Online and Netflix offer thousands of titles and unlimited monthly rentals, though how many DVDs you can have at one time depends upon the plan you choose.
  
  

Differences

• The Blockbuster Online free trial gives you the added option of returning movies to your local Blockbuster store; however, in-store exchanges are subject to due dates and late charges that are not included in your Blockbuster Online free trial. A separate in-store membership is also required, and not all Blockbuster stores participate.
  
  The Netflix free trial allows you the option of instantly watching your selected movie and television titles on your television, provided you have a high-speed Internet connection and a Netflix-ready device. Movies and shows are streamed instantly to your television through the Internet, avoiding the wait time of receiving your titles in the mail or picking up the titles in-store as with Blockbuster. You can also watch your selections instantly on your computer, provided it has certain system requirements.
  
  

Costs

• While both the Blockbuster Online free trial and Netflix free trial come at no initial cost, you must select a specific plan first. The costs are the same for both plans: $8.99/month for one DVD at a time; $13.99 for two DVDs at a time; and $16.99 for three DVDs at a time. Both Blockbuster Online and Netflix include unlimited rentals.
  
  With Blockbuster Online, you can have five in-store exchanges for an additional $3/month on any plan. With Netflix, you need to purchase a separately sold Netflix-ready device in order for movies and television shows to be streamed instantly to your television through the Internet. Those devices cost from $99 to $1,499 and include a Roku Digital Video Player, Xbox 360 or Internet-connected Blu-Ray players. The devices are not sold through Netflix itself. Blockbuster Online doesn't come with an instant-watching capability.
  
  

Time Frame

• Both the Blockbuster Online free trial and Netflix free trial last for two weeks. If you do not cancel your subscription before the end of the two-week trial period, your subscription will automatically continue for whatever plan you selected. The Blockbuster Online free trial and Netflix free trial offers cannot be combined with other offers and are valid for first-time customers only.
  
  

Considerations

• Signing up for either the Blockbuster Online free trial or Netflix free trial requires you to enter a credit or debit card number that will automatically be charged if you do not cancel your subscription before the end of the two-week trial period. You will not receive notifications from either company prior to the end of the trial period, so it's important that you make note of the end of the free trial period to avoid incurring charges if you decide not to continue with your subscription. Consider whether you will use the in-store exchanges available with Blockbuster Online as well as the cost of purchasing a Netflix-ready device when choosing between the online rental services.