CrowdStrike free trial vs paid: what you actually get
No free plan exists, but the 15-day trial is unusually generous: no card, real modules, nothing auto-converts.
Last updated August 7, 2026
The trial is the real product, not a demo: the same Falcon sensor, preconfigured at maximum protection, with next-gen antivirus, USB device control, and mobile protection active from day one and roughly ten more modules (EDR, identity protection, cloud security, sandbox) you can switch on from the CrowdStrike Store during the 15 days. No credit card, no auto-conversion. The honest catch is the clock: 15 days is short for a thorough EDR evaluation, so decide what you want to test before you start.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you sign up for CrowdStrike through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Competitor facts come from their own published pages and are date-stamped; the commission does not change the numbers. How we review →
Trial vs each paid tier
| 15-day trial | Paid tiers | |
|---|---|---|
| Next-gen antivirus | Included (Falcon Prevent) | All tiers, from Falcon Go $59.99/device/yr |
| Device control + mobile | Included | All tiers |
| Firewall management | Enableable as a trial module | Falcon Pro ($99.99/device/yr) and up |
| EDR + threat hunting | EDR (Falcon Insight) enableable; hunting team not included | Falcon Enterprise ($184.99/device/yr) includes both |
| Fully managed (MDR) | Not part of the trial | Falcon Complete, priced via sales |
| Cost / commitment | Free, no credit card, ends after 15 days | Monthly or annual billing; annual saves ~2 months’ cost on Go and Pro |
Verified against CrowdStrike’s published trial guide and bundle pages, August 7, 2026. Falcon Go is capped at 100 devices.
How to run the 15 days so they count
Install the sensor on a representative slice of your fleet on day one: a couple of everyday laptops, your oldest OS version, and one server. Uninstall the incumbent antivirus on those machines first. Spend the first week just watching the console’s detections and performance impact; that answers the “lightweight agent” claim on your hardware, not a reviewer’s. In week two, enable the modules you would actually pay for, EDR above all, and run a benign test like a PowerShell script or an EICAR file to see the process-tree investigation view reviewers praise. If you finish the trial having only installed it, you learned nothing the reviews had not told you.
The honest limits
Fifteen days is half what Sophos offers, the 24/7 threat-hunting service is not part of the trial so Falcon Enterprise’s biggest differentiator goes untested, and there is no free tier to fall back to afterward, unlike consumer antivirus. Reviewers’ most common post-purchase complaint is module costs stacking beyond the sticker price, so before the trial ends, price the exact module set you enabled; that quote, not the bundle sticker, is your real cost. See our verified pricing breakdown for the current numbers.
FAQ
Does CrowdStrike have a free version?+
No. There is no permanently free plan. What CrowdStrike offers is a 15-day free trial with no credit card required, which includes the core Falcon Go modules (next-gen antivirus, device control, mobile protection) and lets you enable additional modules like EDR, identity protection, and cloud security during the trial.
Do I need a credit card for the CrowdStrike trial?+
No. The 15-day Falcon trial requires no credit card, and access simply ends when the trial does. Nothing auto-converts to a paid subscription, which removes the usual trial anxiety.
What happens when the 15 days end?+
A banner counts down your remaining days, and at the end your console access is terminated; endpoints are no longer protected by Falcon. You can buy a bundle to continue seamlessly, or contact CrowdStrike’s trial team (falcontrial@crowdstrike.com) about an extension if you need more evaluation time.
Which paid plan should I start with?+
Match it to who will operate it. No IT staff and under 100 devices: Falcon Go at $59.99/device/yr. Need centralized firewall policy: Falcon Pro at $99.99. Want real detection and response with CrowdStrike’s 24/7 hunters watching: Falcon Enterprise at $184.99. Want it fully run for you: Falcon Complete, priced via sales.
Should I uninstall my current antivirus during the trial?+
Yes, CrowdStrike recommends removing other antivirus tools before installing the Falcon sensor; the trial is preconfigured at the highest security settings and works best as the only AV on the endpoint. Falcon Prevent is a fully certified AV replacement, so you are not left unprotected by switching.