7 Free Movie and TV Show Streaming Services

Main points

• Streaming services can outpace the cost of cable TV.
• Free services like Pluto TV and Freevee offer great TV shows without a subscription.
• Channels like Vudu, Kanopy, and Roku offer tons of free movies and shows.

At first, we were all happy when streaming services finally freed us from our outrageous cable bills. We are no longer tethered to whatever channel our cable provider has to offer, or even what is being shown at the time. Streaming media has opened our eyes to the reality that we can watch whatever we want, anytime, anywhere, and at a very low cost. At least, that’s how it started.

Over the past decade or so, streaming services have grown in number and cost, to the point where subscribing to everything could end up costing more than our old cable subscriptions. If you want access to Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+ and all the rest, your monthly bill will be affected. We don’t have much choice but to subscribe to at least a few of these services, right?

If you can handle not being able to access specific exclusive shows or movies from time to time, free streaming services can offer all the content you could want. Yes, you need to watch the ads, but we used to watch them on cable TV and had to pay for them. From streaming live TV to on-demand TV and movies, you can get everything you need from these streaming services for the low cost of $0.

1 pluto tv

Watch your favorite live channels

The biggest drawback of even the most well-known streaming services is that they tend to only offer on-demand shows and movies, not live TV. Pluto TV not only offers a vast array of on-demand entertainment, but it also has one of the richest live programming offerings. It has a very simple interface that lets you browse your current channels for anything that looks appealing, and you can even dedicate entire channels to individual shows if you want to spend a few hours browsing your favorite shows. Of course, since it’s free, you can only use the content and channels provided by Pluto. These shows tend to be a little older, but if you’re a fan of reality TV shows like Survivor and The Love Boat, or classic shows like I Love Lucy and Happy Days, you’ll find Pluto Feel right at home on TV.

2 free dimension

That would be great if you have the skills

With Freevee, it’s right in the name. It’s probably the best free streaming service that includes not only live and on-demand shows and movies, but also its own original content. However, there is one potential obstacle to this free service: accessing it. Thankfully, you have a lot of options, but you’ll need a slightly newer device to make it work, such as:

• Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Chromecast
• Smart TV
• Apple or Android phone or tablet
• Modern video game console (PlayStation 4/Xbox One or newer)

Freevee is owned by Amazon, but unlike its Prime Video service, it’s free for everyone. That said, don’t expect the same content here as in Prime, but the selection is still very impressive. You won’t see the latest, hottest shows here, but if you missed any of the best shows from the past like Lost, Mad Men, and The West Wing, Freevee won’t make you feel left out either outer.

Freevee sometimes only offers the first episode of a Prime show for free. Before investing, make sure you know whether all episodes of the show are free.

3 crack

For the adventurous observer

You’ve probably at least heard of the name Crackle. The streaming service wasn’t the first to come along, but it followed suit when it launched in 2004. No free streaming service would last two decades without something special, and in the case of Crackle, it’s a mix of original content, familiar classic shows and movies, and a ton of stuff you’ve never heard of Film. Part of the reason is that Crackle contains a large number of overseas shows and movies that aren’t usually available here. Perhaps the best part is that it’s so easy to use. While everything we list here is obviously free, many services do require you to create a free account or download an app in order to use them. Crackle, on the other hand, lets you just launch the site, browse the entire selection, and start watching right away. You do get some nice features when you create an account, like creating a favorites list and saving your spot when you don’t finish a movie in one sitting.

4 Wudu

most movies

If you’re a pure movie buff, the selection Vudu offers may be a compelling selling point. You won’t find any live streaming options here, as the service is purely for on-demand viewing, but it strives to deliver big, mainstream TV shows and movies in a timely manner. Yes, there are more products out there these days that require you to buy or rent them, but Vudu doesn’t skimp on its free products to try to force you to pay. It has over 10,000 free movies and shows, and in fact, there isn’t even a subscription option. All you can do is purchase the show or movie individually (if you choose). While this is all great, the interface is a little dated, and you can’t choose video quality unless you purchase a specific show or movie.

5 canopy

Rich educational content

We hope you still have your old library card or are willing to get one, because that card is your key to one of the best-kept secrets in free streaming. Kanopy is a great free streaming service available to any library cardholder – and it’s ad-free! That’s right, as long as you have a free library card, you can access its entire library (see what we did there?) without spending a dime or seeing any ads. And the service isn’t limited to “library movies”; it also includes a wide range of mainstream and current titles. Additionally, there is a wealth of valuable documentaries and other educational content, including a selection of kid- and family-friendly content.

While Kanopy is free and ad-free, it does function like a library and you can only stream a certain number of shows and movies each month. Kanopy Kids and some select movies do not count towards this monthly limit.

6 Roku Channel

High quality original content

You might associate Roku with that little streaming stick, and that’s accurate, but there’s more to it. Whether you access it via a streaming stick or download the app, The Roku Channel is Roku’s own streaming service for live and on-demand content. The service was lackluster when it first launched, which may have contributed to its slow start. However, after acquiring all of Quibi’s original content when it folded, the Roku Channel has managed to build a respectable library. It now offers exclusive programming like “Malpractice” and “Martha Cook,” as well as major movies like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” and “Meet Me in Paris.” Like Crackle, the Roku Channel doesn’t require you to create an account if you want to watch directly. However, be prepared to sift through the many useless products and knockoffs in their catalog.

7 Youtube

Because you’re probably already there

Even though it’s the largest video sharing and viewing website on the internet, surprisingly many people don’t realize that you can watch a ton of free shows and movies on the site. We’re not talking about low-quality videos where people record movies and try to upload them. YouTube has cracked down on this content and replaced it with free shows and movies that are just as easy to watch as other videos.All you need to do is enter Movies & Shows tab on the left menu, choose Free, tagged with ads, And check out everything on offer. You can browse by genre or browse the entire selection. There are hundreds of movies, full seasons, and series available to watch, many of them impressive. As always, don’t expect any recent happenings here.

With these seven free streaming services, it’s possible to eliminate most, if not all, of your current paid subscriptions without starving yourself of content. In fact, you’ll probably end up seeing more of them since you can easily switch between them. Sure, these ads can be annoying, but they’re a minor inconvenience when it comes to accessing all the free TV shows and movies you could want.

YouTube regularly cycles through new shows and movies, so if you don’t catch your attention at first glance, check back to see what’s new.

FAQ

Q: What can I watch on free streaming services?

What you can watch depends on the service you choose and when you watch it. Each service offers access to different content, but also regularly rotates shows and movies to keep things fresh, just like paid services like Netflix.

Q: Are free streaming services safe?

All the free streaming services we list here are 100% safe. Unlike the many websites that claim to let you watch the latest shows and movies absolutely free, only to infect your device with viruses and malware, these services are completely legal. Using them does not pose any risk to your equipment or safety. There are other legal free streaming services that are not included in our rankings, so if you find another service you want to try, be sure to do some research before clicking on it, especially if it seems too good to be true Confidence or when the name has unfamiliar or strange content.

Q: How are these streaming services free?

advertise! Just like watching cable TV in the old days, free streaming services need to show you ads occasionally to pay for the content.