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Best free streaming sites

25 best free streaming sites for movies and TV: Legal and safe options

Looking for the best free streaming sites for movies and TV? We’ve compiled a list of the 25 best free streaming options across a range of content that you can view completely for free anywhere, whether you are in the US or abroad.

The best free TV and movie streaming services provide a safe and legal alternative to torrents and websites that illegally stream content. Websites that rely on torrents or unlicensed content streaming are more likely to carry malware or put users at risk of copyright infringement lawsuits.

Although there are no subscription fees, most free streaming sites use geographic content restrictions . So if you are currently traveling abroad, the only way to access free streaming sites back home is by using a Virtual Private Network , or VPN, that gives you a local IP address for your home country.

Note: Comparitech only recommends streaming services that have the legal rights to stream content, and only recommends using a VPN to access legally available TV shows and movies. Comparitech does not condone or support the use of piracy websites or services.

Below, we explore the 25 best free streaming sites you can use anywhere in the world, and when necessary, how to access their content libraries with a VPN.

25 Best Free Streaming Sites for TV and Movies

Based on our research, below are the 25 best free streaming sites for TV shows and movies.

Here are the best free streaming sites for TV and movies:

ABC News Live – Excellent source for national US news broadcasts
Adult Swim – Free streaming access to popular Adult Swim content
Charge! – Focuses on action TV shows and movies, with some sports
Comet – Serves up sci-fi content, including TV and movie classics in the genre
CONtv – Offers a wide selection of nerd-culture TV shows and movies
Crackle – A catch-all for free streaming access to shows and films, including Crackle originals
CW Seed – Free streaming site hosting The CW’s popular original programming
Fawesome.tv – App-based service providing free kids TV shows
FilmRise – Free movie streaming service carrying top-rated films (via YouTube)
BBC iPlayer – A free British service with thousands of TV shows and a dozen live channels
Amazon Freevee – Previously IMDb TV. Offers a huge range of free movies
Kidoodle – Free kids TV programming with an ad-free premium option
PBS – No-cost on-demand access to all PBS original content
Peacock – Provides thousand of hours of free access to NBC content
Plex – Free streaming of top-rated TV shows and movies
PlutoTV – Free live TV and on-demand content with hundreds of channels from well-regarded networks
Popcornflix – Carries hundreds of free TV shows and movies across most genres
SBS On Demand – Large Australia-based free streaming site with top-rated TV shows and movies
Sling TV – Delivers a little-known free tier offering live and on-demand content
Stirr – Free TV shows and movies personalized to each user’s location
Tubi – The largest free-with-ads TV and movie streaming service on the market
Vudu – Small library but offers high-quality free content
W4Free and Watch4 – EU-based streaming service carrying free reality TV content
XUMO – Similar to PlutoTV but with unique channel options for TV and movies
YouTube – The well-known video platform has content that is geographically locked to different countries

How to use a VPN to stream free TV shows and movies

A VPN will help you securely access almost any free TV streaming service. Below we explain how to set up and run a VPN to change your IP address and watch free streaming sites for TV shows and movies.

Here’s how to use a VPN to stream free TV shows and movies:

First, sign up for a VPN service of your choice. NordVPN works well for most streaming services, although Surfshark and ExpressVPN are reasonably-priced alternatives.
Download and install your chosen VPN app onto the device you plan to use for free streaming. Unfortunately, most VPN services have no available app for some popular TV-connected devices (like the Roku) and most gaming consoles.
Connect to a VPN server in the country where the free streaming services you want to use offer on-demand or live content. Most options we’ve listed geo-block any IP address outside the US, but there are several that US customers won’t be able to access without a VPN.
Once connected , visit the streaming service website or app and try to load a stream. If it plays, you’re all set!

There’s a chance your streams won’t play on some devices despite a VPN connection . You may still get a message stating that your access is blocked. If that happens, try launching the website in a private web browsing instance (such as Incognito mode in Chrome). Additionally, delete cookies , clear your browser cache , and turn off browser or device location requests.

Why do I need a VPN for free TV streaming?

Most free streaming services are ad-supported. Ad-supported models typically result in lower profit margins, so services are usually forced to impose geographic content restrictions as part of the licensing agreement.

A VPN will allow you to easily bypass these geographic content restrictions while traveling abroad. A VPN allows you to connect to an internet server back home in a country where the service is available. And thanks to anonymization technology, the VPN will prevent the streaming service from detecting your real location and identity .

There are hundreds of VPN providers on the market. Picking one that works to unblock free streaming sites and protect your privacy can be a challenge given how dense the market is.

The best VPNs for free TV streaming should meet the following criteria:

Offer high-speed servers in dozens of countries (especially the US)
Utilize well-respected privacy and security measures to protect your identity, particularly by providing a no-logs policy and data leak mitigation
Provide multiple pricing options with discounts for longer service periods and a money-back guarantee
Effectively works with the service you want to use
Provides fast customer support and multiple ways to contact customer support
Has app compatibility with multiple devices and operating systems

As an added note, we recommend you avoid free VPNs . They’re less secure, track your data, may sell your data to third parties, may display advertisements, usually have slower server speeds, and importantly, have data caps that make it impossible to stream TV shows and movies for more than a few minutes.

Best free streaming sites for TV shows and movies

We searched through hundreds of TV and movie streaming options to discover which services had free tiers, ad-supported subscription models, or free-to-air content. The following list comprises the 20+ services that have the best free streaming catalogs across a wide variety of genres. Some are not geo-restricted anywhere; however, most will require you to have a US IP address or a VPN that will give you one.

1. ABC News Live

If you’re hungering for TV news programs, you can’t go wrong with ABC News Live . The service provides completely unrestricted access to live news content directly from ABC News and operates 24/7.

This is a single-channel option for individuals who want to watch US news. What’s more, you don’t need a VPN to watch ABC News Live, regardless of where you live. It’s a truly free option for US news, without restrictions. ABC News Live is even accessible without a VPN in China , which often restricts content from Western countries like the US.

This site puts ads on all video content, which is to be expected. You can stream ABC News Live through its dedicated app on Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, or you can watch using any modern web browser.

2. Adult Swim

Originally part of Comedy Central, Adult Swim is now its own, separate TV network currently owned by WarnerMedia. The WarnerMedia ownership gives Adult Swim access to not just a selection of Warner’s content, but a fairly large library of TV shows that you’ll only find on Adult Swim—including the ever-popular cartoon action-comedy, Rick and Morty.

This service has 100+ titles available on-demand . Much of its content library is offered free-with-ads, while many episodes require you to log in with a cable TV service provider, such as Hulu + Live TV. In both cases, you’re trying to stream Adult Swim outside the US.

If you try to connect from outside the US, Adult Swim will display a message that says “ BLOCKED: Sorry, there must be some sort of restriction on the content we are streaming here. Come back later or select another stream”.

If you see this message from your location, use NordVPN to connect to a US server so you can acquire a US IP address and zoom right past the geographic content blocking. We’ve found NordVPN easily unblocks what Adult Swim offers for free.

Charge! is one of several genre-specific TV streaming provides that focuses on 24/7 live streaming with an ad-supported model. Charge! is geared toward fans of action TV, although it does offer some sports content on occasion.

To reiterate, this is not an on-demand streaming service. All of its TV shows and movies are broadcast live. Its model means it operates like traditional over-the-air TV stations, except that its content streams online.

If you try to connect from outside the US, Charge! will display the following message: “This stream is not available in your area” .

Connecting to a VPN server in the US easily bypasses this message and allows you to watch all content streaming live through Charge!. If you don’t want to use a web browser, there’s an iOS app available that you can pair with a VPN app for iOS devices.

If you think Comet looks familiar, you’re right. It’s owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which also owns and operates Charge! The only difference between Charge! and Comet is that Comet is focused on science fiction TV shows and movies.

To that end, everything we said about Charge! above applies to Comet, right down to how it operates and where you’ll find available apps for watching it outside of a web browser. You’ll even see the same location-based blocking message if you try to stream Comet from outside of the US. NordVPN easily unblocks content streaming free through Comet as long as you’re connected to any US server.

CONtv began its life in 2007 as the streaming service Viewster. Content distributor Cinedigm purchased the website in 2019 and rebranded it. Alongside a new name, CONtv also upended the content library. What was once a free service focused on anime is now a free service focused on action and US-based cartoons.

The bigger change that occurred with CONtv, however, was the newly implemented geographic content restrictions. As Viewster, the service was available to stream anywhere. As CONtv, however, you may not be able to access the service everywhere.

That said, CONtv’s FAQs explain that it is only available in the US. We’ve discovered that’s not actually true . Through testing, we’ve found CONtv works in many other countries outside the US, including Canada, the UK, and Germany. It’s possible that some of CONtv’s content is blocked due to licensing agreements, but we did not find any among the titles we tested (and we did not test every TV series and movie on the site for accessibility). If you do find blocked content, a VPN to a US IP address will likely unblock it for you.

This service has apps for Android and iOS devices.

Crackle was previously owned by Sony (and previously named “Sony Crackle”) until Sony sold a majority stake of the service to the company Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. The same company behind the well-known self-help book of the same name, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment immediately went to work by changing the name (back to Crackle) and ramping up the original content production.

This service now has 1,300+ titles available. Crackle lost most of its top-rated Sony content with the ownership change. However, its library still has a wide range of ad-free, on-demand streaming TV shows and movies across different genres.

If you try to visit Crackle from outside the US, you’ll see this message: “Thanks for visiting. Unfortunately, we’re not currently available in this region.” . Connect to a NordVPN server in the US to get a US IP address and bypass Crackle’s geographic content blocking .

Crackle has a large number of apps on almost any device you may want to use, including most that also work with separate VPN apps.

The CW has some of the best TV show content available in the US, especially if you’re a DC Comics fan. Impressively, The CW also provides much of that content available for free through its ad-supported streaming service, CW Seed. The company even advertises the service with the tagline “Free For All”.

This service offers 80+ titles available on-demand.

You’ll see the following message if you try to load CW Seed TV shows from outside of the US: “Due to licensing restrictions this content is only available in the US” . That’s pretty self-explanatory. Using NordVPN and a connection to a US server, you can easily bypass that message and access both the on-demand and live content available through CW Seed.

If you plan to download the app on an Android, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, there’s a NordVPN available on all of those devices that will still allow you to bypass geographic content blocking for the service.

8. Fawesome

This ad-supported streaming service is unique in its content is only available through its dedicated apps. And its app library is fairly limited.

You can stream Fawesome’s 250+ titles on Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, using its Windows app or using an app for LG smart TVs.

Fawsome has some excellent content available, despite inflexibility on how to watch it. Its multi-genre library includes major TV and movie hits, like Third Rock From the Sun and The Contract .

No VPN is required as far as we can tell, but blocking may be imposed if you’re in a country known for blocking American content, such as China.

9. FilmRise (via YouTube)

FilmRise is a content distribution company that acquires licenses for various TV shows and movies. Its content is available on a large number of different streaming services, but you can access most of it through the company’s YouTube channels or its dedicated iOS, Android, and streaming device apps.

This service carries 1,500+ titles in its library.

Geographic content blocking on FilmRise is a real hit-and-miss. We’ve found that some TV shows and movies on its YouTube channel are blocked to non-US users, while others will play almost anywhere.

For example, FilmRise has full episodes of the US TV show 21 Jump Street , but you can’t watch those episodes through FilmRise’s YouTube channel if you’re a country outside the US, such as Canada, the UK, or Germany. Instead, you’ll get YouTube’s standard content blocking message: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country” .

Grab a US IP address by connecting to a NordVPN server located in the US to bypass any content blocking you might find when using FilmRise. If you’re in the US and you see a geographic content blocking message from FilmRise, you will also need a VPN. However, you may need to do some trial and error by connecting to servers in different countries to determine where that content is available.

10. BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is the UK’s largest free-to-watch streaming platform, carrying a regularly-updated library of TV shows, movies, and radio broadcasts. What’s more, it allows users to watch around a dozen channels live. These include the big ones, such as BBC One and BBC Two, as well as regional channels like S4C and Alba, which are some of the only places you can stream Welsh and Gaelic content online.

The only catch is that you’ll need a TV license to use this platform. Still, with around 95 percent of UK households currently paying for one, there’s a strong chance you can watch BBC iPlayer without spending anything extra.

BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, so if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN to continue using the service.

11. Amazon Freevee

This service used to be called IMDb TV, but after being bought by Amazon, it has since been integrated into the company’s streaming library. Don’t worry, though: you do not need an Amazon Prime account to watch , though you will have to create a free Amazon account (if you have one that you use for shopping, this will do nicely).

According to JustWatch, Freevee currently has over 3,000 ad-supported titles to choose from. This includes high-profile movies like Hellraiser , Reservoir Dogs , and District 9 , but there are also plenty of great TV shows, such as Hell’s Kitchen , The West Wing , and Syfy’s drastically-underrated Dune series. Freevee even has a steadily-growing catalog of original content, which isn’t something most other free services can say.

Now, it’s important to note that Freevee is region-locked, which means the exact content will vary based on where you are in the world. Still, you can continue to access your home country’s library as you travel with the help of a VPN.

12. Kidoodle.TV

The Kidoodle.TV streaming service has an ad-supported “freemium” version and a paid version that has a few additional features, including an ad-free experience. Similar to HappyKids.tv, Kidoodle.TV has very few geographic content restrictions in place.

The company states its service is available in over 140 countries, so you’ll likely find it works just fine wherever you live. If you find you’re getting blocked, we recommend you try to connect to a VPN server in a country where it’s likely to be available, such as the US, Canada, the UK, or most EU countries.

Also similar to HappyKids.tv, Kidoodle cannot be streamed using a web browser. However, there are apps available for most Android and iOS devices, several smart TV brands, and popular TV-connected devices, including the Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. Just note that there is are no VPN apps for Roku devices or smart TVs, so if you do find the service blocked in your country, the simplest workaround is to use a different device.

Often considered the US version of the BBC, PBS does have one distinguishing factor: You don’t need to pay a TV license to access much of its content. That means it’s a legitimately free streaming service. PBS does lock some of its content behind a donation paywall, but a fair amount is freely available.

This service has 190+ titles in its content library.

PBS employs content blocking across its site. In some cases, you won’t be able to see available episodes for a show’s page. If someone without a US IP address does manage to get access to an episode’s page, PBS will display this message on the stream: “We’re sorry, but this video is unavailable” .

A VPN connection to a US server is required to access PBS on-demand TV shows and documentaries from outside the US. Note that PBS will also give you varied content based on your location if you’re trying to use the live option. The server you choose will impact what content you get in that case.

14. Peacock

As a counter to Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), NBC launched its own streaming service called Peacock. Peacock chose to go a different route than its competitor, however, and provides an ad-supported free tier for subscribers.

This service offers 1,300+ titles in its free library.

The free content available through Peacock comes with two conditions: 1) You need to create an account, and 2) You must be in the US (or have a US IP address). These are easy hurdles to jump, but if you’re outside of the US Peacock will block your entry completely. Going to the website with a non-US IP address yields the following message: “This service is unavailable in your region” .

Grab a US IP address using NordVPN, then load up the Peacock website. From there, you can register using any email address and some other basic information. Peacock does not ask for credit card details for the free account, so anyone can sign up to use it.

This service is also available via apps for most popular devices, many of which can be paired with a VPN app where available.

This service offers 7,100+ titles on-demand.

However, Plex will serve different content libraries and live TV channels to different users based on geographic location. So while it doesn’t use content blocking, you may want to install and load up a VPN, then connect to different servers worldwide to unlock the full library of free content Plex offers.

The service also has apps for popular operating systems and devices where VPNs will unblock content, including Android, iOS, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

16. PlutoTV

This service was one of the first to start offering free, ad-supported live TV channels streaming over the web. It’s now among the largest and best free streaming sites for TV and movies thanks to an extensive amount of corporate from 170+ content providers, including Lionsgate, MGM, and many US cable TV networks.

PlutoTV carries 6,800+ titles on-demand.

The good news is that PlutoTV is available almost anywhere in the world. The bad news is that the complexity of its content library means it displays different content to different people based on location. NordVPN works with PlutoTV and allows you to access its content libraries anywhere its available, including the US, Canada, UK, and EU countries such as Germany.

The Pluto.TV app is available on devices that also have a working NordVPN app: Android, iOS, and Fire TV.

17. Popcornflix

This service is a fairly generic free TV and movie streaming site. There’s nothing flashy about it, but it does carry an excellent variety of TV shows and movies across every popular genre.

There are 1,300+ titles available through this service.

From what we can tell, it does not impose a site-wide content blocking. In fact, the ads it plays on videos are localized based on your IP address. Live in Hong Kong? You’ll get ads for Hong Kong residents. Live in Canada? You’ll get ads for Canadian products and services.

There might be some title-specific geo-blocking applied, as this is common when sites like this have licensed content. However, we did not see any during testing. If you do find any content that’s blocked, we’ve verified that Popcornflix does work with a VPN.

If you plan to watch Popcornflix on devices outside of a desktop or laptop computer, its Android, iOS, and Fire TV apps can be paired with VPN apps for those devices.

18. SBS On Demand

SBS On Demand is singlehandedly one of the best streaming sites for TV shows and movies anywhere in the world. It carries top-rated streaming from around the world, including many Oscar-winning titles.

There are over 11,000 hours of content available through this service.

SBS On Demand is based in and serves the Australian market. Accessing its impressive content library requires an Australian IP address. If you try to go to the SBS On Demand website from outside of Australia, you’ll see the following message: “Content unavailable in your location. Most of our content is only available to stream within Australia due to publishing rights” .

We’ve found this service does not block VPNs. Connect to a VPN server in Australia to get an Australia-based IP address and stream SBS On Demand from anywhere, including from the US.

19. Sling TV

Although it’s known more widely as the second-cheapest virtual multichannel video programming distributor in the US (Philo takes the top spot there), Sling TV has an almost hidden free streaming section that anyone with a US IP address can take advantage can use, even without creating a Sling TV account.

The free version offers 550+ titles on-demand.

Sling TV imposes site-wide geographic content blocking. Even trying to access its homepage will give you the following message: “We’re sorry. Sling TV is only available inside the US. Thank you for your interest” .

To get rid of this message and get to the free content, connect to a VPN server in the US. Sling TV will then let you right in and allow you to enjoy its free TV shows and movies.

Stirr offers free TV and movies to anyone, but you’re going to be extremely limited if you’re outside of the US. This service takes a unique approach by mixing your free channel and movies based on what US city you live in, and not by country. If you try to use Stirr with an IP address from outside of the US, the service will show you its “National” package of content, which is almost nothing.

Connecting to a US VPN server through NordVPN or other VPN providers is necessary to gain access to Stirr’s content libraries. But you may also want to hop around to different servers in the US to see what type of content you get.

That recommendation also applies to US users, as well. Since Stirr will show you different channels based on your city, you may want to use a VPN to get the full benefit of the service.

Stirr has apps several devices that also work with VPN apps: Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV.

Tubi’s winning free-with-ad model allowed it to grow to become one of the largest and best-streaming sites for TV and movies. It also caught the attention of Fox Corporation, which purchased the site in 2020.

This service carries 28,000+ titles in its content library.

Tubi was previously available in multiple countries and offered different libraries where available. Now, however, its expansive library of top-rated TV shows and movies is only available to those with a US IP address.

If you try to stream from outside the US (but from a non-EU country), the service displays the following block message: “Content unavailable. Sorry, this video is not currently available”.

And if you try to connect from an EU country, you’ll get this message: “I’ll be back. – Terminator. Tubi is the largest free movie and TV streaming service in the US. We are not available in Europe due to changes in EU laws. The GDPR went into effect on May 2018; Tubi is working on compliance and planning to re-launch in European countries soon”.

There may be hope in the future that Tubi will bring its services overseas. For now, a VPN works well to bypass its existing content blocks.

Tubi is available through multiple apps for devices that work with a VPN, including Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV.

Although it primarily operates as a service for buying and renting digital TV shows and movies, Vudu also carries many free titles that are supported by advertisements.

You can watch 8,700+ titles through Vudu.

The service is only available in the US, however. It doesn’t even both to provide an IP block message. If you try to access the site from outside of the US, you’ll just see an HTTP ERROR 400 page.

Connect to any US VPN server to get an IP address and bypass this restriction. You can also watch with a bypass on multiple devices thanks to a large library of dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, and more.

23. Watch4 and W4Free

Although most of the best free streaming sites for TV and movies are locked to the US, there still many options available elsewhere. Watch4 is an EU-based streaming website primarily serving German speakers across Europe. It also has an English-language version called W4Free that’s only available in the UK.

While both sites will let you make a connection if you’re outside of their respective licensing zones, the content libraries will be mostly blank. We’ve verified that a VPN connection using NordVPN will work with both services, regardless of where you’re located.

XUMO is owned by Comcast and was designed to take on PlutoTV. It utilizes the same style and concept that PutoTV developed, but carries some notable differences. The biggest distinguishing factor is probably the most important one: XUMO has a notably different package of 24/7 channels and on-demand TV shows and movies. That means you’ll find enough difference between XUMO and PlutoTV that it’s not really an either/or situation; both will have value for you.

This service provides 10,000+ in its on-demand library.

None of that matters if you can’t access XUMO’s content . XUMO is currently restricted to US IP addresses. If you attempt to access XUUMO from outside the US, you’ll see the following message: “We’re sorry. XUMO is currently only available in the United States. If you’re in the United States and are having problems accessing this site, please visit www.xumo.com/support” . XUMO will then automatically redirect you to its corporate site.

We’ve found VPNs work to bypass Xumo’s geographic content blocking, but the service uses fairly effective anti-VPN countermeasures. You may need to contact your VPN provider’s customer support to determine which VPN servers effectively bypass its content blocking.

25. YouTube

Although it’s available almost everywhere, YouTube’s content is not universally available. Many content uploaders place geographic content restrictions when they upload the content. YouTube then employs its own software to enforce those restrictions by detecting each users’ IP address to determine location.

YouTube’s content licensing arm offers 270+ titles on-demand, alongside the millions from its userbase.

FimRise (mentioned above) is just one example of a channel that uses geographic restrictions. Given its size, there are hundreds, if not thousands more that also block content. Thankfully, a VPN will work to bypass any geographic content restrictions you find through YouTube.

Best free streaming sites: FAQ

What are the best free streaming sites.

This depends on what type of content you’re looking for. If you want variety and well-known titles, SBS On Demand and Tubi TV are hard to beat. Both have the best quality of content we’ve found. You’ll also find that their libraries don’t intersect too often, so there’s value in using both services instead of one or the other.

Is 123movies safe? Is 123movies legal?

While it’s a popular go-to for people who want free TV shows and movies, 123movies is neither safe nor legal. It does not maintain any licensing agreements with copyright holders for any of the content you will find on the website. And as a pirate streaming site, it also does not have any reason to protect users from malware or other threats. We do not recommend this site for streaming. The options listed above are all free, just like 123movies, but without the privacy, security, and legality risks.

Where can I stream for free?

Any option on this list will allow you to stream for free. Crackle, Tubi TV, YouTube, Peacock, SBS On Demand, and all of the others are ad-supported streaming providers. Most do not even require an account.

Which illegal free streaming sites should I avoid?

Illegal streaming sites are platforms that offer pirated content for free, often in exchange for users watching ads. These sites are not only illegal but also pose significant risks to users. This can include potential legal trouble, exposure to malware, hacks, poor-quality content, and viruses.

Some of the most frequented illegal streaming sites for movies and TV shows include Moviesjoy, Putlocker, 123Movies, IndoXXI, SportsBay, WatchSeries, DramaCool, The Pirate Bay and uTorrent.

Roundup - best VPNs for

Privacy alert: websites you visit can find out who you are.

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.

We recommend using NordVPN - #1 of 72 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available at a discounted rate.

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Cutting the Cord

These days, you don't need a cable package or even a television to enjoy full episodes of your favorite TV shows whenever you want. There are plenty of websites out there that let you stream free TV shows online — many of which include some of today's most popular programs.

We've compiled a list of only the best free and legal TV show sources currently out there. There are pros and cons to each, but there's definitely something for everyone no matter what kind of show you might be looking to watch.

Looking for free movies instead of television shows? We also keep an updated list of free movie streaming sites !

Popcornflix: Simple, Easy Access to TV Classics

Eclectic collection of content.

Ability to watch shows instantly.

Wide range of supported devices including.

Much of the content is either old or hyper-niche.

Annoying ad model.

No sorting feature.

While Popcornflix is mainly known for its great range of full-length movies, documentaries, foreign films, and original web series, it's also a great place to check out for unique TV shows that are hard to find anywhere else, including cable TV. If you're a millennial looking for some serious childhood nostalgia, you'll want to check out Popcornflix's 90's TV offering featuring classics such as The Legend of Zelda , Sonic the Hedgehog , The Adventures of Super Mario 3 Bros., and more.

Its TV show offering isn't exactly huge, but it might be worth checking out if you're looking for something different. Preroll ads will also play when you start watching, but you can start watching anything without having to sign up for a free account if you're just looking to try it out quick.

Crackle: Watch Hit TV Shows and Crackle Originals

Availability on numerous platforms.

Easy-to-navigate interface.

Access to hit movies in addition to TV shows.

Only available in the U.S. and Australia for free.

Little unique content.

Very loud commercials.

With Crackle, you can watch full episodes of your favorite TV shows (in addition to movies) and create personal watch lists so you can keep track of everything you're watching.

Since it's a totally free service with accessibility across multiple major platforms (including mobile with the free Crackle app), there are some commercials rolled into the programming. Regardless, Crackle is a great alternative that you can enjoy viewing on your computer or with one of its apps on your mobile device.

All you need to do is create a free account to start watching. Select the TV tab in the top menu or search for a show title, then choose the episode you want and enjoy.

You can also use filter options to browse through shows based on genre, alphabetical order, recently added, full episodes, clips, trailers and what's coming soon.

Tubi: 100% Legal and Unlimited TV Show Streaming

Access to thousands of shows and movies from well-known studios.

Multi-platform availability.

New content added weekly.

Tracks your viewing history.

Targeted advertising platform.

No clear way to filter TV shows from movies.

Tubi is another alternative that operates legally through license agreements. And just like Crackle, it also includes movies.

Tubi is totally free with a user account, which you can use to set up your watch queue or pick up where you left off from watching something previously. The platform tracks your viewing history so that it can learn about your preferences to make better suggestions for you.

Browse through all your standard categories such as Action, Drama, Comedy, and others or take a look at some of the interesting categories like Cult Classics and Highly Rated on Rotten Tomatoes. With over 50,000 shows and movies available and more being added all the time, Tubi TV is quickly growing to become a TV favorite for internet users everywhere.

Pluto TV: Watch Some of Your Favorite TV Channels

Good mix of live and on-demand shows.

Similar to traditional cable television.

Desktop and mobile apps available.

Ads appear at awkward times.

Limited availability of new shows.

Website isn't secured with an SSL certificate.

With the live-streaming Pluto TV platform, you can channel surf over 100 free channels in genres such as news, entertainment, sports, comedy, and more.

Some of the content is live and some of it isn't. It's a bit like RabbitTV Plus, except you don't have to pay an annual fee to watch.

It's similar to traditional cable; you can check out what's currently on without a goal in mind for what to watch. Although you won't be able to catch hit network shows, you'll be able to tune into many major networks' news broadcasts and find familiar episodes of other relatively popular shows.

Vudu: Watch a Range of Popular Network Shows

Large selection of shows.

Ability to filter free content.

Ability to download content to watch offline.

Required to create an account in order to watch.

Multiple ads for free content.

Few current shows.

Vudu is Walmart's pay-per-use TV show and movie streaming service, with a number of shows and movies available to watch for free. The free ones have ads, but for a platform that offers high-quality, relatively popular shows from networks like CBS, Fox, HBO and more, those ads are definitely tolerable.

You can filter TV shows by genre or select the checkbox for Free TV only, which filters out all the paid content so all you see is what's available to watch for free. As a nice bonus, you can also browse by Most Watched, Release Date and Recently Added to find hidden gems you might not be able to find otherwise.

Yidio: A Simple Site That Searches the Web for Shows on Your Behalf

Excellent user interface.

Covers the basic pay services.

Points to some pay services.

Not optimized for delivering movies and TV.

Similar to ShareTV, Yidio is a TV show source aggregator that points you in the direction of other third-party hosts where you should be able to watch a particular episode.

You can use the right sidebar to browse by genre and the menu at the top to filter available shows by what's available on several premium streaming services. Of course, if you're looking for something to watch for free, you'll want to select the Free filter.

When you select a show, you'll be shown a summary based on IMDb info along with several thumbnails of episodes that are available. Select any thumbnail to be taken to the specific episode listing.

The downside to using Yidio is that its free listings aren't the most accurate or update to date, and you may come across a show that only has short clips rather than full episodes available to watch for free despite its listing in the Free category. There are lots of ads to Amazon, Google Play and iTunes in the way, but if the episode is indeed free, links to free sources (such as YouTube) will be available at the very bottom for you to click on.

Shout Factory TV: Cult Classics for Retro Entertainment Lovers

Really nice selection of cult/classic shows that are hard to find.

All content is available to watch for free.

Ability to filter both film and TV shows by genre.

No user account feature to save shows to watch later.

Free content is accompanied by ads.

Shout Factory TV delivers over 2,000 hours of cult and classic TV shows that have helped shape today's pop culture. This is a site where you'll be able to find some of the most well-known shows and flicks that many other sites simply don't have, making it a worthwhile site to add to your bookmarks.

Everything can be watched for free with ads, or you can opt to get an ad-free subscription. As a digital channel, Shout Factory TV is also available on a variety of popular platforms including Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Prime, Twitch and more.

The major downside to using this site on the web is that there doesn't appear to be a user account creation feature. So if you want to sign into an account to save videos, get new suggestions and pick up where you left off on what you were watching, you're out of luck.

Internet Archive: The Internet's Official Library of Content

Great layout and ability to search/filter through thousands of pieces of content.

Lots of info for each show, including descriptions and reviews.

Ability to save shows to watch again or later through a user account.

Not the ideal place to find current or trending shows.

Overwhelming library of mostly old content.

The Internet Archive isn't an official streaming service, but it's one of the best places to look for public access of digital content. You can access old websites, software, games, music, video content and a massive library of public domain books.

In its Television section, you can browse through TV recordings that include shows, commercials and even government proceedings. Many of these pieces of content have hundreds of thousands of views.

Content is organized into collections based on type. You can also use the filters on the left side to find shows by year, topic, collection, creator and language.

YouTube: Where Some of the Best Shows Might Be Hiding

Most people are already familiar with YouTube's interface and search tools.

Lots of related content, like fan cuts or highlight reels from movies and TV shows.

Strictly, most of the uploaded videos aren't licensed, making it likely that some infringement is going on.

YouTube is not intended to deliver movies or TV shows; it's optimized for user uploads.

Lots of people don’t realize that YouTube is actually a great place to look for television shows. While you won't exactly get access to the most current or popular shows (unless you pay), nor a guaranteed high-quality viewing experience, you might still be pleasantly surprised by what's available on the web’s largest video sharing network.

Just search for a show title and see what comes up. For example, if you search Boy Meets World —an old ABC family sitcom from the 90s—several uploaded episodes from virtually every season will come up. On the other hand, if you search for Grey's Anatomy —a more current and popular television drama—you'll notice results will come up where you'll have to pay a fee to stream it legally on YouTube.

Some people get away with uploading popular TV show episodes for a certain time before they're eventually reported or caught by YouTube. Depending on the timing and the show you're looking for, you might be able to find something that actually shouldn't be there due to copyright restrictions.

TVPlayer: Catch Up on the Latest British Shows (UK Only)

Good selection of channels, with a focus on British television.

Sleek, easy-to-use design.

Free tier is limited.

Ad presence seems a bit heavier than other options.

If you are in the UK or love UK programming, then you'll want to know about TVPlayer. This free TV streaming service offers 95 channels for free on both desktop and mobile devices, including shows that are currently airing live.

30 premium channels are available to users who upgrade to a Plus account for a monthly fee. (Sorry, U.S. readers; this site is just for readers across the pond.)

Free channels include popular ones like BBC 1, Discovery, ITV, Dave, Five, History, Lifetime and many more. All you have to do to sign up is create an account with your email address, verify your account creation and start watching!

Obviously, the big downside with this one is that it's restricted to users in the UK. If you're located somewhere else, like in the US, you can still create an account and sign in, but if you try to watch something, TVPlayer will first check to make sure you're in the UK and will block access if you're not.

Given that so many people have discovered the many advantages of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), it's possible that you could get around TVPlayer's geographical restrictions if you tried. Having said that, more streaming services are seriously cracking down on the VPN trend (like Netflix for example, so don't be surprised if TVPlayer doesn't work with your VPN either!

Don't Forget Your Favorite Network's Website!

If you have a TV show you love and you want to watch it for free because you missed it or maybe you don't get that channel, a great way to catch up on it is to visit the network's website and see if it's available for streaming.

All of the networks below show some full episodes but also clips as well.

Here are some of the popular TV networks out there that provide options for streaming their TV shows:

NBC : NBC does a great job of quickly posting and keeping their TV shows around so you have plenty of time to watch them. It's even possible for you to catch up on an entire series right from their website.
USA : Part of NBC, the USA Network brings you access to all of your favorite USA shows, including full episodes the day after they've aired.
ABC : They have full-length videos of the latest episode of every show as well as video clips, highlights, and sneak peeks into all your favorite ABC shows.
CBS : At CBS you can watch shows for free after they've aired on CBS. There are quite a few advertiser interruptions during the streaming video, but you'll know when they're coming because they are clearly marked on the screen.
DisneyNOW : You can watch Disney channel movies at DisneyNOW. There's a page that lists all the shows you can watch, plus some fun category pages.
FOX : FOX posts free TV shows for you to watch one day after they've aired on TV but they remain locked so that you can watch them until eight days after they've aired.
The CW : The day after the CW television shows air you'll be able to watch them for free at their website.
PBS : PBS has a ton of free TV episodes online including Masterpiece Theater, PBS NewsHour , and Frontline .
MTV : MTV has full episodes of all your favorite MTV shows, including clips and after shows.
Freeform (ABC Family) : The day after the TV shows on Freeform air, they are put online so that you can enjoy them.
A&E : Watch full episodes of shows like Bates Motel, Storage Wars , and Dog the Bounty Hunter .

You might be required to provide your television provider information to watch certain streaming content on network platforms.

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The best free streaming services in April 2024

Binge with the best free streaming services including Freevee, Pluto, Tubi and more

Tired of paying a hefty streaming bill? The best free streaming services let you watch popular movies and TV shows — without paying a single cent. These free streaming services offer both live TV and on-demand content, mostly older and classic titles but also some newer hits and originals.

The best streaming services have more than proved their usefulness in entertaining everybody at home. But signing up for all of them is just not financially feasible for most people. That’s where the best free streaming services come in. They can provide hours of free TV and movies at no cost. You will have to watch ads, but that’s no different than what you get through an expensive cable package. Again: They’re free!

And since they cost $0, you can sign up for all of the best free streaming services on our list. We've ranked them anyway, since nobody has an endless amount of time.

The best free streaming services right now

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Amazon Freevee , a rebrand of the service formerly known as IMDb TV, features an impressive library of free on-demand content. The TV selection consists of the typical free shows like Hell's Kitchen but also past hits like Lost, Desperate Housewives and Mad Men. Plus, Freevee also makes originals, like the revivals Bosch: Legacy and Leverage: Redemption and courtroom reality sensation Jury Duty.

The movie lineup is better than competitors, with recent titles including Deadpool, The King of Staten Island, Spy, Emma and The Invisible Man.

Watch Freevee here

2. Roku Channel

The Roku Channel app comes automatically with any Roku TV or device, but it’s also available for download on mobile phones and tablets. You can also access it on the web. The Roku Channel doesn’t force you to register for an account (you can watch as a guest) but signing up allows you to continue watching content on another device.

Like the other services, it offers on-demand movies and TV shows. The Roku Channel also rolled out a Roku Live TV Guide , so viewers can channel surf. The best part of Roku Channel is that it often streams the first episodes of premium cable shows, like Game of Thrones, Billions, Outlander and Watchmen. But when it comes to having whole shows, you don't have series of that caliber, but stuff like This Old House instead. Some of our staff lit up at that news, while others, well, we kept clicking around in Roku looking for something else. And remembering that Peacock is better for more-recent content.

The Roku Channel has risen in our free streaming service rankings after adding all the originals from the now-defunct Quibi. That includes some really good series, like Free Rayshawn and Reno 911. Roku is also the place for original movies like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Plus, they get our thanks for saving the NBC-canceled series Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist with a Christmas special.

Watch The Roku Channel here

3. Pluto TV

The Viacom-owned Pluto TV has a decent selection of on-demand movies and shows but where it really shines is in live TV streaming. Viewers can browse live channels in a grid, similar to the cable TV guide experience. The lineup draws heavily from Viacom’s other properties, so you can tune into TV Land Drama, BET Her, MTV's Jersey Shore and VH1's I Love Reality. They also offer other recognizable brands, like CNN and Fox Sports — though those run curated clips, not the actual live broadcast you’d see if you watched them on cable.

We're still waiting for Pluto to add dedicated channels for shows that we really care about — recent editions include Baywatch, Stargate and Degrassi — but we do know people who love those shows, and keep going back to Pluto to binge-watch. For more modern content, check our Peacock.

As we poked around Pluto, we noted its interface is clean and simple, making it easy to toggle between live and on-demand. Both are organized into categories, making it easy to find the kind of content you want to watch. Yes, there are ads, but no more than what you’d get watching cable. And Pluto TV doesn’t even require registration, though users can special features if they do sign up for an account, such as the ability to designate favorite channels and resume watching a program on a different device. As for the latest, a recent update to Pluto TV added a ton of free TV , including two huge channels: Rocky and Sailor Moon.

Watch Pluto TV here

Think of Tubi as a free version of Netflix, with an on-demand library of over 20,000 movies and TV shows. Of course, Tubi doesn’t have the newer, high-profile titles that a subscription platform boasts, nor originals. But their catalog is still impressive for a free streaming service.

Tubi (now owned by Fox Corporation) was able to build it by partnering with over 250 providers, including Hollywood heavyweights Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. Recent available titles include The Terminator, Foxcatcher, Kill Bill, The Craft and Fruitvale Station. Personally, our streaming media editor Henry T. Casey loves Tubi for one show and one show only: Lucha Underground, a stylized wrestling show on El Vez. Recently, Tubi added the former HBO series The Nevers.

Tubi has a clean, streamlined experience. When we tested Tubi, we saw that its home page is organized into sections like Recently Added, Family Movies, Action and Black Cinema. Clicking the menu for even more genres and curated collections, we saw the clever and cheeky Not on Netflix area. While you don’t have to sign up to use Tubi, registering for an account gives you access to parental controls, a queue and viewing history.

Watch Tubi here

Crackle is a pioneer in the free streaming space, launching in 2004 — back when Netflix was still shipping DVDs. Owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Crackle houses free movies and TV shows and even original programming, which sets it apart from many of the other free streaming services on this list. Crackle doesn’t require registration, though an account lets you add favorites and save progress while watching a movie.

The movies library is much bigger than the TV one and much more interesting. Crackle is one of the best free streaming services because it goes further than most, with originals featuring top actors including Martin Freeman, Bryan Cranston and Rupert Grint. It's just that these are their lesser-known titles, and while we're open to discover new projects, we're also wary that there may be a bad reason why we don't known about these shows.

Unlike Peacock, Crackle doesn't require signing up for a service to watch content. You can just open their page, click on a show or movie, watch and ad and then see the thing you want.

Watch Crackle here

6. Sling Freestream

Sling is one of the best cable TV alternatives in the market at $40 per month for 50-plus channels. Recently, they relaunched a no-cost service with the name Freestream that boasts live and on-demand content. We love Sling, as multiple TG staffers have used it to cut the cord, and a free version may be the ticket to getting more users to try the platform.

Sling Freestream launched with 210 channels and 41,000 on-demand titles across genres including news, sports, game shows, crime dramas, nature, home improvement and cooking. Some of the channels are familiar names like ABC News Live, ESPN On Demand, Family Feud, Forensic Files, Hell's Kitchen, Rick Steves Europe, VH1 I Love Reality and The Walking Dead Universe. Plus, users can add on premium streaming services like AMC Plus and Showtime.

Expect more channels and on-demand titles as Sling Freestream continues to build out its offering.

Watch Sling Freestream here

The Walmart-owned Vudu is a digital marketplace where you can purchase the latest movies and TV shows but also stream free content. To use Vudu, you will have to sign up for an account (or use your Walmart account). Once you do that, you can access over 10,000 free movies and TV episodes. None of them are new blockbusters but the selection is superior among free streaming services. The movies area is better than TV, with recent titles including Troy, The Prestige, All Is Lost, Hoosiers, Four Weddings and a Funeral. And unlike other free services, Vudu is planning to produce original shows, like the sci-fi series Albedo with Evangeline Lilly.

Testing Vudu out, we found that its interface is easy to use. Free content is clearly marked and you can filter for just free titles. The ads are about as frequent as other free services, but they tend to be more repetitive (and sometimes annoyingly interactive, requiring you to choose an option). Poking around Vudu's free section, though, we couldn't help but notice multiple titles that seemed a bit risque for the top of the stack — titles that we'd have a hard time explaining to kids. That's not a problem on most of the above services, as Peacock, Pluto, Roku Channel and other services don't promote that content as highly.

Watch Vudu here

Xumo is another free streaming service with live and on-demand content. The app comes on several major smart TV brands and can also be downloaded on Roku , iOS and Android. No registration is required. Xumo offers more than 190 channels, including top brands like NBC News, Fox Sports, Funny or Die and TMZ.

Xumo’s main experience is a grid-type guide, just like you’d get with cable TV — and Pluto and Peacock. You can watch live as you channel surf. The on-demand area lists all the channels, broken down by genre. The interface doesn’t make it that easy to see what TV shows are available, though. It looks like Xumo has the usual free fare: 21 Jump Street, Forensic Files, Family Feud and Unsolved Mysteries. The mobile app at least has a movies tab that you can browse.

Watch Xumo here

The Peacock TV home page on an Xfinity device

Note: Peacock Free is being sunset for new users. Existing account holders will still be able to access Peacock Free for the present.

NBC's Peacock TV is a behemoth, with over 13,000 hours of content available in its Peacock Free tier. That content is top-notch, too. You'll find titles like The Office, 30 Rock, Battlestar Galactica, Cheers, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood and Parks and Recreation. And there are a lots of older movies to watch, from Harry Potter to Jurassic Park.

When we used Peacock, to see what it's like, we found that the free tier is definitely a sort of gateway drug. It's nice that the first episodes of big-name original shows such as Girls5Eva are available for free, but we get that NBCUniversal doesn't want to give whole shows away — that's what the $4.99 Peacock plan is for (although it might come in a little less with the right Peacock TV promo code ). Peacock Free didn't require us to to enter our credit card info, but you must create an account to watch — something that Pluto, Xumo and others don't enforce.

There are also "live" channels, based on brands like Saturday Night Live and the Today Show. If you don't know what to watch , channel surf and check out what's playing at the moment. All in all, we'd call Peacock Free a steal — but it doesn't cost anything! Check out our full Peacock review to learn more.

Watch Peacock TV here

How we test the best free streaming services

Shows and movies on free streaming services come and go with the frequency of Spinal Tap drummers, red-shirts on Star Trek and roses on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

So, first and foremost, we check these services frequently to make sure they're still providing some good content (specific shows and movies are subject to the whims and contracts we're not privy to).

On top of that, we also look at these services on the best streaming devices to make sure that everyone gets a quality experience. This is how we know that Freevee is more prominent on Fire TV hardware than elsewhere.

Lastly, we do the hard work and actually watch the shows and movies, to make sure these apps actually work well. We don't expect them all to function as well as paid services, but we love it when they have the same high-quality apps.

How to choose the best free streaming service for you

Luckily, since they are all free, you don’t need to choose just one of the best free streaming services. However, you may find it difficult to balance a bunch of different apps and want to focus on just one or two.

The first consideration should be whether you want to be able to watch live channels. If that’s the case, you may want to use Pluto TV, Sling Free, Xumo, Peacock or the Roku Channel. If you only care about finding movies and TV shows on-demand, then try Freevee, Peacock, Crackle, Tubi or Vudu.

Content selection is the other major thing that distinguishes the free streaming services from each other. Aside from Peacock, with its library of name-brand content, almost all of them have the same core of free TV shows, like Hell’s Kitchen and Roseanne. But some, like Freevee and Crackle, have more robust movie libraries. Others provide access to top past shows, like Peacock and the Roku Channel. So, peruse the available titles and see if the streamer has options that appeal to you. After all, even if these services are free, doesn’t mean they have stuff you want to watch.

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Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.

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kep55 We have a Samsung "smart tv" which comes with their TV Plus service, and a LG not-so-smart tv. We have tubi and pluto on the Sammy. And we have kanopy courtesy our library. How does one get any of these on a not smart tv? We do have an amazon tv box. Reply
Sid23 Buy a Roku. I just bought a Roku streaming stick 4K and am using it on my old Samsung (2013) non smart tv. As long as it has an HDMI port and is within distance of good WIFI signal you can get all those apps on the Roku. I got the streaming stick because it is supposed have long range WIFI reach. It is usually $49.99 and now is on sale online only for $29.99 (Walmart) I still have cable and am using the Rokus to get rid of cable boxes. Working my way slowly to cutting the cable. Reply
Barefoot Mike You indicate that Tubi has no originals. Actually, they have at least one original show: "The Freak Brothers" - an animated series based on the original "Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers" comics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabulous_Furry_Freak_Brothers#Animated_TV_series Reply
Mikeylito I wonder whether this article is an updated regurgitation of an earlier article. Walmart hasn't owned VUDU since 6 July 2020. It's owned by Fandango Media, which is owned by WarnerMedia (25%) and NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast. Comcast also owns XUMO and Peacock Free, which are also on your list. Some watchers like myself wonder what Comcast will do with these different services. Reply

admin said: Here are the best free streaming services, including Crackle, Tubi, Pluto TV, IMDBtv and more. The best free streaming services : Read more

ziggyff said: Someone should "re-review" this article. Almost ALL content on Peacock requires you to be on a pay tier starting this past Summer....examples: Psych, Warehouse 13 I was about 90% through Warehouse 13, 5 episodes to go.. now I need to join a pay version to see any more episodes... I skipped watching when SYFY re-ran this show because I thought I had free access through the Peacock website.. nah, I'm screwed

mark_887797 Meh. None of the recommendations are good. Lots of OLD free content. Your best bet is to search Reddit and use an APK on your Android device. If you want to use a PC then Kodi is what you want to use. It's free although some "channels" require you to have a Real Debrib or Premiumize. You can also buy a Taiwanese TV box (Android) called EVPAD and Unblock Ubox for a few hundred US dollars and never have to pay for a subscription. Reply

benny78 said: ....and The Roku Channel is available on Fire TV too.

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Screen Rant

Star wars: the bad batch remixes the clone theme as a thrilling hint of what's to come, all 16 marvel easter eggs & references in x-men '97 episode 7, superman & lois officially wraps filming as lois lane actress confirms completion of the cw’s final dc tv show, anya taylor-joy's furiosa role is a reminder to watch this $23m box office bomb from 3 years ago, mortal kombat 2's scorpion role & "big new characters" teased by hiroyuki sanada, exclusive stories, 8 haymitch questions his own hunger games prequel could finally answer.

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Where Was Anyone But You Filmed?

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Welcome to JustWatch Canada

We are glad you're here! On JustWatch you can easily find out where to watch your favorite movies & TV shows in Canada. JustWatch is easy and effective: choose your favorite streaming providers in the WatchBar below and see what’s on Netflix , Amazon Prime Video Canada and other legal streaming providers. Use our filters to find the best content to stream tonight. Either you’re a fan of horror movies or romantic comedies or you simply want to watch some Netflix 4K content, our filters let you browse and easily find a specific movie or TV shows to watch it legally online. We also offer a great overview of what’s new in the catalogs of your favorite streaming provider(s): see a comprehensive and simple overview of what’s new on Netflix , Amazon Prime Video and other legal streaming providers here.

Check out this list of upcoming movies and TV shows coming soon to streaming services using our dedicated guide.

The 57 Best Free Online Movie Streaming Sites in Mar 2024

This is an estimated reading time to let you know how long it will take you to read all the content on this particular PrivacySavvy.com page. However, it has a sneak peek, easy guide steps, and/or a quick list providing quick in-page navigations and easily-found answers if desired.

Here in this article, we list the best free streaming sites based on our extensive research and vigorous tests. Watch your favorite movies and TV shows free online safely.

Watching your favorite movie without spending a dime is pure bliss. That’s why free streaming websites are popular. However, content consumers should not forget the legal implications of copyright and licensing agreements. While watching movies or TV shows for free is not a crime, violating copyright policies is a legal issue. Therefore, users should practice responsible behavior when accessing free streaming websites , including the ones listed below. Since most unofficial sites can host malicious content and malware, users must use a VPN to enjoy safe streaming.

Nowadays, a lot of entertainment content is available online, from classic films to newly released movies and popular TV shows. Yet, finding suitable and reliable free movie streaming sites is a challenge.

Although there may seem to be a lot available, not all are good enough and safe . That is why we have compiled this list of the 57 best free online movie streaming sites (after testing hundreds). It’s a frequently updated list to ensure you never face trouble watching your favorite media for free.

Let’s get started.

6,100+ VPN servers in more than 60 countries
Secures connection on free streaming services
Unblocks all geo-blocked streaming platforms
Unlimited bandwidth and torrent downloads

Watch Free Movies Online

What all these movies have in common is that they are available for viewing online free of charge. They might be part of the free movie catalog on a free movie site that also offers pay to stream films, such as Hulu. They might be available on an all free site such as Crackle or Snagfilms. Watching these free movies online does not require a subscription, a rental fee or a purchase of any kind. They're an easy answer to the question of how to watch movies for free online.

Free Online Movie Streaming Sites

You won't need to sign up for anything in order to watch free movies online. You don't need to have a subscription or an account with these sites in order to watch these movies. But the sites don't know who you are. They may require that you enter your birth date to verify that you're old enough to watch movies intended for mature audiences. All the movies should be able to stream without download, and you often can watch in HD movie quality. Use Yidio to sort by IMDB Score or Rotten Tomatoes.

Sometimes, streaming platforms will use free content to entice viewers to explore other content on the platform. Some TV networks, for example, will offer a limited number of episodes of the current season of TV series for free. These episodes are free to watch for a limited time. But if you want to watch entire seasons or older episodes, you'll often have to pay extra or sign up for a paid subscription.

Netflix, too, is increasingly offering access to some of its series and original movies to non-subscribers. This content is free for anyone to watch without a Netflix subscription. But the streamer hopes that you'll be so entertained by the free content when you watch movies online free. Then you'll be willing to pay for a subscription to the service.

Thousands of Free Online Movies

The catalogs of free content on these platforms can be extensive. Tubi offers thousands of free movies and TV shows, all of it available for free, no subscription or credit card required. Vudu has a library of more than 150,000 movies. Many of these movies are available for purchase or rental. But many of them, as well as many complete TV series seasons, are available at no charge.

Peacock, a new service from NBCUniversal, offers hundreds of movies and thousands of TV episodes from the media giant's catalog. And it's all free to stream on the platform's website. Crackle offers an impressive catalog of theatrical movies. And it also offers a library of original series and movies you can only watch on the Crackle platform. The Roku Channel offers hundreds of movie, live news and TV series. Some have complete seasons. All this is free to viewers who use Roku streaming devices.

Free Movies on Streaming Websites

The no-charge content on these platforms is a little different from the free trials offered by many subscription streaming services. The content on Crackle or Peacock, for example, is available without the need to set up an account on the platform. You also don't have to provide any payment information. Free-trial services work a little differently. Many premium streaming platforms, such as Disney+ and Apple TV+, offer free trial periods during which you can watch their content without paying. The same is true of many network streaming platforms such as STARZ or Showtime. The difference is that you'll need to sign up for an account on the platform and provide payment information. You won't be charged a subscription fee during the free-trial period. But if you don't cancel by the time the trial period ends, your account will automatically convert to a paid subscription. You'll be charged the subscription fee.

Keeping Free Movies Online

Of course, there's often a trade-off involved when it comes to watching movies for free. Sites often subsidize their free streaming movies offerings by including advertising along with the films. Movies may be prefaced with an ad or two. Sometimes there will be periodic commercial breaks throughout the movie. The ads are generally as unobtrusive as ads can be. And in the case of TV series, the experience is much like watching an episode on traditional broadcast TV. The ads allow the streaming platform to make money without charging the viewer a subscription fee. They're crucial to keeping the content free of charge. Many viewers find that it's worth a few commercials to avoid paying a subscription or rental fee.

New Releases

Recently Added

IMDb Rating

Rent or Buy
Subscription
Amazon Prime
Apple TV Channels
Peacock Premium
The Roku Channel Free
The Roku Channel
Popcornflix
FX Networks
Showtime Anytime
DC Universe
Google Play
Microsoft Movies & TV
FandangoNow
Monsters and Nightmares
Warriors and Gangsters
NatureVision TV
YouTube VOD
Lifetime Movie Club
Kids & Family
Science Fiction
Documentary
Art House & International
Special Interest
Faith & Spirituality
Sports & Fitness
Last 3 Months
Last 6 Months
Last 12 Months

MPAA Rating

2020 & Newer
2010 - 2019
2000 - 2009
1990 - 1999
1980 - 1989
1970 - 1979
1960 - 1969
1959 & Older
9.0 or Higher
8.0 or Higher
7.0 or Higher
6.0 or Higher
5.0 or Higher
90 or Higher
80 or Higher
70 or Higher
60 or Higher
50 or Higher
$4.99 or Less
$3.99 or Less
$2.99 or Less
$1.99 or Less
$0.99 or Less

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15 Free Streaming Websites to watch movies & tv shows online in 2021
Movies , TV Shows Website Design on Behance
15 Free Streaming Websites to watch movies & tv shows online in 2021
15 Free TV Show and Series Streaming Sites
Top 25 Best Free Movie Websites To Watch Movies Online For Free
35+ Best Free Movie Streaming Sites to Watch Online Movies [Updated]

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Walter Junior Website Is Still Live And Running!
Imdb movie and tv show App
A great digital tv option for cord cutters

COMMENTS

Watch TV shows online
Discover trending TV shows sorted by popularity or check out our guide to new TV shows. Find out about upcoming TV series and get a notification when they premiere. If you are also interested in watching movies online, you can find a complete guide to movies and TV shows with JustWatch.
IMDb: Ratings, Reviews, and Where to Watch the Best Movies & TV Shows
IMDb is your ultimate destination for discovering and watching the best movies and TV shows from around the world. You can explore ratings and reviews from millions of fans, get personalized recommendations based on your preferences, and find out where to stream your favorite titles across hundreds of platforms. IMDb also lets you access the latest news and trivia about your favorite ...
Rotten Tomatoes: Movies
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets
25 Best Free streaming sites for movies and TV in 2024
FilmRise - Free movie streaming service carrying top-rated films (via YouTube) BBC iPlayer - A free British service with thousands of TV shows and a dozen live channels. Amazon Freevee - Previously IMDb TV. Offers a huge range of free movies. Kidoodle - Free kids TV programming with an ad-free premium option.
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The Best Movie Streaming Services for 2024
Disney+ — $14.99 per Month With Hulu and ESPN+ Bundle. Sling TV — $10 for Your First Month. Max — $8.75 Per Month (Save 45% off Ad-Free 1-Year Plan) *Deals are selected by our commerce team ...
10 Ways to Watch TV Shows Online Free in 2024
PBS: PBS has a ton of free TV episodes online including Masterpiece Theater, PBS NewsHour, and Frontline. MTV: MTV has full episodes of all your favorite MTV shows, including clips and after shows. Freeform (ABC Family): The day after the TV shows on Freeform air, they are put online so that you can enjoy them.
The best free streaming services in April 2024
Amazon Freevee, a rebrand of the service formerly known as IMDb TV, features an impressive library of free on-demand content.The TV selection consists of the typical free shows like Hell's Kitchen ...
Screen Rant: Movie News, Movie Reviews, Movie Trailers, TV News
Screen Rant: Movie News, Movie Reviews, Movie Trailers, TV News. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Superman Legacy (2025) Abigail (2024) Obi-Wan Kenobi. Argylle (2024) In TV shows, the dynamic between the heroes and villains is often the most compelling, creating tension if they team up when a new threat arises. 2:16.
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On JustWatch you can easily find out where to watch your favorite movies & TV shows in Canada. JustWatch is easy and effective: choose your favorite streaming providers in the WatchBar below and see what's on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video Canada and other legal streaming providers. Use our filters to find the best content to stream tonight.
Best Movies and TV Shows You Can Stream for Free
The Best Movies and TV Shows You Can Stream for Free Right Now. We combed through all the major free streaming networks (including Freevee, Kanopy, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi) to find ...
The 57 Best Free Online Movie Streaming Sites in Mar 2024
Nowadays, a lot of entertainment content is available online, from classic films to newly released movies and popular TV shows. Yet, finding suitable and reliable free movie streaming sites is a challenge. Although there may seem to be a lot available, not all are good enough and safe. That is why we have compiled this list of the 57 best free ...
Watch Free TV Shows Online
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Thousands of Free Online Movies. The catalogs of free content on these platforms can be extensive. Tubi offers thousands of free movies and TV shows, all of it available for free, no subscription or credit card required. Vudu has a library of more than 150,000 movies. Many of these movies are available for purchase or rental.