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People who are astute about their finances as they are concerned about their spending options now have access to a number of free streaming services that enable them to watch movies and television shows without having to pay a subscription fee. These services are accessible on a variety of devices, such as streaming devices, smart TVs, laptops, smartphones, and tablets, amongst other electronic gadgets.
Free streaming services provide material to users just like paid streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu do; but, in exchange for using these services, users are required to watch commercials. It is important to keep in mind that the majority of free services do not provide any shows or content that are capable of being viewed in 4K or with HDR (high dynamic range). Instead, they often offer programming in standard high definition, which is analogous to the high definition that is provided by cable TV providers.
Best Free Streaming Services Comparison Table
| Streaming Service | Content | Ads | Account Required | Offline Viewing | Availability | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freevee | Movies, TV shows, news, sports | Yes | Optional | No | United States | Download Now |
| Roku Channel | Movies, TV shows, live TV, news, sports | Yes | Required | Yes | United States, Canada, United Kingdom | Download Now |
| Pluto TV | Live TV, movies, TV shows, news, sports | Yes | Required | Yes | United States, Europe, Latin America | Download Now |
| Tubi TV | Movies, TV shows | Yes | Required | Yes | United States, Canada, Australia | Download Now |
| Crackle | Movies, TV shows | Yes | Required | No | United States, Canada, Australia, Latin America | Download Now |
| Hoopla and Kanopy | Movies, documentaries, educational content | Yes | Library membership required | Yes | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia | Download Now |
Freevee
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Free Content | Freevee offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and other video content that can be streamed for free. |
| User-Friendly | The platform is easy to navigate and provides a seamless streaming experience. |
| Customization | Users can create personalized playlists and save their favorite content for later viewing. |
| Multiple Devices | Freevee can be accessed on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. |
| Content Categories | The platform offers a diverse selection of content, categorized by genre, popularity, and more. |
Amazon Freevee used to be called IMDb TV. It was a spinoff of the Internet Movie Database, which has been a great place to find filmographies. The service, which comes with all Fire TVs and Fire TV Sticks, was recently given a new name by its owner, Amazon. Most of the big streaming devices also have the Freevee app.
Freevee has a huge library of free material that you can watch whenever you want. There are free shows like Hell’s Kitchen and popular shows from the past like Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Mad Men. Freevee also makes its own shows, like the reboots Bosch: Legacy and Leverage: Redemption and the hit reality show Jury Duty, which is set in a courtroom.
The Good
- A lot of free content in one place.
- User-friendly interface.
- Content can be saved and added to playlists.
The Bad
- Few recent or new releases are available.
- There may be commercials that stop the streaming.
Roku Channel
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Vast Content | Roku Channel provides a vast library of movies, TV shows, and live streaming options. |
| Live TV | Users can access live TV channels, including news, sports, and entertainment broadcasts. |
| Customization | The platform allows users to personalize their streaming experience by creating customized channels. |
| Parental Controls | Roku Channel offers robust parental control features, ensuring a safe viewing environment for children. |
| Cross-Platform | The service is available on Roku devices as well as on other streaming platforms. |
The Roku Channel app comes with any Roku TV or device, and you can also download it to your phone or computer. It is also available on the Internet. You don’t have to sign up for an account to watch the Roku Channel (you can watch as a guest), but doing so lets you keep watching on another device. Like the other sites, it lets you watch movies and TV shows whenever you want to.
The Roku Channel also added a Roku Live TV Guide so that people can switch between channels. The best thing about Roku Channel is that it often streams the first episodes of premium television shows like Game of Thrones, Billions, Outlander, and Watchmen. But you don’t have stories like that when it comes to whole shows. Instead, you have things like This Old House.
The Good
- Large collection of content.
- Live TV channels can be watched.
- Channels that can be changed.
- Strong ways for parents to keep control.
The Bad
- Some premium content may require additional subscription fees.
- There may be ads while you’re streaming.
Pluto TV
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Live TV | Pluto TV offers a wide range of live TV channels, including news, sports, entertainment, and more. |
| On-Demand Content | Users can access a vast selection of on-demand movies and TV shows. |
| Channel Guide | The platform provides a user-friendly channel guide for easy navigation and content discovery. |
| Customization | Users can create personalized channels by selecting their favorite content and genres. |
| Multi-Platform | Pluto TV is available on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. |
Pluto TV is notable because it has more than 250 live and linear shows, such as BBC Food, CSI, Minecraft TV, Star Trek, and CBS News. It also has free streaming movies that you can watch whenever you want. Pluto has episodes of Criminal Minds, South Park, and Survivor because Paramount owns it. Pluto has a large number of live channels that are divided into grid-like groups like news, reality, sports, comedy, and movies.
On-demand TV shows are broken up into dramas, comedies, police shows, action shows, science fiction shows, and more. The layout isn’t as nice as the live shows, but there are a lot of different types of music. One strange thing is that there is no way to stop a livestream. It can only be turned off.
The Good
- A large number of live TV channels.
- On-demand library of content.
- User-friendly channel guide.
- Channels that can be changed.
The Bad
- There are ads while you are streaming.
- Not much say over what content to choose.
Tubi TV
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Free Content | Tubi TV offers a vast library of movies and TV shows that can be streamed for free. |
| Personalization | Users can create personalized accounts to save and bookmark their favorite content. |
| Content Variety | The platform provides a diverse range of genres, including action, comedy, drama, and more. |
| Recommendations | Tubi TV offers personalized content recommendations based on the user’s viewing history and preferences. |
| Multiple Devices | The service is accessible on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. |
The service got a lot of attention from the Super Bowl ad for Tubi TV. It has a lot more free streaming movies than TV shows, but it keeps adding to its huge library and list of live channels. This ad-supported network doesn’t require you to have an account, but if you do, you can save your favorites and keep listening even if you switch devices.
Tubi has live streams of national and neighborhood news, as well as sports, weather, and entertainment channels. Some of the TV shows on the streaming site are reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen and Dance Moms. Other shows, like the Australian story McLeod’s Daughters, are more unusual. In 2023, HBO and Warner Bros. titles like Westworld, The Nevers, Raised by Wolves, and The Time Traveler’s Wife will be added to the app.
The Good
- There are a lot of free movies and TV shows to choose from.
- Accounts that you can use to save and bookmark content.
- Wide variety of genres.
- Personalized suggestions for content.
The Bad
- There may be ads while you’re streaming.
- Some places may not have access to all of the content.
Crackle
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Free Content | Crackle offers a wide selection of movies, TV shows, and original programming that can be streamed for free. |
| Originals | The platform produces and showcases exclusive original content for users to enjoy. |
| On-Demand Content | Users can access a diverse library of on-demand movies and TV shows. |
| Cross-Platform | Crackle is available on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. |
| Content Categories | The platform offers content categorized by genre, popularity, and other criteria. |
Crackle used to be Sony’s ad-supported streaming service. It has a library of famous titles, like “Barney Miller” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” as well as some popular newer shows, like “Sherlock,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch. There are movies as old as “Midnight Express” and “Night of the Living Dead” and as new as “The Last Blockbuster” and “Mid90s.”
Crackle is now owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul and is part of a bigger brand called Crackle Plus. EspaolFlix, FrightPix, and Popcornflix are among the ad-supported and paid networks that Crackle Plus runs.
The Good
- There are a lot of free movies, TV shows, and original shows to choose from.
- Exclusive original content.
- Content available on demand.
- Compatible with more than one device.
The Bad
- There may be commercials that stop the streaming.
- In some places, supplies are limited.
Hoopla and Kanopy
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Library Access | Hoopla and Kanopy provide access to a wide range of digital content, including movies, TV shows, and more, through partnering libraries. |
| Streaming Service | Users can stream movies, documentaries, educational content, and more through their library membership. |
| Offline Viewing | The platforms allow users to download content for offline viewing, making it accessible even without an internet connection. |
| User-Friendly | Hoopla and Kanopy offer a user-friendly interface, making it easy to discover and stream desired content. |
| Multiple Devices | The services are available on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and streaming devices. |
If you have a library card, using Hoopla and Kanopy could be the key to getting free access to movies, music, audiobooks, and comics. Getting started is a rather straightforward process: Simply navigate to the website, sign up for an account, and look for a library in your area. By utilizing your library card, you are able to borrow movies and television series just like you would books.
The primary distinction between the two sites is that Hoopla tends to concentrate more on mainstream entertainment than Kanopy does, and it offers additional forms of media in addition to video, such as audiobooks, comics, e-books, and music. Kanopy, on the other hand, mostly caters to independent filmmakers.
The Good
- Through libraries that work together, you can get access to a wide range of digital content.
- A streaming service with movies, documentaries, and educational content.
- Viewing when you’re not online.
- Interface that makes it easy to find content.
- Compatible with more than one device.
The Bad
- The user’s library subscription determines what kinds of content they can access.
- Based on what the libraries have, there is a limited choice.
FAQs
Due to licensing agreements and content rights, free streaming services may not be available in every country or area. Some services may only be available in certain places, while others are used all over the world.
A lot of free streaming sites require people to sign up for an account before they can watch content. This lets the service make personalized suggestions, keep track of what you’ve watched, and give you a better experience. But the process of making an account is generally free.
Most free streaming services work with a variety of devices, such as computers, smart TVs, smartphones, and tablets. Some services may also have apps for different platforms that let users watch content on different kinds of devices.
