20 Places Where You Can Legally Download or Watch Movies for Free
Has Netflix interrupted you with a “This TV is not part of your Netflix home” message since it started cracking down on password sharing? Are you tired of every streamer you follow raising their prices year after year ? Yes, the modern streaming environment is starting to resemble cable TV in many ways. But this also means that exploring the possibilities of free streaming is more tempting than ever.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to stream other amazing shows and movies online for free. Here are 20 great sites to bookmark if you want to see something new. (Note that many movies are available on multiple free services at the same time, so if your selection has too many ad breaks or is too low resolution on one source, look elsewhere.)
Canopy and Hoopla
Streaming services Kanopy andHoopla offer a large selection of high-quality films (Kanopy even offers The Criterion Collection ), but they’re only available if your local library system has a subscription, which also means you’ll need a valid library account to watch. Sign in. It’s another hurdle you’ll have to jump through, but it’s worth it considering the variety of what’s available. Check with any of the sites to see if you can access them through your existing (free) library account.
Supported Devices: Apps are available for most smart TVs and streaming boxes (including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV), as well as iOS and Android.
PBS
PBS is home to shows such as PBS Newshour , Antiques Roadshow , and This Old House . While many series are only available to paying members, some PBS online titles (taken from television listings) are available online for free, including the Film School series of short films . Depending on the show, you may be able to watch certain episodes or previews without a subscription. It’s not as great as a full free season, but it’s good enough.
Supported devices: iOS. Android. Amazon Fire TV. Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, most smart TVs
Tooby
Free streaming site Tubi offers movies and TV shows from several major studios with minimal (sometimes zero) advertising. The catch is that, based on a spot check, desktop streaming is limited to SD resolutions. The wide range of titles – more than 50,000 – covers every imaginable viewing niche. There are several genre lists to help you browse the large catalog, and even a dedicated section dedicated to ” Not on Netflix ” movies. Supported Devices: Tubi is available on desktop, as well as Android , iOS , Roku , Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV .
Voodoo
Paid streaming service Vudu has a free section that offers a wide selection of recognizable films among less familiar titles. You’ll need to sign up for a free account and watch some ads (some movies are only available in SD, which isn’t great), but you’ll get access to over 5,400 movies on your computer, phone, or streaming . device . You’ll find a ton of movies from the 80s and 90s (since the rights to them have gotten cheaper), as well as a ton of stuff you’ve never heard of before (mostly that, to be honest). But there are also some decent hidden gems.
Supported Devices: Most Smart TVs, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV.
Recommended Products
Looking for a new streaming device? Let’s take a look at one of these products.
PlutoTV
PlutoTV is a free, ad-supported hybrid live TV and on-demand streaming service that offers hundreds of channels that you can scroll through to see “what’s on” (with channels covering a wide range of categories and genres, including many that show endless episodes of a single show, from CSI to Doctor Who to Family Ties to Mystery Science Theater 3000 ), plus a decent collection of movies and shows to stream on demand. The films are grouped into categories, including specific themes such as “LGBTQ Cinema” and “Summer at the Movies with Popcorn.” The service is owned by ViacomCBS, so much of the content is the same as what you’ll find on Paramount+ .
The current top search list includes all the Hunger Games films, the original RoboCop , the Charlie’s Angels films from the early 2000s, and the anime adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson, which I was meaning to watch – and I’m doing this. Through free streaming services that fill their programs with advertisements , the film more or less delivers what it deserves .
Supported Devices: Most Smart TVs, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV.
Public torrents
If you prefer to download rather than stream, Public Domain Torrents is what you need. As you’d expect, most of the films you’ll find are quite old, but many of them are stone-cold cinema classics as well. And, as the name of the site suggests, they are all completely free to download. The best part is that many movies are available in versions optimized or encoded for specific mobile devices, but you can always download the highest quality movie and do the encoding yourself .
Supported Devices: The choice is up to you and your computer.
TopDocumentaryMovies
TopDocumentaryFilms offers a variety of documentaries, divided into categories ranging from war, global conflicts and crime to health and the environment. The categorization makes it fairly easy to navigate the offerings, and the site has a community of users who rate each movie so you can get an idea of what you’re in for before you start watching.
If you need a starting point, check out their Top 100 Documentaries list to see what others are watching, or check out their featured films home page. The site is more of an aggregator than a host—content is pulled from YouTube, Vimeo, and other sources—but that makes it a convenient one-stop shop for documentary fans.
Supported devices: Visit the site in a browser.
Classic cinema online
If the name doesn’t give it away right away, Classic Cinema Online is perfect for classic movie fans who love the era of black-and-white films and artistically drawn movie posters. There’s even an entire section dedicated to silent films if that’s your thing. If you’re looking for something specific, you can sort by category using the menu in the top right – whether you’re into TV series or a solid silent film. And if you prefer old-school television, check out its sister site Classic Television Online .
Supported devices: Visit the site in a browser.
PopcornFlix
With thousands of free TV shows and movies with titles you’ll likely recognize, PopcornFlix prides itself on the fact that none of its programs or movies are more than two clicks away. All of them can be viewed completely free of charge on your computer, as well as in mobile applications or other supported devices . There are some good hidden gems here, as well as a selection of popular (if dated) Hollywood films; One of the current “hottest” entries is Memory: Alien Origins , a feature-length documentary about the making of Ridley Scott’s horror classic.
Supported Devices: Apps are available for Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and most smart TVs.
Crackling
Crackle is often overlooked when people discuss free online media streaming, but you can use the service on a range of mobile devices and set-top boxes . You’ll need to sign up for an account, but once you do, you can easily create a watch list, get recommendations for new shows to stream, and browse Crackle’s full library of TV shows and movies. These include the films Charlie’s Angels, Black Snake Moan and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), as well as TV series like That Girl! , 21 Jump Street and 3rd Rock from the Sun. That’s the beauty of Crackle: you’re sure to find movies you’ve heard about, shows you really want to watch, and more. It’s all free if you’re willing to watch ads from time to time.
Supported Devices: There are apps for Apple, PC, iOS and Android. You can also add Plex to most streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV.
Plex
We’ve written a lot about Plex , which announced the launch of a free, ad-supported streaming service in December 2019. Although it offers paid live streaming, there is also plenty of free content, but you will have to watch ads to view any free content. However, the convenience of watching free movies and TV shows along with anything from your (or your friends’) media servers in one place and on any device is quite great. Additionally, Plex recently added content from Crackle , expanding streaming capabilities within the service.
Supported Devices: There are apps for Apple, PC, iOS and Android. You can also add Plex to most streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV.
Vimeo
Vimeo may be inferior to YouTube in size and popularity, but it is still a great video streaming service for short films and independent filmmakers. It’s also ideal for people who want the freedom and flexibility of a mobile-friendly, HD-ready download service that has great privacy controls and video management, as well as an upbeat user community. For those just looking for something fun to watch, Vimeo’s Staff Picks is full of gems, from dramas to documentaries to science fiction.
Supported Devices: You can either use the Vimeo mobile app to take movies with you (available on iOS and Android), or stream Vimeo movies directly to your TV via Chromecast, Roku, Xbox, Amazon Fire, or Apple TV.
YouTube
No list of free TV shows and movies would be complete without YouTube , and not because of the sheer amount of copied and pirated media available there. In fact, YouTube is home to a variety of freely published films and TV shows, some of which are YouTube originals and others available under Creative Commons licenses or in the public domain. YouTube also collects free movies with ads in the Movies section. If you need help finding something new, the YouTube Full Movies subreddit posts new free movies every day. Recent finds include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Open Your Eyes ( Abre los ojos ), a Spanish film later remade as Vanilla Sky.
Supported devices: YouTube is YouTube; the application is available on almost every existing platform and device.
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a repository for all sorts of things. While you probably know it from the very useful Wayback Machine , it’s also great for public domain films, independent media, TV shows, newsreels, and other media that you can watch for free and use and remix yourself if you want. . There are many films grouped into categories such as science fiction, horror or noir, in addition to feature films, educational videos and films, special collections that have been made available to the Internet Archive for posterity, documentaries and even video collections. . It’s not the easiest archive to browse, and it’s not organized for mobile screens, but it’s certainly a treasure trove of interesting material.
Supported Devices: This is browser only, but you can cast to your TV using a compatible device.
Fandor
Fandor is a subscription streaming service offering a diverse catalog of independent and international films. However, they also offer a growing library of free and ad-supported movies.
Supported Devices: Available online or in the Fandor app on iOS, Android, Chromecast and Roku.
Freevi
Freevee, formerly IMDb TV, is another free, ad-supported streaming service with thousands of popular TV shows and movies across genres, including comedy, drama, suspense, and animation. Freevee also gives you access to over 150 FAST (free, advertising-supported, linear TV, like cable TV) channels .
Supported Devices: If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you already have access to Freevee directly from the Prime Video app. If you haven’t, it has its own standalone app available on all Amazon Fire TV devices, iOS and Android mobile devices, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and many smart TVs. If you don’t have one of these devices and aren’t an Amazon Prime member, you can still stream via your web browser from Amazon’s website—completely free (but not ad-free).
Scream Factory TV
Shout Factory TV is a free, ad-supported streaming service where you can watch classic and cult ( very cult) movies and TV series, as well as some original programming. Shout Factory TV also includes FAST channels as well as curated live channels and events. The library is very original – current selections include a documentary about a Power Rangers fan convention – so you’re sure to find something interesting to keep you busy.
Supported Devices: Stream online via a web browser or download a compatible app for your device (including Apple and Android phones and tablets, as well as Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV). (You can read a detailed review of the service from PCMag .)
Film Detective
If you can’t get enough of classic feature films, cult classics, and classic television, The Movie Detective will give you hope. It is a restoration, distribution and streaming company for classic films.
Supported Devices: The service is available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, as well as its own app. They also have a 24/7 linear channel that can be found on multiple platforms. You can watch all their content for free with ads.
VICS
For Latin American (and Portuguese-speaking) audiences who love telenovelas , football matches, news, shows and movies,ViX offers a completely free 24-hour plan (vix gratis) in Spanish and Portuguese . It also includes over 100 TV channels available on their website.
Supported devices: Android, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung and Amazon Fire devices. The service features content primarily from TelevisaUnivision, as well as other third-party content providers.
Redbox
One of Netflix’s original competitors, Redbox , now offers Redbox on Demand and Redbox Free Live TV . Redbox on Demand is a free on-demand streaming option that lets you watch movies and shows in your internet browser, where you’ll find a limited selection of movies with ads. With Redbox Free Live TV, you can find some old favorites and syndicated shows on one of dozens of channels, but it’s live, so you won’t have much control over anything.
Supported Devices: Redbox can be found on most leading platforms and smart TVs (full list can be found here ).