Watching movies at home has become incredibly popular, but the costs of paid streaming services can add up quickly. Luckily, there are many great free options to get your film fix.
In this comprehensive guide, we cover the top 12 free movie streaming sites available, the pros and cons of each, important legal considerations around free streaming, and tips to stay safe online. Let‘s dive in!
1. Tubi
Our pick for the overall best free movie streaming site is Tubi TV.
Launched in 2014 by Founder Farhad Massoudi and acquired by Fox Corporation in 2020, Tubi has grown to become one of the most robust library of free movies and tv.
Availability: Tubi is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Library Size and Content: Over 25,000 movies and tv shows from major studios like MGM, Paramount, and Lionsgate. Wide range of genres including some newer releases and cult classics.
Devices: Compatible with all major platforms – Roku, Apple iOS, Android, Amazon Fire. Supports streaming on mobile devices, tablets, computers, smart TVs.
Account: None required. Simply visit Tubi.tv and start browsing and streaming.
Video Quality: HD quality (up to 1080p) with some older content only available in 480p.
Ads: Similar to TV, there are a few short ad breaks during a movie.
Interface and Search: Very intuitive and easy to use. Multiple ways to search and filter by content type, genre, release year.
Pros
- Massive catalog to rival paid services
- No account needed and completely free
- Available on all major devices
- Personalized recommendations
Cons
- Occasional buffering issues
- Mostly older, licensed content vs new releases
- Annoying placement/frequency of ads
2. YouTube
While most don‘t think of YouTube as a movie streaming platform, it actually hosts an impressive range of free films. Of course being owned by Google, it remains one of the most used sites globally to consume online video.
Availability: Available worldwide.
Library Size and Content: Tens of thousands of free, full-length films. These are a mix of public domain movies, user uploads subject to DMCA take-downs, and an increasing number through official partnerships with big studios like Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount. You‘ll find everything from black and white classics to more recent releases across all genres.
Devices: Any device that runs the YouTube app – mobile, tablet, computers, smart TVs, gaming consoles.
Account: Only required if you want personalized recommendations, subscriptions, playlists and other features. Not needed for basic browsing and streaming.
Video Quality: Up to 4K on supported titles, minimum of 480p on most content.
Ads: Some ads before and during videos. An ad-free Premium tier is available.
Interface and Search: Simple layout with advanced search filters by duration, features, subtitles, licenses and more.
Pros
- Massive and virtually endless catalog
- No account required for basic access
- Support for 4K and mobile downloads
- Recognized brand with very reliable platform
Cons
- Not all films are free (new releases require purchase/rental)
- Pirated or illegal uploads at risk of being removed
- Advanced features require a Google account
3. Crackle
Owned by Sony Pictures, Crackle leverages their massive back catalog and alignments with all the major studios to offer a library of both films and original content for free.
Availability: Crackle is available only in the U.S. and Canada.
Library Size and Content: Hundreds of Hollywood movies, classic TV series, original programming like Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Draws a lot of content from Sony libraries and various licensing deals with other studios.
Devices: Apps are available across all platforms – iOS, Apple TV, Android, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Gaming Consoles.
Account: Optional to save favorites, get viewing history. Not required.
Video Quality: Up to 1080p HD, minimum 480p.
Ads: About the same ad load as cable TV. Approximately 6-7 minutes of ads per hour.
Interface and Search: Clean design and simple search, broken down by categories like movies, TV, exclusives.
Pros
- Visual quality and reliability backed by Sony
- No account requirement
- Brand new and classic Hollywood movies
Cons
- More limited library than some competitors
- Only available in U.S. and Canada currently
- Heavy ad load
The rest of the top free movie streaming sites are equally excellent options, albeit with some limitations. Here‘s an overview:
4. Pluto TV – Ad-supported streaming service owned by Paramount Global. Over 1000 channels including 250+ movie channels. Good mix of various genres and decades, organized by category. Only available in the U.S.
5. Vudu – Walmart‘s ad-supported movie and TV catalog. Partners with all major studios to offer hundreds of blockbusters, classics, and family content. Requires account creation but streams in HD quality with minimal ads. U.S. only.
6. IMDb TV – Amazon-owned streaming option with lesser-known and older movies surface through personalized recommendations. Light ads but requires Amazon account.
7. Kanopy – Specializes more in international, classic, indie films and documentaries. Library of over 30,000 titles. Streams through public libraries and universities.
8. The Roku Channel – Ad-supported movies and more for Roku users. Channels feature various studios, genres, decades. Streams in HD but availability limited to only U.S. and Canada.
9. Yidio – Consolidates where free movies and TV shows are streaming across various services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and IMDb TV. Useful search to locate titles but doesn‘t host any content.
10. Retrovision – Focus specifically on classic films released before 1950s now in public domain status. Legal and community reviewed uploads. Limited newer selections.
11. SnagFilms – Indie darling site offering over 10,000 documentaries, award winners and independent features. Supported on all devices but requires free account creation to stream.
12. Popcornflix – Sony-affiliated, ad-based streaming option for lesser-known movies and originals. Easy to use with good sorting features but availability limited only to U.S. and Canada.
There you have it – the top 12 completely free movies websites for legal streaming without needing to hand over your credit card!
Are Free Streaming Sites Legal? Safety Tips
When assessing the legality of streaming sites, it mainly comes down to licensing rights. Legitimate services like the ones we covered pay licensing fees to the movie studios in order to stream content.
Illegal sites offering pirated movies or pirated streams of live television are subject to get in trouble for copyright infringement. Sites based internationally are harder to prosecute.
While convenient, free streaming sites do come with some risks:
Malware infections – dodgy advertisements and links can load viruses and malware onto devices. Stick to well-known sites to mitigate this risk.
Account security – creating accounts on third-party platforms puts you at risk of spam emails or potential identity theft through data breaches. Use unique passwords and limit shared personal information.
Violating ISP Terms – those accessing illegal streaming sites may get warnings or service cancellation from internet providers policing piracy activity on their networks.
Our recommendations come from reputable, legitimate companies focused on licensing agreements over piracy, but it‘s always smart practice to run reliable malware/virus scanners and secure your internet activity.
More Ways to Stream Movies for Free
If you‘re looking for even more options beyond these sites, almost all paid services offer some sort of free trial for new users. This gives you access to stream for a limited time without inputting any payment details.
Some popular ones include:
Netflix – 1 month free trial
Hulu – 1 month free trial
Amazon Prime Video – 30 day free trial
HBO Max – 7 day free trial
Apple TV+ – 7 day free trial
So if you don‘t mind toggling between promotions offers, you can often string together quite a lot of viewing without ever paying!
In Summary
Streaming movies online for free is very possible these days through both reputable ad-supported platforms as well as short-term trials of premium services.
Our top pick Tubi TV offers the most content and easiest access completely free, while sites like Crackle and IMDb TV provide additional options. With a few easy precautions, you can safely enjoy thousands of films legally without breaking the bank!
