We live in a world with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to streaming channels, but the cost of subscribing to the best streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Max, Peacock and Disney Plus adds up — your monthly streaming bill can be as pricey as an old-fashioned cable subscription, or even worse.Â
The antidote to endless streaming subscriptions are free movies online. Here are 12 of the best streaming apps and services for watching movies for free.
Note: Our list previously included Peacock, but the subscription service canceled its free tier for new members in early 2023. Here’s an overview of all the Peacock streaming plans.
Roku
Roku offers a mix of contemporary and classic films for free. Dave Johnson/Insider
Roku doesn’t just make some of the best streaming devices; the company also has a free streaming channel that you can access from any Roku product or the web. Here you’ll find an impressive array of ad-supported TV shows and feature films you can stream for free – and while Roku’s movie collection is modest, it has one of the strongest lineups of free TV shows you can find anywhere.Â
There’s a mix of classic and contemporary movies (like “Click,” “Superbad,” and “Minority Report”) to choose from. There’s no need to create an account (though you can if you want to) and ads, while present, are not overly intrusive. Newly-added titles on the platform include “The Lovely Bones,” “Blackfish,” and “Burlesque.”
Quick tip: More Roku Channel featured titles include “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Quantum Leap,” and “Hell on Wheels.”
YouTube
You might be surprised to learn that YouTube has a sizable collection of free films. Dave Johnson/Insider
YouTube offers hundreds of free movies and TV shows (with ads), making it a convenient one-stop shop for all types of video content. YouTube is also one of the few sites where the content is rated by users and you can read comments about the movies as you watch them.
The best part about YouTube is that all the free movies are arranged in a single category.
Quick tip: Free to watch movies on YouTube include “Puss in Boots,” “Heat,” and “Dumb and Dumber.”
Vudu
You can purchase and rent movies at Vudu, but the service also includes thousands of free movies. Dave Johnson/Insider
Vudu is the streaming video arm of Fandango that offers both free and paid videos. It’s easy to find the free content thanks to a Free link at the top of the page. There, you’ll find thousands of movies – new and old, popular films, and schlock.
The site also does a great job of sorting the movies into categories like Mythical Creatures, New Releases, and Thrilling Suspense, for easy browsing.
Quick tip: Some of the newest free titles on Vudu include “Terrifier 2,” “The Green Knight,” and “Minari.”
Crackle
Crackle is one of the oldest free video sites and has a great system for searching and browsing. Dave Johnson/Insider
Crackle has been around a long time — it got its start in 2004. And unlike some other streaming channels, Crackle is 100% free, offering all its content at no cost (with ads), so anything you see on the site you can watch without paying.Â
You can browse movies and TV shows by genre, alphabetically, or search for a specific title.
Quick tip: Some of the notable titles on Crackle right now are “Willy’s Wonderland,” “Sherlock,” and “Halloween.”
Popcornflix
True to its name, Popcornflix has a lot of goofy, guilty pleasure viewing options. Dave Johnson/Insider
Popcornflix is another completely free video streaming site, offering about 2,000 movies with ads in a variety of categories. It’s available as an app for a variety of devices, and you can also watch in a web browser. There’s no account required; just open the website, select a movie and start viewing.Â
Many of the entries at Popcornflix fall into the category of guilty pleasures (like “2-Headed Shark Attack”) and cheap knock-offs of mainstream properties (like “Atlantic Rim” and “Almighty Thor”) but there’s something charming here about the movies you can binge for free with limited ads.
Quick tip: Movie categories include Kung Fu Classics, History Nerds Only, and Music Lovers.
Pluto
Pluto’s interface is organized like a cable TV program guide. Dave Johnson/Insider
Pluto TV is a little different than most streaming video services. In addition to being able to watch movies and TV shows on demand, it also streams live programming that you access in a program guide as if you were watching cable or satellite TV.Â
You can jump into programs in progress after browsing the dozens of categories arranged like channels, or switch to the On Demand tab, and start any of the thousands options that are, arranged into easily browsable categories. No catch here! It’s all free, supported by ads.
Quick tip: Some on-demand titles include lots of popular movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Titanic,” and “Gladiator.”
Freevee
Freevee can be streamed on a number of different devices. Dave Johnson/Insider
Freevee is an ad-supported video streaming service owned by Amazon. You can stream Freevee content through a number of devices via the Amazon Freevee app, Prime Video app, or by using your web browser.Â
On Freevee, you’ll find a selection of completely free ad-supported movies and TV shows, including original titles that are available exclusively on the platform.
Quick tip: Some of the titles available through Freevee are “The Hunger Games,” “Freaky,” and the Freevee original series “Jury Duty.”
Tubi
Tubi promotes the fact that it interrupts its free videos with fewer ads than cable. Dave Johnson/Insider
Tubi is a free streaming service with thousands of movies and TV shows. You can watch it all online or on a number of devices including Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Playstation, Samsung smart TVs, and Sony smart TVs.Â
You don’t need a subscription, and Tubi boasts that it has fewer ads than cable. Like Pluto TV, Tubi has both on-demand and live programming. There’s also a kids’ section of the website with family movies and TV shows to watch with your little ones.
Quick tip: Some recently added titles on Tubi include”John Wick 3,” “Ready Player One,” and HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.”
Kanopy
For the cost of a free library card, Kanopy gives you access to a large library of movies, documentaries, and educational videos. Dave Johnson/Insider
Kanopy is a bit different than the average free streaming service – it is targeted at library patrons and higher education. If you have a public library card, you can log into Kanopy with your library ID and password; otherwise, if you’re a student or processor you can use your university login at participating schools. Â
The number of movies you can watch depends on the specific school or library you sign up through; you might have anywhere from five to 50 credits each month. Kanopy is a great resource not just for TV shows and movies, but also documentaries, instructional, and educational videos.
Kanopy’s selection includes countless thought-provoking and award winning titles from cinema titans like Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, and Raoul Peck. Many of the titles are written and performed in languages other than English, allowing you to easily explore the world’s best cinema.
Quick tip: Some Academy Award-winning or nominated titles on Kanopy include “Moonlight,” “Parasite,” and “Lady Bird.”
Plex
Plex offers a mix of live TV programming and on-demand movies you can stream. Dave Johnson/Insider
No subscription is required to watch Plex’s more than 50,000 free on-demand titles and 250 live TV channels. You can use the Plex app to access its content on pretty much any device (Apple, Android, Smart TVs), or go to the Plex website on your computer.Â
Movies and TV shows are sorted by categories, and there are special tabs for the most popular titles and ones that are leaving the platform soon. You can also use the search bar to find a specific movie or TV show, and keep track of things you want to see later with their Watchlist feature.
Quick tip: Some of the most well-known movies and shows available for free on Plex are “The Hurt Locker,” “Point Break,” and “Basic Instinct.”
Rakuten Viki
Rakuten Viki is a great option for immersing yourself in Asian-language TV shows and movies. Dave Johnson/Insider
For those looking for non-English language content, Rakuten Viki is focused specifically on Asian live-action movies and shows. Alongside the ability to sort by genre, Viki allows you to sort by country and region. The app showcases dramas and thrillers from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.Â
Not everything on Rakuten Viki is free, but the free content is clearly marked while browsing, and there’s a helpful Watch Free section that collects all of the free titles in one place. The platform is structured with a Netflix-like set of categories (Latest Releases, Based on Novels and Toons, and more) and you can access the content on the web or in apps on most devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and more.Â
Quick tip: Some of the most popular titles on Rakuten Viki are “Love in the Air,” “Descendants of the Sun,” and “Falling Into Your Smile.”
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive’s interface isn’t as elegant as other streaming sites, but it’s a treasure trove of public domain movies. Dave Johnson/Insider
You may not be aware that the Internet Archive, in addition to being a treasure trove of books, webpages, and historical documents, also has thousands of free feature films available to watch. Â
Don’t look here for contemporary movies or the latest blockbusters, though. As you’d expect from the Internet Archive, these films are in the public domain – generally older films and those made outside the Hollywood cinema industry.Â
This also means they’re oftentimes of lower quality, so your mileage may vary when it comes to deciding if it’s worth your time to browse here. The sheer scope of content on The Internet Archive (combined with the fact that it’s largely volunteer-run) means you may have to do some serious digging to find gems.Â
Quick tip: The Internet Archive is an easy way to find cinema classics such as “Zatoichi,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “High and Low” for free.
Dave Johnson
Freelance Writer