The Best Free Streaming Services

There’s a saying: You can’t beat free. And it’s true! Free is the ultimate money saver. And believe it or not, you can even watch movies and TV online for free.

That’s right, whether you’re tired of paying those ever-increasing streaming subscription prices, or you just want more options to go along with your Netflix or Disney+ subscriptions (without paying extra), there’s good news: You can find plenty of totally free streaming services that come with thousands of hours of content to enjoy. Some of them are so free, they don’t even make you create an account! Just go to the site or download the app and enjoy some free TV.

But just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s good. That goes for food, tires, underwear and streaming services. Some of the content is good, while some is, well . . . not. Since price isn’t a factor with these, it’s all about what you think is worth watching.

 

Things to Keep in Mind

Free = Lots of Ads

Welcome to the world of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). Streaming services cost a lot of money to start and maintain (just ask Disney about the $4 billion they lost on streaming back in 2022).¹ So, these FAST services are given to you at no charge because advertisers are picking up the bill.

Before the days of on-demand content, commercials on TV were a way of life. Sounds awful, right? But for free entertainment, sitting through a few commercials isn’t that big a deal—don’t worry, you’ll survive. Still, there’s a risk that a boring ad featuring a prescription drug with a laundry list of side effects could interrupt your movie-watching mojo.

These ads can be anything from a little annoying to rip-your-hair-out frustrating. The length, frequency and position of the ads depend on the streaming service—and some are more content-conscious than others. Most ads during TV shows are done at the typical rate (about six or seven minutes total, spread out over a half-hour episode). For movies, some services show all their ads before the movie starts. And one service doesn’t have any ads at all (yay!).  

A Word About Content

Like their paid-for siblings, FAST streaming services change up their content all the time (except for their original programming). So, just because something is on there now, that doesn’t mean it will be there in a month or even a week. And even though some titles come and go, some shows and movies don’t ever seem to leave. We’re looking at you, A Turtle’s Tale.

We’ll be straight with you: Sometimes you’ll need to pan for gold on some of these free sites, sifting (or swiping) through a pile of crummy content to find a shiny nugget.

But you might see some of the same stinkers across several platforms because they’re cheaper to license. This includes lots of “mockbusters”—poorly made movies that take advantage of popular mainstream movies (Transmorphers, anyone?). But there’s still some gold in there if you’re willing to dig. Lots of mainstream movies are out there, and the FAST services that are backed by the big studios have better libraries.

Start budgeting with EveryDollar today!

Basically, you get what you pay for. So, happy hunting!

The Best Free Streaming Services

YouTube
Pluto TV
Fandango at Home
The Roku Channel
Tubi
Kanopy
Online Network Channels

Sure, YouTube is known for hosting millions of short viral videos (like all those cute cat videos you watch at work—be honest!). But did you know you can watch a ton of nostalgic TV shows and movies there too? It’s true! YouTube actually has a great variety of movies and TV shows like Paddington, Jurassic World, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Unsolved Mysteries—all completely free to watch. There’s no sign-up necessary, but you can create a free account to make playlists and like (or dislike) something you watched.

With over 100 channels to choose from (some of them with live TV feeds), Pluto TV has something for everybody. And we do mean everybody.

Do you like cats? There’s a Cats 24/7 channel. Into retro classics? Kick back with the Classic TV Comedy channel. There are also plenty of on-demand choices. And since Pluto is owned by Paramount Global, there are lots of shows and movies from Paramount and its many brands, as well as from outside studios.

Because of the amount and quality of content, Pluto TV is probably the best free streaming service out there right now. But here’s the rub: Like many of the free streaming services we’re highlighting here, Pluto TV only gives you a season or two of the most popular TV shows. They’re hoping you’ll be hooked enough to pay money to subscribe to another service (like Paramount+) or purchase or rent the other seasons.

Pluto TV is fully free (no sign-up needed). All you need is a computer, smart TV or a device like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or Chromecast to get it. But if you want more personalized recommendations and perks, you can also create a free account.

You might know Fandango as the website where you get your movie tickets, but they also have a free streaming service—who knew? Known as Vudu prior to 2024, Fandango at Home is the place to go to find free movies and TV shows (though the Fandango free catalog isn’t as strong as other platforms), and to store all your digital movie purchases.

All it takes to get started on Fandango at Home is to sign up with a free account (or use your Fandango movie ticket account if you already have one).

A Roku device is one of the many media players that people use to stream content from Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video. But did you know, Roku has its own streaming service? And guess what . . . it’s free and you don’t need to buy a Roku player to get it (though it’s obviously included when you do buy a player). Just hop on the website or download the app on your phone. You can even get it on other streaming devices like Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV (unfortunately, there’s no Roku app on Apple TV—boo!).

Roku boasts a pretty amazing lineup of free stuff, including classic sitcoms, quality dramas and relatively new movies from a ton of of studios and networks. There are also plenty of 24/7 live TV channels that run either network programming or one dedicated series.

You don’t need to create an account to start watching on the Roku Channel, but if you already have a Roku player, you can create an account to link your streaming across all your other devices.

Fox-owned Tubi is another exceptional free streamer with a wide range of content in all genres. Like Pluto TV, Tubi has older classics and newer favorites from many studios—along with news, original programming and sports. Speaking of sports, Tubi offers dedicated channels for replays of NFL games, golf tournaments, hockey highlights and more.

You can watch Tubi without a login, but creating an account will let you save your progress on a show and will give you access to more features.

Got a library card? Currently a college student? Then you may be able to access a free streaming service called Kanopy. Completely funded by libraries and universities across the country, Kanopy is a streaming service that prides itself on providing “quality, thoughtful entertainment.” You’ll find an interesting mix of educational, art house, classic and mainstream films. You know, the kind of stuff you’d find in a library. They also have an entire section dedicated to kids’ programming. And it’s all ad-free, so thank your local library.

We say you “might” have access because not all libraries and universities support Kanopy. Some libraries might offer other services like Bibliotheca or Hoopla, and some don’t offer any streaming service. You’ll need to go to Kanopy’s website and look to see if your local library is part of its network.

Most major over-the-air networks post new episodes to their websites and apps. You can download a lot of network apps straight to your smart TV or other streaming device and watch some free shows. These episodes are usually from the most recent season (so they can get those current ratings!), and for the most part, you don’t need a login to access the content.

A few episodes of older shows might also be hanging around. But these episodes usually have a limited run on the free side. Once the episodes are locked behind the paywall, you’ll need a cable TV provider login to watch. Or, in the case of NBC and CBS, you could also use a paid subscription to the network or it’s streaming service (which you might want to consider if it’s in your budget). There are exceptions though—the CW has no paywall whatsoever.

Free Up Your Budget

Even though the content on free streaming services might not always be the best quality (and is sometimes downright sketchy—have you seen Jurassic Shark?), you can get one service for free that’s pretty awesome and can impact your life far more than free TV shows or movies. It’s called EveryDollar.

The EveryDollar app makes it easy to plan, spend and track your money with a helpful zero-based budget system. That way, you can tell your money where to go every month instead of wondering where it went. And with the premium features, you can link the app directly to your bank account and feed EveryDollar your transaction info in real time.

Try EveryDollar for free today!