The 11 best streaming services mentioned on this page will help you to save on subscription fees.
We’re all here to save as much as we can on subscriptions by using free trials. The truth is, if you can put up with a few interruptions in the form of ads, there’s a lot of great programming out there that you don’t have to pay for.
Need live TV, news, and sports? No need to subscribe to YouTube TV for $65/month and up. Movies? There’s plenty to go around if you don’t mind the ads.
Below, you’ll find some of the best streaming services online where you can catch great quality movies and TV shows.
1. Peacock
The streaming service from NBC offers content from the network and its parent company NBCUniversal as well as other licensed third-party content.
Peacock, named after the NBC logo, offers three tiers – an ad-supported free tier, a Premium tier which is also ad-supported but has even more content, and the ad-free Premium Plus tier.
Peacock is a good option to watch free television shows and movies as well as sports programs and news. They have an awesome selection of original shows not accessible anywhere else.
With apps for all devices as well as accessibility via your internet browser through the Peacock website, you can stream great entertainment for free anytime.
2. The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free app for Roku devices and TVs where viewers can access free content such as movies and shows available for free across Roku.
You can also subscribe to premium channels such as Starz, Cinemax, Showtime, and many more starting with free trials.
While The Roku Channel is mainly available as an app, you can also access it in your browser which is especially convenient for users who don’t have a Roku device or TV.
3. Freevee
Freevee was first launched in 2019 under the name IMDb Freedive by the Amazon-owned movie resource IMDb before becoming known as IMDb TV. Amazon later moved the streaming service to Prime Video before changing the name to Freevee.
Freevee features ad-supported movies and TV shows.
There are dedicated apps for the service for iOS and Android devices but for desktop users, you’ll need to access it through Prime Video.
There isn’t a required subscription so even if you’re not a Prime member, you’d still be able to view ad-supported content from Freevee through Amazon Prime Video.
4. Vudu
If you want to rent or buy movies digitally, Vudu is one of the better-known options. It’s owned by Fandango Media, which also owns movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
You can also stream free movies and TV shows in the free section of Vudu. The quality of the selections isn’t that good but it’s an option for viewers who want to save on subscription fees.
All the free selections on Vudu are not surprisingly, ad-supported.
5. Plex
Plex is a streaming media app that is available for most devices on platforms like iOS, Android, Roku, and more. The app allows you to manage your own media in addition to giving you free live TV and on-demand titles.
They boast over 50,000 free movies and shows which are all ad-supported and with pretty decent selections too. Currently, they’re streaming the original Spider-man trilogy as well as some sequels of the Friday the 13th franchise.
Plex TV can also be accessed in your browser if you prefer to use that instead of an app.
6. Tubi
At first glance, Tubi TV might seem not so legit but it is owned by Fox and licensed all the films and shows from partners like MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount Pictures.
Everything they stream is free and ad-supported and their library is huge. There are also many great selections of movies released as recently as 2 years ago. Tubi Originals are also available to view.
Along with on-demand titles, Tubi also provides free live TV and there is a Tubi Kids section with selections just for younger family members.
7. Pluto TV
“Drop in. Watch free.”
This is the tagline for the free tv platform PlutoTV. As soon as you load the website, there is a movie playing live from their selection of live channels.
You can also hit the “on-demand” tab and pick from loads of movies and TV shows available in a number of categories. The selections here are a mix of older movies and some modern ones.
There is no registration to watch at all and you can access the 100% legal streaming service in your browser or via an app for whichever device you’re using.
8. Sling Free
Sling TV is an app-based live TV service owned by Dish Network. There are a number of packages starting at $35/month but you can get a taste of the service with the Sling Free tier by registering with your email address.
You’ll be able to access free movies and shows on live channels as well as free on-demand titles.
After you sign up you can download the app for your device and watch the free content or get free access in your browser.
Other than letting you watch for free, Sling TV packages also have a 7-day free trial if you decide to upgrade.
9. YouTube
Anyone who has used YouTube for any period of time probably knows you can watch movies and shows on the popular video streaming platform. Many of these movies are however illegally uploaded and subject to being removed if content owners submit a claim.
But YouTube does have a totally legit movies and TV section where you can rent, buy or watch movies and shows free with ads.
You can find this section by clicking on “Movies & shows” in the sidebar navigation of the desktop site or the app.
Some content owners and license holders may also upload movies not found in this section so do a search and you might find the movie you want to see.
10. Xumo Play
Xumo Play is an internet TV service where you can watch over 190 channels for free. The service, which is owned by Comcast, exists an an app available for most platforms and comes pre-installed on most smart TVs. You can also stream Xumo Play on the web here.
On Xumo Play, you can watch live TV and on-demand programming in a number of different categories from the dozens of content partners and channels available. The main navigation allow you to browse depending on your interests and is divided into:
- Live Guide – you can see a tv guide grid layout of current and upcoming programs.
- Movies – watch feature-length films including major releases and Xumo originals
- TV Shows – watch series including reality shows, talk shows and more
- Networks – a list of all the channels and content partners sorted by categories like movies, sports, news, kids, music and radio, etc.
Xumo Play is currently only available to watch in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and some parts of Western Europe. Programming is free and ad-supported and you don’t even need to sign up to start watching.
11. Crackle
Launched all the way back in 2004 as Grouper, Crackle is another great free video streaming service that carries full-length movies and tv series.
You can stream movies and tv shows supported by ads without having to register. However, registration does have some benefits like having the ability to curate a watchlist, managing parental controls for kids and teens, and saving your watch progress.
Crackle’s programming mainly comes from the libraries of Sony Pictures who previously owned the service, and it’s subsidiaries like Columbia Pictures, TriStar and others. Other content providers include FilmRise, NBCUniversal, A&E Networks, Lionsgate Films and many more. They also feature their own original movies and TV series.
The service was previously available in 21 countries but is now only available in the United States. You can stream Crackle on a number of platforms including Apple and Android, Roku and others. Or you can stream in your browser from the Crackle website.
There you have it. 11 great free streaming services to keep you entertained and save you some money.
Sign up now for a few or all of them and start streaming away. You’d have to deal with a few commercial breaks but the content is the same as if you’re watching it on a premium subscription channel.
