{"id":1209930,"date":"2023-12-08T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1209930"},"modified":"2023-12-08T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T22:00:00","slug":"20-places-to-legally-download-or-stream-movies-for-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1209930","title":{"rendered":"20 Places to Legally Download or Stream Movies for Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

Has Netflix cut you off with the message \u201cThis TV isn\u2019t part of your Netflix household\u201d since it started cracking down on password sharing?<\/a> Are you tired of every streamer you subscribe to hiking prices year over year<\/a>? Yes, the modern streaming landscape is starting to look a lot like cable. But that also means exploring free streaming options is more enticing than ever. <\/p>\n

Luckily there are plenty of ways to stream other awesome shows and movies online for free. Here are 20 great sites to bookmark for when you want something new to watch. (Note that many films are available on multiple free services at once, so if your selection has too many commercial interruptions or painfully low resolution on one source, search for it on another.)<\/p>\n

\n

Kanopy and Hoopla<\/h2>\n

Streaming services Kanopy<\/strong><\/a> and Hoopla<\/strong><\/a> both have a large selection of high-quality movies\u2014Kanopy even carries The Criterion Collection<\/a>\u2014but they\u2019re only available if your local library system has a subscription, which also means you\u2019ll need a valid library account to log in. That\u2019s one more hoop you\u2019ll have to jump through, but it\u2019s worth it, considering the variety of what\u2019s available. Check on either site to see if you can access them via your existing (free) library account.<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

\n

PBS<\/h2>\n

PBS<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>is home to shows like PBS Newshour<\/em>, Antiques Roadshow<\/em> and This Old House<\/em>. While many titles are restricted to paying members, some of PBS\u2019s online selection<\/a> (taken from its TV programming) is available online for free, including a series of film school shorts<\/a>. Depending on the show, you may be able to view certain episodes or previews without a subscription. That\u2019s not as great as a full, free season, but it\u2019s enough to get by.<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> iOS. Android. Amazon Fire TV. Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, most smart TVs<\/p>\n

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Tubi<\/h2>\n

Free streaming site Tubi<\/strong><\/a> offers movies and TV shows from several major studios with minimal (sometimes zero) advertising. The catch is that\u2014judging by a spot-check\u2014desktop streaming is limited to SD resolutions. The wide range of titles\u2014more than 50,000\u2014covers ever viewing niche imaginable. There are several genre lists to help you browse the large catalog, and even a dedicated section covering movies \u201cNot on Netflix<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Tubi is available on desktop as well as Android<\/a>, iOS<\/a>, Roku<\/a>, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Vudu<\/h2>\n

Paid streaming service Vudu<\/strong><\/a> has a free section offering an assortment of recognizable movies floating among less familiar titles. You\u2019ll need to sign up for a free account and sit through some ads\u2014and some movies are only available in SD, which isn\u2019t great\u2014but you\u2019ll get access to more than 5,400 movies on your computer, phone or streaming device<\/a>. You\u2019ll find a lot of films from the \u201880s and \u201890s (as the rights to supply them have gotten cheaper), as well as a ton of stuff you\u2019ve never heard of before (mostly that, to be honest). But there are some decent hidden gems.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/p>\n

\n

PlutoTV<\/h2>\n

PlutoTV<\/strong><\/a> is a free, ad-supported, hybrid \u201clive\u201d TV and on demand streaming service offering hundreds of channels you can scroll through to see \u201cwhat\u2019s on\u201d (with channels covering a wide rage or categories and genres, including a bunch that show inly endless episodes of a single show, from CSI<\/em>, to Doctor Who<\/em>, to Family Ties,<\/em> to Mystery Science Theater 3000<\/em>) as well as a decent-sized collection of movies and shows to stream on demand. Movies are grouped by categories, including specific themes like \u201cLGBTQ Cinema\u201d and \u201cPopcorn Movie Summer.\u201d The service is owned by ViacomCBS, so a lot of the content mirrors what you\u2019ll find on Paramount+<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Current top on demand selections include all of the Hunger Games<\/em> films, the original RoboCop<\/em>, the early 2000s Charlie\u2019s Angels<\/em> movies, and the Scarlet Johansson-starring adaptation of the Ghost in the Shell<\/em> anime, which I have been meaning to watch\u2014and doing so via a free streaming services that peppers its programming with ads seems like more or less what the movie deserves<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/p>\n

\n

Public Domain Torrents<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019d rather download than stream, Public Domain Torrents<\/strong><\/a> is the place to go. As you\u2019d expect, most of the films you\u2019ll find are pretty old, but many are also stone-cold cinema classics. And, as the site\u2019s name implies, they\u2019re all completely free to download. Best of all, many of the films are available in versions optimized or encoded for specific mobile devices\u2014but you can always grab the highest quality download and do the encoding yourself<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> This one is up to you and your computer.<\/p>\n

\n

TopDocumentaryFilms<\/h2>\n

TopDocumentaryFilms<\/strong><\/a> offers lots of documentaries broken up by category, from war, global conflict and crime to health and the environment. The categorization makes the offerings fairly easy to navigate, and the site has a community of users who provide ratings for each film so you can get an idea of what you\u2019re in for before you begin watching. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like a starting point, check out their top-100 documentary list<\/a> to see what others are watching, or check the front page for their featured films. The site is more of an aggregator than a host\u2014the content is pulled from YouTube, Vimeo and other sources\u2014but that makes them a convenient, one-stop shop for documentary fans.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Access the site in your browser.<\/p>\n

\n

Classic Cinema Online<\/h2>\n

If the name doesn\u2019t give it away immediately, Classic Cinema Online<\/strong><\/a> is ideal for classic movie buffs who love the era of black-and-white films and artistically painted movie posters. There\u2019s even an entire section dedicated to silent films, if that\u2019s your thing. If you\u2019re looking for something specific, you can sort by category using the menu in the upper-right\u2014if you\u2019re feeling like serials, or a solid silent film. And if you prefer old-time television, check out its sister site, Classic Television Online<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Access the site in your browser.<\/p>\n

\n

PopcornFlix<\/h2>\n

With thousands of free TV shows and movies with names and titles you\u2019ll probably recognize, PopcornFlix<\/strong><\/a> prides itself on the fact that none of its programs or movies are more than two clicks away. They\u2019re all completely free to watch on your computer, as well as mobile apps or other supported devices<\/a>. There are some nice hidden gems here, in addition to a grab-bag of popular (if aging) Hollywood films; one of the current \u201cMost Popular\u201d entries is Memory: The Origins of Alien<\/em>, a feature-length doc about the creation of Ridley Scott\u2019s horror classic.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Apps are available for Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and most smart TVs.<\/p>\n

\n

Crackle<\/h2>\n

Crackle<\/strong><\/a> is often overlooked when people discuss free streaming media on the web, but you can grab this service for a number of mobile devices and set-top boxes<\/a>. You have to sign up for an account, but once you do, it\u2019s easy to create a watchlist, get recommendations for new shows to stream and browse Crackle\u2019s full library of TV shows and movies. These the films Charlie\u2019s Angels, Black Snake Moan, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles<\/em> (2014), and TV series like That Girl!<\/em>, 21 Jump Street,<\/em> and 3rd Rock From the Sun. <\/em>That\u2019s part of the beauty of Crackle: You\u2019ll absolutely find movies you\u2019ve heard of, shows you actually want to watch and more. It\u2019s all free\u2014as long as you\u2019re willing to watch the occasional commercial.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n

\n

Plex<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ve written a lot about\u00a0Plex<\/a>, which announced in December 2019 that it was launching a free, ad-supported streaming service<\/a>. While it offers paid live TV streaming, there\u2019s a bunch of free content too\u2014but you have<\/em> to watch ads to view any of its free content. Still, the convenience of being able to view free movies and TV along with anything from your (or your friends\u2019) media servers, all in one place and on any device, is pretty great. Plus, Plex recently added content from Crackle<\/a>, expanding what you can stream within the service.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n

\n

Vimeo<\/h2>\n

Vimeo<\/strong><\/a> might be a distant second to YouTube for size and popularity, but it\u2019s still a great video-streaming service for short film and independent filmmakers. It\u2019s also ideal for people who want the freedom and flexibility of a mobile-friendly, HD-capable upload service that has great privacy and video management controls, as well as an upbeat community of users. For those just looking for something great to watch, Vimeo\u2019s Staff Picks<\/a> is full of gems that run the gamut from dramas, to documentaries, to science fiction. <\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> You can either grab the Vimeo mobile app to take your movies with you (available on iOS and Android), or stream Vimeo films directly<\/a> to your TV through your Chromecast, Roku, Xbox, Amazon Fire or Apple TV.<\/p>\n

\n

YouTube<\/h2>\n

No list of free TV shows and movies would be complete without YouTube<\/strong><\/a>, and not because of the sheer volume of ripped and pirated media available there. In fact, YouTube is home to a ton of freely-published movies and TV shows, some of which are YouTube originals, and others that are available via Creative Commons licenses or shared in the public domain. YouTube also collects free-with-ads films<\/a> inside its Movies section. If you need help finding something fresh, the Full Movies on YouTube subreddit<\/a> lists new free movies every day. Recent finds include The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly<\/em> and Open Your Eyes<\/em> (Abre los ojos<\/em>), the Spanish film later remade into Vanilla Sky.<\/em><\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>YouTube is YouTube; there’s an app on basically every platform and device in existence. <\/p>\n

\n

The Internet Archive<\/h2>\n

The Internet Archive<\/strong><\/a> is a repository for all sorts of things. While you probably know it for the ever-useful Wayback Machine<\/a>, it\u2019s also great for public domain films, independent media, TV broadcasts and newsreels and other media that you\u2019re free watch\u2014and to use and remix on your own, if you want. There are plenty of movies\u2014organized by categories like sci-fi, horror or film noir\u2014in addition to art films, educational videos and films, special collections that were made available to the Internet Archive for posterity, documentaries and even collections of stock footage. It\u2019s not the most easily browsable archive, nor is it organized for mobile screens, but it\u2019s certainly a treasure trove of interesting material.<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> This one is browser only, but you can cast to your TV with a compatible device.<\/p>\n

\n

Fandor<\/h2>\n

Fandor<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is a subscription streaming service that offers a diverse catalog of independent and international films. However, they also offer a growing library of free movies<\/a> and films with ads. <\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Available on the web or in the Fandor app on iOS, Android, Chromecast, and Roku.<\/p>\n

\n

Freevee<\/h2>\n

Formerly IMDb TV, Freevee is a another ad-supported free streaming service with thousand of popular TV shows and movies spanning generes, including comedy, drama, suspense, and animation. Freevee also gives you access to over 150 FAST channels<\/a> (free, ad-supported television in linear format, like cable television).<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> If you are an Amazon Prime member, you already have access to Freevee directly from the Prime Video app. If you are not, it has its own standalone app accessible on all Amazon Fire TV devices, iOS, and Android mobile devices, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and many smart TVs. If you don\u2019t have one of those devices and are not an Amazon Prime member, you can still stream from your web browser<\/a> from the Amazon website\u2014completely free (but not ad free). <\/p>\n

\n

Shout Factory TV<\/h2>\n

Shout Factory TV<\/strong><\/a> is a free, ad-supported streaming service where you can catch classic and cult (very<\/em> cult-y) movies and TV series, as well as some original programming. Shout Factory TV also includes FAST channels and curated live channels and events. The library goes deep in the offbeat\u2014current selections include a documentary about a Power Rangers<\/em> fan convention\u2014so you\u2019ll be sure to find something interesting to keep you busy. <\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>Streaming online via your web browser, or download the compatible app for your device (including Apple and Android phones and tablets, as well as Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV. (You can read an in-depth review of the service from\u00a0PCMag<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\n

The Film Detective<\/h2>\n

If you haven\u2019t had enough classic feature films, cult classic movies, and classic TV,\u00a0The Film Detective<\/strong><\/a> will give you hope. It\u2019s a classic film restoration, distribution, and streaming company.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong>The service is available on web, iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, and on their own app. They also run a 24\/7 linear channel you can find on multiple platforms. You can watch all their content for free with ads. <\/p>\n

\n

ViX<\/h2>\n

For the Hispanic (and Lusophones) audience who love their telenovelas<\/em>, soccer games, news, shows, and movies, ViX<\/strong><\/a> offers a 24\/7 plan that\u2019s completely free (vix gratis) in Spanish and Portuguese<\/a>. It also includes more than 100 TV channels available on their website.<\/p>\n

Supported devices:<\/strong> Android devices, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung, and Amazon Fire. The service shows content mainly from TelevisaUnivision, but also from other third-party content providers. <\/p>\n

\n

Redbox<\/h2>\n

One of Netflix\u2019s original competitors, Redbox<\/strong><\/a>, now offers Redbox on Demand<\/a> and Redbox Free Live TV<\/a>. Redbox on Demand is a free on demand streaming option that lets you watch movies and shows on your internet browser, where you\u2019ll find a limited selection of movies with commercials. On Redbox Free Live TV, you might find some old favorites and syndicated shows on one of their dozens of channels, but it is live TV, so you won\u2019t have much control over anything.<\/p>\n

Supported devices: <\/strong> You can catch Redbox on most leading platforms and smart TVs (there\u2019s a full list here<\/a>).<\/p>\n


\n
\nSource: LifeHacker – 20 Places to Legally Download or Stream Movies for Free<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Has Netflix cut you off with the message \u201cThis TV isn\u2019t part of your Netflix household\u201d since it started cracking down on password sharing? Are you tired of every streamer you subscribe to hiking prices year over year? Yes, the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,110],"tags":[92],"class_list":["post-1209930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifehacker","category-unfiltered-rss","tag-lifehacker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1209930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1209930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1209930\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1209930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1209930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1209930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}