The 20 best websites to legally watch free movies online

It might be time to say goodbye to Netflix, Hulu, or Disney Plus, especially if you’re trying to lower your monthly costs. You’d be surprised how quickly all those services can add up and match your cable bill, especially in 2024 with all the constant price increases. It can be challenging, with so many new shows and movies rolling out each week. Luckily, you can keep your spending in check and still get your TV and cinema fixed—plenty of places online to legally stream movies and TV shows for free. The quality of shows and movies has also greatly improved since the pandemic, as more folks are looking for cheaper alternatives as paid streaming services continue to skyrocket.

Editor’s note: While this post was originally published back in 2020 many services have risen and fallen in that time. The most recent update was on 10/10/24 and removes services that are no longer available such as Redbox and Popcorn Time. We’ve also made note that Crackle is also on its way out the door.

Websites with free movies and TV:

Editor’s note: We will update this list as more free movie options appear online.

Hoopla

Many people don’t know their local library card can get them more than books. If your local library supports it, you can also gain access to a couple of different services that let you watch free movies online, and Hoopla is one of them. Hoopla features many free movies and TV shows online and through its mobile app.

Beyond movies, Hoopla also has tons of eBooks, comics, music, and audiobooks to become your one-stop entertainment shop. Just keep in mind that Hoopla works kind of like a standard library, so you will only be able to borrow a certain number of movies, TV shows, or books, and you have a set time to finish them before you have to check them out again (if another patron hasn’t already checked them out).

Amazon Freevee

Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) is one of the best websites for movie lovers to catch up on all sorts of movie and celebrity-related content. It offers local movie showtimes and ticketing, trailers, movie critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, and even a robust library of free movies online. The service comes bundled together with Amazon Prime memberships, too.

It features fun family favorites and many cult classics. Whatever mood you are in, Amazon Freevee has something for you.

Movies Found Online

The name says it all. Movies Found Online doesn’t host its content; instead, it embeds free movies and videos from other sites into one location. Nearly everything on this website is independently made, and the selection includes narrative features, documentaries, and even short films. The website has a somewhat limited library compared to other sites on this list, but if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, you might find something on Movies Found Online.

Just be sure to keep your ad blocker on; Movies Found Online is prone to pop-ups here and there.

The Internet Archive is a little bit of an oddball in this list. Not only can you stream thousands of hours of free movies online, but you are also free to download nearly everything on the website. Users upload all the content on the Internet Archive or fall within the public domain. Most feature films are over 70 years old, but it’s the place for classic detective, sci-fi, horror, and silent movies.

Kanopy

Like Hoopla, a library card is all you need to start with Kanopy. We can’t guarantee that every library supports it, but Kanopy is a treasure trove of free movies online if yours does. You may also access Kanopy’s library through your school or university.

You can access Kanopy online or through the service’s mobile app; there are more movies than you hope to watch. Kanopy’s movie selection is top-notch, featuring award-winning films from studios like A24.

Plex

Plex is a valuable tool for people who want to access their personal media library from anywhere in the world. But that’s not all it does. Plex now has its own online ad-support media library, so users can watch many free movies online without having their collection.

This selection of free content fits seamlessly within the existing Plex interface so that you can access it from the app or a browser. Whether you’re already a longtime Plex user or you’ve never even heard of it, this new movie selection is worth a look.

Pluto TV

One itch most streaming services don’t scratch is the need to channel surf like you can on cable television. That’s where Pluto TV comes in. Pluto TV features tons of free movies, TV shows, and cartoons online and through the Pluto TV app, but it presents them in a way that’s more akin to classic cable.

Pluto TV has a section where you can stream content on-demand, but it also features more than 250 channels that you can tune in to watch at previously scheduled times. Naturally, that comes with a few downsides, but if you are looking for a new one-to-one replacement for your existing cable service, Pluto TV has you covered.

Crackle

The Crackle streaming service feels like it has been around forever and it has long been one of the staples for budget-minded movie lovers looking for free online content. Unfortunately it recently filed for bankruptcy and while it’s still technically online, it’s only a matter of time. For now you can watch it still. Like most other services on this list, it’s ad-supported, but Crackle’s library is more robust than others, and it is available in your web browser and through various smart TV and mobile apps. Whether you like watching your movies on your TV, computer, or smartphone, Crackle is there waiting for you to give it a shot, at least until it isn’t anymore.

Top Documentary Films

Are you in the mood for a documentary? Top Documentary Films has you covered. Whether you are looking for a film on human health, environmentalism, or outer space, there’s something here for you. It features some of the best documentary movies you can find online, covering a vast selection of topics, and it’s all completely free.

Some movies are only a few minutes long, while others are as long as any classic movie. You can find something on Top Documentary Films, whether you have only 15 minutes or a few hours.

Tubi

Tubi TV has been around since 2014, and since then, the service has become one of the highest-quality free movie streaming services online. What’s excellent about Tubi is that it offers some of the best films on this list.

It also boasts various genres you won’t find on many other free services like LGBTQ, home and garden, reality TV, and musicals. It also has many hand-curated collections, so if you have difficulty finding what you want to watch, Tubi will help you narrow it down. There’s also a growing number of exclusive movies on Tubi.

Yidio

Like Movies Found Online, Yidio doesn’t host its content. Instead, it aggregates online movies and TV shows from paid and free services into one easy-to-navigate UI. Because of that, Yidio’s library looks massive.

You can watch free movies directly from the website and browse content on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. So, if you have at least one of these streaming services, you should try Yidio.

YouTube

YouTube is chock-full of content creators, vloggers, and even original content. However, people might not know that YouTube also offers a library of movies and TV shows beyond YouTube Originals. Within that online library, there is an entire selection of movies you can watch for free.

Though YouTube’s free movie library isn’t the largest on this list, it contains horror films, comedies, action flicks, dramas, and even children’s movies. So, the next time you check out the Android Authority YouTube channel, scout out YouTube’s free movie library.

The Roku Channel

The Roku Channel offers free movies, TV shows, and Live TV access. There is no subscription fee; you can watch the free titles available on the service through your Roku device, other streaming devices, or even a web browser. The service even has a few exclusive new movies you won’t find anywhere else.

Midnight Pulp

Midnight Pulp has taken over the former CONtv platform, offering a unique mix of live TV shows and movies. This service caters to fans of unconventional genres, featuring a robust lineup of horror, quirky comedies, action-packed thrillers, and Asian cinema.

While some of Midnight Pulp’s content is behind a subscription paywall, a substantial selection is available for free viewing. This platform is ideal for those with a taste for the eclectic and the extraordinary in their entertainment choices.

Vudu

Vudu is mainly known as a place to rent or buy digital movies and TV shows. However, it also has many films and TV series you can watch for free, with ads. Best of all, if you like a movie you watch for free, you can always purchase it so you can watch it without ads and not have to worry about it disappearing from the free library.

Xumo

Xumo is owned by Comcast, which also owns Peacock. Xumo has several older and more recent movies to watch, although most are not as high profile or have as high review scores as you can find on Peacock. However, Xumo does have a small number of exclusive films to watch.

Filmzie

Crunchyroll

Fawesome

The CW