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7 Free Movie Streaming Apps to Try in 2024

January 12, 2022 • Shannon Flynn

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You can find a lot of movie and television streaming sites on the Internet, but you’ll notice that most of them are littered with pop-ups, are low quality, or are flat-out illegal. 

If you’re going to watch movies for free, do it right. Try these seven free movie/tv streaming apps next time you settle in for a binge-watching session!

1. Tubi TV

Tubi TV is FOX’s free streaming service, with on-demand TV, movies and some live content as well. While it doesn’t offer quite the variety of content that big names like Netflix and Hulu can, Tubi is 100% free to make up for it. 

The service sprinkles ads and commercials throughout its content to make revenue, but those interruptions are few and far between. In fact, if you’re used to watching cable television, Tubi’s infrequent ads will be a welcome change.

Tubi’s biggest calling card is its easy access and availability. The streaming service has viewers in the United States, Canada and Australia. It’s also compatible with the newest smart TVs from Samsung, Sony and VIZIO.

You can install Tubi’s app on your Android or Apple device for mobile viewing, and you don’t even have to make an account. Just download the app and start streaming!

2. Disney+

Disney+ is an ad-free streaming service that offers every Disney show or movie you can think of – with a few exceptions. With content from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel, this service is especially popular with younger audiences.

The standard Disney+ subscription is $8 per month for full access. You can also buy the service as part of a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ for $14 a month. The service is available to anyone with an internet connection and a device with a screen.

You can watch it on your phone, laptop, tablet or gaming console, and download unlimited content. This kind of accessibility is groundbreaking in the TV streaming industry. 

3. Roku

Roku is a streaming device that you can connect to smart TVs, giving you access to thousands of high definition movies and shows from all kinds of different platforms, from Netflix to ESPN to HBO. 

The streaming service is amazing, but the setup can be tricky. You need a Roku player and remote control, along with a smart TV. Regular televisions are incompatible with Roku. Connect the Roku player to the internet, sync it with your TV and activate your account. You can also download the app for mobile viewing.

We’re kind of breaking the rules here because Roku isn’t entirely “free,” but the device costs as low as $29.99. Additionally, once you’ve completed the setup, Roku provides the best content and user experience of any service on this list.

You can watch the live news and sports, the hottest new releases and the old classics on Roku. Just make sure you have a compatible TV and a reliable internet connection before buying your device!

4. Popcornflix

Popcornflix is a free streaming service that requires no subscription or account setup, but subjects viewers to pop-up advertisements. Although you don’t have to create an account, the service is more enjoyable when personalized.

You can download the app on a smart TV or mobile device, or just log onto Popcornflix’s website and watch from there. The service has some household names in TV and film and specializes in lesser-known independent movies.

Overall, the service’s layout is easy to navigate, but the advertisements are more prevalent than those on other platforms, such as Tubi TV and Crackle. It still beats the extended commercial breaks on cable television by a long shot, though.

5. Sony Crackle

Also known simply as “Crackle,” Sony’s free streaming service is widely available as a pre-installed app on most smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TV and gaming consoles. You can also install the Crackle app on your mobile devices.

The available movies tend to change often, but that equates to more variety in the long run. The television show selection isn’t as strong, relying on classics like Charlie’s Angels, but that makes it an excellent choice for viewers looking to relive their favorite old shows.

Since it’s free, Crackle runs the occasional advertisement with its programs, but like the ads on Tubi TV, they are more than tolerable. The biggest criticism of Crackle is its varying user experience across different devices, as the service can look somewhat different on a phone compared to a TV.

While that might catch new users off guard, it’s still easy to navigate overall. You can just click on the program you want and it starts playing right away, no questions asked.

6. Vudu

Vudu is a streaming service owned by Walmart, which has a similar structure to most of the other services on this list, except for one key difference: Vudu requires users to make an account.

That’s not a big deal, of course, but it can dissuade some new users who don’t want to be subjected to hidden fees. There are no hidden fees, but Vudu does recommend paid content and features to its users. Vudu requires account set up so the service can tailor its content to your personal preferences.

Just like Netflix, the more you watch, the more the service understands what you like. It can then make suggestions so you can find new content without much effort. However, the content itself changes pretty often, and only a paid subscription provides the most popular movies and shows. The payment varies based on the content.

With that said, if you’re going to use Vudu, you might as well pay a small fee to get access to more content and avoid advertisements. The free content is adequate on its own, but doesn’t quite compare to the other options on this list.

7. Pluto TV

Pluto TV is an easily accessible streaming service available on almost any smart TV or mobile device. It streams over 250 live channels and has a substantial selection of on-demand shows and movies.

Pluto offers some real classics like Titanic and Saving Private Ryan, but most of them are over ten years old and don’t have the same appeal to younger viewers. Reality TV and sitcoms are also prevalent on Pluto TV.

Pluto is unique in that it mimics the user experience of traditional cable TV. You can scroll through a guide that displays the available content and start watching with just one click, but of course, the ads aren’t nearly as invasive.

If you download the app and set up an account, you can also enable push notifications so you hear about breaking news or new releases on the platform immediately. Overall, Pluto TV is an underrated streaming service compared to the big names in the industry.

Try New Free Movie Streaming Apps in 2024

If you’re tired of rotating through the same handful of movies and shows on Netflix or Hulu, we think the seven free movie streaming apps on this list are worth taking a look at. They rotate content more often, which allows you to broaden your viewing horizons, and each one has its own unique user experience.

Your new favorite show or movie might be out there waiting for you. Give one of these streaming services a try and see if you can find it!

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