Although most popular streaming services require a monthly fee, there are also quite a few that don’t. The five streaming services listed below include thousands of movies and shows that can be streamed for free, with few ads included.
1. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is the closest thing to watch for the throwback TV experience. It has more than 200 live channels you can go through, with a similar concept to a traditional TV provider.
Not only is Pluto TV free with live channels, but it also has on-demand content which includes shows and movies you can watch at any time. Some of the more popular movies offered right now include “Halloween,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Head of State,” and multiple movies from the Pink Panther franchise. In terms of shows, Pluto TV has several long-running classics. You’ll find CSI: NY, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Maury. It also has old 90s shows like “Daria,” “Sally,” “Moesha” and many more.
It was recently announced that more than 6,300 episodes from CBS, including mainstays like “Taxi,” “Matlock,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Beverly Hills 90210,” will join Pluto by the end of this year. Plus, nine classic shows, including “Cheers,” “Frasier” and “Star Trek,” will be featured in the lineups of various 24/7 streaming channels. Pluto TV is one of the best free, ad-supported services which provides a cable-like experience suitable for channel surfing within the digital environment of streaming. The startup was acquired by Viacom in 2019 and has gone on to become a cornerstone of the Paramount Global Franchise.
Pluto TV can be found through the app on any device and the website at pluto.tv
2. Amazon Freevee
If you have an Amazon account, today might just be your lucky day. Amazon Freevee, which was once known as IMDb TV, was bought by Amazon in 2022. Amazon rebranded the service offering shows, movies, streaming channels, and original content. Amazon Freevee has shows available, including “Hoarders,” “Married At First Sight” and “Bones,” and is home to the successful show “Judge Judy.” Freevee also has a good selection of movies to binge-watch. It includes movie selections “Superbad,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “The Invisible Man” and “The King of Staten Island.”
Amazon Freevee can be found through Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV, LG, Playstation 3 to 5, Roku, Xbox, Samsung Smart TV, Xfinity and your app store.
3. Peacock Free
NBC’s Peacock TV streams over 13,000 hours of content in its Peacock Free tier. The top-notch content includes “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Cheers,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood” and “Parks and Recreation.” There are a lot of older movies to watch, from “Jurassic Park” to “Harry Potter.” I found that free access to Peacock can become addicting. A lot of big shows and movies are featured for free on the app with ads. If you don’t want ads you can pay $4.99 for the Peacock plan to limit ads. Peacock Free doesn’t require you to enter your credit card info, but you must create an account to watch. Although the live channels are based on shows like “Saturday Night Live” and the “Today” show, you can still browse through the channels looking for just the right show.
Peacock TV can be watched online through streaming services Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV, LG, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xfinity and your app store.
4. Roku Channel
If you have purchased a Roku then I’m sure you are aware of The Roku Channel app that automatically comes with any Roku device. But did you know that you can also download the app on mobile phones and tablets? The Roku Channel doesn’t force you to register for an account (you can watch as a guest) but signing up allows you to continue watching content on another device. Just like the other services, Roku TV offers on-demand movies and TV shows. The Roku Channel also includes a Roku Live TV Guide, so viewers can channel surf.
The best part of the Roku Channel is that it plays the episodes of premium cable shows, like “Game of Thrones,” “The Walking Dead” and “Watchmen.” Popular movies streaming right now are “Smile,” “Black Adam,” and even Christmas movies like “The Grinch.” The Roku Channel has risen over time through the free streaming service rankings after adding originals that include shows like “Punk’D” and “Die Hart” to the streaming service.
Roku can be found on all Roku devices/ TVs, Android phones and tablets, Apple phones and tablets and Samsung TVs.
5. Tubi TV
Tubi is best known for its huge collection of content. There are over 40,000 titles available on Tubi and it features over 100 sports and local news channels.
Of course, Tubi doesn’t always have newer, high-profile titles but the streaming service consists of many familiar movies and shows. When on Tubi, you’ll see that the home page is organized into sections like Recently Added, Family Movies, Action and Black Cinema. With its catalog of shows and movies, the free streaming service is very impressive compared to other services.
Movie titles like “Don’t Breathe,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” Kill Bill, “The Craft” and “Fruitvale Station” are some of the popular and high-rated movies the streaming app includes. Streaming media has grown significantly over the years, but Tubi TV stands out as a helpful service. One of the nice parts about using Tubi is how well-organized it is compared to some other free streaming services, which are harder to navigate.
Tubi Tv can be seen on Amazon Fire TV/ Stick, Android/Apple phones and tablets, Chromecast, Comcast Xfinity X1, Cox Contour, Nvidia Shield, Playstation 3 & 4, Roku, Samsung TV, Sony TV and TiVo, Vizio TV, Xbox One, Google Nest, Amazon Echo Show and web browsers.
Although each of these streaming services has different content available, they are all set up to help customers watch movies and shows for free. By using one of these five services you can enjoy watching older and more recent films and streaming throwback television without needing to pay a thing.