We could break down the merits of Netflix, HBO Max and Hulu and why they rank among the best streaming TV services, but they all still cost you money every month. These days inflation and the rising cost of subscriptions could have you looking for alternatives. The good news? As long as you’ve got the internet, you can enjoy a wealth of free TV and video streaming.
First and foremost, many of these services are ad-supported, so you won’t be able to skip commercials on these streaming platform options. Most have older shows and movies, sort of like basic cable reruns. While some network sites won’t let you stream all their shows unless you’re a paid cable or satellite subscriber, there are services like Peacock, which has a free tier in addition to subscription options.
Let’s take a look at some of the best free streaming sites, legal ways to indulge your inner couch potato, which we’ll update regularly. Prefer movies? Check out these 10 free Netflix alternatives.
Read more: Free Live TV News to Stream Right Now
Sarah Tew/CNET
Peacock is NBCUniversal’s subscription service, loaded with plenty of NBC content as well as movies and original programming. Unlike Netflix, Hulu and competitor Paramount Plus, however, Peacock has a free tier. There are also $5 Premium and $10 Premium Plus ad-free tiers, and certain cable customers can receive Premium for free.
The free streaming version has thousands of hours of television shows, films, news, skit-style clips and exclusive big-budget original programming. Peacock’s slate of originals includes Bel-Air, Girls5Eva and a Psych movie sequel. With the free version you won’t get access to every episode of the original series, and you’ll also miss out on a lot of the other content Premium subscribers get. In addition to NBC programming, Peacock has content from NBC-owned networks such as Bravo, E, Syfy, and USA along with daytime soap operas, talk shows and sports. Paying for Peacock unlocks the full 20,000-hour library; with the free version you get about two-thirds of that.
Read our Peacock review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Roku Channel is a free TV streaming service designed for people who own the company’s streaming devices and TVs, but it’s also available via Roku’s apps for phones and tablets as well as online.
The Roku Channel offers 100 live channels including a channel guide, with its existing selection of on-demand content. While the linear TV includes live news and lifestyle channels, the on-demand content ranges from Roku Originals (like the upcoming Weird Al Yankovic biopic), to reality TV (Hoarders, Kitchen Nightmares) to popular series like House, 2 Broke Girls and Downton Abbey. You’ll also find anime (live and on-demand) and crime shows (Cold Case).
Unfortunately, not every TV series is complete, and the service only offers a single episode in some cases. There’s plenty of stuff to watch, however, including a dedicated kids section. There’s also a solid array of classic movies including Pearl Harbor, Species and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In addition, you can subscribe to premium services including HBO, much like you can via Prime Video channels or the Apple TV app.
James Martin/CNET
Pluto TV is noteworthy for offering not only on-demand, free movie streaming, but also more than 250 live and linear channels on the platform, including BBC Food, Minecraft TV, Star Trek, CBS News and CNET. Because it’s a Paramount-owned brand, Pluto also has episodes of South Park and Survivor.
Pluto offers an impressive selection of live channels sorted into categories like news, reality, sports, comedy and movies in a grid format. On-demand TV content is organized into TV drama shows, sitcoms, crime, action series, sci-fi and more. The layout is not nearly as slick as the live channels, but there’s a variety of genres. One oddity: If you’re watching a live stream, there’s no way to pause. You can only mute it.
James Martin/CNET
The name belies the content: Tubi TV offers considerably more free movie streaming than it does TV shows, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t check out its extensive library — or its live channel lineup. This ad-supported network doesn’t require an account, though signing up for one enables you to save favorites and resume playback if you switch between devices.
Tubi offers nationwide and local news livestreams in addition to live sports, weather and entertainment channels. The streaming site’s TV selection offers some of the reality shows we’ve come to expect, such as Hell’s Kitchen and Dance Moms, plus oddball inclusions such as the Australian drama McLeod’s Daughters.
To watch TV series on-demand, you can browse by title, network or genre, including a Tubi Kids category. Not every show has full seasons available, but you’ll find Midsomer Murders, Columbo and 26 seasons of Bleach among the choices. There are also a handful of Tubi Originals alongside feature films such as The Bodyguard, Training Day, Green Lantern (yes, that one), Twilight and The Goonies.
James Martin/CNET
Formerly known as IMDb TV, Freevee is Amazon’s ad-supported streaming service that features a motherlode of TV and movie lore. And with the new name for 2022 comes a boost in available titles, Freevee Originals and a string of 24/7 live channels.
Though the service’s initial focus was primarily on movie streaming, it’s now filled with TV shows too. Popular movies like Knives Out, Napoleon Dynamite and the Fifty Shades franchise are available, as well as all seven seasons of the AMC classic Mad Men and all eleven seasons of The X-Files. Other titles include MacGyver (the reboot), Desperate Housewives, Good Times, Freevee Original Judy Justice and nine seasons of the Gen X classic Little House on the Prairie, starring Michael Landon.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Though Sling’s live TV packages start at $35, Sling Free offers free on-demand TV, movies and a number of live TV channels.
Sling TV’s free streaming service includes a limited selection of live channels (ABC News Live, The Walking Dead Universe, Bon Appetit, Barstool Sports) and on-demand selections such as Adventure Time, Brother vs. Brother and, yes, Hell’s Kitchen.
You will have to create a log-in when you download the Sling app or visit the website, but you do not have to enter any payment information to use Sling Free. When you open the app or site, click on “Explore Free Content” to access Sling Free.
Crackle
Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service that offers mostly movies, but also some TV shows — including original content. It doesn’t require you to set up an account, though doing so enables you to save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.
Crackle’s commercial-supported selection has expanded with over 300 different shows, and mainly consists of older releases such as All in the Family, Sherlock (with Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch), Alf and The Partridge Family. As with other free services, however, not every TV series is complete — you might get only one or two seasons, or even just a partial season. There are movie selections from the 1940s to the present, including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, Sophie’s Choice and Snowpiercer.
Plex
Starting as a way for users to stream content stored on users’ computers, Plex has evolved to incorporate other sources such as OTA broadcasts, Tidal, and free streaming TV. You don’t need to install the Plex server, you just stream it with the basic Plex app, or if you want, sign up for an account.
Plex’s free streaming service operates similarly to Pluto. The offering started with a modest slate of ad-supported content, mostly movies, but Plex has since entered a partnership with Crackle, offering thousands more TV shows and movies from that service, including Heist, Unsolved Mysteries, Kitchen Nightmares and Third Rock from the Sun. In addition to on-demand content, Plex also offers live TV channels like Stories by AMC, Hallmark, Popcorn Fix and niche 24/7 streams for certain series like The Carol Burnett Show.
Movie fans can search by title, genre or check out special collections like Crime Time, Cage Rage (all Nicolas Cage) or “Short-Ass Movies.”
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff — from ebooks to movies to TV shows. When you “borrow” one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of titles you can borrow each month. An added bonus for this service is there are no commercials interrupting your viewing experience.
Hoopla’s TV selection is something of a hodgepodge, with a smattering of well-known shows mixed in with a lot of self-help, documentary and family fare. For example, you’ll find three seasons of the SyFy original Humans, both seasons of The Jim Gaffigan Show and lots of Ken Burns documentaries. Hoopla also has instructional videos from The Great Courses series, various PBS Kids shows and plenty of Acorn TV content that would otherwise require a subscription.
Film selections rotate on and off the platform, but right now you can check out titles such as 13 Going on 30, What We Do in the Shadows, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, Lion and The NeverEnding Story.
Read more: Best Live TV Streaming Service for Cord-Cutters in 2022
Watch this:
How to watch TV online for free
1:34
How We Test Streaming Services
With more than 150 streaming services in existence — globally — it can be hard sifting through each brand and its offerings. We narrowed this list down based on several factors, including accessibility, popularity, on-demand content, live channels and reliability. We watched each service on a TV and mobile device to evaluate its user interface and channel roster.
These apps can be easily accessed on virtually any media player, smart TV, web browser or mobile device, and they offer a variety of content to suit genre preferences or age ranges. Because they’re free services, there’s added value for those that offer originals and live channels. When doing test runs of these services, we didn’t encounter problems with crashing, lag time or choppy live broadcasts, but your mileage may vary.
Free Streaming Services FAQs
What about free apps for networks like ABC, NBC, PBS, CW and others?
These are also viable options. You can watch shows from your favorite networks on their dedicated apps but we opted to not include them on this list as some (like ABC) require you to be registered with a cable/TV provider to view the most recent content. Network apps typically allow you to watch new episodes of your shows the next day — or week — via their app or website. In some cases, you can also watch live news broadcasts or episode reruns for TV series.
Do I have to sit through ads on these services?
Yes. The tradeoff for receiving content to stream for free is that you have to tolerate commercials. Whether you’re watching a live channel or on-demand video, each of these services will run ads during your viewing experience. To keep the content free, they have to pay the bills with ads. The only exception on this list is Hoopla.
Which app has the most family-friendly content?
If you’re looking for age-appropriate shows and movies, you’ll find plenty of titles on Tubi, Peacock, Roku Channel and Freevee for young children, tweens and teens. Pluto also features dedicated kids’ channels with content from Nickelodeon, Lego, Garfield and more.