When you hear folks talk about being able to watch TV shows and free movies online, chances are they're also talking about doing so in a way that's not entirely above board. But it doesn't have to be that way. Because there are plenty of ways to legally watch movies and shows online for free. It's not even all that difficult.
All you have to do to legally watch movies online for free is be willing to sit through a bit of advertising. And chances are you already do that on any number of "live" streaming services, right? You're paying for the privilege of a service that will feed you movies with advertising.
You can do better than that. There are several streaming services that offer live movies and TV shows — all legal — and all you have to do is be willing to watch the occasional advert.
Following are our three favorite free movie services. The only question is which to choose. On the other hand, they all offer up free movies and shows, so you really don't have to choose at all. Go nuts. Install them all.
Watch free movies online with Tubi TV
Tubi TV is one of the most popular ways to watch free movies online — and to do so legally. The ad-supported service is owned by the Fox Corporation, which gives it a huge catalog as well as the corporate support for even more content deals that give you even more free movies to watch.
Tubi TV has films from just about all the genres you'd want to watch films in — action, comedy, classics, dramas, horror, LGBTQ, romance, science-fiction, reality, thrillers and more. There are a number of series available on Tubi as well, including TV comedies and dramas. And Tubi has a number of dedicated channels, too, featuring content from A&E, BabyFirst, Complex, Dove, FilmRise, Lifetime — and of course Fox itself.
Tubi also is bolstering its news section in 2021 with nearly 80 live, 24-hour newsfeeds from major station owners including Cox Media Group, Hearst, Scripps and TEGNA (the former Gannett station network). That gives Tubi coverage in 24 of the top 25 markets in the United States.
Tubi is available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. It's available on almost every major platform in most of those countries, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android, smart TV systems, gaming platforms, and on the web.
Watch for free: Check out TubiTV.com
Watch free movies online with Pluto TV
Fox isn't the only broadcaster with its own free streaming service. ViacomCBS is the proud owner of Pluto TV, which also has its share of free movies and shows. Whereas Tubi is mostly about video-on-demand (in addition to live news), Pluto puts a live, linear channel lineup front and center. In other words, it's got what looks like a traditional live guide full of channels and shows of free content that you'll want to watch.
Those free live channels include a ton of ViacomCBS-owned content, like the MTV channels, BET, CBS and more. Individual shows have their own "channels," too, basically turning Pluto into a 24-hour streamer of some of the most popular shows out there today.
But Pluto also has a robust on-demand section, so you can watch what you want when you want. For free. All you have to do is tune in, and endure a few advertisements.
Pluto TV started in the US, but more content is starting to be available in other countries, such as Canada, the UK, Mexico and Germany. Beyond that, Pluto TV is available on pretty much every major streaming platform available, including Roku and Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, various smart TV models, and on the web.
Watch for free: Check out Pluto TV
Watch free movies online with IMDb TV
You likely know IMDb — the internet movie database. What you might not know is that it has a large section of movies and series to stream — all for free and all supported by advertising. What you might not know is that Amazon owns IMDB. Makes a little more sense now, doesn't it?
There's no shortage of movies and series available across all kinds of networks and distributors. Some are newer, some are older. But it's a pretty deep bench. There also is a decent stable of IMDb original content, too.
One thing you'll have to do here — that you don't with Tubi TV and Pluto TV — is actually log in to IMDb to watch video. (IMDb has been pretty aggressive about that in the rest of the app, too.) It's just something to be aware of since IMDB is owned by Amazon, and Amazon loves data. (Who doesn't, though.)
IMDb TV is available in the United States and the UK. You can watch it using the IMDb app, the website, on Amazon Fire TV, Roku and in the Amazon Prime app.
Watch for free: Check out IMBD TV
Watch free movies on The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is another ad-supported channel that includes series and movies from all sorts of sources. And the most important part is that it's not only for Roku devices.
Yes, you absolutely can watch The Roku Channel on a Roku device, and that's how a good number of folks are going to do it, seeing as how Roku is one of the top streaming platforms in the United States. But The Roku Channel is also available on Amazon Fire sticks and at TheRokuChannel.com.
