Key Takeaways
- Free streaming services include a variety of tiers, varying quality, and ads.
- Free streaming: Tubi, Crackle, Sling Freestream, Pluto TV, Hoopla, Roku TV, Kanopy, Freevee.
- Differences among free platforms: content, demographic, availability, and unique perks.
There is a lot of negotiating that goes on when subscribing to streaming services. There are a lot of popular options available, and most of them include various tiers dictating how many people can access it simultaneously, varying video quality, and the presence of ads.
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For all the paid services, though, there are plenty of free streaming platforms as well. Of course, they are not exactly free. While you do not pay upfront costs, these platforms come with lots of ads and commercials that interrupt your content consumption, and some may be bloated or slow.
Free streaming services are not created equal. Here are the most notable free platforms ranked from worst to best.
1 Tubi
Questionable content and clunky interface
Tubi
For those who love mindless fare, particularly those with more graphic, rated R content, look no further than Tubi. Like others on this list, Tubi boasts live channels as well as on-demand titles, which run the gamut from expensive flops to cheap mockbusters and sequels.
There are definitely some hidden gems, particularly when it comes to sci-fi and horror, and there are some decent summer blockbusters. Still, there’s a lot of low-quality reality shows, low-budget indies, and excessive violence, gore, sex, and nudity. Tubi is available on your web browser, as well on smart devices and Android, Apple, and Amazon platforms.
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2 Crackle
Tubi, improved
Crackle
Crackle is like a slight step up from Tubi. It has some better genre fare, and replaces a lot of the R-rated content with generic serials and episodic content from decades past. There’s definitely better content, but there is still a lot to be desired from the interface, and plenty of time that can be spent searching around. Crackle is only available in the U.S.
3 Sling Freestream
Live and on-demand content
From Sling TV comes Sling Freestream, a free, ad-supported tier comprising live TV channels and on-demand content. It is widely supported by Apple, Amazon, and Android devices, as well as available on a web browser. Both feature so-called 24/7 channels, in which the same older TV shows play on repeat forever and ever.
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Like most free platforms, there is a lot of content available, which can make it hard to navigate, although Freestream possesses one of the better interfaces. Sling Freestream is only available in the U.S.
4 Pluto TV
Similar to sling, but a different demographic
Pluto TV / Pocket-lint
Pluto TV runs very similar to Sling Freestream, as it also boasts free live TV, including 24/7 channels, as well as on-demand titles. It can also be widely found on common operating systems and devices.
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The key difference is that Pluto TV is likely to be positioned as more interesting to nostalgic millennials. As it’s owned by Paramount, fans can watch Star Trek, Baywatch, Cheers, and Sailor Moon, with plenty of decent newer shows and films available as well. Pluto TV is available in the U.S. as well as Canada.
5 Hoopla
Your free library streaming service
Hoopla comes courtesy of your local public library. It is a free service that does not have any ads, but you do need a library card in order to sign up for an account (a library card is also free). It boasts a lot of varied content; there are a lot of older quality titles and less quality newer titles, as well as foreign fare as well. Hoopla allows you to create a watchlist, but the library can be hard to navigate. However, it also offers music and comic book rentals in addition to films and TV shows.
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Hoopla is accessible via mobile, it’s not as widely found on TV platforms, meaning you likely have to cast from your phone.
6 Roku TV
Impressive interface
Roku / Pocket-lint
While also a streaming device, Roku also boasts a free streaming service, naturally called Roku TV. It comes with Roku products, but can also be downloaded on several notable systems, including some Samsung and Fire TV platforms. It can also be accessed via a phone or tablet, or simply on a web browser if you are located in the United States.
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Comprising both free channels and titles as well as paid subscription options, Roku TV offers new and old content via an intuitive interface that has increasing improved over recent years. There are some originals and exclusive as well, making it a lot more compelling than other paid subscriptions.
7 Kanopy
Diverse, ad-free titles
The Kanopy logo.
Kanopy is like an upgraded version of Hoopla, with a better interface, more compatibility, and a better library. Like Hoopla, it’s free and does not include ads, and is also available in the U.S. and Canada, but requires you to have a library card. The only catch is that there is a limit on how many titles you can “borrow” each month, like Hoopla, with each transaction allowing you to watch the title for a few days before it’s “returned.”
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Billing itself as “thoughtful entertainment,” Kanopy offers a vast library of TV shows, movies, and documentaries from North America and around the world that’s both new and old (though it does trend older).
8 Freevee
Amazon’s free service
Amazon
Freevee comes from Amazon, which explains why its one of the most popular free platforms (Amazon can afford it and also turn free customers into paid ones). It is available on a lot of platforms and contains a lot of varied content, from older prestige TV to reality shows and a range of new and older films. There are also live channels from which to choose, but anything that you opt for will come with commercials.
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Freevee also often gives you the first episode of a new show for free, so that you are compelled to subscribe to Prime and watch the rest. That’s how they get you.
FAQ
Q: Is peacock still free?
Peacock used to be free, and then NBC realized they weren’t making any money off of it, so now it requires a paid subscription.
Q: Is Vudu free?
Just this year, Vudu was re-branded as Fandango at Home. It offers free movies but lacks anything live or original; it also contains a lot of ads.
Q: What is Xumo Play?
Xumo Play, formerly just Xumo, was relatively niche when it first started over a decade ago, but slowly grew to be more widely available. It’s also bounced around with owners. Comcast and Charter currently share custody of Xumo Play, and they look to be positioning it as a rival to Roku TV, having recently announced a Xumo Stream Box. Xumo Play offers a range of live TV channels and shows and movies, but a deluge of ads, mediocre interface, and mostly uninspired content collection means you should approach with caution.
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