Streaming apps like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ all offer great content. Yet they have one other thing in common as well: they cost money! There's good news, though. There are some excellent free streaming apps out there, too.
If you ever browse through the App Store on a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, or other device you'll come across tons of free streaming apps. It's great that you have lots of choices but unfortunately, lots of these apps just aren't very good.
This blog post will highlight some of the best free streaming apps so you will know exactly what to stream. That way you can avoid the low quality streaming sites and get only the best of what's out there! These include streaming sites with both on-demand and live content so you can get the best of both worlds.
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Pluto TV
Sure, watching movies and TV shows on-demand is convenient. But do you ever miss just flipping through the channels? Pluto TV provides exactly that. You get hundreds of live streaming tv channels, all completely free.
Like good ol' fashioned television, you can expect ad breaks.
The channels range from those devoted to movies, sports, news, reality shows, classic sitcoms, and music. Many of them are Pluto-specific versions of cable networks like MTV, Showtime, and TV Land. There's even a channel with content from Paramount Plus.
Take note that one thing you won't be able to do is record shows.
Pluto TV also offers a growing library of on-demand content. This includes movies and shows from Paramount and CBS. Like the live content, the on-demand movies and shows feature ad breaks.
The app is available on a wide range of devices and you don't need to sign-in or create an account to watch.
Freevee
This free streaming service from Amazon used to be known as IMDb TV. It features a good selection of top-tier movies and TV shows. As with the other free streaming services Freevee features ad breaks.
Freevee also has original shows and movies. So far they include Bosch: Legacy, Judy Justice, and Alex Rider. Amazon is releasing many other shows in the coming months and years as well.
The service also has live channels, mostly centered around classic TV.
Content from Freevee can either be watched in the Amazon Prime Video app or through its own, separate app. The standalone Freevee app is available on various devices, with the exception of the Apple TV.
Tubi
Tubi offers a large, on-demand library plus some live channels. Their selection ranges from niche content to major Hollywood blockbusters.
Everything is completely free to watch with ads and no login is necessary. They have begun to produce some of their own movies and shows, too.
Original movies on Tubi mostly consist of B-movie horror like Titanic 666. There's also the animated adult comedy The Freaks Brothers, plus 100 new titles coming over the next year.
The live channels on Tubi focus on sports and news. A number of local news channels offer feeds of their broadcast on Tubi. The Tubi app can be downloaded on a wide range of devices, which can be viewed here.
Peacock
Peacock takes an unusual approach to streaming compared to its competitors. With their streaming app, you can either watch shows for free with advertising or pay to unlock extra content and cut the ads.
The free version of Peacock offers a robust lineup of major Hollywood films, TV shows from NBC, as well as live channels. You'll get news content from MSNBC plus some live sports and talk shows without having to pay a dime.
You may find yourself hitting a wall at times as some of their most popular shows (like The Office) require a Premium membership to watch everything. Still, Peacock remains one of the best free streaming apps and is worth a download.
Check out the full written review of Peacock here or the video review here
Further Reading:
– How to Watch Local Channels Without Cable
– Peacock Review
– Musicals Streaming Online: The Top 5 Streaming Services for Musicals
The Roku Channel
This free, ad-supported streaming service is another top pick. Despite the name, you can watch The Roku Channel on various devices.
The Roku Channel features both on-demand content and live channels, including news and sports. Should you device to sign up for a “premium” channel like STARZ or AMC+, you'll be able to watch their shows together in The Roku Channel, too.
Roku is in the middle of a major push into original content. Recent releases include a sitcom called Children Ruin Everything. This Fall they will release Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
Beyond that, you'll find classic TV shows and movies, family content, and some more recent films as well.
Kanopy
This service focuses on documentaries and critically-acclaimed feature films. Not only is it free to use, but there are no ads!
The catch is you must have access to Kanopy through either a university or a public library. The good news is that there are currently over 4,000 public libraries that use Kanopy. You can search for your library or school on their website to see if Kanopy is available to you.
Movies on Kanopy include content from The Criterion Collection, A24, and Paramount Pictures, to name a few. There is also kids content from PBS Kids and Sesame Street, as well as classes from The Great Courses.
You can check out a list of the devices the Kanopy app is available on here.
Check out the full written review of Kanopy here or the video review here
Best Free Streaming Apps- Wrap-Up
This blog post merely scratches the surface of the best free streaming apps that are out there. We've tried our best to highlight some of the best ones. Have you tried any of these free streaming apps? Let us know what your experience was like in the comment section down below!
