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You can stream tons of movies and shows for free with these great sites. But even the best free streaming sites pose threats to your safety and privacy. Find out how to use a VPN to stream free content without worrying about malware, adware, and other cyber threats
Watching movies at home lets you maximize comfort while you also maximize entertainment (and allows access to your favorite snacks). Want some great movie snack ideas?
Streaming makes watching movies at home easier than ever, but what if you could stream free movies online? We know a few sites where you can access free movies online right now, from your computer or laptop, and a few of them from streaming devices like a Roku or an Amazon Fire TV stick.
Check out the list below to see the 10 best sites for watching movies free. Make sure to bookmark your favorites, so nights at home can be just as amazing as going out to the theater — while costing you nothing!
I scoured the internet for free and legal streaming websites for movies and TV shows. The ten sites on this list have different strengths, so you’re guaranteed to find one that hosts your favorite content.
1. Crackle
Crackle is owned by Sony, which means you get access to the entire Sony back catalog. There are hundreds of titles, including classics and original shows in every genre. The website rotates its offerings, so there’s always something new to watch.
The website is well organized, making it easy to find interesting shows and movies, both popular and obscure. You can search by title, actor, or genre.
It isn’t necessary to sign up to the service to access videos, but doing so allows you to create watch lists. Crackle is only available in the US, so a VPN with US servers is a must to reach it from anywhere else.
The only downside of the site is that it does include ads. But with a premium VPN that comes with an ad blocker, like NordVPN, this isn’t an issue.
2. Popcorn Flix
Popcorn Flix offers movies and TV shows from a wide range of genres. While you won’t find any new releases among its titles, the catalog includes classic movies, big TV hits of the past, and some possibly best-forgotten B-movie cult favorites.
The website is organized by genre, with separate sections for movies and TV shows. There’s a basic search feature for finding specific shows or movies.
No sign up is required; however, as with most sites on this list, you do encounter some ads on Popcorn Flix. Some of the embedded ads are rather suspicious, so make sure to use a VPN with ad blocking and malware protection, like NordVPN.
I connected through US servers and was able to access every title I tried. Playback was excellent each time.
3. Vudu Movies on Us
Vudu Movies on Us provides a wide range of free and pay-to-view movies and TV shows. It has hundreds of titles to choose from in its free catalog, covering every conceivable genre. Video can be streamed in up to 1080p, so quality isn’t an issue.
The website is well organized – it’s immediately clear which titles are free and which are rentals. There’s a basic search option if you’re looking for something specific.
You do need to sign up for the service, but this takes less a minute, and you only need to provide a name, email address, and password.
Advertisements are presented before each title, which is what allows the website to provide so much free content. I had to connect to a VPN server in the US to access the titles I chose.
4. Tubi TV
Tubi TV is only available in the United States, which is no problem if you use a VPN with US servers. It offers a wide range of content, including releases as little as two years old.
To register, you need to provide your name, date of birth, and an email address. Use a real email account as you’ll need to verify it during registration.
The website is easy to navigate, but of course, each title is preceded by an ad. However, video playback was good for each video I selected, and the ads aren’t an issue with a premium VPN like Surfshark or CyberGhost.
5. Pluto TV
Pluto TV offers movies, sports broadcasts, kids shows, and live TV. The main reason it’s this far down the list is that it’s much more difficult to navigate than the above streaming sites.
However, once you’ve managed the navigation to find the show or movie that you want, playback is excellent.
It’s possible to connect to Pluto TV from the US, the UK, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. If you’re connecting from another location, you’ll be blocked by an error message.
The content available to you and the number of compatible devices depends on your location. For ease of use, I recommend connecting through a US VPN server so that the service works directly on most devices.
6. CONtv
If you’re a fan of horror, sci-fi, and cult films, this is the streaming service you need.
CONtv is only available in the US, so to access it, you need to connect to a US-based VPN server. The site was created by Cinedigm and Wizard World to provide content to the Comic-Con community.
While sci-fi is the core offering of this service, there’s much more that’s worth exploring, including fantasy, gaming, superheroes, and martial arts. You can even watch Comic-Con events.
The website’s easy to navigate and includes a search function. You need to sign up to stream, but you don’t need to enter any payment details.
Video playback is high quality, but it’s a good idea to choose a VPN with an ad blocker, like NordVPN, as ads play before each video.
7. SnagFilms
SnagFilms offers over 2,000 titles, including cult classics and independent films. Its catalog covers most genres and includes a good range of TV shows and series, as well.
You do need to sign up to use the service, but as with the other streaming sites we include here, signing up is simple and straightforward.
The ads are short and unobtrusive, and the content is well organized and easy to navigate.
The only problem I found with this website is that some titles I chose wouldn’t play during my testing. I tried connecting to VPN servers in different countries but found that it didn’t make much of a difference.
However, with so many titles to choose from, this limitation is really only a problem if there is a specific show or movie you want to watch. Playback quality was excellent on the titles that did work.
8. Classic Cinema Online
Classic Cinema Online is a dream for lovers of vintage cinema. If you’re a fan of silent films or lost Charlie Chaplin movies, you’ll want to check out this website.
You don’t need to sign up to use the service, and I was able to access the streams using servers in both the UK and the US. However, rather than hosting the movies, the website provides links to where they can be found.
I discovered that some content is only accessible through torrents, while others require that Flash be enabled. That, in turn, means you’ll be linking through unknown third-party sites, so using a VPN is an absolute must.
You’ll need a little patience to use this site, but the hidden and forgotten gems included in its catalog are worth the effort.
9. Veoh
Veoh gives you access to over 7,000 movies, as well as a host of TV shows and other content.
Creating an account is optional to stream videos, but it’s required if you want to upload content. Either way, no payment information is required.
In addition to a large catalog of old classic films, Veoh hosts user-uploaded content, so you need to exercise additional caution when using the site. With a VPN, you can discover new content without worrying about your safety.
The content is well organized, and the well-designed search function allows you to search by several different criteria. Playback on the videos I tested was excellent, and I found some great classic movies as well as entertaining user-uploaded hits.
10. YouTube (USA)
No list of free streaming websites is complete without YouTube. The platform is packed with ads and trackers, but you can avoid these issues by using a VPN that blocks them, like NordVPN.
Again, use a VPN to connect to US servers to access a greater variety of content. Of course, YouTube has countless free videos, but the most popular movies and TV episodes are available only on a pay-to-view basis.
You don’t need to create an account to access YouTube, but having one allows you to create playlists, upload videos, and receive notifications when your favorite channels offer new content.