Trying to watch TV shows and movies? The best free streaming services

Bingewatching is just a way of life these days, but all the different streaming services and their subscription fees can really stack up and create a pile of bills nobody can stomach looking at.

If you’re wanting to increase your sources of entertainment without hurting your wallet, then the idea of a free streaming service sounds too good to be true. That’s not the case though, there are plenty of free streaming services that are entirely legal. The real caveat is that most of these have ads. But beggars can’t be choosers and all that.

Here are the best places to watch movies and TV shows completely free.

IMDbTV

IMDb may be the place to go when you’re trying to figure out why you recognize an actor in the movie you’re watching, but IMDb can also be your go-to for free streaming. The site is essentially a free offshoot of Amazon Prime with select TV shows and movies available for free.

You guessed it though – you’re going to need to be patient and deal with some advertising breaks. (Although if you download an adblocker we won’t tell anyone.)

IMDbTV has a great selection of popular titles, so we definitely recommend browsing the site. Some notable titles include John Tucker Must Die, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Maze Runner.

Crackle

We’ll admit Crackle’s site looks a bit sketchy, but it’s a completely legitimate site run by Sony with select TV shows and movies the production company has produced over the years. There’s a lot of niche content on there, but there are also popular titles like Charlie’s Angels, Keanu, and The Other Guys.

If you’re wanting to skirt Crackle’s ads with an adblocker you’ll have another thing coming, however. The videos won’t play unless you turn it off, so you’ll be forced to watch commercials.

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a great place to watch movies and TV shows – popular especially older content from Clueless & The King’s Speech to Leverage & 90210. There’s a wide range in genres and what’s even better is that Pluto TV has some live channels you can watch too. Finding a live streaming service that’s free is like finding a unicorn in the forest, so this site is definitely worth bookmarking.

Wondering what the caveat is? This site isn’t the one you go to when you have something specific in mind – there’s no search function. Pluto TV is best for when you’re not sure what you want to watch and are willing to peruse the options.

Roku Channel

Before you scroll away from this suggestion because you don’t pay for Roku – hold up. You can go to the Roku Channel site whether you have a subscription to their service or not and choose from their library of shows & movies. Some of the more impressive titles include Merlin, 24, White Collar, Donnie Darko and Xena Warrior Princess.

It’s worth keeping in mind that if you believe in watching TV shows from start to finish and in chronological order then this site might drive you a little crazy. A number of the shows they have listed only have some of the seasons and they’re not always the first ones.

Tubi

Our final recommendation for free TV and movie streaming. The site plenty of options – and even better, it’s entirely ad free. We honestly don’t know how this site runs, but you also don’t have to make an account.

There really doesn’t seem to be any strings attached to using Tubi, but you will have to accept that a lot of what’s offered on the site is a little older or not terribly popular. There’s still some fun options for movie night though. From Spy Kids & Stuart Little to American Hustle & Mortdecai there’s probably something for everyone.