10 Best Free Movie Streaming Websites in 2024
Reading time: 18 min
Updated on February 29, 2024
Even though you can find free streaming websites on Google, many of those sites violate copyrights and are, therefore, illegal. Some can even infect your device with malware.
I tested dozens of streaming websites and many of them promised free streaming but then asked me to buy a subscription. Some were either unreliable or illegal. After much research, I picked the 10 best free and legal movie streaming sites.
However, even legal and legitimate websites can pose a threat to your private data. A VPN helps you by creating an encrypted tunnel between you and the internet. Among all the ones I tested, ExpressVPN gave me the best results, providing me with fast speeds and top-notch security. Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
Important! Even free streaming sites that are legal sometimes host content that is protected by copyright. Streaming such content is illegal with or without a VPN. The Wizcase team doesn’t condone any illegal activity, so please be responsible.
Short on Time? The 10 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites
- YouTube — Most-watched streaming platform with a substantial library.
- Freevee — Hosts an extensive library of free movies and shows but doesn’t include live TV.
- Sony Crackle — Includes recent releases but can only be accessed in the US.
- PopcornFlix — Extensive library neatly sorted in genres but ads can be while streaming.
- Vudu Movies on Us — Has many movies available in 1080p, but the platform is only accessible to US users.
- Pluto TV — Doesn’t require creating an account to stream but shows frequent ads while streaming.
- Plex — Lets you create your own server but doesn’t work seamlessly with a VPN.
- The Roku Channel — Doesn’t require signing up before streaming but is geo-restricted to users in the US, the UK, and Canada.
- Peacock TV — Easy to use interface with an extensive library, but is only available to US users.
- Tubi TV — Hosts an extensive library but isn’t available in the UK.
The Best Free Movie Streaming Websites
It can be challenging to find a suitable movie streaming website, but to save you time, I tested dozens of streaming sites and handpicked the best 10 ones. All of them contain a variety of legal and free content. However, don’t set your expectations too high, as most of these won’t have many of the latest releases.
1. YouTube
I am a well-known video platform with a large audience. My platform features a wide range of free movies and TV shows across various genres. What sets my platform apart is its dependability, and the most appealing aspect is that all the content provided is both legal and copyright-free, allowing you to enjoy it without any concerns regarding legal matters.
I could access many movies and shows, including FBI Files, The Hunt, and Patient Seven. However, most of the content available isn’t recent at all, and that’s what you should keep in mind when using YouTube — you’ll rarely find any recent releases in its library. Also, YouTube shows a lot of ads (an ad every 10 to 15 minutes) unless you subscribe to its paid premium plan.
2. Freevee
Freevee (formerly known as IMDb TV) is an ad-supported video-on-demand platform owned by Amazon. It’s a free service with many movies and TV shows. However, since its launch, the library has decreased in size — shows like Schitt’s Creek and Ugly Betty have migrated to other streaming services. Still, you can browse through and stream plenty of content, including Mad Men, The X-Files, and My Name Is Earl. I must say, however, that sites like Peacock support a more extensive library than Freevee.
I liked Freevee’s movie library as it’s more diverse and plentiful than its TV shows library. It includes Fifty Shades of Grey, The Founder, The Invisible Man, and many more. Unfortunately, Freevee doesn’t offer live TV or live sports, but it does have live channels that play popular TV staples.
Even though Freevee functions as a completely free streaming website, there are occasional advertisements that will appear while you’re streaming. This is how the platform generates its revenue, a common approach for any free streaming service. On the whole, it’s a suitable option for enthusiastic streamers, provided you’re comfortable with some restrictions.
3. Sony Crackle
Crackle hosts one of the largest content libraries for a free streaming website, containing hundreds of movies and TV shows — some even recent releases. However, most of the content isn’t so recent. I could stream Spiderman 3, Cold Pursuit, and The Whistleblower, among other movies, without any buffering. A couple of ads popped up while streaming at different instances, but they didn’t feel like much of a nuisance.
The only catch is you need a US IP address to use Crackle, which means it has geo-restricted content, which you can only access if you’re in the US.
I liked the overall streaming experience Crackle provides. You can continue watching an episode where you left off, as it saves your streaming progress. Besides a closed captioning toggle embedded in the video player, Crackle includes a parental controls function, which lets you control which shows or movies your child can watch on their device and for how long.
4. PopcornFlix
PopcornFlix includes over 1,500 movies across a range of genres in its library. I was impressed by its easy-to-navigate user interface and the fact that I didn’t have to sign up or create an account. I could simply visit the website and start streaming.
The “Leaving Soon” category lets you watch movies that are about to be taken down from the streaming site soon so that you can watch them at the earliest. It supports the automatic resume playback function, and I could quickly resume watching where I left off.
PopcornFlix doesn’t show you as many ads while streaming content as most competitors. When watching Sci-Fi Sanctuary, only 4 to 5 ads popped up during my streaming. The catch is these ads can appear at any time during the movie or episode, and it’s annoying when that happens during climactic scenes.
5. Vudu Movies on Us
Vudu is another streaming platform that offers free and paid plans. The paid subscription includes the entire library, whereas the free plan (also called “Movies on Us”) contains limited movies and TV shows. Like Crackle, Vudu is only available in the US, so you won’t be able to use it if you’re located elsewhere.
A good proportion of movies and shows on Vudu are available in 1080p. I’m happy to report that it was pretty easy to use. I could easily change the genre and browse through the library. However, I would’ve liked it better if users didn’t have to sign up for an account to stream content.
Vudu also allows you to buy or rent a movie for a cheap price, a feature I found missing in most other streaming sites. I was pleased to see that I wasn’t bombarded with ads constantly and had a relatively smooth streaming experience.
6. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is another ad-supported streaming website with loads of Nickelodeon and Comedy Central content. You don’t need to sign up and create an account to stream. It works as both an on-demand movie streaming service and a live TV service. That means you can choose a movie from its library or watch one when it becomes available.
I liked that, unlike most other streaming sites, Pluto TV has a range of non-conventional genres you can choose from. These include Science Docs, World Cinema, LGBTQ Cinema, PGA Tour, ‘90s Throwback, and more. Some of its on-demand movies include Django Unchained, Cloud Atlas, and Resident Evil: Extinction.
I didn’t like the overall streaming experience, as I got frequent ads while I was streaming, but at least they weren’t pop-up or banner ads, which, when you try closing, redirect you to another page. Pluto TV is only available to users in the US, the UK, and some countries in Europe.
7. Plex
Plex includes over 20,000 movies, shows, podcasts, and live TV shows, most of which support subtitles in different languages. I liked that besides choosing a traditional genre like “thriller” or “action,” I could browse by channel, including BBC, Crackle, Lionsgate, Popsy, and more. Plex has many unique categories, including “cheap thrills” and “crime time.”
While you don’t need to pay anything to stream on Plex, its paid plan “Plex Pass” lets you download content on your device and provides live TV DVR support and mobile syncing, among other things. I also liked that it enables you to create your own server to host your selected media on all your devices.
Overall, Plex hosts some of the most advanced features I’ve seen on a streaming website. It provided me with excellent streaming throughout without much buffering.
8. The Roku Channel
If you’re a fan of Roku originals, this streaming website is for you. It has tons of movies and TV shows you can watch for free. You don’t need to sign up and create an account to access content on The Roku Channel. Bear in mind, however, that it’s only available in the US, Canada, and the UK.
I didn’t experience any buffering while streaming on The Roku Channel, even while using a VPN. The only problem was its limited library. If you’re a picky watcher, you may not find a great range of watchable content on The Roku Channel. Also, my streaming experience was frequently punctuated by ads — I got an ad every 10 minutes of streaming.
9. Peacock TV
Peacock TV is NBC’s streaming platform only available to users in the United States. It has an extensive library of movies, TV shows, live sports and news, SNL streams, and exclusive originals. I could easily navigate my way and browse through its genres and the content list for each genre.
It’s an ad-supported platform, but I was impressed that I didn’t get as many ads during my streaming sessions as I had using other streaming sites. Also, Peacock is compatible with a range of operating systems and devices, including Android, iOS, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One or above, web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari), and Roku devices.
10. Tubi TV
Tubi TV is one of the most highly visited ad-supported streaming websites, with over 1.5 million monthly visitors. I first noticed its clean and easy-to-use interface, and I easily browsed through its extensive collection of 7,000+ movies, TV shows, documentaries, and independent flicks.
I could stream shows on Tubi TV in perfect HD. However, the streaming service is only available to users in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. That’s a good number of countries, but I was surprised the UK and European countries weren’t on this list.
The ads were only a minute or two long and didn’t interrupt my streaming experience. Tubi TV is compatible with a range of smart TVs, including Android TV and Apple TV, as well as gaming consoles. It also supports major browsers and has iOS and Android apps.
3 Best VPNs for Streaming Movies
Important! The Wizcase team doesn’t condone copyright infringement. All our VPNs have strict no-log policies and military-grade encryption, so your online activity is never stored or shared. That means it’s up to you to use your VPN responsibly. Please don’t break any laws or regulations.
1. ExpressVPN — Fastest and Most Consistent Speeds for Streaming
Key Features:
- 3,000+ server locations in 105 countries
- Blazing-fast speeds on all servers
- 5 simultaneous device connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with Netflix, Disney+, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, and BBC iPlayer
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
ExpressVPN has over 3000+ servers across the world, including North America, Europe, and Oceania, where most of the streaming sites mentioned above are available. Throughout my tests, my global team and I got blazing-fast speeds and could easily stream content in HD on all the streaming sites on my list without buffering.
We connected to the servers at different times of the day to see if we got any speed drops. ExpressVPN’s performance never fell, which is why it sits at the top of my list. We got virtually no speed drops when connected to any servers at all.
It also provides browser extensions on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, making all your browser activity anonymous. You can test ExpressVPN out completely risk-free as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee — if you don’t like it, you can easily get a full refund.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
2024 Update! ExpressVPN has dropped prices for a limited time to a crazy $6.67 per month for the 1-year plan + 3 months free (you can save up to 49%)! This is a limited offer so be sure to grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
2. CyberGhost VPN — Streaming-Optimized Servers Provide a Buffer-Free Streaming Experience
Key Features:
- 11,676+ servers in 100 countries
- Great connection speeds on most servers
- 7 simultaneous device connections
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with Netflix, Hotstar, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Comedy Central
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
Having over 11,676 servers across the world in its arsenal, CyberGhost is an excellent choice for avid streamers who wish to watch their favorite content safely in the best quality. Our US team connected to US servers to stream Netflix and Prime Video without issues, and could also watch US-specific streaming sites like Peacock and The Roku Channel.
CyberGhost provided me with excellent speeds on nearby servers, and I could stream on most sites without any buffering. On longer-distance servers, however (like from the US East Coast to the US West Coast), I got a few speed drops of up to 15%, which isn’t too bad. I could stream content without buffering using its streaming-optimized servers.
I compared the performance of CyberGhost’s regular and streaming-optimized servers and found that the latter significantly impacted my streaming. On long-distance streaming-optimized servers, my speed dropped from 15% to just 7%. On top of that, you can use CyberGhost’s browser extension to anonymize your browser traffic. CyberGhost comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it risk-free for your streaming needs.
Editor’s Note: Transparency is one of our core values at WizCase, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as CyberGhost VPN. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
2024 Update! You can subscribe to CyberGhost for as low as $2.19 per month + get an extra 2 months free with the 2-year plan (save up to 84%)! This is a limited offer so grab it now before it's gone. See more information on this offer here.
3. Private Internet Access — Provides Decent Speeds and Includes an Ad-Blocker
Key Features:
- 35,000+ servers in 91 countries
- Decent connection speeds and low latency
- 10 simultaneous device connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Also works with Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and more
Private Internet Access (PIA) boasts over 35000 servers across 78 countries, many of which are in North America and Europe. When I connected to a US server, I had no problems accessing most of the listed streaming sites, like The Roku Channel and Freevee. However, I couldn’t access Crackle and Pluto TV with a VPN. While streaming, though, the movies took some time to load, and there were a few instances where they buffered.
PIA provided me with exceptionally fast speeds on nearby servers, with speed drops of just up to 10%. This kept my speeds fast enough for lag-free streaming without interruptions or buffering.
What caught my eye was PIA’s “MACE” ad blocker, and I wanted to see if it could block ads on the streaming websites on my list. Unfortunately, it didn’t work on most of them. MACE is particularly useful for blocking random pop-ups or banner ads on your screen. However, many streaming websites have ads embedded inside the online video player (not pop-up ads), so MACE can’t block them.
Overall, PIA is a decent VPN that gave me a good streaming experience with minimal buffering. I highly recommend you try it out risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
FAQs on Streaming Free Movies and VPNs
Are free movie streaming sites legal?
Watching movies for free on a website is perfectly legal as long as it doesn’t infringe upon copyrights. It’s illegal to stream copyrighted content on a website if that site hasn’t taken appropriate permissions or rights to stream that content. Therefore, you must be careful in picking out your streaming site; otherwise, you can be accused of piracy issues.
I picked out the 10 best legal streaming websites where you can watch your favorite content for free. All of them are ad-supported, which means they get paid by advertisers and not by users. However, it also means your streaming experience won’t be free from ads.
Is it safe to use a free movie streaming site?
What site has the most free movies?
What is the best free movie streaming app?
Where can I watch free movies without signing up?
Can I use a free VPN to stream free movies?
Choose the Best VPN for All Your Movie Streaming Needs
Almost every free streaming site (including those on my list) is ad-supported, which means you’ll see ads while streaming content on them. That’s not an issue for most users. Also, most free streaming sites are geo-restricted to certain countries. That means you can’t watch them unless your device and IP address are located in that country.
While you can technically use a VPN to change your IP address to the US and access these sites from abroad, this could go against the streaming platform’s terms of service or constitute copyright infringement. My team and I don’t condone this.
If you want to protect your connection with a VPN and stream at the same time, there are a few good options. After extensively testing the best VPNs on the market, I found ExpressVPN to be the best of the lot. It gave me excellent speeds on nearby and distant servers, preventing buffering while streaming. What’s best, it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can buy in confidence.
Summary: 3 Best VPNs for Streaming Movies in 2024
Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: ExpressVPN, Cyberghost, Private Internet Access, and Intego. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.
Leave a Comment
Cancel