Nothing in life is truly free. Although free video streaming services may not cost money, you are almost certainly paying with the personal data that the services collect. In the case of most free video streaming services, your ad views are what matter. Kanopy is an exception; it doesn't show ads.

The specifics of ad behavior vary across services. For instance Crackle and Xumo include markers on the playback interface to show you exactly where to expect ads to play. It's a safe bet that you'll sit through ads about every 10 minutes or so, at least for on-demand content. Plex does not insert ads into streams, though RetroCrush and Tubi include ads.

In our experience, it's sometimes possible to get around ads on the services' web versions by using a combination of ad-blocking and privacy-enhancing extensions. However, we've had less luck blocking commercials when using Hulu's ad-supported base tiers. To eliminate ads, you must upgrade to a higher tier. Services that don't include ads at all are becoming increasingly rare. Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, and Prime Video all now have ad-supported tiers.

Some of the services in this roundup are offered only at the free level, with no option to upgrade to a paid experience. Among those are Crackle, Pluto TV, RetroCrush, The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Xumo. You can still set up an account with those services, but doing so does not grant you extra content or remove ads. Instead, accounts generally let you track what you watch and customize other aspects of the experience.

Other free services are more like free samples that lock their full library and features behind a paywall. PBS Video offers a paid plan that unlocks ad-free streams, premium content, and other perks. Plex also offers a premium tier option called Plex Pass. This upgraded plan provides additional library management features but doesn't expand the available on-demand content.

If there's something on any of these services that you want to watch, you should take advantage of the fact that they are free. The limited resolution options and ads may diminish the experience, but if you weren't going to pay for the content anyway, that's a fine compromise. You won't find any of the latest releases, either, so ensuring you have the best viewing experience is likely not important.

You won't find many worthwhile series if you seek new shows to binge-watch. As mentioned, originals and popular classic shows are unlikely to leave their content holders' services. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for (or don't pay for, in this case).

The cord-cutting audience won't likely find a suitable replacement in the free category either, as most live content on the free options is from a handful of news networks. Still, if cable's appeal was just to have something on in the background as an auditory or visual distraction, then these might fit the bill. For live cable channels and sports, you need to pay up.

As with paid services, there are two main types of free video streaming services: on-demand and live. Some free options, like PBS Video and The Roku Channel, offer both content types.

Crackle, Kanopy, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi all have on-demand movies. Amazon Prime Video has the most popular movies, while Kanopy and PBS Video distinguish themselves with top-notch documentaries. Serious cinephiles should check out dedicated movie streaming services like The Criterion Channel or Mubi. You may be surprised that Crackle and Tubi's movie libraries are larger than many paid services, but paid services have higher-quality titles. Anecdotally, many of the free services share the same movies, too. Crackle, PBS Video, Pluto TV, and Tubi all offer on-demand TV shows.

Paid video streaming services, such as HBO Max and Paramount+, use popular current and classic shows to expand their catalogs (often with exclusives), so it makes sense that there aren't many marquee titles for free services to grab. Still, free streaming is becoming an increasingly important part of the streaming landscape.

Amazon and Crackle are unique among free options in that they produce original series. Don't expect the production value or quality storytelling of Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Netflix's Stranger Things, or Paramount+'s Star Trek: Picard. The Roku Channel also has a surprising amount of original shows acquired from the defunct Quibi.

PBS Video is the closest thing to a free live TV service of everything we've reviewed here, as it lets you watch a live feed of your local PBS station. Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Xumo occupy a weird hybrid space. These services primarily offer continuous streaming channels of preprogrammed clips and commentary, but they do have a select few live news and sports commentary feeds. Meanwhile, free "live TV" offerings on Screambox and Shout Factory TV are basically 24/7 marathons of existing content.

For streaming services that can replace cable, consider our top picks in the category: Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. You won't likely find live coverage of popular sports leagues on free services, either, so sports fans should consider a paid sports streaming service. That said, Tubi did carry the Super Bowl in 2025.

Speaking of YouTube, the popular video platform lets you watch full seasons of select, ad-supported TV shows. Enjoy more than 4,000 episodes of Andromeda, Heartland, and Hell's Kitchen. YouTube also offers a selection of free movies.

Anime streaming services are another subset of free video streaming services. Crunchyroll no longer offers a free tier, but RetroCrush is totally free.

Media server applications, such as Kodi and Plex, are free and enable you to stream your content from a personal or shared server. Plex now includes an on-demand streaming library of movies and shows you don't need to host (largely because it integrates Crackle's whole library).

Of course, you can always fill your time by watching videos on Vimeo and YouTube. And who could forget about video game live streaming services, such as Twitch?