Patrick Hearn · April 22, 2020 · 6 min read Long gone are the days when people had a huge collection of movies sitting in their home. The majority of the world has switched to a digital-only collection, but even that requires a huge amount of space. After all, a movie can take up as much as 2 GB of storage space.
If you don’t want to set up a massive in-home media server, you can just stream your films. Not sure where to stream from? Check out this list of the 10 best free movie apps to watch movies online.
Also, be sure to check out our YouTube channel, where we posted a short video going through some of the apps mentioned below.
Sony Crackle
Sony Crackle is the single best option on the web for streaming movies. Not only does it have a tremendous collection, but it has a free movie app for almost every platform and device out there.
All of the movies featured on Crackle have captions for the hearing impaired, and it usually doesn’t require a login to watch the free movies on the platform. However, the movies are ad-supported, so you’ll have to bear with those while you watch.
Get it here:
Popcornflix
Popcornflix is another popular option for watching movies for free. The app divides movies, TV shows, and viral videos into three different sections for easy browsing. The movie section is then further divided into categories like most popular, staff picks, drama, action, and more more. Popular films are on the app, so you aren’t stuck watching obscure, lesser-known movies.
Although Popcornflix is ad-sponsored, most of the ads are short, so they won’t detract from your overall viewing experience. Popcornflix is available for iPhone, Android, Roku, Apple TV, and more.
Get it here:
Tubi
Most movie apps require an account, but if you are tired of signing up for services, Tubi is the free movie app for you. You can create an account or watch movies as a guest. The majority of films on Tubi are streamed in high quality, so you don’t have to worry about losing quality because of compression.
Although there are a lot of older films, you can also find newer movies on Tubi. Movies are divided into broad categories, but you can also take advantage of an extensive breakdown of films across dozens of different sections.
Get it here:
Vudu
Vudu is Walmart’s answer to Netflix. While the service is better known for at-home movie rentals, there are hundreds of ad-supported movies you can watch entirely for free.
There are a few downsides to the service, but they balance out. The main issue is that you have to log in to watch any movies, and many free movies move off the service relatively quickly. On the other hand, the number of high-quality movies makes a little hassle worthwhile.
Vudu also adds new movies on a regular basis, so you aren’t likely to run out of films to entertain you anytime soon.
Get it here:
SnagFilms
While many of the streaming services on this list are great for finding family-friendly, entertaining films, SnagFilms is better suited for people that enjoy documentaries and movies that make you think.
SnagFilms sorts its movies into different categories like “Filmanthropy,” “Climate Change & The Environment,” and “Refugee & Immigrant Stories.” If you’re looking for classic films and great documentaries, SnagFilms is the way to go. Perhaps best of all, the frequency of ads is smaller versus other services.
Get it here:
FilmRise
FilmRise is home to many classic and cult favorite movies that might not be on other services. If you want to watch movies that may have been passed over the year they came out in favor of more popular titles, check out FilmRise.
There are a lot of odd, obscure movies, but if you’re willing to sort through the large number of titles you can find a lot of hidden gems.
Get it here:
YouTube
Most everyone has YouTube on their phone already, but not everyone realizes that YouTube has a huge number of free movies. Sure, you can rent (and even buy) new, popular films, but if you’re willing to deal with advertisements you can see dozens of films for free.
It can be a bit difficult to search out the free movies, but YouTube actually curates a playlist of movies that makes it easy to find the free choices. Many of the free films are geared towards children or are more obscure titles, but if you find yourself craving something new to watch, exploring YouTube can be a lot of fun.
Get it here:
PlutoTV
Don’t let the name fool you—Pluto TV may offer dozens of channels of free, ad-supported television, but you can also find movies on the service. More specifically, you can find channels dedicated to airing movies, like the 007 channel, the Pluto Spotlight channel, and the Pluto Movies channel.
While you can’t choose what film is being aired at any given time, this gives you a free Starz-like experience. The Pluto TV free movie app is available on almost every device and is a great option for cord cutters.
Get it here:
Viki
Do you find yourself closely following the world of K-Pop? Does the idea of drama excite you? If you said yes to both of these questions, check out Viki. It’s a free movie streaming service for mobile devices that gives users access to a wide range of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese cinema.
Don’t worry if you don’t speak the language; Viki offers subtitles in multiple languages. While this is definitely a more niche offering, Viki is great if you want something a bit out of the norm.
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Sling TV
While Sling TV is most often spoken of as a way to get live TV without the need for a cable subscription, you can actually find quite a few free movies to watch on the service. Sling TV shows newer, popular films as well as older titles.
The interface isn’t set up for easy browsing, however, so finding it takes a bit of searching—and you have to find free movies, not those that require a subscription to watch.
Get it here:
