The streaming situation has become nearly untenable. It’s more of a hassle to boot up your TV’s streaming options and find something more than ever before. There are so many options, and the content that you might want to watch can be spread across multiple streaming services. It can get even worse if you want to watch a movie that is just out of theaters, and you have to pay extra on a streaming service that you already pay for.
While a lot of people felt like they were being taken advantage of by their cable companies and moved to cut the cord, it almost feels like the streaming landscape has turned us all back into cable customers. If you want to watch something specifically, you may have to pay for it. But there’s so much spread across different platforms; you have to make sure you have access to them.
That’s why free platforms that have live TV are valuable. They offer users a free experience to watch shows that they like and keep them up-to-date on what’s going on around the world. Plus, there are a ton of movies and TV series to watch for free. The landscape of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels is used by many platforms. I tried multiple options for watching live TV, and it became clear that one was ahead of the others.
Xumo Play feels like a spinoff
Get ready for other Xumo products
Xumo Play is the free streaming platform from Xumo. Xumo is an all-encompassing entity that wants to give you a platform to stream on, along with devices that have its platform built in. You can watch Xumo Play on most streaming devices, including your phone, TV, and laptop. But you can also buy a Xumo TV and have the platform built in or a Xumo Stream Box if you want to turn your dumb TV into a smart one.
Xumo is similar to Roku in that aspect, where it provides you with ways of watching the platform to get more eyes on it. Xumo Play offers many FAST channels, similar to those in a cable package, but with slight differences. Many of them are focused on just one show, so you can watch the Heartland Channel to strictly watch episodes of Heartland.
What I like about Xumo is the number of channels it has. There are a lot of options to help you find something to watch. Whether you want to watch holiday movies, which currently have their own drop-down menu, or you want to watch a news program, Xumo Play gives you that opportunity. Xumo Play also has content from traditional print media outlets, highlighting channels from Bon Appétit or Sports Illustrated. The interface isn’t as user-friendly as some other streaming platforms, but I never found myself upset that I was using Xumo Play.
You aren’t asked to sign up for an account if you don’t want to. But if you do, you’re able to make a favorites list for channels, making it simpler to navigate the interface.
Philo has a nice layout, but minimal free options
It’s not quite there for free streamers
Philo is another option when it comes to free streaming. The difference between Xumo and Philo is that it not only has a free streaming option. You can add subscriptions to your Philo live-streaming account, giving you access to both paid and free content. Philo is a mix of Prime Video and YouTube TV in that you can choose different subscription levels of it, depending on how much access you want.
Philo, unlike Prime Video and YouTube TV, offers free channels, so anyone can just log on and watch. For free channels, it offers a lot of FAST channels, including AMC Thrillers, Game Show Network, LOL!, and more. But you can upgrade to a Philo Core account for $33 per month and receive access to channels like BET, History Channel, Food Network, CMT, Comedy Central, and others.
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On top of Philo Core, you can add subscriptions to MGM+, STARZ, Fandor, Hallmark, and ALLBLK. The layout is easy to navigate with Philo, as there are labeled filters and breakdowns of content to make it simpler to find what you want to watch. Scanning through the guide gives you free channels lined up to flip through.
Pluto TV is great for on-demand content
It has a good amount of live TV, too
Pluto TV is a top-notch free streaming platform, offering viewers a wealth of content for no cost. It’s a streaming service I have used plenty, as it has a good number of FAST channels, including news channels. I will frequently throw on a live news channel while doing work in my office and have it playing in the background.
Pluto TV’s live TV does have some fun genres that it breaks its channels into, including competition reality, daytime + game shows, anime, music videos, and local news, to name a few. The platform’s local news section is impressive, as it has local news feeds from around the U.S., hitting many major markets to keep viewers in touch with what’s potentially going on in their area.
Tubi’s layout for live TV viewing is similar to a channel guide that you’d see if you were scrolling through cable TV.
But Pluto TV really makes a difference in the on-demand library content. It boasts over 20,000 hours of content to view that you can fire up at any time, either through the browser version or via TV or mobile app. Thanks to its partnership with Paramount, viewers can watch CBS content shortly after it airs live. It also has a deep library of quality movies, not just random movies that people haven’t heard of. For example, on the main page currently, Titanic, Jack Reacher, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Rush Hour are all available to watch.
You can select different shows to view, as there are full seasons available on Pluto TV. Plus, Pluto TV does a good job of highlighting seasonal content at the top of the on-demand page, as it is some of the most sought-after content at any given time.
- founded
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2013-00-00
- number of users
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80 million+ monthly
Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers live TV channels and on-demand content across news, entertainment, sports, and movies. It provides a traditional TV-like viewing experience with hundreds of curated channels available online.
Tubi takes the cake for live TV streaming
Flip through your guide easily
A synchronized testament to streaming, Tubi has all facets of free content covered. You can watch a wide variety of live content on Tubi, and it feels like you’re watching cable TV again.
Tubi’s layout for live TV viewing is similar to a channel guide that you’d see if you were scrolling through cable TV. Not only can you scroll down and go through all the channels, but you can also choose the kind of channels you want to choose from and filter the guide that way. This made it easy to find national news channels, which are set up through a filter.
Tubi is a flag bearer for why free streaming services are great, as it is constantly changing as well. It’s always adding new channels, and there is a part of the guide dedicated to recently added channels. The platform also boasts some specialty channels like Big 12 Studios, PLL Network, The Breakfast Club, Living with Evil by WB TV, and more to keep your tastes changing.
The on-demand lineup from Tubi is also nothing to scoff at, featuring Tubi Originals and nearly 300,000 movies and TV episodes to watch for free. There’s just so much happening with Tubi that every need I had was met.
- founded
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2014-00-00
- number of users
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100 million+ monthly
Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming platform with over 300,000 movies and TV episodes to watch on-demand. Both classic shows and movies are available.
Tubi is the complete package
After I reviewed all four of these streamers, Tubi was the one I kept coming back to. I did enjoy all of them in their own capacities. But Tubi had most of what I was looking for at any given time. It made the streaming experience easier, thanks to its ability to host both live TV channels and plenty of on-demand content.
