Searching for “free movie sites” almost always leads to the same place: pop-ups, malware warnings, suspicious redirects, and endless scam pages pretending to host the latest blockbuster. It’s one of the most dangerous search phrases you can type into Google, and the results rarely contain anything legal.
The good news is that you don’t need to rely on shady sites to watch films for free. There are several legitimate streaming services that offer thousands of movies at no cost, supported by advertising or public library partnerships.
Tubi
Free movies and live TV
A few names have risen to the top of the free movie streaming pile, and Tubi is one of them. The free streaming service has become one of the most popular options due to its extensive library, covering both modern and older shows across a broad spectrum of genres.
Tubi also has the backing of the Fox network, which gives it some extra heft, but it doesn’t force you to sign up or pay a penny to watch its library, and that’s something we can all get behind.
It even adds seasonal channels to its Live TV selection, which is a neat feature. For example, I’m writing this during the 2025 holiday period, and you can jump on and watch the Lifetime Christmas Movies channel; who doesn’t love non-stop Lifetime Christmas cheer?
- founded
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2014
- number of users
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100 million+ monthly
YouTube’s free movies
Another platform with a surprising number of free movies
YouTube isn’t just home to user-generated content. You can also find a huge selection of free movies in the aptly named Movies & TV section.
As you might expect, most of these movies are ad-supported, which means the odd interruption. But given the sheer number of options available, putting up with an advert isn’t all that bad, really.
You can also switch to the Live tab and watch the variety of free channels available, including amc+ Live, Willow TV Live, Paramount Plus Live, and more. Again, expect ads, but that’s a small price to pay for free TV and movies without fear of malware or other nasties.
The Roku Channel
One of the fastest-growing free movie channels
Long-time Roku users won’t be surprised to see The Roku Channel on this list, as it’s become one of the most comprehensive free movie and TV channels. For many folks, The Roku Channel is actually all they need, delivering a crazy amount of free content that covers a huge range of genres.
One thing to really like about The Roku Channel is that it has a good selection of free sports channels, too, which isn’t always the case with free services. Roku shows soccer, NBA, MLB, NCAA, UFC, and more.
What I like about The Roku Channel is that you don’t need a Roku subscription to use it, and you don’t need a Roku device, either. Anyone can head over to Roku and start watching, and that’s better than having to figure out which free streaming site works and won’t give you malware.
- founded
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2017
- number of users
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145 million+ monthly
Plex
It’s not just a media server
I used Plex for years as a media server before realizing that it had much more to offer, not to mention that you can run it on nearly any hardware.
But the reality is that Plex has a whole world of free movies and TV channels you can check out, including some unique Plex channels you may not have heard of. It’s ad-supported, which you’d expect, but they’re particularly long and help to keep the massive range of channels free to view.
Like Tubi, you can also find a lot of seasonal shows and movies, with some dedicated channels.
I’m ditching Kodi for Plex and I shouldn’t have waited so long
These game-changing features convinced a die-hard Kodi fan (me!) to embrace Plex.
The Internet Archive
The most underrated entertainment site of all
There is one site packed with free movies and TV shows that you’ve been ignoring, yet it’s one of the absolute best around. It’s lesser known for its entertainment qualities, but The Internet Archive is one of the most jam-packed sites you could hope to visit.
What makes it so interesting is that you don’t truly know what you’re going to get. You can search for old TV shows and movies that you want to watch, but there is no guarantee you’ll find them. But a key part of what makes The Internet Archive so great is that you can find a whole heap of other content lurking instead.
The Internet Archive is also home to one of the most important services on the whole internet: The Wayback Machine. It’s the website that can take you time-travelling through the old, cached web pages from a decade ago, and it’s a vital internet resource.
Googling “free movie sites” is dangerous, so don’t do it
There are more than enough alternatives
All of these services exist because there is a genuine demand for free, legal access to films without falling into the traps of piracy sites or scam search results. Instead of wading through questionable pages and malware-laden streams, you can stick to platforms that pay for licences, support creators, and operate transparently.
If you’re still typing “free movie sites” into Google, it’s time to stop. The legal options are better, safer, and far more enjoyable to use.
