movie websites pirated

The 57 Best Free Online Movie Streaming Sites in Aug 2024

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Here in this article, we list the best free streaming sites based on our extensive research and vigorous tests. Watch your favorite movies and TV shows free online safely.

Watching your favorite movie without spending a dime is pure bliss. That’s why free streaming websites are popular. However, content consumers should not forget the legal implications of copyright and licensing agreements. While watching movies or TV shows for free is not a crime, violating copyright policies is a legal issue. Therefore, users should practice responsible behavior when accessing free streaming websites , including the ones listed below. Since most unofficial sites can host malicious content and malware, users must use a VPN to enjoy safe streaming.

Nowadays, a lot of entertainment content is available online, from classic films to newly released movies and popular shows. Yet, finding suitable and best free movie sites is a challenge.

Although there may seem to be a lot available, not all are good enough and safe . That is why we have compiled this list of the 57 top free online movie streaming websites (after testing hundreds). It’s a frequently updated list to ensure you never face trouble watching your favorite movies and TV shows for free.

Let’s get started.

Before moving any further, we’d like to highlight that we at PrivacySavvy do not endorse or encourage piracy at any level or in any form . While looking for websites, all the responsibility falls on you to check the copyright and legal status of the content(s) you access. Additionally, PrivacySavvy will not be liable for hacked/infected devices, data breaches, or ISP logging if you use an unverified third-party application or entertainment source.

A quick list of top streaming sites

Short on time? Here is the list of the best sites to watch content online for free:

• AZMovies : Offers a vast collection of movies and television shows for free with bearable ads.
• SolarMovie : The site gives a personalized experience with well-organized movie categorization. It also boasts high-quality links.
• Tubi TV : Has a large number of movies and TV series for long-lasting streaming.
• WatchFree : Allows you to watch TV shows and movies online for free in HD, among other resolutions.
• 123Movies : Its simple interface makes the site easy to use. Also, its no-ad support feature ensures uninterrupted streaming.
• Freevee : Has a decent collection of content, including recognizable titles. Gives a reliable performance.
• Peacock TV : It lets you access the shows brought to you by established names such as Universal Studio and NBC.
• HiMovies : An alternative movie watching site that is rapidly becoming popular worldwide.
• StreamM4u : It has an excellent filter for easy streamlining of movies.
• Moviesjoy : It offers videos in 1080 HD and is very fast, ensuring the most enjoyable experience.
• Vudu offers free and pay-per-view options and easy access to thousands of new television series and films.
• SpaceMov : One of the best streaming websites for those who like to watch films for free. It features a description and trailer button to peep into the movie you want to watch easily.
• Sony Crackle : Its user-friendly search function makes locating trending titles convenient.
• Xumo TV : Live TV support has many free VOD titles and channels.
• Flixtor : A worthwhile movie site with an attractive interface. It also offers user-friendly features and an automated search engine.
• YesMovies : Features a simple search bar for easy access to top movies and TV shows.
• YouTube : Beyond the hub for streaming videos online, it offers free access to movies across a broad genre.
• Kanopy : One of the most user-friendly sites offering free television shows and film streaming.
• FilmRise : Widely known and loved for its extensive collection of blockbuster movies.
• FMovies : A popular streaming website with a vast movie collection and an attractive entertainment interface.
• 123Chill : The site features many movies and shows and has excellent overall features.
• PrimeWire : It changed its name a couple of times till now, but the volume and quality of the content have only improved at each phase.
• PopcornFlix : Ideal for old-school TV serials and vintage movies.
• StreamLord : Easy to use, ad-free site to give you the best experience.
• Internet Archive : Offers movies from 2020 to the mid-1900s for an extended experience.
• Vumoo : This enables you to select your preferred resolution within the range of 320p to 720p.
• Putlocker : Makes movie selection a breeze based on IMDb rating and also allows choosing movies by their names.
• Yidio : A relatively new player, but it features some of the best titles available today.
• SFlix : Its professional-looking interface gives you the feel of a premium experience.
• VexMovies : The website has some of the most advanced features out there. For example, its interface enables users to select a movie based on its release year.
• The Roku Channel : Supports HD streaming of the latest content for free. Also, it’s a great place to watch Roku Originals.
• Pluto TV : Impressive platform from ViacomCBS. It ensures a smooth experience with minimally intrusive ads.
• Bounce TV : A niche-based Afro-American platform offering HD-quality content.
• Afdah : Boast a diversified and vast range of HD content.
• Cineb : Offers quick content updates that allow you to enjoy the newest releases quickly online for free.
• Filmzie : Its legit movie site status makes it special.
• Veoh : Allows watching content all day, but you must bear with ads.
• Crunchyroll : While it has other content types, such as news and games, anime is its specialty.
• Plex : Allows watching movies without registration.
• VidCloud : Offers impeccable content updates and new releases at pace. An ideal source for streaming enthusiasts who are looking something new to watch.
• CONtv : Top site for comic genre content fans.
• MyFlixer : Its neat UI and vast content range are why it’s among the movie websites worth trying.
• Tiny Zone : A YouTube clone offering free content online.
• Rakuten Viki – It is a popular free Asian content streaming source that allows users to enjoy without an account.
• MyBundle TV – This movie streaming directory links to other sites to help you access the content you want to watch.
• Stremio – A famous media center application for watching Hollywood titles, series, sports, web and live television channels, and podcasts from different platforms.
• Fawesome TV – Boasts a wide selection of entertainment content organized by genre and subcategories.
• 5Movies – A quality option featuring local, regional, and international movies from different countries.
• LosMovies -An excellent option that offers a holistic movie experience without annoying redirects, pop-ups, and annoying ads.
• MoviesFoundOnline – You can explore it without signing up and enjoy a premium experience free of charge.
• LookMovie – It has multiple fast servers and allows you to watch popular titles in HD.
• 1HD – As you might have guessed from its name, most of the videos on this site are in HD and full HD. Also, you get a download option.
• The Flixer – A common problem with sites offering content for free is their annoying popup ads, but this website lets you view content with minimal intrusion.
• BMovies – It boasts a simple interface that displays the latest episodes of your best-loved movie or series with a single click. The site also allows you to select your preferred video quality.
• M4UFree.TV – This free platform offers a simple interface that lets you easily search for your preferred series. It also features HD content.
• UWatchFree – It features recently released movies and lets users watch them without registration for free.
• VHMovies – Has a neat interface with many free films, series, and TV shows available to watch in high quality without registration.

How to use a VPN to stream movies and TV series safely online

You should consider connecting to a quality VPN before using any of the sites listed in this article. That’s because most of the free sites today are insecure.

Even though we found these sites to not attack users through malicious techniques such as malvertising during our tests, most of these questionable websites still track streamers via their IP addresses. That ultimately exposes your identity online. A VPN can protect you from all the potential troubles and privacy breaches .

Simply follow the steps below to watch films and shows safely using a VPN.

• Select a reliable VPN : We highly recommend NordVPN  because it is super-fast, protects you from hackers and malware, and can bypass geo-restrictions effortlessly.
• Download the VPN : Download the app of the VPN you picked. Generally, most top VPNs (such as NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN) offer apps for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, routers, streaming devices such as Fire TV Stick, and more.
• Install VPN : Install the VPN application and connect to a server of your choice. We recommend connecting to a server nearest to your actual location. For instance, if you are in the USA, connect to a US server.
• Select a streaming website : This article lists 57 great sites from which you can choose any one and enjoy your favorite movies and series!

The legality of free sites for movie streaming

Labeling a site as legal or illegal is impossible based on whether it is paid. If you can get content with permission, it’s legal, even if a paid service owns it.

The same is true for legal free platforms. Browsing media on such websites isn’t illegal, nor is using them to watch movies free online.

What makes things shady is copyright infringement. It is illegal if a website has copyrighted content for free or streams media without permission or rights . Therefore, using such websites may make you accused of piracy, so you should not use such services.

Indeed, it’s difficult for an average user to determine the legality of a site. Thus, we recommend you avoid watching the new movie or TV series episodes as a precaution . That’s because such stuff usually arrives online with legal issues, particularly on free torrent sites and streaming ones. Likewise, content otherwise barred in your country can also be a problem .

Yet, if you stick to watching old TV series or movies — or accessing geo-blocked content not explicitly labeled illegal in your country, you don’t have to fear legal action. Safety-wise, the majority of free sites are risky , too. They make money from ads, so get ready for pop-ups galore, some of which might link to shady sites. You could end up with malware or other junk on your device that compromises your online security and privacy.

Watching movies from legitimate, authorized sources is always best to avoid legal or safety issues.

Best free sites for movies and shows in August 2024 – The detailed list

Below is a detailed list of the best streaming platforms:

After testing several platforms, we developed the 57 most remarkable sites for movies, shows, and series you can use safely today . These websites are free and have various strengths, but all will make you happy. You will no longer wonder what websites you can use to enjoy movies for free.

Below is an ad-annoyance number out of 10 with each site. It will let you know how many ads to expect on each. Also, we tested all these websites with VPNs to check their compatibility with a VPN.

These sites offer access to free video content, including movies, television shows, originals, and more. However, understandably, you will not get features available on premium platforms like Amazon Prime Video Watch Party that allow enjoying content with friends from different locations. Using these sources is ideal for movie nights without subscriptions or rentals.

A majority of these sites are VPN-friendly . To keep your activities safe and private , you can access the rest via the split tunneling feature offered by most top VPNs today . Below is a detailed list of the best sites that offer movies and shows streaming for free:

1. AZMovies

High-quality streaming

Annoying ads

First on our list is AZMovies, one of the most long-standing sites to stream free movies, series, and shows online. It lives by its slogan, “Watch your favorite movies here without any limits. Just pick the movie you like and enjoy! It’s free and always will be .”

If you need a streaming service with premium features, AZMovies is for you. Its professional and sleek look is on par with premium ones. The streaming site offers an organized library and interactive menus that enhance the user experience.

Also, AZMovies has an excellent collection of movies, including prints in 1080p and 720p . Its library has classics as well as hot new releases.

The remarkable thing is you’ll find almost all films starting from 1948 . With over 70 genres, including Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, War-based, and many others, the site is tailor-made for movie lovers. Its daily new releases and updates make this website one of the most loved.

The website also features a dedicated section called ‘Featured,’ showcasing the current year’s most popular movies. Besides, users can request movies that are currently unavailable.

What we liked the most is it’s easy to find the movies you’re looking for using AZ Movies’ movie search engine. Notably, the site features only movies , has no shows, and the ads can be annoying. Also, it’s among the finest freem movie sites, meaning most of its content infringes on real copyright holders — which should be discouraged at every level.

Note : You might need to click on a movie title multiple times before it opens for you. Based on the experiences of our more than two dozen testers around the world , it took 3 clicks on average before one can play a movie. But this only happened for the first video of a session as after it the site allowed watching movies without opening any new tabs (the ads).

• No limits on content
• Classic and new titles available
• Huge catalog
• Daily updates
• Some of the content is illegally hosted, as is the case with most completely free sites
• It does not have series

2. SolarMovie

• Impressive catalog

Shortly after entering the industry, SolarMovie gained widespread popularity as one of the best free sites to watch full movies. Free streaming services like this should be your first option to watch your desired content online for free.

It offers movies, shows, and videos without payment or registration . Millions of cord-cutters have used this website to enjoy free TV series, documentaries, movies, and more.

SolarMovie offers lots of high-quality links . Besides full-length feature films, Solar Movie also offers TV episodes. Content is diverse, which we like. The collection includes classics as well as recent films. You’ll also like how packed its homepage is with new releases .

Also, at SolarMovie, users can sign in to receive current updates and announcements. Signing up is anonymous, as it doesn’t need your private information.

Besides, the website categorizes movies into genres, and they appear by country . It allows users to easily filter out the movies they wish to watch based on the region.

Please note the platform can be annoying with its ads . We had to close three pop-ups before we could play a title. Additionally, the website doesn’t own the distribution rights to films and series available on it . Even so, it’s still a worthwhile website for watching films. SolarMovie is one movie site you don’t want to miss out on!

• User-friendly categorization
• Offers personalization
• Overwhelming interface

Also read : The Eleven Best Solarmovie Alternatives in 2024

Has content from major film productions

Outdated content

Launched in 2014, Tubi TV is one of the best and legal movie streaming sites that doesn’t require a subscription or signup . Fox Corporation owns this VOD (Video on Demand) service. Thousands of free TV series and films are available on it for everyone to enjoy. It has many killer titles starring Michael Fox, Leonardo Di Caprio, Meg Ryan, and Jennifer Lopez.

As for titles, you can find iconic movies such as The Aviator, Kill Bill, Teen Wolf, and Maid in Manhattan. We were also happy to discover The Passion of Christ, Memento, Donnie Darko, and All Dogs Go to Heaven on it.

You can also watch “A Walk to Remember,” “Edward Scissorhands,” and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” to name a few more titles.

But like other movie sites on this list, Tubi supports ads . Yet, you don’t need to worry, as these ads will never ruin your experience.

Besides, the Tubi app is available on all popular platforms , including the Amazon App Store, Apple App Store, Roku Channel List, and Google Play Store. It has content from primary playmakers such as MGM, Warner Bros., Paramount, Lionsgate, and more. TubiTV offers movies in different genres. Those include horror, action, sci-fi, comedy, and crime.

Please note that only 720p HD titles are currently available on Tubi. The good thing is you can adjust the video quality in the browser app between the available options.

The service is free that’s why you can access it only when in the USA. However, you do not need to miss out on watching The Lost Room, as you can unblock TubiTV outside the US with a VPN .

• Decent content catalog
• No sign-up required
• Unintrusive ads
• Only available in the USA

4. WatchFree

Quick load time

• Intrusive ads

One of the top streaming sites offering free films online is WatchFree . It loads fast and has lots of content to optimize its experience. Furthermore, it offers videos in different definitions, including Cam, HD, and TS print. Once you select a movie, it automatically begins to play — no hassle, no delay, and no stress! WatchFree, however, specializes in shows and movies only.

This free site does not contain ads and is easy to use on any device. We liked the categorization of content on the site as it shows trends, what’s popular, the new shows, and movies to watch. It is also impressive to see how well organized the WatchFree library is by country and genre .

One significant downside is that it features no documentaries or animated videos . You don’t get subtitles, too. Otherwise, it’s an excellent site for all types of movies. Also, as with other sites on the list, it operates without distribution rights , which can lead to legal troubles in many countries.

• High-quality videos
• Impressive library
• No anime shows

5. 123Movies

• Impressive content catalog

The list without 123Movies is no list at all. This well-known and long-standing movie site is one of the top websites for online videos and films. This site became popular with a seamless viewing experience, no need to log in , and no fee.

The site has everything from timeless classics to all the best movies. Its content is available in 1080p, and you can watch without any ads disrupting your experience . Appreciably, its homepage bears a simple layout , having only a search bar and a category option listed for easy use.

Unfortunately, upon selecting a preferred movie, users may need to press the play button more than once before movie begins. This is not always the case , though.

It’s worth noting that the platform doesn’t possess any rights for the shows it broadcasts, so utilizing it could be unlawful, depending on your location.

Also, we detected malware on 123Movies in our tests. Be aware of this, and make sure your security tools (VPN and antivirus) are on when using this site.

• User-friendly interface
• Shady legal status

6. Freevee (fka: IMDb TV)

Good movie collection

Another fantastic site on our list is Freevee, formerly IMDbTV. Like Tubi or Peacock, it is free and legal that provides users with a completely legal way to watch free movies online . You can enjoy its content through Prime Video, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Echo Show, and more.

Amazon owns and operates this site. It offers documentaries, movies, shows, and Freevee original shows. Despite Amazon owning IMDbTV, the variety of content is not as comprehensive as Amazon Prime. For example, its movie and TV show collection is considerably smaller. But that’s probably the reason why it’s free.

It is a free, ad-supported video streaming channel available in the US on the IMDb website, IMDb app, and Amazon. The service also allows you to watch original shows and movies for free. Some of its current feature titles include “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Red Sparrow,” and “The Lorax.”

Unfortunately, the service requires users to have an Amazon account to access it. Moreover, like Tubi, it also has too many ads .

Note : Since it is available to the United States and Germany users only, when you try to access IMDbTV (now Freevee) outside the US and Germany, you’ll likely see an error message saying you cannot view anything on it. Accessing Freevee content requires at least a free Amazon account, which makes circumventing geo-blocking a little trickier. But there is nothing to worry about. If you are outside the US, all you need to access IMDb is a quality VPN service that boasts fast US servers.

• Swift media loading
• Detailed information about the content
• Free and legit
• The content library is not huge

7. Peacock TV

Affordable pricing

Geo-restrictred

Peacock TV is a relatively new platform launched on July 15, 2020 . Owned by NBCUniversal, it features many free shows, movies, and live channels for a love-worthy selection. It also allows users to watch full seasons of exclusive originals, such as Vigil, MacGruber, Dr. Death, Love In Paris, etc., the day after they air on NBC.

It also hosts multiple NBCUniversal channels, including NBC proper, MSNBC, E!, Syfy, NBC News, Bravo, Univision, and many more. Peacock TV costs vary depending on your package.

The platform offers two premium options for customers seeking extra content: an all-access package with ads and an ad-free all-access plan.

The free tier of Peacock TV differs from the paid versions in that it offers limited content selection. During our tests, its content library impressed us. The free plan and smooth video playback are also commendable. No wonder it has gained millions of subscribers in a few months. The site also offers a free 7-day Peacock Premium trial from your account.

Peacock TV has an app for Roku, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and more. On it, you will not see many ads, averaging five minutes an hour, but you will have to create an account.

Unfortunately, like other sites, Peacock TV is unavailable in all countries . Apart from the US, it is now available to NOW and Sky subscribers at no extra cost in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Ireland. When the members of our research team located in Asia tried accessing it from their end, here is what they got:

No need to worry, though. You can enjoy Peacock TV outside the US in no time by using a VPN.

Note : All Xfinity Flex customers receive Peacock Premium for free. Xfinity X1 and users with a Digital Starter TV or Xfinity Internet subscription also get it for free.

• Decent library
• Legit and free platform
• Easy-to-use interface
• Available in the US only

8. HiMovies

• Easy to use

HiMovies is one of the latest sites. It is an excellent alternative to MovieStars , which shut down recently. We had an excellent time testing it out. It has a smooth interface, and we only saw two ads per session . Anyone who doesn’t like ads will enjoy watching movies on the platform.

However, it is essential to note that HiMovies does not have distribution rights for the content on display . That means it may be illegal in some countries.

One of the most impressive features of HiMovies is its compatibility with Chromecast . You can watch HD content directly on your TV with a Chromecast device. We suggest pairing your Chromecast with a VPN to ensure online protection.

It offers a diverse selection of films, series, and documentaries. Their library features acclaimed titles from various genres, such as action, drama, horror, comedy, and more. It also provides exclusive content. That includes original films, series, and in-depth interviews with filmmakers.

HiMovies also offers customized movie recommendations . That ensures viewers can find a suitable film for any mood or occasion. The extensive library and competitive features of HiMovies make it an ideal choice for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. With its constant evolution and updated content , HiMovies looks like an exciting and ever-changing entertainment platform.

• Friendly (easy to close and very few) ads
• Massive catalog
• Supports Chromecast
• Slow content uploads

9. StreamM4u

Good quality

Small catalog

With sites like StreamM4u , you never have to run out of great movies and serials.

It provides an excellent list of filters that enables users to sort through the various categories and genres . You do not need to register, make an account, or do anything other than click play. Updated with the latest episodes and recent releases, it’s an excellent choice for movie marathons and TV indulgences.

In addition, users can easily see the backup source just below the movie icon. This option is a backup when your chosen film does not work through the normal channel. The website isn’t the prettiest or has the most extensive collection of free films.

Like many other movie sites listed here, you must click the play button more than once before it starts streaming. But once you initiate the process, you won’t witness any lags or buffering for nearly all the movies. However, it’s imperative to remember that Streamm4U is not a legitimate service . You could get into trouble if you access the site and consume copyrighted content in many countries.

• Offers content categorization
• No ads at all
• Not legal in most of the countries

10. MoviesJoy

• Too many ads

The MoviesJoy movie site exhibits every desirable feature for avid streamers. The site mimics Google’s minimalist design. If you are looking to watch vintage classic films, MoviesJoy offers both the latest blockbusters and older classics. With over 12,000 titles , you can enjoy content anywhere and on any device, such as Mac/PC, iPhone, or Android.

Its simple search box lets users locate the recently-released movies and series. Moreover, users can select the desired media from the different categories available, including country, genre, and more.

MoviesJoy links are available in 1080 HD for users while ensuring fast-paced streaming . But you may have to close some ads before the selected content plays on the downside. But given the free value, that’s not a major issue.

For example, we watched ‘Burden of Dreams’ on this platform, and everything worked smoothly . There were no problems except for the initial load time. Honestly, the initial buffer can’t be considered a negative.

Furthermore, the website updates content bi-weekly . When we last checked the website, specific titles hadn’t yet been uploaded, but now they have. Finally, it is positive to see developers actively participating in the project.

• High-quality video streaming
• Decent catalog
• Ads may interfere with user experience

Totally legal

Vudu, a video-on-demand (VOD) service, is a platform offering paid and free films and shows . “Movies on Us,” the free version of this service, is a worthwhile option because it doesn’t contain aggressive ads .

Besides, it has endless entertainment content and does not require an account before using it. Moreover, the platform doesn’t need a monthly subscription fee . It is up to you to upgrade to a paid plan or keep using the free one.

There are times when the site asks you to buy or rent movies. It is OK to disregard that and wait for the free version button (pop-up) to appear. Even so, the platform has provided a simple solution for renting digital content for over a decade. Users can rent or purchase movies for 24 hours or buy it for unlimited viewing on any device.

Vudu is available as an app for Android and iOS alongside Microsoft Windows PC. It is a legitimate alternative to sites like AZMovies, MovieStars, MoviesJoy, etc.

The only problem here is it’s not available for people outside the United States . But again, like Peacock TV, you can access Vudu outside the US by changing your IP location via a VPN.

• Free and legit platform
• Limited content

12. SpaceMov

Geo-restricted to the US only

Another free movie streaming site that made it to our list (and for good reasons, too) is SpaceMov . Like most others, it lets you watch videos in 1080p for an HD experience. It is a piracy website where people worldwide can watch their most cherished movies for free without subscribing. Additionally, it releases all the latest films quickly.

Besides, the website features a user-friendly menu with flexible options . That enables searching and filtering movies by genre, country, and more. The site boasts a robust collection of films and television shows . Everything is available to watch at no cost online. Some of their titles are available in HD (free and without a subscription). That could draw more people to this site over other sites.

One of this movie site’s most outstanding features is its description button called “Watch Trailer.” Using this feature can let you know what’s there in the movie.

But you will have to bear with lots of ads while enjoying all that good stuff.

Well-sorted content

• Dedicated “trailer” preview feature

13. Sony Crackle

Low-quality shows

The Sony Crackle website offers an endless list of great movies, seasons, and original series. In addition to movies and web shows, Crackle offers film information. By opting in, you can be notified of upcoming or new releases.

In addition to classic blockbuster movies, such as The Transporter, Air Force One, Speed, and Little Women (to name a few), Crackle also features other content types. That includes standup comedy specials, full-length documentaries, docuseries, and some timeless series. However, surprisingly, the platform is yet to receive more mainstream attention despite the high-quality content available for free .

Crackle may have a less extensive list of syndicated and original series and movies than other online platforms. However, their library is still impressive. Also, while the service is free, you may need to buy a subscription for some content.

All film and television fans have many options , regardless of their favorites. So, while Crackle may not offer the latest and greatest exclusive titles like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, or HBO Max, it still provides plenty of entertaining content.

Sony Crackle also features an app available for installation on various devices, including smart TV. However, the disadvantage is that it shows commercials since it’s an ad-supported network.

In each break, you’ll see up to six non-skippable advertisements. Every ad lasts 30 seconds , which adds up to three minutes per break. But it is what enables the platform to remain free for users. So, this shouldn’t stop you, as the benefits outweigh the downside.

Like IMDBTV, Vudu, and others, the platform is geo-restricted for users outside the United States . Thus, if you try to access it abroad, you will encounter an ‘Out of region’ error message. Yet, you can unblock Crackle outside the US using an effective VPN such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark.

• Quality content library
• Limited availability outside the US

14. XUMO TV

Geo-blocked

With XUMO TV, you get online movies for free in incredible quality. It gives you access to over 190 channels without requiring you to sign up. You can watch live TV and VOD (video on demand) content on various devices. While it is another legal movie platform, the site has limited content.

Given its value, the lack of a big corporation behind Xumo is probably making it difficult for the platform to attract as much an audience as it deserves. Moreover, the service has both app and website.

XUMO TV has unique features and is the best streaming site for Live TV and free IPTV apps. Although it is ad-supported , it allows you to watch thousands of titles with just the click of a button. We experienced a smooth playback on the site while reviewing it.

Note : Xumo services are available in a limited number of countries. Those include Canada, the United States, the UK, France, Italy, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Spain. It is geo-restricted to users in those locations . You will only get redirected to its corp website or a geo-block error page if you access it outside those regions. Still, a quality VPN is all you need to unblock and access it from anywhere .

• Tremendous device compatibility
• Offers live and on-demand content
• Available within the US only

15. Flixtor

Impressive interface

It is a free streaming website that offers an extensive list of seasons online. We love everything about the platform, from its user interface, smooth playback, and low ad annoyance to the search function.

The site calls itself a “fully automated video search engine ,” making it more impressive. We didn’t find their statement a marketing tactic only. No wonder this service is often compared to Amazon Prime Video and Netflix for its video quality and availability.

With Flixtor, you can use a third-party app or the integrated player even if you watch via a mobile device. It doesn’t matter which one you choose; the interface and content are excellent.

You can access the site without a security tool like a VPN (in most countries). Nonetheless, we recommend using a robust Flixtor VPN to keep all your free streaming safe and private.

The FlixTor service is free; anyone worldwide can enjoy for free but also has a VIP membership program. You can donate to the channel and receive a VIP pass in return.

VIP members do not have to watch ads , unlike free users. They also have access to an updated library, which regular users don’t have. Besides, the fee is a one-time one, not a recurring subscription. So, you don’t have to worry about direct debits if you get a VIP membership.

Our team members (particularly in Asia) started seeing “ Error 1020 access denied ” messages starting from Oct 2021. We keep seeing “Access denied” messages when trying to access it from some part of Asia in 2024. So, you might need to use a VPN to access the site if its security system blocks you.

Depending on your location, you might also see messages like “all our servers are full right now” from time to time. Checking back later usually resolves the problem. But obtaining a Flixtor VIP membership fixes the issue for the better.

• Unaggressive ads

Read also : Best Flixtor Alternatives to Try

16. YesMovies

Huge content catalog

Why wouldn’t YesMovies be one of the best sites to watch films and series with its clean interface? But it doesn’t stop there. The site also has a simple and easy-to-use search tool , making it easy for users to locate the movie they wish to watch.

The website also has the Shows/Movies category at the top for easy navigation. Aside from English movies, foreign films are also available on YesMovies. It is basically a platform that offers on-demand shows and movies.

Also, YesMovies boasts a News Tab. It does not only boast trending movies but also shows to keep you up to date. You can even create a favorite list for personalization.

On the downside, watching a movie online on this platform may be tricky, as you must click the play button and the “Stay Here” button several times before it responds .

Furthermore, you will encounter many annoying ads while using the site, which is expected in exchange for a free online service.

However, that is nothing you cannot handle. All you need is the best ad blocker installed and a little patience to click more than once to enjoy movies in HD for an excellent experience.

• Supports personalization
• HD streaming support
• Not legal to use

17. YouTube

Vast content collection

You probably know YouTube is the most popular site for watching videos. But do you also know that it offers hundreds of movies across various genres for free ? Well, now you know.

With YouTube, users can sign in using their Google account. But you don’t need to sign up when watching free films on this site. In addition to user-uploaded videos, the platform offers legal channels to watch movies and TV shows . You can enjoy YouTube on every device you own, including TVs, tablets, computers, and smartphones.

Young people often use YouTube to watch music videos, comedies, recipes, life hacks, tutorials, and more.

It has a significant number of visitors of all ages per month and minimal ads. However, we decided to give it an ad annoyance number of 5 because our testers recently started seeing more YouTube ads .

Here, we would like to share another fact about YouTube: it allows creator/up-loader to show three ads in a 10-minute video. That means the channel from whom you’re watching a movie or show can make you see as many as 40 ads during a movie .

The good thing is that not all channels there are that aggressive (at least for now). Also, the platform allows you to skip an ad after a five-second timer (as you might know), which is a great thing. On the whole, there is no other site like this on the web — at least not one of the same size.

• Huge content library

Needs sign up

In 2008, Australian entrepreneur Olivia Humphrey founded Kanopy in Scarborough. It was established solely to provide educational resources for colleges and universities, but that quickly changed.

At Kanopy, users require a library card from the supported library , making it one of the most interesting websites on this list. Registering with a university email address lets you enjoy its content . Upon successfully creating your account, you can access many movies within various categories.

Here, the content selection is somewhat limited . But the exciting part of this portal is that you will not encounter any ads during playback, ensuring smooth, enjoyable streaming.

The most appealing thing about Kanopy is that it is legitimate . In addition, it works beyond America, meaning you can use it anywhere worldwide as long as the platform accepts your library card or the one provided by the university.

Apart from no ads, the site also deploys unlimited simultaneous devices support . It means you can watch your most cherished content on it using a single account from as many devices at a time as you want.

• Ad-free platform
• Legit website
• Unlimited simultaneous streaming
• Requires registration

19. FilmRise

Catchy interface

No offline downloading

The FilmRise service is one of the few services that offers recognizable titles for free without breaking any rules. You can watch your best-loved movies and TV shows without signing up.

With well over 20K titles for viewing, FilmRise has become a force to be reckoned with. However, it is mainly known for its excellent collection of worth-watching movies .

You can also view titles by genre on specific devices. The A category alone contains too many titles, from action and adventure to animated features. There are just too many to list. Browse the editors’ weekly playlists when you’re unsure what to watch or to look for something new. Your ‘ Recently Played ‘ list keeps track of everything you watch, among the rarest features on free sources.

It is available as an app for many devices, including Roku, Android, iPhone, Firestick/Fire TV, and many more. Its interface is intriguing and will have you glued to the website for a long time.

Being a legal service, FilmRise comes with a limitation: its library varies from country to country. In some, it’s even unavailable. Consequently, if you want to watch FilmRise online anywhere , you must connect to a US VPN server.

• Impressive content library
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Ads might be annoying sometimes

20. FMovies

• Neat interface

Dangerous ads

FMovies is another popular and widely-loved movie site; its millions of users are proof of that.

The site offers the latest shows and movies across different video qualities. Also, its interface is alluring enough to engage you . The site supports 4K streaming.

Moreover, the extended movie collections will keep you occupied and entertained for hours. However, you will encounter ads right from its home page.

FMovies site provides VOD content in several categories, including anime, country, most-watched, genre, released, and more. This way, users can streamline and filter the movies and television shows they wish to enjoy.

Also, FMovies has several mirror websites, and any one of them will always automatically redirect you to its leading site. This article here features Fmovies alternatives and their mirrors. Using its substitutes can also save you from legal trouble because the content uploaded to the site may violate copyright laws in many countries.

• A vast content library
• Very annoying ads

21. 123Chill

Smooth playback

Contains virus

This relatively new website offers thousands of movies and television programs.

123Chill is a free site with many categories , excellent navigation , rich content , smooth playback , and more.

Users do not need to subscribe here. So, you can visit the site and watch the movie of your choice immediately. You can watch any content, from drama, horror, romance, mystery, action, and more.

All entertainment content on 123Chill is available in High Definition. Aside from that, 123Chill offers a variety of servers, allowing users to choose whichever server works best for them if a video has issues. But you cannot download the content to watch it later . Also, based on our continuous tests, you’ll need to click a title twice or thrice before the detailed page with the video opens.

Most importantly, we highly recommend being cautious and using a VPN with it because the website is not as safe as it might look. We tested all shortlisted sites with VirusTotal for malware and other threats. We detected malware 123Chill in our tests . Below is a screenshot of our test.

• Diversified content library
• Requires no subscription

22. PrimeWire

PrimeWire is also another famous name in the streaming world. The site offers content for free, so it’s an excellent alternative to paid services. Before electing PrimeWire, the site went by “LetMeWatchThis” and later “1Channel” before settling for its current name.

There is a lot of content on PrimeWire, so people flock to it. The platform offers access to over 1,000 movies and television shows. You can find everything from trending to top-rated IMDb content on this website. Thousands of titles are available on the website and regularly updated; therefore, it remains fresh, and you will find new stuff to watch every week.

We observed many ads upon visiting the site , but the vast collection of the latest movies and TV serials in 2024 makes it worthwhile.

Due to the frequency at which it changes its domain, PrimeWire has several alternative sites worth looking at, including SolarMovie, TubiTV, Sony Crackle, and many more.

• This may include pirated content (use caution when streaming on it)

23. PopcornFlix

Less movies

PopcornFlix, another rapidly growing free online site, came into the scene in late 2017. The site holds well over 1,500 movies in different categories, such as comedy, horror, action, documentaries, foreign films, etc.

The homepage features numerous convenient categories to assist you in discovering your next movie. Popcornflix Spotlight offers general recommendations, while other sections, such as New on Popcornflix and Trending Now, give a quick overview of the latest additions to the site’s film library. These include the movies currently popular among viewers .

Moreover, specialized sections like War & Military, Creature Features, Adventure Hour, Disasters, and others exist. These may vary over time, depending on seasonal holidays and events.

Besides, users are not required to have an account before using PopcornFlix. So, just visit the site, select a movie, and begin to watch!

Also, the website offers an app that works on AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick , Xbox, Android, and iOS devices.

We want to note that there’s room for improvement in video quality . The videos we evaluated appeared to have a quality comparable to that of a standard DVD movie. The precise resolution of the films is unclear since there is no option to adjust the quality within the video, but they are not in high definition . Nevertheless, the movies are by no means challenging to watch and can still be enjoyed.

Popcornflix expanded its service to key Asian markets in 2014 . However, it seems, the site is now unavailable to viewers in India, Pakistan, and a few other countries. If you access it from those regions, you might get the following error message:

“ You are accessing from outside our service area or we may be experiencing a technical problem. Please try again later .”

If you happen to find yourself in such a situation, you only need to quickly change your IP country using a Popcornflix VPN to one in the US or any other location where the site is available.

• The catalog includes fewer movies than shows

24. StreamLord

Great streaming features

Contains malware

StreamLord is an easy-to-use, fast, and efficient website. The ad-free portal offers free registration to those who want. However, it is optional, as users can stream movies for free without signing in.

If you use the Amazon-built Silk Browser, click on the “Stay Here ” button if you come across an ad to ensure those annoying ads don’t appear again. Besides, it lets users download movies and upload subtitles , making it ideal for all video content lovers.

Since it allows you to download on top of streaming a movie, StreamLord is one of the best movie download websites .

The best thing we found about the site is it focuses on popular TV series and movies, high-quality content, and only reliable sources . That all helps not to encounter rough videos or dead links ever.

• Supports video downloading
• Offers ad-free experience
• Not legal to use in some countries

The website doesn’t have an SSL certificate installed, we recommend you to use it with caution. Have your antivirus on and VPN connected all the time.

25. Internet Archive

Spreads virus

Unlike the other sites, which are limited to movies, shows, and sometimes documentaries, the Internet Archive has a more inclusive library. In addition, it offers tons of digital works in the public domain, including images, books, television shows, movies, and lots more.

True to its name, you will find series and movies from the mid-1900s to today .

Its downside is limited video content compared to other sites listed in this article.

• Free to use and legit
• Diversified content from various niche
• Not as huge as other streaming portals

Navigable interface

Legality issue

Vumoo is a website with a homepage filled with trending contents. When you click on any film, it redirects you to a corresponding page with an integrated media player , allowing the video to play right in your web browser. It does not require any fee or registrations.

It boasts over 10,000 movies with smooth playback and low ad frequency. Although there are limited search filters , detailed insights about directors, runtime, and movie ratings compensate for this.

On Vumoo, users can enjoy recently released titles from some key OTT (Over-The-Top) platforms such as HBO, Netflix, etc. We particularly liked the website’s Japanese, Chinese, Hollywood, and Korean library of movies.

The movie collection on Vumoo lacks proper organization. You cannot sort movies based on genre, nation, or year; the collection is presented as an endless list in the order of their addition. Additionally, the featured content needs to be updated. Furthermore, accessing copyrighted material on it could lead to legal issues, as it lacks distribution rights.

• It lets you access movies online without registration
• Offers recently released content

27. Putlocker

Aggressive ads

It is a free streaming website that makes it easy for users to watch a movie of their choice. It features a search bar where you can type in the movie’s name at the homepage center. In addition, the website allows for narrowing down the search by selecting a film based on the IMDB rating or a genre .

At the bottom of its landing page, you will find tons of links to other movie sites, too.

Many people question whether Putlocker is safe and legal despite its usefulness.

Unfortunately, most free websites of today are unsafe to use, let alone Putlocker. That’s why we recommend having an efficient antivirus installed and a VPN connection activated while using any such site.

Nonetheless, if you do not want to go with Putlocker for any reason, you can look at its alternatives covered in this guide .

• Huge content collection

Supports many streaming devices

Requires sign-up

At first glance, Yidio may seem odd, but it is short for Your Internet Video . It’s a free video streaming aggregator that makes browsing what’s available across your video streaming accounts more straightforward than ever. The coolest part is that you can do everything from a single and convenient online platform, yidio.com.

This fast-growing platform offers access to content on iOS, Kindle, Android, and web apps. As an app available in app stores, Yidio turns your TV, phone, or tablet into an on-demand home theater, so you can watch any movies you want from anywhere.

Aside from entertainment content from others, Yidio offers its own for free . You can watch certain movies on Yidio even if you do not subscribe to any service. Some of Yidio’s titles include Blitz, Basic Instinct 2, Stuart Little, Lionheart, National Security, The Passion of the Christ, and Hancock. The fact that Yidio offers this feature is yet another way it sets itself apart from its competition.

Yidio provides convenient options by multiple criteria, including release date, genre, MPAA rating, decade, IMDb rating, and hosting site. In addition to typical genres like action and drama, it offers Art House & International, Special Interest, Neo-noir, Disaster, Faith and spirituality, and Indie categories.

For watching video content for free without signup, Yidio is your go-to site. It acts as a search engine , enabling users to locate free online movies rather than offering them straight up.

All in all, it’s a great tool that helps users find content online.

• Supports friendly media searching
• Requires no registration
• Unimpressive interface

Doesn’t have rights to the content present on it

If you are looking for the hottest movie platforms online, check out SFlix . Despite being a relatively new website, it has attracted many users. Sflix is a very convenient platform, as no sign-up is required . But if you create an account, you get extra options like adding movies to your favorites, rating content you watched, etc.

It offers an intuitive navigation system and an optimized visual user interface . This site makes it easy to find and watch shows and movies. It currently has over 10,000 movies. However, while it has heaps of content, navigation is difficult as it doesn’t offer filters or other advanced search functionalities.

Furthermore, since it does not own copyrights to the content it hosts , it is illegal in most countries.

Even though this website does not have integrated ads on its pages, there are other ads. And its ads are more annoying and potentially dangerous than normal ads. The site features floating and popup ads , which are usually more annoying than normal ads.

• Huge media directory with subtitles
• User-friendly UI and UX with Chromecast support
• Has annoying ads

30. VexMovies

Delayed movie updates

With just the click of a button, you can watch Hollywood films online on VexMovies. Although the site appears late in uploading the new movies, you can choose a film based on your favorite genre.

Besides, it features a small box that gives a synopsis of the movies and their IMBD rating . Hence, users can determine which movie to choose rather than leaving things to chance.

The website seems to try its best to provide all the content users want without getting into hot water. For example, it allows requesting a movie via the contact tab and creating a DMCA notice.

• Displays content brief
• Not updated as regularly as others

31. The Roku Channel

Free live streams

Sign-up required

If you are a fan of Roku, then “The Roku Chanel” is the best place to watch Roku originals . Moreover, you can also watch other titles here – all free and without signing up .

The platform has ad-supported model . However, what makes it great is its legitimate advertising that doesn’t interfere with your streaming experience. Installing the Roku app on your phone will allow you to watch movies on Roku, even on the go.

You get to watch all the stuff in HD quality without facing buffering or lags. Besides free films, the Roku Channel features live TV serials and originals . While testing, we enjoyed “Meet Me In Paris,” a real romantic comedy movie produced by Zoë Saldaña and Reese Witherspoon.

However, the main thing that pulls this website behind the others listed above is its limited library . So, if you’re picky about what to watch, you might not find your favorite media here each time.

Our testers in some parts of the world found Roku doesn’t work everywhere, while Roku devices are not geo-restricted. A Roku device works in any location, but some channels, including ‘The Roku Chanel,’ may not be available on your box in a specific area, based on the discretion of each channel.

Fortunately, all you need to watch Roku Channel anywhere is connect to a VPN if you encounter “ The Roku Channel is currently not available in your region ” error message.

• Legit website for streaming
• Offers HD streaming
• Somewhat limited content in its library

32. Pluto TV

Work lawfully

Disturbing ads

PlutoTV is yet another legitimate website that you can access for free . The platform belongs to ViacomCBS and offers ad-supported content streaming.

But don’t worry about the ads since the platform regulates them neatly to ensure an interruption-free experience. So whether you want to watch Nickelodeon or are a fan of Comedy Central , this platform can serve you always.

As compared to other services, it works a little differently. The service does not host movies or shows for on-demand viewing but offers hundreds of live channels. To use PlutoTV, simply launch the app, as signing up is unnecessary.

It offers hundreds of live channels for live streaming from multiple partners and networks. With around 200 channels in the US, other regions have a smaller selection. The UK, for example, has around 65 channels. The channels cover a range of subjects, including news, sports, and movies. You can use it in any web browser or install the application from any reputable app store.

Please note that the platform is available to users in the US, the UK, and some parts of Europe. You won’t be able to access it outside those locations due to geo-restrictions. However, you only need a good VPN to access PlutoTV online anywhere .

• Vast content catalog
• No popup or banner ads
• Ads may appear in the middle of streaming

33. Bounce TV

Free + $3.99/month

Ads not intrusive

niche-specific content

Bounce TV is one of those legitimate platforms that you can trust. Like almost all the above-mentioned free platforms, it also runs on an ad-supported model . But, again, don’t be stressed out since it won’t show you intrusive ads anyway.

The platform offers quality content in HD , which makes it worth visiting. However, the only problem with this platform is its niche-specific catalog . The site primarily has media for the Afro-American community . But, of course, it isn’t a problem for those who love the niche.

• Supports HD quality
• It boasts an impressive niche-based content catalog
• Geo-restricted outside the USA

Vast content library

Illegal in many countries

Afdah is another excellent source for watching free films . Despite being free, it won’t barrage you with ads, which is its biggest plus.

You may occasionally encounter advertisements that do not interfere with your experience. Plus, given its vast and diversified range of content – that too, in HD quality, you won’t feel any annoyance while watching content here. Additionally, Afdah offers a seamless desktop and mobile experience.

This platform’s main problem is that it isn’t legal in many countries. While Afdah may often be restricted, streaming from it may land you in hot water. So, secure yourself with a robust VPN before visiting this service.

• A diverse range of content
• Has a grey reputation

Updates content regularly

Required sign-up

If you’re a fan of minimalist designs and straightforward browsing categories , then Cineb is the right choice. Here, fewer ads mean that you can enjoy an uninterrupted experience. At the same time, the impressive content classification saves you time finding your desired movie.

The most exciting feature of Cineb is the quick content updates . It means you can enjoy the newest releases right here for free. However, releasing such new content also indicates that the site is illegal as it has no distribution rights.

Unlike on other free sites such as AZMovies and 123Chill, the good thing is that we didn’t detect malware when running Cineb through our tests via VirusTotal and other security tools.

• Impressive content update

36. Filmzie

No movies filter

Filmzie is a source with transparent ownership and movies in Full HD. It’s an ad-supported free website .

The library is not as extensive as many movie lovers would like. It primarily consists of obscure and low-budget horror and action movies . But there are several hidden gems that you can enjoy without having to create an account on the site.

Filmzie is legally available in many regions, including the UK, the US, France, and Germany. If you’re outside those countries, most VPNs will do the trick to let you access Filmzie.

Many users love Filmzie because they can watch anything they want, from large studio productions with leading actors to the latest cinema and hidden gems you can’t find anywhere else.

You’ll first see short ads playing when you start a movie on Filmzie. The platform claims it helps fund the project and the video creators who provide their works to the platform.

• No fee or subscription required
• Legitimate website
• It boasts full HD-quality video content
• Geo-restricted to users in the US and a couple of other countries
• Has ad blocker detection mechanism deployed

Excellent quality

Grey reputation

If you keep wondering where to watch videos for free, Veoh might be for you. It is one of the most impressive sites on which to watch your favorite content all day.

The platform is entirely free to use ; hence, it shows ads. Though they won’t intercept your experience, getting those ads in side boxes might annoy some avid streamers .

But you might not mind bearing those ads since the site also rejuvenates your viewing experience with good video quality support.

• Has millions of videos on it

38. Crunchyroll

$7.99/month

Allows unlimited offline downloading

Less subtitle options

Crunchyroll is a classic one-stop platform for all entertainment enthusiasts . The platform hosts a broad range of content beyond conventional movies and tv programs, such as anime, news, and games. No registration is required to watch shows on the service.

Reports from 2021 show 120 million people have registered, and 5 million of them paid for Crunchyroll subscriptions . Most of Crunchyroll’s content is free, which makes it different from its competitors.

The only problem with this service is the ad annoyance. We gave it a six since we considered those ads too much to bear with .

But you may alleviate this problem by using a robust adblocker that doesn’t block the site’s needed functionalities for streaming. Alternatively, you may subscribe to its premium plans for an ad-free experience. Finally, you might need a VPN for Crunchyroll to access it in some countries outside the US, as it’s unavailable worldwide.

• Huge range of content
• No legal issues

Easy to set up

It’s a relatively new player among popular websites but has quickly become famous for its colossal content diversity. Plex has films online alongside hosting numerous shows and live TV . And you get all of that for free and without registration.

Unlike traditional cable TV, Plex TV is more than just a site where you can watch TV shows and movies for free online. It’s also an organization tool and a digital media player.

With Plex TV, you can access photos, music, and videos stored on one computer from any compatible computer or mobile device. You can install Plex Media Server software on a Mac, Windows, Linux computer, or compatible NAS device and watch the content on any internet-connected device that runs the Plex app. In its terminology, Plex add-ons or “channels” extend Plex’s streaming capabilities, like Kodi, another popular open-source media player derived from XBMC .

But it shows ads – something you could expect from a free platform, especially a newer one like Plex. But they aren’t intrusive, so you might not even notice them.

Getting a VPN for Plex is recommended, as connecting a VPN with Plex TV will provide you with a seamless experience. In addition to hiding your Plex server’s IP address, a VPN encrypts your data, making it difficult for snoopers to intercept it.

• Entirely free
• Requires no account creation

40. VidCloud

Updates content library

Not entirely legal

At first glance, you may not find VidCloud impressive as it doesn’t include considerable content diversity. But browsing here for some time will make you notice the availability of new releases.

And that’s when you will start liking the platform.

Of course, you aren’t alone here. VidCloud’s new releases and content updates are the prime reasons behind its popularity. But it would be best to stay careful when using the sight since it isn’t legal in many countries.

• Quick updates for new releases
• Hosts popular shows
• Limited content library

Free & Paid ($6.99 for VIP membership)

Genre-specified content

CONtv, formerly known as Viewster, is a relatively less popular site despite offering content at no cost. It doesn’t even ask you to create an account for the site. Instead, you simply visit the website, find your favorite content, and enjoy.

But it’s still not as famous owing to its limited niche; CONtv mainly focuses on Comic-Con . Secondly, it is available to US users only. Nonetheless, if you’re a Comic-Con fan, you can get a US IP address using a robust VPN and get around this obstacle.

• Free to use

42. MyFlixer

Sleek interface

MyFlixer is another great platform for enjoying HD content. The service includes various content forms, from movies to shows. Also, while it shows ads, its neat interface doesn’t make them look intrusive. So, you can enjoy watching your beloved media on MyFlixer without spending a penny.

But yes, don’t forget to protect your browsing activity first since the site also hosts pirated content.

We suggest you avoid using the service in a repressive region or a country with harsh anti-piracy laws. Instead, you can choose any other legal platform listed in this guide to watch movies without paying anything.

• User-friendly and impressive interface
• Supports HD
• It may not be legal in many countries due to content piracy

43. Tiny Zone

Multiple subtitles

While the creators have named the site “Tiny Zone,” it hosts a comprehensive and diversified content library, which is quite the opposite of its name. You can watch hundreds and thousands of free films and television shows with multiple subtitles in 1080p and 720p . Because Tinyzone is mobile-friendly and Chromecast-compatible, it can be your companion wherever you are, whatever device you use, and whenever you want.

Using Tiny Zone isn’t easy for everyone since it has piracy issues . But if you’re strong enough to escape detection by your local authorities, Tiny Zone is the right place for watching your favorite stuff. The site has a clean interface , shows fewer, less intrusive ads, and is free to use.

• Less buffering
•  Not legal to use in many countries

44. Rakuten Viki

Free & Paid ($4.99/month)

Massive collection of movies

Majorly hosts asian content

Rakuten Viki is a popular movie service that mainly hosts Asian content . Besides the premium subscription, it has a free version with movies from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China. Thankfully, the service lets you enjoy your favorite content without signing up or creating an account .

It has over 30 million monthly visitors. All the videos are subtitled and translated into over 150 languages by a dedicated team of community viewers . These subtitles can also engage with the Viki community by providing comments and feedback on the shows. Additionally, the service offers a Learn mode for users who are not native speakers and wish to study Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

While the site looks professional, it lacks a filter for free films . So, you’ll be forced to scan through the library to search for whatever you want to enjoy.

Nonetheless, Viki offers HD-quality content. Although this is great, the platform should upgrade its content to full HD. On the positive side, though, the free version has less frequent ads than other free sites. However, it will require you to turn off your ad blocker. Also, you must use a VPN to access the service since it is only available in the US . Our extensive tests show NordVPN is the best VPN to access Rakuten Viki anywhere .

• It doesn’t require an account set up
• Less frequent adds
• Detects ad blockers

45. MyBundle TV

Streaming options quick overviews

MyBundle TV is one of the top TV streaming services that simplifies the TV experience for enterprise platforms and market-leading consumers.

It is slightly different from the other platforms on this list. The platform doesn’t host its own videos but contains links to other sites where the content you want to watch is available. Essentially, this is like a free streaming directory or listing site .

The service will come in handy in finding the best source for the content you want to watch. It will show you where to get content and how to access it. Since it has a vast directory, you are guaranteed to find your favorite motion picture . Also, the platform supports 4K streaming.

However, remember that not all the movie sources on the site are free . For instance, if you search for a title like The Black Widow , it will only be available on Disney+, a subscription-based streaming service.

Its most appealing feature is the variety of unique and niche streaming services it provides access to on the market . Many users have no idea that they exist. We like how its product hunt community finds new and relevant services that match their interests better.

• Massive content directory
• Makes finding HQ streams effortless
• Doesn’t host its own content

46. Stremio

Large number of Hollywood movies

Lacks add-ons

Stremio is famous because its vast content library contains reputable Hollywood titles and television networks . Millions of people use it daily to watch their favorite content online. Thankfully, the site has made it easy to find the content you want to watch by organizing media content into various subcategories. Also, you can click on ‘discover’ to find the content you want to watch.

Stremio works primarily as a web browser . You can install add-ons and run them from the app, but being a media player inherently, it is most useful for browsing the latest content.

It lets you watch sports, web and live TV channels, or podcasts. However, remember that Stremio doesn’t own any content – it is just a media center application that enables you to watch content from different platforms.

It’s similar to Kodi. However, unlike Kodi, Stremio doesn’t have many add-ons. In fact, some of its add-ons have been flagged because of security issues . Yet, you can still get safe Stremio add-ons. We liked the fact that it has a fully functional Netflix add-on.

A VPN for Stremio is highly recommended since the platform aggregates content from streaming and torrent sites.

• Users get notified when new content is added
• Allows you to organize your library
• You can access content remotely on any supported device
• Has a limited number of add-ons

47. Fawesome TV

HD quality videos

Fawesome TV is an excellent platform with great entertainment content from food, comedy, lifestyle, games, education, horror, fitness, etc. In addition, it has a helpful interface that will enable you to watch your favorite content like on a TV but have control like on a computer.

Fortunately, it has organized content according to the genre and subcategories like Trending This Month, Not on Netflix, British Drama, New Arrivals, and many more. In addition, the site doesn’t require a subscription and adds new titles every week.

• Massive library of content
• Frequent content addition
• Ads can sometimes be overwhelming

48. 5Movies

Lacks full HD

5Movies is an entirely free, high-quality movie source. Unlike many other platforms, you don’t need to create an account to start streaming . It has a fantastic interface and features movies of all genres, including classics and trending shows.

The platform is popular with Hollywood hits and international and regional movies in different countries . Whether you are looking for a Dutch documentary or a new French movie, 5Movies is a decent place to start.

The movies are organized neatly, and you can easily navigate and search for your desired content without wasting much time . 5Movies resembles Moviesjoy, though its collection is shallower, the video quality isn’t really FHD (Full High Definition) as they claim.

• No need to sign up
• Extensive international library
• Completely free
• Shallower collection compared to other popular sites like MoviesJoy

49. LosMovies

Has kid’s content

Poor video quality

If you are looking for a clean movie platform to enjoy your favorite movies without annoying redirects , pop-ups, and annoying ads, you must visit LosMovies. The platform is a complete package with extensive libraries and information about ratings, actors, directors, genres, trending movies, etc. It is also popular among kids and teenagers.

LosMovies has multiple servers to provide you with alternative sources . The content is organized according to genres, actors, countries, and directors. It also has a search bar to help you find your favorite movies and TV series available on the site. On the downside, it offers low-quality videos compared to other websites, and you may need a Flash player or DivX.

• No ads and pop-ups
• Contains additional information about content
• Has multiple servers
• Require flash player or DivX

50. MoviesFoundOnline

Frequently updated

Pirated content

The next on our list is MoviesFoundOnline . You will see many categories and genres to browse on this website. It has a decent collection of free films , from cult classics to independent films. The site also features documentaries, series, stand-up comedy, animated shorts, and films.

Because of its content range, we found it a worthwhile addition as one of the convenient sources to access movies (and other video content) for free. It lets you watch videos in 720p and 1080p resolutions .

However, the site isn’t one that fans love. That is because you’ve met with many ads before hitting play on your favorite movie or show.

The reason it’s not high on our list is because the ads on it aren’t just a minor inconvenience . Enjoying even the finest TV shows, movies, or other content is difficult when ads are abundant. It can also expose you to malware threats and has pirated content, making it not a recommended option.

• Extensive collection of titles
• Has animated video content
• It contains too many ads

51. LookMovie

Some content may be illegal

LookMovie is one of the best websites for streaming content in high-definition videos. However, the libraries are not frequently updated, so you may not find thmovies and tv e latest movies and TV series here. Despite this, it has a rich movie and TV show database and a sleek, user-friendly interface where you can search and filter to find your favorite content.

The platform also has multiple servers, so you can switch to a different server if one is overloaded. Therefore, expect a fantastic steaming experience when watching movies on LookMovie without interruptions . In addition, you do not need to sign up or log in to start watching.

• You don’t need to sign up
• Multiple servers
• Not frequently updated

Top IMDB rankings

Finding a free site not plagued by annoying ads is rare – if not impossible. You can’t blame the site owners; the ads get them paid . Nevertheless, nothing prepared us for 1HD, which works like a legal platform.

First of all, it has zero intrusive ads. When you click on anything on this site, you don’t get ads opening up in another window. The only ad you will see while using 1HD appears on the video player before your show starts playing. Once you remove it, you can watch your show uninterrupted.

Furthermore, 1HD has an extensive library containing old and current content. On top of that, you get all the latest series on this site, which is usually updated as soon as new episodes are released by their original networks. The site also provides information such as IMDB rating, release date, production company, and more for each show.

Also, 1HD has a UX you will probably not expect from a free site. For example, the search option has several filters, including video quality, release year, genres, and country, to make it easy to watch your favorite shows — old or new. Moreover, you can click on the name of an actor on your favorite show, and this site will show you all the series they feature in.

Besides 1HD’s top functionality, it boasts an attractive, straightforward interface that lets you quickly access content. These qualities and more are why 1HD is on our list.

• Quality video and clear audio
• No content limits
• Offers latest TV shows, too
• Some content is illegally hosted

53. TheFlixer

Specializes in HD TV series

Can have ads with malware

TheFlixer is not as clean as 1HD but is one of the cleanest free platforms online. You won’t need an ad blocker to navigate the few popup ads on this site.

The homepage displays the most popular series, but you can filter it by type, quality (HD, SD, or CAM), release year, genre, and country of production. Even better, the search bar quickly takes you to your favorite series.

When you type a few keywords, TheFlixer starts suggesting relevant series. If your target show does not appear, click “ View all results ,” and there is a high likelihood you will find what you are looking for on the page that opens. Once you find your show, you will see information such as overview, IMDB rating, duration, and trailer link.

Moreover, TheFlixer features a download button in the video player , allowing you to save your favorite series for offline viewing. It’s undoubtedly one of the best websites to download series for free .

• Flawless streaming experience
• Top IMDB-rated list
• Contains annoying ads
• A certain amount of content is hosted illegally

54. BMovies

Features TV series

Contains illegal content

If you want to check out more options to watch your favorite series, BMovies may be what you want. Don’t be disturbed by the “movies” in the site name; it contains series too. It may annoy you with the constant popup ads , but it makes up for the intrusion with its vast TV series collection.

Moreover, you do not need to sign up to use BMovies; registration — which we don’t recommend for security reasons — is optional. It’s good that this site offers much of its content in HD , allowing you to experience optimum pleasure from viewing your show.

Furthermore, BMovies provides essential info about movies and shows, such as IMDB rating, genre, country, release date, etc. Please note that the site shows misleading and intrusive ads , so you won’t be able to play a video quickly.

• Has advanced filters
• Massive content library
• List of top-rated movies based on IMDB
• Lots of intrusive ads

55. M4UFree.TV

Interactive interface

Annoying pop-up ads

M4UFree’s name gives it away as a free site for viewing your favorite video content. Whether you want to watch the latest shows or movies, the site offers all. Placing a cursor on a show provides its overview and IMDB rating so you can quickly know if it’s worth your time.

Additionally, M4UFree offers free films and shows in HD and full HD , but there is no option for SD for many series, which is disappointing for users who may want to limit their data usage . Also, expect popup ads when using this site, but they won’t annoy you.

• Top Day, Top Month, Top Week lists
• Offers extensive library of movies and series
• Interactive information overview feature
• Offers anime content, too
• It hosts content without legal copyrights to most of it

56. UWatchFree

Extensive library of web series and movies

• Hosts pirated content

Uwatchfree is an unofficial website that provides free access to recently released films, enabling users to watch and download movies without paying. The site allegedly leaked films illegally for 8 years since its launch in 2012, when the hit Bollywood movie Tere Naam was uploaded. Uwatchfree hosts pirated movies from various film industries, including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English cinema.

The site provides HD downloads for viewers seeking high-definition quality over low-resolution bootlegs. Uwatchfree’s round-the-clock streaming makes it popular for accessing movies anytime for free.

However, some countries, such as India, have banned the website due to infringing intellectual property rights. However, it remains easily accessible via mirror domains.

While watching videos during our testing, we noticed that the website consumes lots of internet data , even with low video resolution. That is because the website has lots of advertisements. It can be a sign of malware, too. So, you better avoid this website or use a device that is fully protected or not used for financial transactions.

• Quickly makes newly released content available for users
• Provides information about the cast, production, director, etc
• Unsafe source of entertainment

57. VHMovies

Extensive catalog

Harmful ads

VHMovies, previously hosted on Tumovies.tv, is a video-sharing platform where you can watch the most popular movies and seasons online. The website is growing rapidly. It is a site without annoying ads when playing a video.

Most videos are HD quality, even classic 90s and early 2000s movies. It has over 40,000 titles. As the website does not require registration, it seems to place a high priority on user comfort . Another positive thing about this site is that it shows a quick overview of the movies as you hover over their cards.

Upon our first visit, we knew it was an unofficial site. However, we liked that the website mentioned that the content is posted without the owners’ consent. So, even if they are transparent, it is still wrong . We recommend you stay away from such sites. Also, different authorities ban such websites for good. Like other free sites, it may be illegal to use depending on your location, but it can infect your device with malware and viruses.

• Has popular titles
• Allows video sharing

Which illegal streaming platforms should I avoid?

It is illegal to access copyrighted content without permission from the copyright holder. But as noted earlier in this article , it all depends on your country’s stance on piracy. Some known examples of pirate streaming portals include Putlocker, 123Movies, AZMovies, MoviesJoy, GoStream, PutLocker, StreamLord, SpaceMov, SolarMovie, and Popcorn Time.

It is imperative to note that these sites may change their domains frequently to avoid getting shut down. So, it is always prudent to use legal streaming services to watch content such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.

We recommend that you only use legitimate websites if you want to use free websites. The majority of the sites listed above have legal status in most countries. Some of them are Crackle, Peacock TV, PlutoTV, Freevee, and Tubi.

The provision of premium platforms

We regularly update the sites listed in this article based on our extensive (ongoing) research and tests.

For example, we list the most promising free options to watch your preferred TV series and movies safely. We’ve also listed the most common free and illegal movie websites we recommend avoiding because they can be dangerous.

All the sites we listed in this article are free. Even if some are premium platforms, they offer content one way or the other. But many might want to know the difference between paid and free services (such as Peacock, Amazon Freevee, Tubi, etc.).

The key separating factor between both is that the paid site requires a subscription to access the content. In contrast, users can access content without paying via free sites .

Premium streaming platforms usually offer a wide selection of original programming, movies, and TV serials. You won’t see ads on them. Users also get better content quality, with HD and 4K options.

But, free online movie sites often have limited content selection , and quality varies. Additionally, you will often encounter irritating ads.

The type of service you choose depends on your preferences and priorities. Subscribing to a paid platform allows you to access high-quality content without advertisements.

A free site might be an excellent choice if you don’t mind ads and a limited selection . Also, some of these free video websites may not be legitimate or safe. As emphasized throughout the article, we recommend using a licensed video site (think of Peacock, Crackle, Amazon Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV, etc., that we listed in this article) if you decide to use one. That will keep security and legal risks at bay.

How to choose the suitable site to stream your favorite content content for free

Numerous free providers online today make choosing the best ones difficult. The following tips can help you choose a reliable source.

• Device compatibility and content library : Choose a platform with an extensive library of your favorite content. Also, ensure it supports all your devices. You can use mobile, PC, and TV devices to watch videos.
• Reviews and recommendations : Research various platforms. Compare their features and read reviews and comments from others. This can help you prevent mistakes made by many others. It also helps you determine which platform has the most appealing features.
• Video quality and advertisements : You cannot enjoy poor-quality videos cluttered with frequent and annoying advertisements. For the most enjoyable experience, settle for a video platform that has HD videos without being targeted with intrusive ads.
• Security, privacy, and legality : Your website should not expose you to online threats or collect your personal data. Some websites have malicious links that download malware to your device. Also, stay away from websites that stream copyrighted content.
• Ease-of-use and interface : Some sites have cluttered interface that is difficult to navigate. A reliable website should have a user-friendly interface and an effective search and filtering tool. Also, the contents should be organized and categorized orderly.

Try out different websites until you find one that perfectly suits your needs. You’ll know it’s the right one if it’s easy to use, has a lot of content you’re interested in, and doesn’t expose you to online threats. Once you find such a source, stick with it because exploring further could create confusion or expose you to online threats.

Beware of the dangers of free illegal movie websites

Free film hubs are tempting – who wouldn’t want to watch the latest blockbusters without paying? But hold your horses. While these sites offer the alluring promise of free entertainment, they often come with serious catches .

Before you grab that popcorn, it’s imperative to consider the potential risks hiding behind those tantalizing titles. While not every free site is shady, many fail to deliver a smooth, legal viewing experience. Free platforms for watching movies require some caution between the pesky ads and the threats to your cybersecurity.

Malware and viruses

You’ll likely pick up some uninvited digital guests using free platforms. Site ads and download links frequently distribute malware directly to viewers’ devices. Once downloaded, this malicious software can secretly access personal data, monitor online activity, or even completely wreck devices. We’re talking about trojans, ransomware, aggressive spyware – not fun.

Legal issues

Here’s an eye-opener: most free platforms host pirated, illegal content . Users who watch or download these films risk heavy legal penalties, including fines, criminal charges, and internet service suspension.

Scams and spam

Beware of free platforms requesting personal information like emails or locations! Users can open themselves to serious identity theft risks and relentless spamming scams by registering.

Offensive or inappropriate content

Free mediums often lack moderation or oversight over what gets posted. Without regulation, there is an alarmingly high risk of encountering straight-up pornography tucked between movie titles. Even legal free sites bombard viewers with racy ads and popups — thanks to unfiltered ad networks. Not cool. Things get even more dangerous for families – free sites could expose children to inappropriate, violent, sexual, or vulgar content.

Poor and risky user experience

Watching movies on shady, free platforms can get annoying very quickly. Usability-wise, these sites rank among the worst. Intense ad density means viewers get bombarded with pushy popups and redirects interrupting the flow. And you can bet that sketchy ads also track your browsing activity.

On top of that, viruses and malware picked up from free sites cause severe lag, random crashes, device damage, and general sluggish performance. Not fun. Video quality is often unpredictable, ranging from blurry to seriously pixelated scenes. After constant buffering and downtime, uninterrupted streaming is unlikely . Free film sites fail to provide smooth, satisfying viewer experiences. And when you factor in security threats, things get riskier. Not exactly a recipe for carefree binge-watching.

Installing a VPN is a must today while streaming for dependable protection

Watching free films online is a budget-friendly and effortless way of enjoying the content you love from home, office, or anywhere else.

But you must protect yourself with a VPN while watching content on these sites. It will give you the anonymity needed to enjoy your favorite content without anyone knowing .

Also, using a VPN will prevent your internet service provider (ISP), app developers, government agencies, and third-party agents from snooping on your online data, ensuring safe browsing.

As with any other tool or product globally, hundreds of VPNs exist today, making choosing the correct VPN tough.

But here again, we did all the research and tests for you. The number one VPN for streaming is NordVPN. Its super-fast speed makes it easy to watch HD movies and shows. Also, since it’s a no-log VPN service , it will not keep your online activities’ logs while protecting you from all the threats online, including hackers.

So, let’s look into what NordVPN offers in detail so that you know what makes this VPN ideal.

Our #1 pick for safe streaming. Unblocks all the streaming websites and services one can think of today. Super fast and user-friendly. Highly secure and offers five simultaneous connections with 24/7 customer support.

• Bypasses geo-restrictions effortlessly
• Unlimited bandwidth and data
• High-level encryption
• Slightly expensive compared to the industry average

NordVPN has an extensive network, including over 5,900 servers in 100+ locations across 60 countries . With 1,000+ servers alone in the USA , it is one of the best US VPNs , giving users many options to access online video websites.

Moreover, speed isn’t the only thing NordVPN offers. It boasts military-grade security with 256-bit AES encryption , DNS/IPv6 leak protection , and a kill switch . These features ensure that your private information is not exposed online, even when using unsecured sites and public domains.

Besides, NordVPN is compatible with all widely-used devices, including iOS, Android, Firefox, Chrome, macOS, Android TV, streaming devices (such as Fire Stick ), and routers . Its SmartDNS services enable users to watch content on many devices, including those not typically supporting VPNs. It works great with popular sites for streaming like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video , Sling TV, Hulu , BBC iPlayer, and HBO.

Moreover, protecting your privacy is a priority for NordVPN. Hence, it has a strict no-log policy and advanced TrustedServer technology . Also, the provider offers excellent 24/7 live chat support to answer your questions or inquiries. Its 30-day money-back guarantee is all the assurance you need to subscribe to it. With NordVPN, you get exceptional speed, privacy, security, and user-friendly features!

Free premium quality streaming channels you need a VPN for to access

Many users worry about their online safety while watching movies and shows on sites unknown to them, which is understandable. However, if you are in this category, you will be happy to know that your favorite big studios and TV networks worldwide have their free premium sites.

These channels keep you updated on the latest television shows . They also offer live-streaming , classic TV series that are decades old , and lots more. But beyond that (and even more importantly), they guarantee high-definition content for the best experience and are all legal and completely safe .

But before you get too excited, you should note that these channels aren’t available in many countries . You will be disappointed if you don’t live in countries like the UK, Canada, the US, and other limited countries where most streaming services are available. But there is an easy way to bypass this geo-restriction : through a VPN.

A VPN allows you to connect to a server in a country where a specific site is available officially. So, for instance, if you are in the UK and wish to access a restricted channel in Australia, you can connect to an Australian VPN server.

Below are the free premium channels you need a VPN to access.

United States of America

• NBC: NBC houses some of the most popular TV channels in the US. Its streaming channel provides access to classic series, late-night shows, and more.
• ABC Go: The popular TV channel has vintage movies such as Lion King on its sites.
• Disney Now: What’s better than having all your kids’ favorite movies and shows in one place? Disney Now keeps your kids entertained for a long time; the best part is that it’s free!
• Fox: With Fox network channels, you can watch tons of news, sports, commentary, and reality TV without paying.

BBC iPlayer: This is arguably the most extensive channel in the UK, with almost every show available in its archive for free online streaming to UK residents. So, for example, if you want to watch an epic David Attenborough nature documentary, head on to the BBC iPlayer (with a VPN).

ITV Hub: Romance movies and shows are never in short supply on ITV Hub. But beyond that, there are reality shows and lots more to choose from.

All 4: Want to enjoy insightful documentaries, quirky comedies, and ground-breaking dramas? All 4 (also known as Channel 4) is your best bet. It’s free, too!

CBC Gem: This platform features a well-curated library of trending and excellent series and films from Canada and globally. It gives users access to many sports , movies, documentaries, and shows.

ABC iView: iView gives you access to all shows across its channel (local and international). It includes everything to entertain the whole family, from arts and comedy content to news, kids’ shows, and more.

SBS On Demand: If you want a channel that gives you access to classic movies, dramas, comedies, and live sports from Australia and the rest of the world, head on to the SBS On Demand video streaming service . You will get all of that and more in one place.

Wrapping up

The days of buying DVDs and CDs to watch video content are over.

We tried making things easy for you by evaluating dozens and highlighting not one but over fifty excellent free platforms. So now, you can watch Bollywood flicks online or other exciting content at no cost. No more wondering where to get free films .

As things stand, Tubi and AZ Movies are leaders in free on-demand streaming, offering an extensive library of fantastic movies and other content. Meanwhile, with its 200 channels, PlutoTV is one of the most convenient free live TV streaming services. We have listed 57 in this article. Because of our regular rigorous testing , all websites we list are trustworthy in their respective domains, so everyone gets dependable platforms that meet their needs.

However, remember to protect yourself from spies, malware, and hackers with a reliable VPN before doing this. VPNs not only prevent malware and spies from having access to your device; they also conceal your identity and location, which ensures you not only get to bypass geo-restrictions but also have maximum safety and privacy online.

A VPN will also be handy for unblocking restricted sites, as some (Vudu, Crackle, Xumo, etc.) might be unavailable in certain areas.

While so many VPNs are on the market, none beats NordVPN ; it’s affordable and has many features. That’s why it’s the most recommended choice for all streaming lovers. The provider doesn’t just meet the essential requirements for streaming content; it exceeds them effortlessly.

If you are watching movies and shows within the public domain, it’s legal.

As with any website, you must be cautious and ensure you’re not downloading anything harmful. Using a reputable antivirus program and carefully clicking on any suspicious links or pop-ups is also a good idea.

VPNs are not limited to allowing users to access restricted sources alone. They have a multifunctional identity as a security tool and online protection mechanism. The best VPNs offer watertight encryption to prevent spies and hackers from gaining access to your sensitive information. Also, VPNs prevent government agencies, ISPs, and advertising firms from tracking your actual location or having information on your online activities.

Having a VPN is not a requirement to access many of these sites. But yes, you should ideally activate a reliable VPN when on a free platform for your safety. A VPN will hide your online activities and protect you from your ISP, hackers, and third-party agencies.

Watching content from authentic services you subscribed to while using a VPN is legal. Although using a VPN to access geo-blocked content is illegal in some regions, most countries allow it for various reasons.

Accessing copyrighted content on a freely available resource is an offense, and you may face legal sanctions if caught. While PrivacySavvy recommends using a VPN to watch movies, it should only be used for movies in the public domain. We never encourage the use of pirated content.

Some sites do not require registration before streaming. These sites include the Internet Archive, Solar Movie, 123Movies, YesMovies, and YouTube. The seamless experience they provide is a key reason why these are among the best sites to watch movies and television shows for free.

Several free sites offer excellent value. Some of the best ones include VidCloud, Tubi, FilmRise, Sony Crackle, Freevee (fka IMDb), AZMovies, and 123Movies. If you want an answer narrowed down to ‘What is the No. 1 movie site?’ It would be Crackle and Peacock, as both offer extensive movie libraries and are legal.

Several websites offer free video content that you can watch legally. Some popular options include:

– Crackle

– The Internet Archive

– Popcornflix

– Vudu

– Kanopy

These websites typically offer a selection of movies in the public domain or are being offered for free by copyright holders. It is always a good idea to check the terms of service and copyright information before watching any movies on these websites to ensure you are using them legally.

Yes, you can enjoy content on your phone or tablet. Many services have apps available for download on iOS and Android devices, allowing you to access their content on your phone or tablet. Some platforms also have mobile-optimized websites you can access through your phone’s web browser. You can enjoy content on your mobile device with a stable internet connection.

The quality of movie streams can vary depending on the website and the movie being streamed. However, most free sources have a substantial selection of high-quality movies.

It’s possible but not guaranteed. Some of the latest films and shows may not be available for free.

Sites offering free content often show pop-ups and ads. That is how they make revenue. But these pop-ups can be frustrating when streaming a movie or show. Popular ad blockers/pop-up blockers like AdGuard, AdBlocker, and AdBlock can help you block ads while streaming on such sites. You only need to download browser extensions and turn them on while watching your desired movie or show. Moreover, they are free to use.

We don’t recommend downloading content from illegal or free sources because these platforms offer content without the owner’s consent. Downloading copyright material online is illegal and can seriously damage your device with malware and expose you to many legal hazards. However, you can download videos from legal websites like YouTube TV or Netflix, as they offer offline download features. Moreover, tools like VidJuice let you download and save videos to your device.

Unauthorized streaming options provide movies and shows without the author’s permission. Watching, downloading, or sharing copyrighted content without the owner’s consent is considered unlawful, and you can face serious consequences. Moreover, these websites steal your data by spreading malware and adware to your device and selling it to third parties. Free providers heavily depend on ads and pop-ups to make money.

Even the best site for streaming movies and TV may sometimes not work for some users. Many factors affect seamless video streaming, including bandwidth limitations and internet connectivity. Moreover, your ISP may be experiencing technical faults or is overloaded with traffic. Such issues may occur at times and can be frustrating indeed. Also, many free sites tend to disappear due to legal issues, so the website you visit might have shut down or moved to another domain.

USTVGO was a highly popular live TV service, with millions of monthly users visiting the site. Like many others on our list, USTVGo is also free to use. But what made it stand out was its entirely ad-free experience.

As the name implies, it was a platform that primarily featured American channels, making it a go-to for Americans looking to cut the cord or those living abroad. However, in January 2023, users were met with a message on its homepage that read “Sorry, we are closed” instead of the usual links to over a hundred channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Nickelodeon. The platform did not send any warning before shutting down, so it was a mysterious disappearance.

Initially, some USTVGO users hoped that the message “Sorry, we are closed” would be a temporary inconvenience. Still, as the days ticked on, it became clear that the service was no longer available. Not only was the primary domain USTVGO.tv affected, but multiple alternative access points, such as watchnewslive.tv and ustv247.tv, also displayed the same message, indicating that the service had been closed.

The Soap2Day team shut down the official domains, including soap2day.to, soap2day.sh, soap2day.ac, soap2day.mx, and s2dfree.to (to name a few) on June 19, 2023. While some of its mirrors may be active right now, there is no certainty that they will be taken down or remain active.

Notably, the Soap2Day original was a fan favorite for quite some time, with an extensive collection of movies, TV series, and sports shows. Users could enjoy all the content without signing up.

Anything labeled “free” often comes with risks. You cannot get away with that fact. If you seek quality in any service, you usually need to pay. Why would someone create a safe product or website for us to use without charging us? This principle applies to streaming as well. Free platforms often have poor security and are easily accessible to hackers.

That is simply because no one is invested enough to secure them to the highest standards, allowing users to watch content without the risk of virus infection. There are many ways to catch a virus. Clicking on a link with fake messaging, downloading a file that is not what it claims, or clicking on an ad on a compromised website are some of the most common ways. So, if you choose to watch online for free, be cautious and watch for suspicious links, ads, or download folders, and steer clear of them.

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About the Author

Isa is a Nigeria-born professional writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience under his belt. Having worked with some of the most renowned organizations worldwide, he’s been able to produce and publish hundreds of high-quality articles across a wide range of niches. Over time, Isa has developed an immense interest in digital security and privacy. He has always been a privacy enthusiast, and now, he's giving it all to educate people on privacy, security, and geo-blocking issues around the world.

Leave a Comment

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Janie Vanegass

Hello, are Streamdor and IMDb recommended legal websites?

Abeerah Hashim PrivacySavvy.com

Janie, IMDb TV is secure and legal. Streamdor falls into a gray area. It's probably legal since they offer a Chrome extension outside the Google Chrome store without copyright concerns. We still recommend you do further research, too.

Deepak Chandra Kumar

Thanks for the list. Is it possible to download from these sites? I want to present a movie collection to my brother. Your site has the updates young people want so do people aging I reckon.

Hi there, Deepak, many of these sources are designed to stream movies online, not download them. However, you can visit each website to see if they provide a download option. Also, downloading any video you see online is easy these days -- if you have paid IDM or similar software, it will give you the option to download as soon as you play something. We hope it helps.

Why are sports TV channels not accessible?

Hi Widanage, if you are facing difficulty streaming sports TV channels on your device, we suggest you check out our article featuring the sports streaming sites available today . This article includes a list of the sports channels currently available. Hope this helps!

Korean Streamer

watch here for free too vmdrama.com, especially if you like K drama series and Korean movies.

The list is great Can you check out cinemadeck.com ? It is a new website but has a lot less ads than others

• 6,100+ VPN servers in more than 60 countries
• Secures connection on free streaming services
• Unblocks all geo-blocked streaming platforms
• Unlimited bandwidth and torrent downloads

• Entertainment
• Torrenting & P2P

Best Torrent Sites of 2024: Download Movies, TV Shows, Music, Games and E-Books for Free

Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. However, any earnings do not affect how we review services. Learn more about our editorial integrity and research process .

Everybody enjoys a bit of entertainment, and if you’d like to get it for free, you should consider torrenting. With so many torrent sites out there, picking the right ones can be tricky, so we’ve got a guide that contains the best torrent sites for a few different categories.

Last Updated: 26 Mar'24 2024-03-26T15:11:48+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

• 1337x — Best torrent site for movies with excellent organization
• The Pirate Bay — Most popular torrent site with an easy UI
• YTS — Torrent site for YIFY movie releases
• EZTV — Torrent site for EZTV TV show releases
• ShowRSS — Easy-to-use TV show torrent site with show tracking 
• IPTorrents — Private torrent site with an excellent content selection

Facts & Expert Analysis:

• Torrent any kind of content: Torrent sites are a great way to get movies, shows, music and other content, but the best site to use often depends on the type of content you want to download.
• Music, e-books and games: Rutracker is the best torrent site for music, whereas Library Genesis and FitGirl Repacks are the best options for e-books and games, respectively.
• Public vs private torrent trackers: While private trackers are usually more meticulous in terms of quality, it’s often difficult to get an invite for them.

When it comes to sharing files between users, torrenting is arguably one of the easiest ways. As a peer-to-peer (P2P) distribution system, you can download files that other users are uploading free of charge. It’s incredibly popular, and many sites will let you search for your desired files. If the number of options is overwhelming, this guide will show you some of the best torrent sites out there. 

Before we get into that, we should mention that one of the most common uses for torrenting is downloading copyrighted software or content. While torrenting itself isn’t illegal, downloading copyrighted material that you don’t own the rights to is . To that end, protecting yourself by using a VPN when you’re file sharing is always a great idea — ExpressVPN is our recommendation . 

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best torrent sites where you can find a selection of files. We’ll go over both public and private torrent sites, and we’ll also answer some popular questions you might have. 

Rewritten with a new list of torrent sites that is split into categories for convenience.

6 Best Movie & TV Torrent Sites

If you’re looking to download movies and TV shows, these are some of the torrent sites you should consider. 

• Mirror site URLS: www.1337x.to  
• Banned in: None
• Best for: All movies & TV shows

When considering the best torrent sites to download movies and TV shows, 1337x is our prime recommendation. It’s one of the most popular torrenting websites with a solid reputation that is more than justified. The content libraries are updated daily, and most popular movies and shows have thousands of seeders. 

Clicking on any category shows you a list of the most popular downloads in that group within the last 24 hours, and you can pick and choose different sorting options at the top. Download speeds are excellent for torrents that are being seeded regularly. If you get stuck, there’s a chat room where the support staff hangs out regularly, and you can ask them anything. 

2. The Pirate Bay

• Mirror site URLS: www.thepiratebay.org  
• Banned in: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Iran, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
• Best for: All movies and TV shows

If you’ve looked for a torrent online in the last 20 years, chances are you came across The Pirate Bay. The site is a mecca for torrents, with one of the largest content libraries that’s neatly sorted into categories. The user interface pretty much stayed the same after the website was initially founded, but since it’s so easy to navigate, this is in no way a bad thing. 

Although The Pirate Bay is the go-to torrent website for most users — a quick Google search suggests it as a highly reputable source of torrents — it places second in our best torrent sites roundup because of its availability. Since its founders were convicted in 2009, many countries around the world have banned access to the website, though you can still use it with a VPN. 

• Mirror site URLS: www.yts.mx
• Best for: YIFY releases

YTS is home to one of the most prominent movie distribution groups out there: YIFY. Releases are uploaded as soon as they’re available, which is usually remarkably soon after their digital release date, and they have a reputation for offering small file sizes and high video quality. 

YTS lets you search its library and sort movies by quality, genre, release year and even rating, making it easy to find the titles you want. We’ve found that its download speeds are usually solid, and the site imposes no limitations on speed or bandwidth. If you don’t mind that the library is somewhat small in comparison, this is a great way to access popular movies. 

• Mirror site URLS: www.eztvx.to , www.eztv.ag , www.eztv.it , www.eztv.ch , www.eztv.li  
• Best for: EZTV TV show releases

If you’re a TV show enthusiast, EZTVx should be right up your alley. It’s the official torrent site to find releases by EZTV, a very popular TV show distribution group known for its fast releases and high-quality torrents. The site is updated incredibly often, with new releases added every few minutes. If you’re looking for a newly released TV show, chances are you’ll find it here.

The torrents we’ve tested all have plenty of seeders, making it easy to get faster downloads. When viewing torrents, you can use the “video resolution” filter to make sure you only get results in your desired resolution. The only downside is the lack of advanced search filters, but since the site only offers TV shows, chances are that won’t be a problem. 

• Mirror site URLS: www.showrss.info  
• Best for: TV shows

ShowRSS is an unexpected gem when it comes to TV show torrents. The website lets you add all your favorite shows to your own personal list, and you can pick the episodes you want to download. By eliminating difficult or confusing file names, and instead displaying the show name, season number, episode number and resolution, the website is remarkably easy to use. 

Download speeds are excellent thanks to a large number of seeders for most torrents, even when it comes to less popular TV shows. Our favorite part is the fact that you can configure an RSS-compatible torrent client with the feed and download all your desired shows automatically as soon as a new episode is available. 

6. IPTorrents

• Mirror site URLS: ​​ www.iptorrents.com  

IPTorrents has a larger library than many of its competitors, but it still comes in last on our list of the best movie torrent sites for one reason — it is a private website. While private sites are often safer and offer better experiences, getting an invite for IPTorrents is proving to be rather difficult. 

However, if you do get an invite, you’re in for a treat — you get a massive library size with millions of torrents. It’s neatly organized and has an advanced search that only nets you the results you really need. Keep in mind that you’ll need to maintain your upload-to-download ratio if you don’t want to get banned, as IPTorrents doesn’t appreciate hit and runs. 

5 Best Music Torrent Sites 

For those who are keen on expanding their music libraries, these are some of the torrent sites that have a solid selection of music for everyone’s tastes. 

1. Rutracker

• Mirror site URLS: www.rutracker.net/forum/index.php  
• Best for: All music genres

Unless you’re proficient in Russian (or are using a translation service), Rutracker might seem like a strange suggestion. However, this is one of the best torrenting sites — if not the best — when it comes to downloading almost any kind of music. From electronic music and hip-hop to national Russian music, there’s something for everyone. 

Download speeds are excellent — the website doesn’t impose any speed or bandwidth limitations, and most of the torrents we tested had a solid number of seeders. If you’re looking for music torrents, this is the place to start your search. Just keep in mind that you will need to create a free account to use the website. 

2. Mixtape Torrent

• Mirror site URLS: www.mixtapetorrent.com  
• Best for: Mixtapes, promo tracks 

If you’re looking to expand your library of mixtapes, then Mixtape Torrent is the site for you. It has hundreds of thousands of users uploading mixtapes, with new releases made available every couple of days. 

On the left side, there’s a navigation menu that lets you browse by DJ — if you have a favorite artist, you can find their releases here. Even though it’s a fairly niche website, most torrents have plenty of seeders, and download speeds are solid. 

3. Redacted

• Mirror site URLS: redacted.ch  

It may not be the most popular torrent site for music, but Redacted offers a solid selection of music torrents, and it focuses strongly on user security. Getting an invite isn’t easy, but once you have one, you’ll gain access to a vast library of music. 

Download speeds were good overall, though we came across some torrents that didn’t have many seeders. If you can get an invite easily, Redacted is certainly a great option — but if you can’t, then you could probably find the same torrents elsewhere too. 

4. Nyaa ISS

• Mirror site URLS: www.nyaa.ink , www.nya.iss.one   
• Banned in: India
• Best for: Japanese music, anime soundtracks

Anime fans love Nyaa ISS, as the torrent website offers arguably the largest selection of Japanese music and anime soundtracks around. True, you may need a translation service to find some content, but with new releases daily, it’s worth the trouble. 

Most torrents have quite a few seeders, which makes downloading music easy and remarkably fast. Aside from music, you will also find anime movies and books, but the massive selection of niche music is what put Nyaa ISS on our list. 

5. Metal Tracker

• Mirror site URLS: en.metal-tracker.com  
• Best for: Metal music

If you want to download any subgenre of metal music, look no further than Metal Tracker. As its name suggests, the website has an incredible selection of metal music, divided into 55 subcategories that you can access from the left-side navigation menu. 

Every torrent album has details regarding the file format and bitrate, making it easy to pick high-quality files if that’s what you prefer. While it may not have the most diverse content library, if you’re a metalhead, you’ll feel right at home. 

4 Best Torrent Sites for E-Books

If you’re a bookworm with an e-book reader, here is where you can find new titles to add to your library. 

1. Library Genesis

• Mirror site URLS: www.libgen.is , www.libgen.rs , www.libgen.st  
• Best for: E-books, magazines, textbooks

Library Genesis, commonly known as Libgen, is the world’s largest repository of e-books. The UI might seem a bit too basic at first, but it does an excellent job of keeping the website simple and easy to navigate. The search engine is fairly advanced, letting you filter out unwanted results with ease. 

We had no problem finding almost any e-book we could think of, including niche e-books that we couldn’t find elsewhere and educational books for various industries. If you’re searching for the best torrent site for e-books, look no further. 

2. My Anona Mouse

• Mirror site URLS: www.myanonamouse.net  
• Best for: E-books, textbooks, magazines

Other private trackers usually require an invitation from someone, but My Anona Mouse lets you apply for an invite all on your own. The interview process is rather simple, and before you know it, you’ll have access to a massive library of e-books. My Anona Mouse is also rather generous when it comes to maintaining an upload-to-download ratio, so you don’t have to worry too much about that. 

The e-book library may not be as big as Libgen’s, but it does offer a bit of something for everyone. Download speeds are excellent too, making My Anona Mouse a great source for e-books overall. 

3. Internet Archive

• Mirror site URLS: www.archive.org  
• Best for: Books, magazines, textbooks, journals 

If you’re into niche e-books and are having trouble finding them, you should check out Internet Archive. This is a “non-profit library of millions of free books,” which means you may not find copyrighted content here, but you will certainly find free e-books you would struggle to get elsewhere. 

Even though you can download any e-book as a torrent, Internet Archive also offers an online viewer so you can check out the books before you download them. It’s a great choice for anyone who is into elusive e-books. 

4. Anna’s Archive

• Mirror site URLS: www.annas-archive.org  
• Banned in: Italy
• Best for: E-books

Torrent site Anna’s Archive takes a slightly different approach than most other torrent sites. While it does have its own solid database of e-books, magazines and science papers, it also scrapes other torrent sites and serves you their results too. 

Download speeds may vary, and we’ll be honest — many of the torrents we tried had little to no seeders, which is why this excellent concept for a torrent site comes in last on our list. 

3 Best Video Game Torrent Sites 

The gamers among you are probably always on the hunt for the latest AAA releases — here are the torrent websites where you can find high-quality torrents for new (and old) games. 

1. FitGirl Repacks

• Mirror site URLS: www.fitgirl-repacks.site  
• Banned in: Italy, Vietnam
• Best for: Games

FitGirl is a prominent name in the games industry, and if you’re looking for newly released games, chances are you’ll find them here. Most of the torrents are packed into a remarkably small file size with no compromise in terms of quality. 

Download speeds are great, especially if you’re downloading popular, in-demand games that have plenty of seeders. 

2. GazelleGames

• Mirror site URLS: www.gazellegames.net  

GazelleGames is an excellent place to get new games for any platform. There are hundreds of thousands of torrents, all of which are high quality, and the website even has a tight-knit community that’s always in the mood to help you out. 

On the flip side, getting into that community has proven to be tricky, with a difficult and lengthy interview process. To add to this, registration is often closed, so you may need to be patient. However, if you do get through it and manage to maintain your upload-to-download ratio, you’ll have access to a massive library of games. 

3. DODI Repacks

• Mirror site URLS: www.dodi-repacks.site , dodi-repacks.download

DODI Repacks is another torrent website that offers plenty of repacks of popular games. The site has a solid game selection, and DODI makes sure to upload new repacks on a more or less daily basis. 

We weren’t too impressed with the number of seeders and download speeds, and the website isn’t the easiest to navigate, which is why it’s at the bottom of our list of torrent sites for games. 

What Are Torrent Sites & How Do They Work?

Torrent sites are online platforms that enable users to participate in P2P file sharing. In its traditional sense, file sharing usually involves files that are being uploaded to a server, where users can download them on demand. Alternatively, P2P file sharing means that every file is broken down into small pieces and shared between users. 

Torrenting websites are platforms that enable users to download a torrent file, essentially connecting them to a network of users — known as “seeders” — who are uploading that same file. While downloading the file, you are also sharing your downloaded pieces with everyone else in the network.  

Public vs Private Torrent Sites 

When you download a torrent, you can use either public or private torrenting websites. Public websites are available to everyone, which can be a double-edged sword. Anyone can upload a torrent, which means that security isn’t top-notch. You may also run into suspicious torrent files, as well as fake torrents that have nothing to do with the content you intended to download. 

On the other hand, private torrent sites are almost always invite-only, so you’ll need a user who already has an account to invite you to join the site. Private sites are usually more meticulous in terms of quality and security, and they also tend to have a solid selection of hard-to-find torrents. In some cases, downloading torrents from a private website might even be faster. 

Torrent Site Pros 

There are plenty of reasons to use a torrent site, even in situations where the files you want can be accessed as regular downloads. Here are some reasons why a torrent download might be a great idea. 

Availability of Files

One of the biggest reasons to use a torrent site is the sheer availability of files. From movies and TV shows to music and games, there’s a bit of everything. Most reputable torrent sites will even have content that came out as recently as a few hours ago, so you can find up-to-date episodes of your favorite TV shows or albums by your favorite artists. 

Faster Download Speeds

While this does depend on the specific torrent site and the target file, you’ll find that many torrent downloads tend to be faster than regular downloads, especially for in-demand files. This is mainly because you’re downloading it from multiple sources — and thus splitting the load — as opposed to a regular download, where everyone is downloading from the same server. 

Downloads Management

Last but not least, when you use a torrent client to download files, you can view and manage all your downloads in one place. You can see how many people are sharing the torrent with you and set priorities if you’re downloading multiple torrents at once. You can even pause and resume the download whenever you want. Some torrent clients even let you do this remotely.  

Torrent Site Cons

Not everything is sunshine and rainbows with torrents, though, and there are a few reasons why they’re not always the best idea. 

Security is likely the main issue with downloading torrents, especially if you’re not getting them from a private torrent site. Some uploaders don’t have your best interests at heart, so you might end up downloading a file that’s unrelated to what you think you’re getting. Your IP address is also exposed to the peers you are sharing the torrent with, which is all the more reason to use a VPN. 

The other big problem with torrents is the legal aspect. Torrenting copyrighted material without acquiring the rights is often illegal and may result in legal action being taken against you. If you want to avoid legal consequences, your best bet is to steer clear of content such as movies, TV series, music or games that aren’t available online for free. If you still want to access them, use a VPN. 

Ease of Use

Lastly, torrent sites aren’t the easiest things to use. Sure, a streamlined torrent website and client might make the process easier, but there are streaming clients such as Stremio that are remarkably simple. Rather than downloading the torrent, you just pick what you want to watch and enjoy it — they take care of sourcing the torrent in the background. 

How to Stay Safe When Using Torrent Sites 

When you’re getting most of your content from torrent sites, there are a few things you can do to make sure you stay safe. Using a VPN is our most common advice, but there are a few other things you should consider as well. 

A VPN, or virtual private network, adds some welcome security and privacy to your online activity. It gives you a virtual IP address that hides your real one from others sharing the torrent. It also ensures that your ISP can’t see your torrenting activities — some ISPs may try to prevent you from doing so. Downloading torrents without a VPN is a terrible idea , so be sure to use one. 

Install an Ad Blocker

Although they are less common on private torrent sites, ads are usually present on almost all torrenting websites. Installing an ad blocker on your device, even as a browser extension, will remove most ads. They may seem harmless, but not all of them lead to reputable websites, and some might even spread malware if you click them . 

Use Reputable Websites

While private websites tend to scrutinize their torrents a bit more, you can still have an excellent experience from a public torrent website. Reputable websites such as YTS, EZTVx, ShowRSS, 1337x or The Pirate Bay have been around for quite some time, and they have worked tirelessly to maintain their good reputations.

Be Wary of What You Download

Using torrent websites that limit who can upload a torrent, such as YTS, ShowRSS or EZTVx, is a good way to make sure you don’t run into malicious files. That’s not to say you should avoid all other websites, but make sure you check the comments on the torrent you want to download to see if it’s safe. 

Tips on Picking Torrenting Sites

Not all torrent sites are made equal, so if you’re deciding between a few options, here are some things to keep in mind. 

Use Reputable Torrent Sites

If you want to reduce the chances of running into pop-up ads, malicious torrents and slow download speeds, using a reputable torrent site is the first step. Private trackers like IPTorrents or public trackers that only allow verified uploads like 1337x, YTS or EZTVx are a great place to start, since there is very little chance that malicious content will find its way onto those sites. 

Choose a Site With High Download Speeds

You’d be surprised at how many popular torrent sites limit your download speeds. This can get very frustrating, especially if you’re keen on downloading large files that could take several days to complete. Opting for sites that don’t impose limits on speed (or bandwidth, for that matter) will offer a significantly better experience, and so will active trackers that have plenty of seeders. 

Pick Sites That Upload New Content Often

Finally, if you want to access recent torrents, choosing a torrent website that’s consistently active and regularly uploads new content is your best bet. Most of the torrent sites we mentioned above get new uploads on a daily basis, which means you’ll always find fresh content as soon as it’s available for download. 

Torrenting Sites to Avoid

With all the risks associated with torrenting, there are some torrent sites you want to avoid. A prime example is KickassTorrents , a platform that shut down a couple of years ago. What was once one of the most popular and secure torrent sites is now nothing but a shadow. Other sites to avoid include TorrentGalaxy and iDope , both of which are ad-ridden and have a history of issues. 

Final Thoughts 

Torrenting can be risky, but if you stick to safe torrent sites and avoid copyrighted material, it’s a great way to get a wide selection of movies, TV shows, music and software. There are plenty of safe torrent sites out there that have a large variety of content and won’t get you into legal trouble. 

Have you used some of the popular sites we mentioned above to download torrents? What’s your favorite one, and what do you use it for most often? Let us know in the comments, and as always, thank you for reading. 

FAQ: Best Torrent Sites

The most popular torrent site is The Pirate Bay, though it is banned in many countries. An excellent alternative is 1337x.

The safest torrent sites are those that are managed by closed groups of uploaders, such as YTS, which is run by YIFY, and EZTVx, which is run by EZTV.

No, torrenting as a file-sharing method is not illegal. However, if you download illegal content such as software or multimedia without acquiring the rights to it, you may run into problems.

The best VPN for torrenting is ExpressVPN, but if you’d rather opt for something more affordable, NordVPN and CyberGhost are solid alternatives.

pls add rutracker

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• Entertainment /

The MPA has big plans to crack down on movie piracy again

The ceo of the motion picture association says it’s going to work with lawmakers to restrict access to websites with pirated content..

By Emma Roth , a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.

Share this story

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is going off on piracy again. During CinemaCon in Las Vegas, MPA CEO Charles Rivkin announced that the organization plans on working with Congress to pass rules blocking websites with pirated content.

The MPA is a trade association representing Hollywood studios, including Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Disney (it’s also behind the ratings board that gives you an R if you say curse words too often). It has long lobbied for anti-piracy laws, but it seems the battle is heating up again. In his speech on Tuesday, Rivkin highlights what a major problem piracy in the US has become, saying it costs “hundreds of thousands of jobs” and “more than one billion in theatrical ticket sales.”

It’s true: piracy has gone up in recent years. A report from piracy data analytics company Muso revealed that video piracy websites around the globe received 141 billion visits in 2023, making for a 12 percent increase when compared to 2019. The US and India made up most of these visits. But at the same time, the price to subscribe to a streaming service is higher than ever, and so is the cost of a movie ticket .

• You can watch Pluto TV in VLC, and the MPA considers this piracy

The solution to stopping piracy, at least in Rivkin’s eyes, is to prevent users from accessing piracy websites altogether. “Site-blocking is a targeted, legal tactic to disrupt the connection between digital pirates and their intended audience,” Rivkin says. He adds that the ideal process would allow creatives across the film, TV, music, and book industries to go to court, where they can request that internet service providers block access to websites with pirated content.

If the MPA’s plan sounds familiar, it’s because it has tried this before. It helped hatch the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in 2012 , which would’ve restricted access to websites containing pirated content. However, the bill was dropped after facing heavy criticism over concerns it would violate free speech. “Back then, we heard concerns about the potential use of site-blocking to stifle free speech,” Rivkin said, referring to SOPA. “But again, real-world experience proved those dire predictions wrong. Examples of free speech violations are practically non-existent.”

In a statement provided to The Verge , Katharine Trendacosta, a director of policy and advocacy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says it’s “fundamentally wrong for the MPA to claim to take the 1st amendment seriously in one breath and threaten the expression of so many others in the next.”

Still, whatever the MPA may have in store likely won’t go over too well with users on the internet. Several popular websites went dark in opposition to SOPA in 2012, and protests could very well erupt again if the organization’s plans get that far.

Update Tuesday, April 9th 5:48PM ET: Added a statement from the EFF.

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6 Best Movie Torrent Sites To Use In 2021 [100% Working]

With the rise of streaming services, torrent sites are becoming obsolete over the years. Another reason behind the disappearance of torrent sites is the stringent laws by authorities.

Still, there exist some best torrent websites that you can use to download files via P2P torrenting technology. Here, we have listed the 6 best movie torrent sites that still work in 2021 and can be used to download movies via torrents.

Best Movie Torrent Sites 2021

1. the pirate bay – best movie torrent site.

The Pirate Bay is undoubtedly one of the most popular movie torrent sites that you can come across on the internet. On this torrent site for movies, you can download Hollywood, Bollywood, and movies regional language via torrenting. TPB has a very intuitive interface and you can also refine your search using filters.

2. 1337x – Most Popular Torrent Site

1337x, also known as LEET, bags the second position in this list. This torrent site specializes in movies and besides hosting torrents, you can also watch trailers of the latest movies here. This torrent website offers options like Oscar Award winners, libraries, and the latest episode to further make itself useful for movie lovers.

3. EZTV – One Of The Oldest Movie Sites

Established back in 2005, EZTV is considered one of the oldest movie torrent sites that you can still use in 2021. This site is much more than just a website for downloading torrents. EZTV has a very active community where you can meet like-minded people. Besides movies, EZTV is also popular for hosting tons of TV shows. Here, you can download the latest movies and TV shows via torrenting.

4. Rarbg – Best Torrent Site For Latest Movies

If you want to watch the latest movies online, Rarbg should be your destination torrent site. One of the reasons why we have included Rarbg in this list of best movie torrent sites is the sheer number of movies available here.

Also, the website has been neatly designed with a dedicated section for movies and TV shows. On the homepage, you can also find a list of other torrent genres.

5. YTS – Best Torrent Site For Movies & TV Shows

YTS or Yify Movies is a torrent website dedicated to downloading movie torrents. It has been around for a long time now and has been quite popular amongst movie lovers. YTS’s biggest advantage is its interface and the number of filters it offers to refine your search.

While searching for movie torrents, you can apply filters such as quality, genre, language, year, and rating. The website has a large collection of movie torrents and we’re sure you’ll not be disappointed by it.

6. Torrentz2 – Get Millions of Torrents

Torrentz2 or previously Torrentz is a well-known torrent site that hosts a large number of torrents pertaining to movies, games, software, apps, and more.

Here, you can find a large number of movie torrents as this website does not host its own content but indexes torrent files from other websites. Therefore, you can consider it as a Google for movie torrents. However, Torrentz2 is riddled with ads and this might be a deal-breaker for some.

Choosing The Best Torrent Site For Movies

You can choose any torrent website from the list of the above-mentioned sites. We have personally checked all the websites enlisted here and we can assure you that these sites are 100% working.

However, we want to warn our readers that you might come across torrent files offering copyrighted content on these movie torrent sites. Therefore, we advise you to proceed with caution and download only verified torrent files or files with the highest number of seeders and leechers.

Some of the best torrent sites that you can visit in 2021 are The Pirate Bay, Kickass Torrent , 1337x, EZTV, and Extratorrent. These sites host a large number of torrent files for you to download.

If your ISP has blocked access to torrent sites, you can use them via proxy sites. You can visit blocked sites easily by using torrent proxy sites to enjoy downloading files via the P2P method.

Anmol is a tech journalist who handles reportage of cybersecurity and Apple and OnePlus devices at Fossbytes. He's an ambivert who is striving hard to appease existential crisis by eating, writing, and scrolling through memes.

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25 best free streaming sites for movies and TV: Legal and safe options

Looking for the best free streaming sites for movies and TV? We’ve compiled a list of the 25 best free streaming options across a range of content that you can view completely for free anywhere, whether you are in the US or abroad.

The best free TV and movie streaming services provide a safe and legal alternative to torrents and websites that illegally stream content. Websites that rely on torrents or unlicensed content streaming are more likely to carry malware or put users at risk of copyright infringement lawsuits.

Although there are no subscription fees, most free streaming sites use geographic content restrictions . So if you are currently traveling abroad, the only way to access free streaming sites back home is by using a Virtual Private Network , or VPN, that gives you a local IP address for your home country.

Note: Comparitech only recommends streaming services that have the legal rights to stream content, and only recommends using a VPN to access legally available TV shows and movies. Comparitech does not condone or support the use of piracy websites or services.

Below, we explore the 25 best free streaming sites you can use anywhere in the world, and when necessary, how to access their content libraries with a VPN.

25 Best Free Streaming Sites for TV and Movies

Based on our research, below are the 25 best free streaming sites for TV shows and movies.

Here are the best free streaming sites for TV and movies:

• ABC News Live – Excellent source for national US news broadcasts
• Adult Swim – Free streaming access to popular Adult Swim content
• Charge! – Focuses on action TV shows and movies, with some sports
• Comet – Serves up sci-fi content, including TV and movie classics in the genre
• CONtv – Offers a wide selection of nerd-culture TV shows and movies
• Crackle – A catch-all for free streaming access to shows and films, including Crackle originals
• CW Seed – Free streaming site hosting The CW’s popular original programming
• Fawesome.tv  – App-based service providing free kids TV shows
• FilmRise – Free movie streaming service carrying top-rated films (via YouTube)
• BBC iPlayer – A free British service with thousands of TV shows and a dozen live channels
• Amazon Freevee – Previously IMDb TV. Offers a huge range of free movies
• Kidoodle – Free kids TV programming with an ad-free premium option
• PBS – No-cost on-demand access to all PBS original content
• Peacock – Provides thousand of hours of free access to NBC content
• Plex – Free streaming of top-rated TV shows and movies
• PlutoTV – Free live TV and on-demand content with hundreds of channels from well-regarded networks
• Popcornflix – Carries hundreds of free TV shows and movies across most genres
• SBS On Demand – Large Australia-based free streaming site with top-rated TV shows and movies
• Sling TV – Delivers a little-known free tier offering live and on-demand content
• Stirr – Free TV shows and movies personalized to each user’s location
• Tubi – The largest free-with-ads TV and movie streaming service on the market
• Vudu – Small library but offers high-quality free content
• W4Free and Watch4  – EU-based streaming service carrying free reality TV content
• XUMO  – Similar to PlutoTV but with unique channel options for TV and movies
• YouTube – The well-known video platform has content that is geographically locked to different countries

How to use a VPN to stream free TV shows and movies

A VPN will help you securely access almost any free TV streaming service. Below we explain how to set up and run a VPN to change your IP address and watch free streaming sites for TV shows and movies.

Here’s how to use a VPN to stream free TV shows and movies:

• First, sign up for a VPN service of your choice. NordVPN works well for most streaming services, although Surfshark and ExpressVPN are reasonably-priced alternatives.
• Download and install your chosen VPN app onto the device you plan to use for free streaming. Unfortunately, most VPN services have no available app for some popular TV-connected devices (like the Roku) and most gaming consoles.
• Connect to a VPN server in the country where the free streaming services you want to use offer on-demand or live content. Most options we’ve listed geo-block any IP address outside the US, but there are several that US customers won’t be able to access without a VPN.
• Once connected , visit the streaming service website or app and try to load a stream. If it plays, you’re all set!

There’s a chance your streams won’t play on some devices despite a VPN connection . You may still get a message stating that your access is blocked. If that happens, try launching the website in a private web browsing instance (such as Incognito mode in Chrome). Additionally, delete cookies , clear your browser cache , and turn off browser or device location requests.

Why do I need a VPN for free TV streaming?

Most free streaming services are ad-supported. Ad-supported models typically result in lower profit margins, so services are usually forced to impose geographic content restrictions as part of the licensing agreement.

A  VPN will allow you to easily bypass these geographic content restrictions while traveling abroad. A VPN allows you to connect to an internet server back home in a country where the service is available. And thanks to anonymization technology, the VPN will prevent the streaming service from detecting your real location and identity .

There are hundreds of VPN providers on the market. Picking one that works to unblock free streaming sites and protect your privacy can be a challenge given how dense the market is.

The best VPNs for free TV streaming should meet the following criteria:

• Offer high-speed servers in dozens of countries (especially the US)
• Utilize well-respected privacy and security measures to protect your identity, particularly by providing a no-logs policy and data leak mitigation
• Provide multiple pricing options with discounts for longer service periods and a money-back guarantee
• Effectively works with the service you want to use
• Provides fast customer support and multiple ways to contact customer support
• Has app compatibility with multiple devices and operating systems

As an added note, we recommend you avoid free VPNs . They’re less secure, track your data, may sell your data to third parties, may display advertisements, usually have slower server speeds, and importantly, have data caps that make it impossible to stream TV shows and movies for more than a few minutes.

Best free streaming sites for TV shows and movies

We searched through hundreds of TV and movie streaming options to discover which services had free tiers, ad-supported subscription models, or free-to-air content. The following list comprises the 20+ services that have the best free streaming catalogs across a wide variety of genres. Some are not geo-restricted anywhere; however, most will require you to have a US IP address or a VPN that will give you one.

1. ABC News Live

If you’re hungering for TV news programs, you can’t go wrong with ABC News Live . The service provides completely unrestricted access to live news content directly from ABC News and operates 24/7.

This is a single-channel option for individuals who want to watch US news. What’s more, you don’t need a VPN to watch ABC News Live, regardless of where you live. It’s a truly free option for US news, without restrictions. ABC News Live is even accessible without a VPN in China , which often restricts content from Western countries like the US.

This site puts ads on all video content, which is to be expected. You can stream ABC News Live through its dedicated app on Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, or you can watch using any modern web browser.

2. Adult Swim

Originally part of Comedy Central, Adult Swim is now its own, separate TV network currently owned by WarnerMedia. The WarnerMedia ownership gives Adult Swim access to not just a selection of Warner’s content, but a fairly large library of TV shows that you’ll only find on Adult Swim—including the ever-popular cartoon action-comedy, Rick and Morty.

This service has 100+ titles available on-demand . Much of its content library is offered free-with-ads, while many episodes require you to log in with a cable TV service provider, such as Hulu + Live TV. In both cases, you’re trying to stream Adult Swim outside the US.

If you try to connect from outside the US, Adult Swim will display a message that says “ BLOCKED: Sorry, there must be some sort of restriction on the content we are streaming here. Come back later or select another stream”.

If you see this message from your location, use NordVPN to connect to a US server so you can acquire a US IP address and zoom right past the geographic content blocking. We’ve found NordVPN easily unblocks what Adult Swim offers for free.

Charge! is one of several genre-specific TV streaming provides that focuses on 24/7 live streaming with an ad-supported model. Charge! is geared toward fans of action TV, although it does offer some sports content on occasion.

To reiterate, this is not an on-demand streaming service. All of its TV shows and movies are broadcast live. Its model means it operates like traditional over-the-air TV stations, except that its content streams online.

If you try to connect from outside the US, Charge! will display the following message: “This stream is not available in your area” .

Connecting to a VPN server in the US easily bypasses this message and allows you to watch all content streaming live through Charge!. If you don’t want to use a web browser, there’s an iOS app available that you can pair with a VPN app for iOS devices.

If you think Comet looks familiar, you’re right. It’s owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which also owns and operates Charge! The only difference between Charge! and Comet is that Comet is focused on science fiction TV shows and movies.

To that end, everything we said about Charge! above applies to Comet, right down to how it operates and where you’ll find available apps for watching it outside of a web browser. You’ll even see the same location-based blocking message if you try to stream Comet from outside of the US. NordVPN easily unblocks content streaming free through Comet as long as you’re connected to any US server.

CONtv began its life in 2007 as the streaming service Viewster. Content distributor Cinedigm purchased the website in 2019 and rebranded it. Alongside a new name, CONtv also upended the content library. What was once a free service focused on anime is now a free service focused on action and US-based cartoons.

The bigger change that occurred with CONtv, however, was the newly implemented geographic content restrictions. As Viewster, the service was available to stream anywhere. As CONtv, however, you may not be able to access the service everywhere.

That said, CONtv’s FAQs explain that it is only available in the US. We’ve discovered that’s not actually true . Through testing, we’ve found CONtv works in many other countries outside the US, including Canada, the UK, and Germany. It’s possible that some of CONtv’s content is blocked due to licensing agreements, but we did not find any among the titles we tested (and we did not test every TV series and movie on the site for accessibility). If you do find blocked content, a VPN to a US IP address will likely unblock it for you.

This service has apps for Android and iOS devices.

Crackle was previously owned by Sony (and previously named “Sony Crackle”) until Sony sold a majority stake of the service to the company Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. The same company behind the well-known self-help book of the same name, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment immediately went to work by changing the name (back to Crackle) and ramping up the original content production.

This service now has 1,300+ titles available. Crackle lost most of its top-rated Sony content with the ownership change. However, its library still has a wide range of ad-free, on-demand streaming TV shows and movies across different genres.

If you try to visit Crackle from outside the US, you’ll see this message: “Thanks for visiting. Unfortunately, we’re not currently available in this region.” . Connect to a NordVPN server in the US to get a US IP address and bypass Crackle’s geographic content blocking .

Crackle has a large number of apps on almost any device you may want to use, including most that also work with separate VPN apps.

The CW has some of the best TV show content available in the US, especially if you’re a DC Comics fan. Impressively, The CW also provides much of that content available for free through its ad-supported streaming service, CW Seed. The company even advertises the service with the tagline “Free For All”.

This service offers 80+ titles available on-demand. 

You’ll see the following message if you try to load CW Seed TV shows from outside of the US: “Due to licensing restrictions this content is only available in the US” . That’s pretty self-explanatory. Using NordVPN and a connection to a US server, you can easily bypass that message and access both the on-demand and live content available through CW Seed.

If you plan to download the app on an Android, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, there’s a NordVPN available on all of those devices that will still allow you to bypass geographic content blocking for the service.

8. Fawesome

This ad-supported streaming service is unique in its content is  only available through its dedicated apps. And its app library is fairly limited.

You can stream Fawesome’s 250+ titles on Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, using its Windows app or using an app for LG smart TVs.

Fawsome has some excellent content available, despite inflexibility on how to watch it. Its multi-genre library includes major TV and movie hits, like Third Rock From the Sun and The Contract .

No VPN is required as far as we can tell, but blocking may be imposed if you’re in a country known for blocking American content, such as China.

9. FilmRise (via YouTube)

FilmRise is a content distribution company that acquires licenses for various TV shows and movies. Its content is available on a large number of different streaming services, but you can access most of it through the company’s YouTube channels or its dedicated iOS, Android, and streaming device apps.

This service carries 1,500+ titles in its library.

Geographic content blocking on FilmRise is a real hit-and-miss. We’ve found that some TV shows and movies on its YouTube channel are blocked to non-US users, while others will play almost anywhere.

For example, FilmRise has full episodes of the US TV show 21 Jump Street , but you can’t watch those episodes through FilmRise’s YouTube channel if you’re a country outside the US, such as Canada, the UK, or Germany. Instead, you’ll get YouTube’s standard content blocking message: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country” .

Grab a US IP address by connecting to a NordVPN server located in the US to bypass any content blocking you might find when using FilmRise. If you’re in the US and you see a geographic content blocking message from FilmRise, you will also need a VPN. However, you may need to do some trial and error by connecting to servers in different countries to determine where that content is available.

10. BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is the UK’s largest free-to-watch streaming platform, carrying a regularly-updated library of TV shows, movies, and radio broadcasts. What’s more, it allows users to watch around a dozen channels live. These include the big ones, such as BBC One and BBC Two, as well as regional channels like S4C and Alba, which are some of the only places you can stream Welsh and Gaelic content online.

The only catch is that you’ll need a TV license to use this platform. Still, with around 95 percent of UK households currently paying for one, there’s a strong chance you can watch BBC iPlayer without spending anything extra.

BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, so if you’re traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN to continue using the service.

11. Amazon Freevee

This service used to be called IMDb TV, but after being bought by Amazon, it has since been integrated into the company’s streaming library. Don’t worry, though: you do not need an Amazon Prime account to watch , though you will have to create a free Amazon account (if you have one that you use for shopping, this will do nicely).

According to JustWatch, Freevee currently has over 3,000 ad-supported titles to choose from. This includes high-profile movies like Hellraiser , Reservoir Dogs , and District 9 , but there are also plenty of great TV shows, such as Hell’s Kitchen , The West Wing , and Syfy’s drastically-underrated Dune series. Freevee even has a steadily-growing catalog of original content, which isn’t something most other free services can say.

Now, it’s important to note that Freevee is region-locked, which means the exact content will vary based on where you are in the world. Still, you can continue to access your home country’s library as you travel with the help of a VPN.

12. Kidoodle.TV

The Kidoodle.TV streaming service has an ad-supported “freemium” version and a paid version that has a few additional features, including an ad-free experience. Similar to HappyKids.tv, Kidoodle.TV has very few geographic content restrictions in place.

The company states its service is available in over 140 countries, so you’ll likely find it works just fine wherever you live. If you find you’re getting blocked, we recommend you try to connect to a VPN server in a country where it’s likely to be available, such as the US, Canada, the UK, or most EU countries.

Also similar to HappyKids.tv, Kidoodle cannot be streamed using a web browser. However, there are apps available for most Android and iOS devices, several smart TV brands, and popular TV-connected devices, including the Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. Just note that there is are no VPN apps for Roku devices or smart TVs, so if you do find the service blocked in your country, the simplest workaround is to use a different device.

Often considered the US version of the BBC, PBS does have one distinguishing factor: You don’t need to pay a TV license to access much of its content. That means it’s a legitimately free streaming service. PBS does lock some of its content behind a donation paywall, but a fair amount is freely available.

This service has 190+ titles in its content library.

PBS employs content blocking across its site. In some cases, you won’t be able to see available episodes for a show’s page. If someone without a US IP address does manage to get access to an episode’s page, PBS will display this message on the stream: “We’re sorry, but this video is unavailable” .

A VPN connection to a US server is required to access PBS on-demand TV shows and documentaries from outside the US. Note that PBS will also give you varied content based on your location if you’re trying to use the live option. The server you choose will impact what content you get in that case.

14. Peacock

As a counter to Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), NBC launched its own streaming service called Peacock. Peacock chose to go a different route than its competitor, however, and provides an ad-supported free tier for subscribers.

This service offers 1,300+ titles in its free library.

The free content available through Peacock comes with two conditions: 1) You need to create an account, and 2) You must be in the US (or have a US IP address). These are easy hurdles to jump, but if you’re outside of the US Peacock will block your entry completely. Going to the website with a non-US IP address yields the following message: “This service is unavailable in your region” .

Grab a US IP address using NordVPN, then load up the Peacock website. From there, you can register using any email address and some other basic information. Peacock does not ask for credit card details for the free account, so anyone can sign up to use it.

This service is also available via apps for most popular devices, many of which can be paired with a VPN app where available.

This service offers 7,100+ titles on-demand.

However, Plex will serve different content libraries and live TV channels to different users based on geographic location. So while it doesn’t use content blocking, you may want to install and load up a VPN, then connect to different servers worldwide to unlock the full library of free content Plex offers.

The service also has apps for popular operating systems and devices where VPNs will unblock content, including Android, iOS, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

16. PlutoTV

This service was one of the first to start offering free, ad-supported live TV channels streaming over the web. It’s now among the largest and best free streaming sites for TV and movies thanks to an extensive amount of corporate from 170+ content providers, including Lionsgate, MGM, and many US cable TV networks.

PlutoTV carries 6,800+ titles on-demand.

The good news is that PlutoTV is available almost anywhere in the world. The bad news is that the complexity of its content library means it displays different content to different people based on location. NordVPN works with PlutoTV and allows you to access its content libraries anywhere its available, including the US, Canada, UK, and EU countries such as Germany.

The Pluto.TV app is available on devices that also have a working NordVPN app: Android, iOS, and Fire TV.

17. Popcornflix

This service is a fairly generic free TV and movie streaming site. There’s nothing flashy about it, but it does carry an excellent variety of TV shows and movies across every popular genre.

There are 1,300+ titles available through this service.

From what we can tell, it does not impose a site-wide content blocking. In fact, the ads it plays on videos are localized based on your IP address. Live in Hong Kong? You’ll get ads for Hong Kong residents. Live in Canada? You’ll get ads for Canadian products and services.

There might be some title-specific geo-blocking applied, as this is common when sites like this have licensed content. However, we did not see any during testing. If you do find any content that’s blocked, we’ve verified that Popcornflix does work with a VPN.

If you plan to watch Popcornflix on devices outside of a desktop or laptop computer, its Android, iOS, and Fire TV apps can be paired with VPN apps for those devices.

18. SBS On Demand

SBS On Demand is singlehandedly one of the best streaming sites for TV shows and movies anywhere in the world. It carries top-rated streaming from around the world, including many Oscar-winning titles.

There are over 11,000 hours of content available through this service.

SBS On Demand is based in and serves the Australian market. Accessing its impressive content library requires an Australian IP address. If you try to go to the SBS On Demand website from outside of Australia, you’ll see the following message: “Content unavailable in your location. Most of our content is only available to stream within Australia due to publishing rights” .

We’ve found this service does not block VPNs. Connect to a VPN server in Australia to get an Australia-based IP address and stream SBS On Demand from anywhere, including from the US.

19. Sling TV

Although it’s known more widely as the second-cheapest virtual multichannel video programming distributor in the US (Philo takes the top spot there), Sling TV has an almost hidden free streaming section that anyone with a US IP address can take advantage can use, even without creating a Sling TV account.

The free version offers 550+ titles on-demand.

Sling TV imposes site-wide geographic content blocking. Even trying to access its homepage will give you the following message: “We’re sorry. Sling TV is only available inside the US. Thank you for your interest” .

To get rid of this message and get to the free content, connect to a VPN server in the US. Sling TV will then let you right in and allow you to enjoy its free TV shows and movies.

Stirr offers free TV and movies to anyone, but you’re going to be extremely limited if you’re outside of the US. This service takes a unique approach by mixing your free channel and movies based on what US city you live in, and not by country. If you try to use Stirr with an IP address from outside of the US, the service will show you its “National” package of content, which is almost nothing.

Connecting to a US VPN server through NordVPN or other VPN providers is necessary to gain access to Stirr’s content libraries. But you may also want to hop around to different servers in the US to see what type of content you get.

That recommendation also applies to US users, as well. Since Stirr will show you different channels based on your city, you may want to use a VPN to get the full benefit of the service.

Stirr has apps several devices that also work with VPN apps: Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV.

Tubi’s winning free-with-ad model allowed it to grow to become one of the largest and best-streaming sites for TV and movies. It also caught the attention of Fox Corporation, which purchased the site in 2020.

This service carries 28,000+ titles in its content library.

Tubi was previously available in multiple countries and offered different libraries where available. Now, however, its expansive library of top-rated TV shows and movies is only available to those with a US IP address.

If you try to stream from outside the US (but from a non-EU country), the service displays the following block message: “Content unavailable. Sorry, this video is not currently available”.

And if you try to connect from an EU country, you’ll get this message: “I’ll be back. – Terminator. Tubi is the largest free movie and TV streaming service in the US. We are not available in Europe due to changes in EU laws. The GDPR went into effect on May 2018; Tubi is working on compliance and planning to re-launch in European countries soon”.

There may be hope in the future that Tubi will bring its services overseas. For now, a VPN works well to bypass its existing content blocks.

Tubi is available through multiple apps for devices that work with a VPN, including Android, iOS, and Amazon Fire TV.

Although it primarily operates as a service for buying and renting digital TV shows and movies, Vudu also carries many free titles that are supported by advertisements.

You can watch 8,700+ titles through Vudu.

The service is only available in the US, however. It doesn’t even both to provide an IP block message. If you try to access the site from outside of the US, you’ll just see an HTTP ERROR 400 page.

Connect to any US VPN server to get an IP address and bypass this restriction. You can also watch with a bypass on multiple devices thanks to a large library of dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, and more.

23. Watch4 and W4Free

Although most of the best free streaming sites for TV and movies are locked to the US, there still many options available elsewhere. Watch4 is an EU-based streaming website primarily serving German speakers across Europe. It also has an English-language version called W4Free that’s only available in the UK.

While both sites will let you make a connection if you’re outside of their respective licensing zones, the content libraries will be mostly blank. We’ve verified that a VPN connection using NordVPN will work with both services, regardless of where you’re located.

XUMO is owned by Comcast and was designed to take on PlutoTV. It utilizes the same style and concept that PutoTV developed, but carries some notable differences. The biggest distinguishing factor is probably the most important one: XUMO has a notably different package of 24/7 channels and on-demand TV shows and movies. That means you’ll find enough difference between XUMO and PlutoTV that it’s not really an either/or situation; both will have value for you.

This service provides 10,000+ in its on-demand library.

None of that matters if you can’t access XUMO’s content . XUMO is currently restricted to US IP addresses. If you attempt to access XUUMO from outside the US, you’ll see the following message: “We’re sorry. XUMO is currently only available in the United States. If you’re in the United States and are having problems accessing this site, please visit www.xumo.com/support” . XUMO will then automatically redirect you to its corporate site.

We’ve found VPNs work to bypass Xumo’s geographic content blocking, but the service uses fairly effective anti-VPN countermeasures. You may need to contact your VPN provider’s customer support to determine which VPN servers effectively bypass its content blocking.

25. YouTube

Although it’s available almost everywhere, YouTube’s content is not universally available. Many content uploaders place geographic content restrictions when they upload the content. YouTube then employs its own software to enforce those restrictions by detecting each users’ IP address to determine location.

YouTube’s content licensing arm offers 270+ titles on-demand, alongside the millions from its userbase.

FimRise (mentioned above) is just one example of a channel that uses geographic restrictions. Given its size, there are hundreds, if not thousands more that also block content. Thankfully, a VPN will work to bypass any geographic content restrictions you find through YouTube.

Best free streaming sites: FAQ

What are the best free streaming sites.

This depends on what type of content you’re looking for. If you want variety and well-known titles, SBS On Demand and Tubi TV are hard to beat. Both have the best quality of content we’ve found. You’ll also find that their libraries don’t intersect too often, so there’s value in using both services instead of one or the other.

Is 123movies safe? Is 123movies legal?

While it’s a popular go-to for people who want free TV shows and movies, 123movies is neither safe nor legal. It does not maintain any licensing agreements with copyright holders for any of the content you will find on the website. And as a pirate streaming site, it also does not have any reason to protect users from malware or other threats. We do not recommend this site for streaming. The options listed above are all free, just like 123movies, but without the privacy, security, and legality risks.

Where can I stream for free?

Any option on this list will allow you to stream for free. Crackle, Tubi TV, YouTube, Peacock, SBS On Demand, and all of the others are ad-supported streaming providers. Most do not even require an account.

Which illegal free streaming sites should I avoid?

Illegal streaming sites are platforms that offer pirated content for free, often in exchange for users watching ads. These sites are not only illegal but also pose significant risks to users. This can include potential legal trouble, exposure to malware, hacks, poor-quality content, and viruses.

Some of the most frequented illegal streaming sites for movies and TV shows include Moviesjoy, Putlocker, 123Movies, IndoXXI, SportsBay, WatchSeries, DramaCool, The Pirate Bay and uTorrent.

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PRIVACY ALERT: Websites you visit can find out who you are

The following information is available to any site you visit:

Your IP Address:

Your Location:

Your Internet Provider:

This information can be used to target ads and monitor your internet usage.

Using a VPN will hide these details and protect your privacy.

We recommend using NordVPN - #1 of 72 VPNs in our tests. It offers outstanding privacy features and is currently available at a discounted rate.

The 15 Best Sites to Watch Movies for Free (Legally!)

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These Are the Two Easy Ways I Transfer Books to My Kindle

I’m ditching all other streaming services, but i’m keeping this one, think you can hear hi-res audio i took this test to find out.

Although free movie streaming might sound synonymous with piracy, there are loads of legal free movie websites on the internet. These are packed full of movies you can stream for free without breaking the law.

Whether you're looking for movies or TV shows, finding free videos to stream is totally feasible; it just requires that you know where to look. With that in mind, here are the best free online movie streaming sites to check out.

What to Expect From Free Movie Streaming Sites

There are a ton of free, legal videos online, so you'll find a great mix of options on the below services. A healthy amount of the movies available to stream for free are in the public domain. Because these films have lapsed in ownership and fallen into common property, many sites host such video treasures.

But it isn't just B-movies available to stream online; you'll also find many big-budget releases. Usually, these are ad-supported, so like watching a movie on TV, you'll have to sit through limited commercials. Nevertheless, the movies are usually presented uncut.

You shouldn't expect to see the latest releases. Instead, you'll mostly see movies dating back anywhere from a few months to many years. Additionally, some sites include original productions and amateur films.

To watch on the go, don't forget to also install some of the best free movie apps on your phone.

It's no surprise that YouTube ranks among the best free movie streaming sites you can find. It offers a ton of free films to pick from, including many public domain films from channels such as the aptly titled Public Domain Films .

Furthermore, channels like Popcornflix host full movies via YouTube, and you'll find an official Free to Watch section in YouTube's Movies & Shows hub. There's a fantastic mix, with everything from classic comedies to sports and much more. It's a far cry from channels that only offer movies from the 1950s you've never heard of.

You may have to dig a bit for what you want to watch. But for those with patience, YouTube is a treasure trove of free, legal movies to stream.

Boasting a solid array of syndicated content and its own productions, Crackle is a must for any film buff . Its rotating selection varies, but you'll find quality movies across genres here.

Aside from films, Crackle features television shows, including original programming. And by making a free account, you can enjoy Crackle on your TV too.

3. Midnight Pulp

Midnight Pulp is the new home of the defunct CONtv It features live TV, shows, and movies. The selection is a bit wild, consisting largely of horror, offbeat comedies, cheesy action, and Asian films. Some content requires a subscription, but a lot of what's here is available to watch for free.

While Vudu is known for its digital video rentals and sales, it has a sizable selection of free movies to stream too. With a comprehensive array of movies and TV shows, plus fresh additions arriving regularly, it's a fantastic service.

Vudu's free section operates similarly to Crackle by providing full movies with limited commercials. Through hosting films with ads, Vudu is able to offer free movies and TV shows legally.

You need to register for a free Vudu account to use this service, but it's worth doing so. Once you do, you can use your account to activate digital copies of movies and shows, as well as buy and rent movies from Vudu.

5. Popcornflix

Like Crackle, Popcornflix presents full movies with limited ads. Here, you'll find a range of movies in a rotating selection, and there's no account required to start watching. The service even offers some original content, to boot.

Flicks are segmented into genres that are more unique than the standard ones, such as Out for Revenge and Medieval Action . With a beefy lineup and easy navigation, Popcornflix is an awesome choice for free, legal movie streaming.

Providing free movies and shows, Tubi is another fantastic service for legal movie streams. Here, you'll be able to view newer movies from as recent as 2022, as well as older favorites.

Helpfully, Tubi offers a Leaving Soon category. This lets you prioritize your streaming queue so you can catch movies and shows before they disappear. Be sure to check out the First Time on Tubi collection, too.

7. Pluto TV

Pluto TV has a lot to offer. You'll find a Live TV section where you can switch between channels, much like traditional cable. Switch to the Live TV section on the left side to jump to channels that only play films, though they may be in the middle of something depending on when you start watching.

If you can't find something that you like on the live stations, switch to the On Demand section at the top. Here you'll find tons of free movies you can start streaming right away.

8. Classic Cinema Online

As the name suggests, Classic Cinema Online focuses on older content. Even its website aesthetic captures a decidedly retro vibe, using a backdrop of red theater curtains. You can walk through the decades here with films from the 1930s to the 1960s. There are even some silent films on offer, if you're interested in those.

Some of the inclusions may have you calling the definition of "classic cinema" into question. Nevertheless, Classic Cinema Online is pure gold for old-school movies and one of the best sites for public domain films .

Hoopla has one barrier to entry, but is still an easy way to legally watch movies online for free. To use Hoopla, you'll need to create an account and link your supported public library card.

Once you do, you can use Hoopla to borrow movies and TV shows, plus audiobooks and ebooks, from your library's collection. The service is available on the web as well as apps for all your devices and TV streaming boxes.

If you don't have a library card or your library doesn't support Hoopla, you won't be able to use it. But if you can, it's a service worth checking out.

Although Yidio isn't a video host, it does act as an excellent aggregator of free streaming movies and TV shows. The way Yidio works is by redirecting you to third-party services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and others. As such, certain films and shows here do require a subscription.

Using the Free filter on the left side will help you find movies and TV that come at no cost. Unfortunately, not everything in the free categories is actually free. Clicking on some titles prompts you to sign up for a free trial.

Still, Yidio makes finding free movie streams far easier than checking individual sites manually. You can filter by rating, genre, and more to find something to watch.

11. The Roku Channel

Don't be fooled by The Roku Channel's name. While it's available for Roku streaming devices via an app, you can watch on the web too. With a few clicks, you can stream Roku Originals, popular TV shows, and new-arrival movies.

The selection rotates, and there are categories on the main page to help you find something you'll enjoy. As expected, you'll have to sit through ads, but ad-supported means free, right?

Libraries are most often associated with books, but that's not all they provide. Kanopy, like Hoopla mentioned above, lets you stream tons of "thoughtful entertainment" movies for free, making it another great way to get free content with a participating library card (or university login).

With either of those, you can watch hundreds of free movies. These include a lot of documentaries and international films, so this is a great fit for those who want something a little different.

13. Amazon Freevee

Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) lets you enjoy free movies on Amazon Video. The service launched in 2019 and while its name has changed, the experience has remained the same. It allows anyone with a free account to watch a selection of free movies and TV shows. In addition to watching online, you can enjoy this content on your Fire TV, Xbox, PlayStation, and other streaming devices.

Alongside the movies, you'll also find some TV series (including live channels) and originals to enjoy.

14. Free Movies Cinema

As the name suggests, Free Movies Cinema features legal free movie streaming. Unlike many sites, the selection touts not only general categories like action and comedy, but also short films and features.

There's also a collection of fan-made movies, such as Portal and Watch Dogs, based on video games of the same names.

15. Top Documentary Films

If you're looking for free documentaries, you'll find plenty at Top Documentary Films. It packs a varied selection, including amateur documentaries you might not have heard about before.

Browse the Top 100 documentaries to find something that's popular, or take a look at recently added movies or the various genres to drill down a bit.

The Best Free Movie Sites for Everyone

With these free online movie streaming sites, you now know where to look for hundreds of free movies. Enjoy these legal films anytime, anywhere so you never go without something to watch.

Meanwhile, you should also know how to legally download movies for offline use, so you can enjoy them on your next flight or long trip.

• Entertainment
• Media Streaming

Where to Watch Free Movies Online: 12 Best Places

Whether you enjoy comedies, mysteries, documentaries or something else entirely, you can find a great selection of movies you can stream online for free. 

In this article, I’ll take a look at 12 of the best movie websites and resources for watching free movies online. I’ve visited each of the websites listed below, and I’ve tested a few videos from each to ensure quality, check for ads and see what’s available at no charge.

This article was updated in January 2024 and I review it every three months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here .

Where To Watch Free Movies Online

When you start looking for free movies online, it won’t be long before you start coming across less-than-reputable websites. Some may require paid memberships or subscriptions while others provide access to pirated content. But there are several websites, apps and streaming services that you can use to watch movies and TV shows legally and completely free . Among them are Crackle, The Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV), Tub i and Vudu.

If you’re looking for a full list of free ways to watch movies that you’d normall y have to pay for, you probably won’t find it on this list. Instead, I’ve compiled 12 completely legal ways to watch free movies online, most of which are ad-supported. Note that “Ad Pain” is rated from low to high based on the length and frequency of advertisements.

If you’re looking for an entirely ad-free experience, be sure to check out Kanopy or Hoopla , which are powered by educational institutions.

When you visit one of these websites or download the apps, you may have to create a free account to continue. But y ou shouldn’t have to download anything or enter any payment information to gain access to the free conten t . At most, you might have to disable your ad blocker if you’re watching online. 

Below, you’ll find detailed information on 12 different places where you can legally stream free movies and TV shows.

Kanopy partners with thousands of public libraries and universities to provide ad-free shows and movies. You can use your library card or school email address to access content on your TV, mobile phone, tablet or online. I entered my library card number and then used my name and email address to create a Kanopy account. 

Once you’re signed in, you can watch a certain number of videos per month . The number of available videos per month varies by library. In the top-right corner of the screen, you’ll see a number indicating how many “ tickets ” you have remaining for the month or how many programs you can watch. You can enjoy unlimited plays in the Kanopy Kids section.

In addition to free movies, Kanopy also provides access to free documentaries on culture, the arts, business, education, global studies, health and more. As I scrolled through the selection, I didn’t see many titles I recognized. Still, the vast selection of indie movies, documentaries and world cinema titles was enough to keep me browsing through several pages. 

Once you’ve found a film you’d like to watch, you can click on the title for additional information, related titles and comments (which can often include helpful recommendations). Most videos also include ratings, subtitles and transcripts.

Kanopy is available as a   mobile app on iOS, Android and Amazon Fire devices. You can also access the TV app via Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Telstra TV or Chromecast. If you don’t have access to any of these devices, you can also connect your computer to your television using an HDMI cable to watch Kanopy on your TV.

• There are no advertisements.
• You’ll find a wide variety of topics especially if you’re looking for documentaries or educational films.
• You are limited to watching a certain number of videos per month, which varies by library.
• Content is not downloadable.
• You’ll have to log in or create an account to stream.

Check out our full review of Kanopy here .

Hoopla is the digital service of Midwest Tape , which is a leading provider of entertainment and media to public libraries across North America. You’ll find digital videos (movies and TV shows) as well as music, audiobooks, e-books and more from more than 8,500 libraries.

Hoopla works just like a public library, which means you can instantly borrow digital movies at any time using your library card. If you don’t already have an account, you can sign up for free online. You will need to log in to be able to “borrow” anything.

Once you’re logged in, you can see featured titles, anything you have currently borrowed, recommendations based on what you’ve previously borrowed, what’s popular and anything you’ve added to your favorites. You can also browse at the top of the screen or search for titles using the search bar. 

After you find a title you’re interested in, you can see the movie details and description as well as ratings from other Hoopla users. When you’re ready to check something out, just click “Borrow.” You’ll see a message letting you know how long you’ll have access to the title (typically 2-3 days) and whether it’s available for streaming, downloading or both. The title will be automatically “returned” when it’s due back.

Once you’ve borrowed a movie or show, you can watch it at any time without advertisements. Subtitles are also typically available. In addition to free movies and TV shows, Hoopla also provides access to free audiobooks, e-books, music and more . 

You can access Hoopla on any web browser or Apple/Android devices. You can also stream content via your Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or Roku device.

• There are no ads during TV shows and movies.
• Some content is downloadable once checked out.
• You’ll find a wide variety of content on different media.
• You have to log in using your library card or create a free account to check out films.
• Short time limit on borrowing each title.

Owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Crackle is a streaming service that features original content as well free movies and TV shows acquired from other companies. 

You’ll find both old and new shows/movies in a wide variety of genres that feature hidden talent as well as famous names. As I scrolled through the featured categories, I recognized The Rock, John Travolta, Ashton Kutcher, Lou Diamond Phillips, Gene Wilder, Chevy Chase and more. There’s something for everyone at Crackle with plenty of featured categories including “Broken Vows,” “Deadtime,” “ Careless, ” “Hats Off to Christmas!” and “My Own Love Song.”

This free-to-use entertainment network is available on many popular platforms including web browsers, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, Roku, Android and Apple devices. For a full list of supported devices, visit the website . 

With Crackle, you don’t have to create an account to start streaming . But if you want to save any films to watch later, you will have to log in. Creating an account is easy and free; simply click “sign in” on the homepage to get started.

Whether you create a free account or start watching right away, you’ll still have to sit through a few advertisements. That means you will have to disable any ad blockers before streaming online . According to the website , running commercials with available programming allows Crackle to ensure that the service remains free.

Before a movie begins, you’ll see a couple of ads. After it starts, you’ll have periodic commercial breaks throughout the film. The video in the screenshot above is one hour and 40 minutes long, and you can see that there are eight advertisement breaks after it begins. During the ad breaks, I had the option to choose whether I wanted to interact with an ad for 30 seconds or watch regular ads for a normal break (around 2.5 minutes). 

On your screen below the film, you’ll see options to add it to a watch later list (if you’re logged in to a free account), share it on social media, see details about the film and check out similar recommended films. In addition to the details and description, you’ll also see “Why it Crackles,” which is a short blurb about what Crackle thinks makes the film great. 

• The site provides excellent variety and streaming quality.
• You can choose how long the ads are.
• You don’t have to create an account to stream.
• Some movies and shows are available for only a limited time due to agreements with programming providers.
• Content can’t be viewed offline.

Check out our full review of Crackle here .

Amazon Freevee (Formerly IMDb TV )

You’ll have to log in to access free Amazon Freevee content, but you can create an account for free. Alternatively, you can log in using your Amazon, Facebook, Google or Apple account to access the content. Once you’re logged in, you’ll be able to stream available movies and shows , add videos to a watchlist and save your place if you need to pause the video and resume watching at a different time or on a different device.

No matter how you choose to log in or which device you use, know that videos on Amazon Freevee can’t be purchased or downloaded to be watched offline. That means you will have to watch a few advertisements. In the video pictured below, you can see that there are six ads in this 90-minute movie. 

As you’re watching a show or movie, you have the option to enable the “X-Ray” feature. This shows small pop-ups in the corner of the screen with interesting facts relevant to the scene you’re watching. On the other side of the screen, you can choose to adjust closed captions, video quality, audio and screen size.

When I visited Amazon Freevee, I found several popular titles in the “Recently Added” section including “A Dog’s Purpose,” “Facing The Giants,” “Legacy Peak” and “The Nanny Diaries .” In addition to hit TV shows and top Hollywood releases, you’ll also find Freevee originals and a whole section of “Hidden Gems.” 

• You’ll find both popular titles and hidden gems.
• You can adjust the video quality (up to HD).
• You can see interesting facts throughout films with the “X-Ray” feature.
• The selection is limited.

You can read our full review of Amazon Freevee here .

Editor’s note: This service was reviewed by the author when it was IMDb TV. References to IMDb TV have been updated to Amazon Freevee.

On Pluto TV, you’ll find hundreds of free TV channels and thousands of free movies online. The internet television service offers free, ad-supported content that includes both live TV and on-demand titles .

You can access Pluto TV online using your computer, iOS or Android device. You can also stream Pluto TV on Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung and Vizio devices. I used my computer to visit the website online. 

When I first got to the website, I clicked “Watch Free Now” to get started. From there, I was able to choose from “Live TV” or “On Demand” at the top of the screen. “On Demand” features several categories including the genres listed above in addition to popular movies, top TV series, new movies and more. If you’re looking for live TV, you’ll find a huge selection of free channels.

You can browse live channels by category including featured, movies, news, reality, comedy, classic, sports, kids and more. You’ll see hundreds of popular television networks including TV Land, MTV, CSI and Comedy Central. 

With both the live channels and on-demand titles, you’ll see periodic advertisements in the same way that you would with traditional TV . In my experience, ads tended to pop up around every eight minutes. 

You won’t need to create an account to begin streaming content , but it’s free to sign up for one if you want. An account allows you to keep track of your favorite movies and channels as well as receive updates on new content. 

• You’ll find a wide variety of on-demand titles as well as live TV channels.
• You don’t need an account to stream.
• The ads are frequent.

Check out our full review of Pluto TV here .

The Roku Channel

The Roku Channel is another free ad-supported resource that provides access to streamable content including live TV and on-demand titles. 

You don’t have to have a Roku device to access The Roku Channel. It’s also available on a web browser as well as iOS, Android and Amazon Fire TV devices among others. 

I used the computer to access The Roku Channel’s website and watch free movies online. I was immediately prompted to sign in or create an account to access premium subscriptions, continue watching movies where I left off, and get personalized recommendations. Still, an account isn’t required to stream content . I did have to disable my ad blocker before watching anything though. 

In the movie above, you can see that there are six advertisement breaks throughout the film (1 hour, 37 minutes), which means you can expect an ad about every 16 minutes. For most movies, closed captions are also available. 

When I checked out The Roku Channel, I saw several popular on-demand titles including “Chad,” “The Great American Baking Show,” “Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story” and “Honest Renovations.” Live TV channels included NBC News Now, ion, Game Show Central, Crime 360 and Grit among others. 

• You don’t have to create an account to stream content.
• On-demand titles and live TV are available.
• There are relatively few ads compared to other free movie sites.
• Premium subscriptions require paid memberships.

You can read our full Roku Channel review here .

Tubi is an ad-supported streaming service that’s owned by Fox Corporation . You’ll find thousands of movies and TV shows that you can stream legally and free via Tubi. 

To get started, visit the website online or download the app using one of the following types of devices: Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xfinity X1, Xbox, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV or PlayStation. For a full list of supported devices and how to stream Tubi, visit the website . 

In addition to on-demand movies, Tubi offers on-demand shows from TV channels including A&E, Fox, Lifetime and more. I found several popular reality shows including “The Bachelor” and “Dance Moms” as well as quite a few older films including “Ernest Goes to School,” “The Temptations” and more. 

When I checked out Tubi, I visited the website online. I didn’t have to create an account to begin streaming. Instead, I was able to choose a show and begin watching right away.

When you find a movie or show you’d like to watch, you can click play to immediately begin streaming. I didn’t run into any ads on the videos I watched, but you can expect them to pop up a few times throughout the movie or show. You will have to disable your ad blocker to begin streaming. 

Beneath the film you’re watching, you’ll see a short description, production details and suggestions for titles you may also like. 

• You don’t need an account to stream content.
• You’ll find ads only infrequently.

Before you start streaming, be sure to read our full review of Tubi here .

If you can access YouTube, you can access free videos. In addition to original content uploaded directly by users, you can also check out a wide variety of free movies available on YouTube. While YouTube TV requires a subscription, there are select titles that you can watch for free.  

To see the current selection of movies that are free to watch, visit this YouTube page . You’ll find several popular kids’ titles, documentaries and classic favorites. While you won’t have to create an account in order to browse or watch select free movies , you may have to sign in to verify your age if the title is rated R. 

Once you’ve chosen a movie to watch, simply click on it to begin streaming. The ads work just like they would on any other YouTube video, and the media player should also look pretty familiar. 

You can adjust the closed captioning, video quality and screen mode if you’re watching online. Below the movie, you’ll see a brief description including the production details and user comments. 

• Ads are short and infrequent.
• You’ll find a good selection of kid- and family-friendly movies.
• Not all movies are free to watch, even with ads.
• The free movie selection is somewhat limited.

Popcornflix

Popcornflix is a free ad-supported streaming service owned by Screen Media Ventures, which was bought by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment in 2017. You’ll find free movies, TV shows, web series and viral videos on Popcornflix.

The site mostly features independent films , which makes it a great place to look for hidden gems. Once you decide on a movie or show, you can begin streaming instantly after one or two previews. 

You won’t be required to create an account in order to stream media on Popcornflix , but you will have to pause or disable any ad blockers. The advertisements work more like an ad you would see while playing a game online, and you have the option to skip some ads after a brief preview. 

You can access Popcornflix using a web browser on your computer or with an Apple TV, iOS device, Android device, Roku device, Amazon device or Xbox.

• You can start streaming instantly with no account required.
• You can read other users’ comments about the movies.
• You won’t find many well-known titles.

Be sure to check out our full review of Popcornflix here .

Formerly owned by Walmart, Vudu is now a digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media . You can rent and buy films from Vudu, but you’ll also find a selection of free movies and TV shows that you can stream with ads. 

There are 19 categories to choose from that feature free movies and shows including the genres listed above. You’ll also find categories such as star-studded favorites, most-watched movies and hidden gems.

To begin watching videos on Vudu, you’ll need to create a free account using your name and email address. Once you’re logged in, you can instantly stream any title labeled “free with ads.” 

When you select a movie or show you’re interested in, you’ll generally have to watch 2-3 advertisements before getting started. After that, you can expect advertisements to pop up periodically throughout the video . You can choose between SD and HDX video qualities, and most titles come with optional closed captions. 

Vudu is available on Roku, Android, Apple, PlayStation and Xbox devices as well as online via any web browser. 

• You’ll find a wide variety of free movies and TV shows.
• “My Vudu” tab lets you keep track of what you’ve watched/want to watch.
• You’ll need an account to begin streaming.
• Content is not downloadable
• Not all movies and TV shows are free.

You can read our full review of Vudu here .

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is a Funimation company that streams anime in more than 200 countries and territories. If you’re a fan of anime, this is the free streaming resource for you. You’ll find both popular titles and Crunchyroll originals available for free.

Scrolling through popular anime shows, I saw more than 1,300 episodes of “One Piece,” more than 170 episodes of “Black Clover” and more than 140 episodes of “My Hero Academia” when I checked out Crunchyroll. Other popular titles include “Attack on Titan,” “Naruto” and hundreds more . The majority of the content has Japanese voice acting with English subtitles, but there are a few shows that are dubbed in English .

While you don’t need to create an account in order to stream content via Crunchyroll, you will see advertisements prompting you to pay for a   premium membership . The membership lets you watch unlimited ad-free shows, get access to new episodes an hour after they premiere and download shows for offline viewing. Still, you can stream online for free (with ads). Just note that the newest episodes may not be available immediately.

When you choose a video, you’ll be able to start streaming it online instantly without having to log in. If you want to add the video to a queue to watch later, you’ll need to create a free account. I didn’t have to disable my ad blocker to begin streaming, and ads appeared only a couple of times in a 23-minute episode. 

• You’ll find infrequent, short advertisements throughout the content.
• Shows, manga and games are available in addition to movies.
• New releases are available only to premium members.
• Content can’t be downloaded unless you have a premium subscription.

Instead of seeing a media player and watching a video directly on Yidio.com , you can instantly search for titles across a variety of other platforms including Tubi, Vudu, Crackle, The Roku Channel and 180+ more . 

While you will see videos from paid-only streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, Netflix and others, you can filter your results by free movies or free TV shows .

For most of the video links on Yidio, you can watch online via any web browser, with your smartphone or tablet, using a streaming media player or on game consoles. For a quick reference of which streaming services are supported on which devices, check out this resource from Yidio.

You don’t need to create an account to use Yidio , but signing up for one is free if you’d like to keep track of your favorites. Once you’ve found a video you want to watch, simply click the title to see where it’s available for free. 

For example, I clicked on “The Shining.” I can see that it’s available on some paid subscription services and for rent online at Amazon, Vudu and elsewhere. But it appears to be totally free through Amazon Freevee. Once I clicked the play symbol next to it, I was redirected to Amazon Freevee’s website to watch the movie for free. 

If you have a specific movie in mind, Yidio is a great resource to check and see if it’s available for free online. 

• You’ll find thousands of movies from multiple sources, several of which are free.
• You don’t need an account to use Yidio.
• No movies are available directly on Yidio, which means you’ll always have to visit a second website.
• Not all movies are available for free.

Final Thoughts

All of these websites are worth checking out if you’re looking for free movies online.

If you’re looking for popular names in Hollywood and hit TV shows or movies, check out Crackle or Amazon Freevee. If you have a library card, you can visit Hoopla or Kanopy for a completely ad-free experience . Crunchyroll is a great resource for watching free anime shows and movies, while Tubi and YouTube provide access to a great selection of movies for families and kids.

For Live TV, check out Pluto TV and The Roku Channel. If you’re more interested in independent films and hidden gems, you might find something you’ll enjoy on Popcornflix or Vudu. Finally, if you have a specific title in mind, check Yidio to see if it’s available for free on any of these websites.

No matter where you decide to watch free movies online, just make sure you’re doing it legally and safely . While you may have to disable your ad blocker online or enter your email to create a free account, you shouldn’t have to download anything to your computer or enter any payment information.

What are your favorite ways to watch free movies? Share your tips in our Clark.com Community !

• January 29, 2024: Updated new titles across platforms along with Kanopy changing their structure from “credits” to “tickets”
• October 18, 2023: Updated currently available titles and selections across all platforms

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Is streaming video from sketchy websites illegal?

In today's movie-streaming landscape, consumers increasingly expect affordable content on-demand, which pushes many (knowingly or not) onto sketchy video entertainment platforms that may or may not be legal. 

Last week, two programmers plead guilty for contributing to a string of illegal streaming websites that offered more content than Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. These illicit platforms were used by thousands of paid subscribers, officials said. 

It's clear that federal agencies and big media companies are cracking down on those who run backdoor streaming rings. But can watching bootlegged or pirated video on the internet get viewers into trouble, too? 

It's complicated.

Torrenting or downloading copyrighted material without permission is flat-out illegal and a much more serious crime, according to the U.S. Copyright Office . There's some gray area with streaming illicit content, which is a misdemeanor – at best.

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If you're caught illegally streaming videos online, you could face a fine of $750 or more, according to criminal defense attorney Matt Huppertz in Waukesha, Wisconsin. 

And using a VPN doesn't protect you. Federal agencies can still use your IP address to track you down. "Your internet provider can tell what device was used for illegal streaming," and it would have to give up your location if it was subpoenaed, Huppertz said. 

Streaming can constitute a copyright violation when users create a "public performance" of unauthorized work, or show the streamed content to a large number of people, according to the Copyright Office. 

Platforms like Plex operate in a hazy zone, with legal software that bad actors can use to share a pirated video. In a similar manner, people have "jailbroken" Amazon Fire sticks to watch illegal content via add-ons, though the streaming stick is legal.  

Outside of "public performances," watching videos on the internet regardless of the website is largely legal. It's much more likely for agencies and the media industry to target those who download and redistribute content on a large scale, across multiple devices for public consumption. 

For example, in August , the FBI charged eight men with a range of crimes including conspiracy to violate criminal law and copyright infringement by reproducing and distributing video illegally obtained through several torrent websites.

Two of the men have since pleaded guilty. 

And two business partners in California were reportedly criminally prosecuted in November for selling illicit streaming devices. The distribution or the reproduction of licensed content is a felony, according to the Copyright Office. 

If fines (or jail time) don't deter you from watching illegal, pirated content, perhaps viruses and malicious software will.

The Federal Trade Commission warns that illegal streaming apps are hots beds for hackers looking to sell your info on the dark web, or steal the login credentials for your bank account and steal your money.

Global online piracy is a multi-billion dollar industry, according to the Global Innovation Policy Center, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. Economy loses at least $29.2 billion in revenue each year because of digital piracy, according to a study released in June .

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin_Brown. 

What is piracy? Here's what you need to know about digital piracy, and how to avoid stolen digital content

• Piracy is an illegally copying of protected content that infringes on the owner's copyright.
• There are a range of reasons why people pirate, including a philosophical desire for all digital data to be free.
• Content is commonly pirated through peer-to-peer networks like BitTorrent as well as cloud services, illegal streaming sites, and online auctions. 

Piracy goes by a lot of very similar names — internet piracy, online piracy, and digital piracy, to name a few — but regardless of what it's called, piracy is the act of illegally copying protected content that infringes on the owner's copyright.

Piracy includes making illegal copies of copyrighted music, games, software, electronic books, and movies — or streaming that content without permission.  

What to know about piracy

There's no single motivation for piracy — in fact, digital piracy has many philosophical underpinnings and root causes. A common refrain among pirates is that it's not really theft if you are simply making a digital copy. The original remains, so no one is harmed. That's a shallow argument, of course, because any unauthorized copy is a potential lost sale, which harms the copyright owner. Doing that on a massive scale can cause harm to the owner and reduce the incentive to create more content. 

Other pirates have endorsed the idea that all digital content should be free, and the act of piracy is helping to free it. This philosophy ignores the reality that content isn't free to create, and again, there's no incentive to produce more if it's not possible to recover one's investment and make a profit. 

Of course, some pirates simply don't want to pay for content. 

Regardless of motivation, theft and unauthorized copying of copyrighted content is illegal, with copyright owners protected by numerous laws. In the realm of music and sound recording, for example, United States Code Title 17 Sections 501 and 506 are federal statutes that authorize severe civil and criminal penalties for the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, rental, or digital transmission of copyrighted sound recordings. Other kinds of digital content have their own legal protection as well. Bypassing Digital Rights Management (DRM) software is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. 

How to avoid piracy

The nature of digital media means it's not always obvious when something is stolen or pirated, so if you want to avoid breaking the law and harming creators by reducing their revenue, then you need to be diligent about not supporting piracy.

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FMovies Sister Websites Shut Down by Authorities

Tell your friends about this.

This summer, the popular pirate streaming site Fmovies abruptly shut down , marking one of the most significant closures in recent history.

Several associated sites followed suit, redirecting users to new streaming portals. These developments have piqued the interest of the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), an influential anti-piracy coalition.

ACE recently obtained a DMCA subpoena aimed at uncovering the individuals behind these new sites. Here’s a breakdown of what led to the shutdown and what could happen next.

Table of Contents

The Role of ACE in Anti-Piracy Efforts

The mysterious shutdown of fmovies, ace’s continued pursuit, wrapping up.

ACE, which represents major Hollywood studios and entertainment giants like Apple, BBC, and Netflix, is known for its relentless pursuit of online piracy operations.

The group has played a crucial role in dismantling several high-profile piracy platforms over the years, including 123movies, Openload, and Vader Streams. However, ACE’s involvement in the shutdown of Fmovies has been less publicized, leading to speculation about the true reasons behind the site’s demise.

Fmovies began experiencing issues in late June, eventually going offline a few weeks later without any official explanation. The shutdown was sudden and left many questions unanswered.

Some believe that ongoing enforcement efforts, combined with political and diplomatic pressure, particularly from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in Vietnam, may have contributed to the site’s closure. Notably, other pirate streaming sites linked to Fmovies also ceased operations by the end of July.

FMovies was also a prime target on the Motion Picture Association’s list of Notorious Markets .

Sister Sites Disperse and Redirect

Following the shutdown of Fmovies, a number of affiliated sites, including flixtorz.to, movies7.to, and swatchseries.mx, also went offline.

Instead of simply disappearing, these sites redirected users to new domains like theflixtor.to, mov2day.to, and 2flix.to. The message on these sites suggested that the original operators were no longer involved, which raised eyebrows since the identities of these operators had always been anonymous.

Some speculate that this message was intended more for anti-piracy groups than for users.

Despite the redirections, ACE is determined to uncover the identities of those behind these new streaming sites. This week, the MPA secured a DMCA subpoena that compels the .TO domain registry, Tonic, to reveal any information it has on the registrants of these new domains.

The subpoena requests a wide range of data, including names, physical addresses, IP addresses, and payment information.

While it remains uncertain whether this subpoena will yield actionable information, ACE has had success with similar strategies in the past.

Even partial or fake information can sometimes lead to critical breakthroughs in anti-piracy efforts. Regardless of the outcome, ACE’s actions indicate that the group will continue to pursue those involved, whether they are the original operators or new ones.

The full list of targeted domains includes the following:

• filmoflix.to
• flix2day.to
• theflixtor.to
• papadustream.to
• animesuge.to
• cinezone.to

The shutdown of Fmovies and its sister sites marks a significant event in the ongoing battle between pirate streaming platforms and anti-piracy groups like ACE.

As ACE continues its efforts to unmask the individuals behind these new sites, the future of these pirate streaming portals remains uncertain.

For more information on this story, refer to the official court documentation ( PDF ) and the report from TorrentFreak .

We want to know your thoughts on this story. What do you think about ACE targeting the sister sites of FMovies? Let us know in the comment section below!

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ACE Goes After Fmovies Sister Site ‘Successors’

Home > Anti-Piracy > DMCA >

Popular pirate streaming site Fmovies shut down this summer, with several sister sites following suit. These sites were redirected to new streaming portals, purportedly operated by different individuals. This caught the attention of anti-piracy group ACE, which obtained a DMCA subpoena this week to unmask the people behind these new sites.

The group systematically hunts down key piracy players on behalf of the major Hollywood studios and other prominent entertainment companies such as Apple, BBC, and Netflix.

It’s safe to say that ACE had a hand in the demise of most large piracy operations of recent years. The group took down several key players including the original 123movies , Openload , Rapidvideo , Vader Streams , Animeflix , and pirate release group EVO , to name a few.

The Fmovies Cabal

ACE has enjoyed numerous successes and continues to expand its operations. However, in the case of the sudden demise of Fmovies, arguably the largest pirate site shutdown in recent history, the group has remained remarkably quiet.

Fmovies began to unravel toward the end of June. Without an official explanation, the site stopped adding new movies and TV shows and it eventually went offline a few weeks later.

Details of the shutdown are still shrouded in mystery but as we highlighted earlier , ongoing enforcement efforts alongside political and diplomatic pressure may have played a role. The fact that the MPA visited Fmovies’ alleged home country, Vietnam, right when the trouble started, is definitely noteworthy.

What also stood out is that other pirate streaming sites, which were linked to Fmovies, all closed their doors at the end of July.

Disperse, Shutdown, and Redirect

A few days after Fmovies shut down, several ‘sister sites’ decided to throw in the towel as well. Instead of simply pulling the plug, these sites redirected to new pirate streaming portals, ostensibly operated by different people.

These simultaneous shutdowns took place at more than a dozen sites, some of which had millions of monthly visitors. They include flixtorz.to, movies7.to, and swatchseries.mx, which were redirected to theflixtor.to, mov2day.to, and 2flix.to respectively.

“The site has been closed. To continue watching free movies, you will be redirected to other site [insert domain here] (managed by other team),” a brief message on the domains explained.

The message suggests that the original operators wanted to signal that they are no longer involved. That’s odd, since the owners have always been anonymous, at least to the wider public. Maybe the message wasn’t intended for the sites’ users, but for anti-piracy groups who were getting close to the fire?

ACE Targets ‘Successors’

ACE and MPA have previously indicated that they know who’s behind Fmovies, having previously located the operators in Vietnam. The anti-piracy groups likely know a thing or two about the sister sites too, which were presumably operated from the same region.

What ACE thinks about the recent domain redirection efforts is unknown, but the group is certainly eager to find out more about the people behind these new pirate streaming portals.

This week, MPA obtained a DMCA subpoena requiring the .TO domain registry Tonic to share all information it has on the registrants of several domain names. This includes the websites that took over from Fmovies sister sites; theflixtor.to, mov2day.to, and 2flix.to.

The subpoena request follows a familiar format, asking for all usable personal information Tonic has on file.

“[Y]ou are required to disclose to the Motion Picture Association, Inc. (on behalf of the ACE Members) information sufficient to identify the infringers. This would include the individuals’ names, physical addresses, IP addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, payment information, account updates and account history,” it reads.

Whether this subpoena will result in any actionable data is unknown. By now, the operators of major pirate sites are well aware of the subpoena option, which is why they often use false information.

That said, ACE has had success with this strategy in the past, and even smaller traces, fake or not, might turn out to be useful. In any case, the subpoena indicates that whether these are new operators or not, ACE intends to press on.

A copy of the legal paperwork for the DMCA subpoena, addressed to Tonic, is available here ( 1 , 2 ). A list of all the targeted domains can be found below.

– filmoflix.to – papadustream.to – animesuge.to – vidsrc2.to – flix2day.to – 2flix.to – theflixtor.to – mov2day.to – fboxz.to – cinezone.to – aniwave.to – anix.to – zoroxtv.to

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Watch out — those movie downloads could actually just be vicious new Windows malware

Hackers are once again hiding malware in pirated movie files

Be careful when looking for pirated movies online - experts have warners many files are out there just to infect your Windows PCs with dangerous malware and infostealers.

Cybersecurity researchers from Mandiant have recently discovered a new malware dropper, infecting victims with Lumma Stealer, Hijack Loader, and CryptBot.

Lumma, for example, is a known piece of malware that’s been extensively covered by the media. It is capable of grabbing passwords stored in popular browsers, cookies, credit card information, and data related to cryptocurrency wallets. Lumma is offered as a service, for a subscription fee ranging between $250 and $1,000.

Downloading malware

The dropper is dubbed PEAKLIGHT. It appears to be brand new, and works as a memory-only dropper: "This memory-only dropper decrypts and executes a PowerShell-based downloader," Mandiant said in a technical write-up.

The researchers saw the dropper in .ZIP archives on the internet, pretending to be pirated movies. These archives contained a Windows shortcut file (.LNK) which, when ran, connects to a content delivery network (CDN) hosting an obfuscated, memory-only, JavaScript.

"PEAKLIGHT is an obfuscated PowerShell-based downloader that is part of a multi-stage execution chain that checks for the presence of ZIP archives in hard-coded file paths," Mandiant added. "If the archives do not exist, the downloader will reach out to a CDN site and download the remotely hosted archive file and save it to disk."

Pirated content, including movies, music, software, and books, have been used to distribute malware for years. During the Covid lockdowns, as people were stuck inside and looking for ways to kill the time, many turned to pirated content - and hackers took advantage, distributing malicious cryptocurrency-mining malware via fake film torrents.

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The movie John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - which was a blockbuster hit at the time, was one of the movies used to distribute malware.

Via The Hacker News

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Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.

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WEBTOON Orders Crackdown on 170 Piracy Sites With Combined 100+ Million Page Visits

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WEBTOON , one of the world's most popular webcomics platforms with over 170 million monthly active users, has ramped up efforts to curb piracy following new legal action in August.

WEBTOON Entertainment hopes to pinpoint the identities of over 170 pirate site operators through new DMCA subpoena requests. Via Torrent Freak , the popular domain registrar and content delivery service Cloudflare was the recipient of these requests, which were filed at a Texas federal court this month. WEBTOON's anti-piracy partner Remove Your Media stated in the documents, "The purpose of the accompanying subpoena is to obtain the identity of the alleged copyright infringer(s) in control of the internet domain(s)/website(s) listed in the subpoena. The information obtained will be used only for the purpose of protecting the rights granted to my client."

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Major anime streamer Crunchyroll makes a brief statement following the Re:Zero Season 3 premiere's leak online, stating an investigation is underway.

WEBTOON Issues DMCA Subpoena Requests on Over 170 Pirate Sites

Naturally, many operators won't provide their actual identities, which reduces the efficacy of these requests. Nevertheless, since domains can be bought directly from Cloudflare, the company reserves the right to terminate or suspend those sites at its discretion. A successful subpoena request would bolster the legitimacy to take this action. Assuming the websites aren't registered directly with Cloudflare, the company works with rightsholders to direct them to the correct place, or per its Assisting Copyright Holders page, can turn over sensitive information on infringing customers such as origin IP addresses.

MangaFire, MangaReader, Asuratoon & More Are Part of WEBTOON Subpoena Requests

Several websites listed in the subpoena request have page visits in the millions to tens of millions. Targeted sites include asuratoon.com with 56 million monthly page visits (per Similarweb), mangafire.to (26.6M), Bato.to (25.2M) Mangareader.to (10.6m), mangakakalot.tv (9.2M), mangadex.tv (4.8M) and mangatx.to (6.6M), totaling well over 100 million monthly page visits overall.

Netflix Hit With One of the Worst Anime Leaks in History

Netflix has been hit with one of the worst cases of anime leaks, with popular titles like Dan Da Dan posted months before their intended premieres.

WEBTOON's latest anti-piracy efforts follow subpoena requests made by ACE (Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment), comprising companies like Netflix, Amazon and Sony. They requested the personal information of five major anime piracy site operators with a combined 137 million monthly visits through similar subpoena requests. ACE collaborates with the Japanese anti-piracy organization CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association), recently working with its Korean equivalent COA and Brazilian law enforcement to launch police raids on 11 homes in April . CODA member Shueisha, one of the biggest manga publishers in the world, recently rolled out a new survey via its MANGA Plus app, hoping to understand reader habits surrounding both legal and illegal means.

Source: Torrent Freak

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Evasive Memory-Only Malware PEAKLIGHT Uses Pirated Movies To Deliver Payloads

Cybersecurity experts have detailed a sophisticated new memory-only dropper linked to a multi-stage malware infection process. This dropper, dubbed PEAKLIGHT, poses a massive threat due to its stealthy operations and complex attack chain.

PEAKLIGHT operates without leaving traces on disk and with several obfuscation techniques, making detection severely challenging.

From Pirated Movies to Malicious Payloads

The infection begins when users download pirated movie files that are actually just malicious ZIP files in disguise, and contain Microsoft Shortcut Files (LNK) to kick off the infection.

These LNK files trigger a PowerShell script that downloads additional malicious content from a remote server. According to the study by Mandiant , the infection chain reveals two variations in the PowerShell scripts used, demonstrating the attackers’ skill in bypassing traditional security measures by leveraging trusted system processes.

• Using legitimate system binaries to download and execute payloads
• Employing registry queries for the same purpose.

Once the initial infection is established, PEAKLIGHT proceeds to its second stage, where a JavaScript-based dropper, hidden within the victim’s system memory, decodes and executes the final downloader. This downloader, known as PEAKLIGHT, operates in two primary variations, each with distinct characteristics but with a common objective: to download additional malicious files from a content delivery network (CDN).

PEAKLIGHT Variants

PEAKLIGHT’s sophistication lies in its ability to check for specific ZIP archives in hard-coded file paths. If absent, it downloads them from a content delivery network (CDN). The malware has been observed downloading various payloads, including LUMMAC.V2, SHADOWADDER and CRYPTBOT.

Different PEAKLIGHT variations exist, each with distinct behaviors, including target directories, execution logic, and downloaded file names. The variations employ complex obfuscation techniques, including hexadecimal and Base64 encoding, to conceal the true nature of their payloads.

PEAKLIGHT Variation 1 :

• Downloads files to the AppData directory
• Executes files based on their names
• Downloads a decoy video file to mask activity

PEAKLIGHT Variation 2 :

• Targets the ProgramData directory
• Executes files based on discovery order

PEAKLIGHT Variation 3 :

• Retrieves payloads from a different domain
• Drops additional malicious files, including AutoIt binaries

Protecting Against PEAKLIGHT

To mitigate PEAKLIGHT threats, the researchers recommend the following actions:

• Scan your environment against the potential indicators of compromise (IOCs) and YARA rules.
• Maintain updated security software to detect and block malicious activities.
• Be cautious of suspicious emails and attachments, especially those promising pirated content.
• Practice safe browsing habits and avoid clicking on unknown links.

The discovery of PEAKLIGHT is a strong example of the effectiveness of memory-only techniques to evade detection, as well as the proliferation of malicious payloads through seemingly harmless pirated content and abuse of trusted system processes.

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