When it comes to free TV streaming services, your wallet can catch a break. You can switch around between them as often as you’d like without parting with a penny. Despite the ads on most of these services, streaming TV for free offers plenty of benefits. You can watch live news broadcasts, on-demand shows and movies and stream content 24/7 on FAST channels. Whether you want reality TV, horror flicks, true crime or kids’ shows, services like Tubi and Pluto TV have older series and films, sort of like basic cable reruns. And some platforms offer their own original programming.
Tubi TV offers considerably more free movies than TV shows, but it continues to grow its extensive library and its live channel lineup. This ad-supported network doesn’t require an account, although signing up for one enables you to save favorites and resume playback if you switch between devices.
Pros
- Impressive on-demand library
- Appealing interface
- Designated Tubi Kids section
Cons
- Lower live channel count than some competitors
- Only one profile per account
Pluto TV is noteworthy for offering not only on-demand, free movie streaming, but also hundreds of live and linear channels on the platform, including CSI, Star Trek, Paramount Plus Picks and CBS News. Because it’s a Paramount-owned brand, Pluto also has episodes of shows like Criminal Minds and Survivor.
Pros
- Hundreds of channels
- Popular movies on-demand
Cons
- No way to pause livestream
- Smaller on-demand selection than some others
Roku Channel is a free TV streaming service designed for people who own the company’s streaming devices and TVs, but it’s also available via Roku’s apps for phones and tablets as well as online.
Pros
- 500+ channels
- Works on any Roku streaming device
Cons
- Streaming is better outside of mobile app
Although you’ll need to pay for Sling’s live TV packages, Sling Freestream offers more than 40,000 titles of free on-demand TV, and movies and over 600 live TV channels. Sling Freestream is a bulked-up and rebranded version of Sling TV’s former offering, Sling Free.
Pros
- 600+ channels
- A free DVR service
- Up to five profiles per account
Cons
- On-demand movie selection could be better
Previously, Amazon offered both the paid streaming service, Prime Video, and the free, ad-supported streaming service Freevee. However, some consolidation has taken place.
Pros
- Full seasons of Prime Video original series for free
Cons
- May only offer one free episode of Prime Video show
Starting as a way for users to stream content stored on users’ computers, Plex has evolved to incorporate other sources such as free streaming TV. You don’t need to install the Plex server, you just stream it with the basic Plex app, or if you want, sign up for an account.
Pros
- 600+ channels
- Other features in addition to free movies and shows
Cons
- May be able to find better movies on Tubi, Pluto
Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff — from ebooks to movies to TV shows. When you “borrow” one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of titles you can borrow each month. A bonus for this service is no commercials are interrupting your viewing experience.
Cons
- Only available through certain libraries
What’s the best overall free TV streaming service?
If we had to choose only one platform to wear the ultimate crown, it would be Tubi. The Fox-owned brand touts an easy-to-use interface and extensive library of TV shows, movies and live channels. Find cult classics alongside new Tubi originals, and discover new titles to watch using a TikTok-like feature in the mobile app.
Still, other options listed here are considered among the best free streaming services; Pluto TV is great for channel surfers and The Roku Channel can be convenient if you want to watch the news without cable. Here’s more on why we think Tubi is the best and other free streamers that enable you to indulge your inner couch potato.
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Read more: The Best Live TV Streaming Services for Cord Cutters
Best free TV streaming services of 2025
Pros
- Impressive on-demand library
- Appealing interface
- Designated Tubi Kids section
Cons
- Lower live channel count than some competitors
- Only one profile per account
Tubi TV offers considerably more free movies than TV shows, but it continues to grow its extensive library and its live channel lineup. This ad-supported network doesn’t require an account, although signing up for one enables you to save favorites and resume playback if you switch between devices.
Tubi offers nationwide and local news livestreams in addition to live sports, weather and entertainment channels. The streaming site’s TV selection offers some of the reality shows we’ve come to expect, such as Hell’s Kitchen and Dance Moms, plus oddball inclusions such as the Australian drama McLeod’s Daughters.
To watch TV series on demand, you can browse by title, network or genre, including a Tubi Kids category. Not every show has full seasons available, but you’ll find Broadchurch, Mr. Robot and two seasons of The Curse of Oak Island among the choices. There are also a stack of Tubi originals as well as feature films such as The Little Rascals and The Dark Knight.
Pros
- Hundreds of channels
- Popular movies on-demand
Cons
- No way to pause livestream
- Smaller on-demand selection than some others
Pluto TV is noteworthy for offering not only on-demand, free movie streaming, but also hundreds of live and linear channels on the platform, including CSI, Star Trek, Paramount Plus Picks and CBS News. Because it’s a Paramount-owned brand, Pluto also has episodes of shows like Criminal Minds and Survivor.
Pluto offers a broad selection of live channels sorted into categories like news and opinion, reality, comedy, sports and movies in a grid format. Navigating it is similar to its on-demand content section, which lets you browse by genres including drama, documentaries, travel, crime, anime and more. One oddity: If you’re watching a livestream, there’s no way to pause. You can only mute it.
Pros
- 500+ channels
- Works on any Roku streaming device
Cons
- Streaming is better outside of mobile app
Roku Channel is a free TV streaming service designed for people who own the company’s streaming devices and TVs, but it’s also available via Roku’s apps for phones and tablets as well as online.
The Roku Channel offers more than 500 live channels including a channel guide, with its existing selection of on-demand content. While the linear TV includes live news and lifestyle channels, the on-demand content ranges from Roku originals (like the Weird Al Yankovic biopic), to reality TV (Hoarders, Kitchen Nightmares) to popular series like 2 Broke Girls and Castle. You’ll also find anime (live and on-demand) and crime shows.
Unfortunately, not every TV series is complete (Pawn Stars, for example), and the service offers only a single episode in some cases. There’s plenty of stuff to watch, including a dedicated kids section. There’s also a solid array of classic and new movies, including John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. In addition, you can subscribe to premium services including Paramount Plus, much like you can via Prime Video channels or the Apple TV app.
Pros
- 600+ channels
- A free DVR service
- Up to five profiles per account
Cons
- On-demand movie selection could be better
Although you’ll need to pay for Sling’s live TV packages, Sling Freestream offers more than 40,000 titles of free on-demand TV, and movies and over 600 live TV channels. Sling Freestream is a bulked-up and rebranded version of Sling TV’s former offering, Sling Free.
Sling TV’s free streaming service includes live streams for news, entertainment, sports, kids and more. You’ll find channels for ABC News Live, The Walking Dead Universe and Bon Appetit and on-demand selections including Ryan’s World, Kim’s Convenience and The Dark Crystal.
You do not need to create an account when watching Sling Freestream, but if you do, it makes it easier to personalize what you watch, create profiles or use parental controls. One notable advantage of Freestream is the ability to record shows and movies (the service offers 10 hours of free DVR space). Sling Freestream is available to watch on a web browser and via the Sling app. No payment information is required for viewing.
Pros
- Full seasons of Prime Video original series for free
Cons
- May only offer one free episode of Prime Video show
Previously, Amazon offered both the paid streaming service, Prime Video, and the free, ad-supported streaming service Freevee. However, some consolidation has taken place.
The Freevee app is no longer available, but the ad-supported streaming service’s content remains accessible in the Prime Video app. Popular movies like Edge of Tomorrow are available for free on Prime Video, as well as the Lethal Weapon TV show and all six seasons of Schitt’s Creek. Other titles include Forensic Files, The Waltons and the Freevee originals Jury Duty and Judy Justice.
Notably, full seasons of Prime Video original series like Homecoming and Upload (plus movies like The Vast of Night) are also available to stream for free with ads.
Pros
- 600+ channels
- Other features in addition to free movies and shows
Cons
- May be able to find better movies on Tubi, Pluto
Starting as a way for users to stream content stored on users’ computers, Plex has evolved to incorporate other sources such as free streaming TV. You don’t need to install the Plex server, you just stream it with the basic Plex app, or if you want, sign up for an account.
More than 600 live TV channels are in the mix with Plex’s free streaming service, including Stories by AMC, Hallmark and niche 24/7 streams for certain series, including MythBusters and Duck Dynasty. On-demand content includes Ex Machina, Weeds and Kitchen Nightmares.
Movie fans can search by title and genre. Or you can check out themed rows such as Most Watchlisted or That’s So 90s.
Cons
- Only available through certain libraries
Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff — from ebooks to movies to TV shows. When you “borrow” one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of titles you can borrow each month. A bonus for this service is no commercials are interrupting your viewing experience.
Hoopla’s TV selection is something of a hodgepodge, with a smattering of well-known shows mixed in with a lot of self-help, documentary and family fare. For example, you’ll find two seasons of Chewing Gum, both seasons of The Jim Gaffigan Show and lots of Ken Burns documentaries. Hoopla also has instructional videos from The Great Courses series, various kids shows and plenty of Acorn TV content that would otherwise require a subscription. Film selections rotate on and off the platform, so be sure to check the rotation on a regular basis.
- Use them all: As all these services are free, you have nothing to lose by trying out several and determining which suits you best. You could also take a different approach by searching for a movie or show you want to watch and see if any free services offer it.
- On-demand or flipping through channels: The free TV streaming services often feature both on-demand content and live channels, but not always. You may prefer Pluto for channel surfing and Sling Freestream for on-demand binging, or the opposite. Think about what you want to get out of a free TV service and what each one provides.
- Ads on ads on ads: With most of these TV services, ads are the price you pay to watch titles for free. If you really can’t stand ads, you may need to stick with premium subscriptions from streamers like Netflix and Max.
- Kids offering: Consider whether the free service offers kid-friendly content, and that ads may be a factor. Hoopla, if you can get it through your library, is an ad-free option on this list.
With more than 200 streaming services in existence — globally — it can be hard sifting through each brand and its offerings. We narrowed this list down based on several factors, including accessibility, popularity, on-demand content, live channels and reliability. We watched each service on a TV and mobile device to evaluate its user interface and channel roster.
These apps can be easily accessed on virtually any media player, smart TV, web browser or mobile device, and they offer a variety of content to suit genre preferences or age ranges. Because they’re free services, there’s added value for those that offer originals and live channels. When doing test runs of these services, we didn’t encounter problems with crashing, lag time or choppy live broadcasts, but your experience may vary.
Peacock: The main way to access Peacock is by being a paying customer. Plans include Premium, which is $11 a month or $110 a year, and Premium Plus, which is $17 a month or $170 a year. NBCUniversal’s streaming service also has a free tier, which may or may not be good news for you. As of January 2023, you must already be a Peacock Premium subscriber to use the free version of Peacock. In addition to being exclusive to older users, the tier severely limits what you can watch compared to if you paid for Peacock, so we opted not to include it on this version of our best list. If you’ve had a Peacock account long enough, the free tier should be available if you aren’t actively paying for a Peacock subscription.
