The Best Free Movie Websites in 2023

If you’ve finished work and want to relax, watching a movie is often the answer. But what if you’re too tired to go to the cinema and there’s nothing good on TV? That’s where free movie websites come in.

If you don’t have the budget for streaming services, this article is here to help. Read on to discover the top-rated free movie websites and what they offer.

1. Freevee

Freevee is an Amazon premium free streaming service, previously known as IMDb TV. It’s available from anywhere in the world and on a variety of devices (PC and via the app). There are ads embedded in each video, however, and you can’t see the exact time when the ad will be played or its duration. There’s no “Recently Watched” option and you can’t continue where you left off unless you sign in.

Most of the content is sorted randomly on a PC. There are some categories such as ‘ “For You,” “Popular,” and “Amazon Originals.” On mobile, you can sort the content more efficiently by categories (family, popular movies, etc.).

Pros

• Available in all countries
• HD quality
• No sign-in required
• Subtitle and audio options embedded

Cons

• Ads embedded into every video
• No viewing progress without signing in

2. Tubi

Tube is a platform created by Fox. It doesn’t require a subscription or login. However, by signing up you’ll have access to parental controls, watch lists, and CC options. There are ads in every video, and you can see when they’ll be played. Their library offers around 50,000 movies and TV series and you can easily find iconic movies and classics.

When it comes to sorting on the web, the content is well organized into four categories. You can sort movies by genre and popularity. From “Collections” you gain access to more subcategories. On mobile, there’s a surprising number of subcategories which makes it hard to find your way around. You can also access them from the “Discover” tab where you can sort movies by genre.

Pros

• Available in all countries with a VPN
• Has iconic movies and classics
• Free to Sign Up

Cons

• Video quality capped at 720p
• No access to all features without signing up
• Ads embedded into every video

3. Pluto TV

Pluto TV offers live TV and on-demand content. You can get to the latter by clicking on a button in the top bar. You should then choose “Movies” from the sidebar to preview the entire movie collection. Be aware that there are various subcategories listed in the sidebar, but most of these combine TV shows, movies, and reality shows. On the “Movies” page, you’ll see that all the movies are grouped into a variety of subcategories based on different criteria, besides the genre.

What’s best about Pluto TV is that you can continue watching the videos anytime, and you have access to your watchlist without signing up or subscribing. One of the downsides is outdated content in the on-demand movie selection.

Pros

• Available from all countries with a VPN
• CC option
• No sign-in necessary

Cons

• Outdated content
• Video quality is not always HD
• Ads embedded into every video

4. YouTube

You might not have thought about this option. We’re all familiar with YouTube, but have you ever used it to watch free movies? It’s super easy to navigate to the movie section in just a few steps. On the left side of the screen, you’ll be able to see the Movies and TV Shows button. From here, you just need to scroll down until you see the Free to watch movies category. You can also access any free movie by typing in the full title and adding “free with ads” next to it, which should lead you to the same page.

When you go to the See more button in the right corner, you can go through the entire collection of YouTube free titles and choose what you want to watch. However, there isn’t any filtering option to help you sort out their library. As with YouTube videos, the ads are embedded in every movie and can be a bit annoying. The upside is that some ads can be skipped after a couple of seconds.

Pros

• Easy to find
• HQ quality

Cons

• Only available in the U.S.
• Embedded ads

5. Vudu TV

Vudu TV is a familiar platform that digitized movie renting and purchasing through Walmart, now owned by Fandango. The free movie section is accessible from the upper bar. On the top of the page, movies are sorted into “Most Watched” and “Release Date” categories. The  Filter button allows you to sort the movies by genre. However, the number of genres is limited.

If you switch to view all free content, everything is better organized into various subcategories. The downside is that these aren’t movie exclusives. Between the subcategories, you’ll find clickable banners that direct you to “Recommended For You” and “New to Free” pages. Vudu offers around 11,000 ad-supported titles for free. Keep in mind that most free content is outdated, so you won’t find any of the newest titles available.

Pros

• Available from anywhere with a VPN
• You can make your own movie library

Cons

• Sign-in required
• Outdated free content
• No exclusive titles

6. Crackle

Crackle is an American streaming service, previously owned by Sony Pictures. It doesn’t offer exclusive content from other paid streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and HBO. Crackle has a fairly small movie library. It offers around 11,000 titles, and it has a lot of Sony Pictures titles and other interesting content.

There are lots of ads, however. The upside is that you can see when they will be played once you start watching the movie. You don’t need to sign in for Crackle. It’s free and does provide very useful options like a “Watch List,” “Favorites,” and “Continue Watching.” You can easily navigate to movies from the upper bar on the website.

The movies are sorted by category in the left bar, and you also have the option to sort the movies in alphabetical order or by release date.

Pros

• Available from anywhere with a VPN
• No legal concerns
• Available in different languages

Cons

• Sign-in required
• Ads embedded into every video

7. Xumo Play

Xumo was created by the owner of Myspace. It has a smaller library for on-demand content compared to other free streaming platforms. Even though Xumo is more popular for live content, it’s still a good free streaming service for free movies and TV shows.

You can access free movies by clicking the button in the upper menu. From there, you’ll see various subcategories such as “Zumo Exclusives,” “Editorial Picks,” and others.

Keep in mind that as with most streaming services, these titles change and something you watched before, might not be available anymore. Unfortunately, most of the free content is outdated, so you won’t be able to find the newer titles.

Even though there are ads embedded, you can see how long they will last and have access to a “Skip” button after a designated period. The quality of videos is set automatically to 720p but you have the option to change the video quality. One of the downsides is that you can’t save videos, create your watchlists, or use search to find what you need.

Pros

• Available in all countries with a VPN
• Skip option for ads
• HD quality
• No sign-in required

Cons

• Outdated content
• Embedded ads
• No save or watchlist options

8. Roku Channel

The Roku channel offers various movies and TV shows. The content is sorted into different subcategories. The platform offers its original content together with popular titles, but these aren’t new. On the home page, you can see movies sorted into various subcategories based on genre, theme, or country.

While scrolling through this page, you can also return to “Continue Watching” the movie you previously started. You can also use the tags under the chosen movie title to navigate your way to the similar categories you might be interested in.

Like other free streaming platforms, you’ll have to deal with lots of commercials inserted in the video. However, you can view when the ads will be played. The number and length of the ads vary depending on the duration of the movie.

Signing in allows you to save favorite titles, create watchlists, and access the “Continue Watching” option.

Pros

• HD quality
• CC, with audio and subtitle options
• Option to continue watching

Cons

• Ads
• Sign-in required
• Outdated content

9. Kodi

Kodi isn’t a typical streaming service. Rather, it’s a software media player and entertainment hub. This means Kodi doesn’t have its extensive movie library, but requires you to provide one of your own. Kodi allows you to play various media through it and connect it to different devices.

If you want to watch movies or TV shows, you must do so through add-ons. These add-ons connect you to most paid or free streaming services. Some of which hold copyright concerns and pirated content. For that reason, you might want to pay extra attention to which ones you use. Kodi does offer the “Search” function, but for more refined sorting options, you’ll need an add-on as well.

Pros

• Global availability
• HD quality up to 1080p
• Available in multiple languages
• No subscription required

Cons

• Pop-up ads
• Legal concerns regarding add-ons

Disclaimer: The following websites present some legal concerns, so make sure your actions are by the laws of the country of your residence. We highly suggest using a strong add-blocker and a good anti-virus software to keep yourself and your data protected. These websites are often the target of hackers and malicious software that can leave your PC and data exposed.

10. AZ Movies

AZ Movies is a website that allows free streaming. Most of the movies are in HD and are available on various servers. Their site states that no illegal or copywrite files are hosted on the servers but on third-party affiliate websites. In the drop-down menu, the movies are sorted by genre and date of release. You can also access “Featured Movies” from the same menu. Aside from the standard search option, there aren’t more refined filters or subcategories on the website.

The website is accessible through the browser of any device and you can also cast it on a TV or play it via the downloader app. There are a lot of annoying pop-ups if you try to play any video on the site. If you want to click on CC or other options once the video is already playing, more pop-ups show up. All servers offer CC in multiple languages.

Pros

• Global availability
• HD Quality
• Available in multiple languages
• No subscription or sign-in necessary

Cons

• Might be illegal in some countries

11. 123 movies

This is one of the apps and websites with copyright concerns, so you should keep that in mind before accessing it. On the plus side, 123movies has a huge movie and TV show library with over 300,000 titles. They provide even the newest and most exclusive titles from other streaming platforms completely for free, and in HD. One of the most convenient features is that most videos have CC in multiple languages.

From the top bar, you can access “Movies” and “Top IMDb” titles. There’s a standard search option. By clicking on the Browse button, you can access movies by genre. That said, there aren’t too many useful sorting functions.

From the home page, you also can access all the content (movies and TV shows) which then shows a few subcategories, like “Trending,” “Latest,” and “Coming Soon.” If you want to add a title to “Favorite” or make your list, you have to create an account.

Pros

• Global availability
• HD quality
• Available in multiple languages
• No subscription or sign-in necessary

Cons

• Might be illegal in some countries

12. UpMovies

UpMovies offers over 180,000 titles for movies and TV shows. It can be played via the app on mobile devices or accessed on PC and Smart TV browsers. Like other websites that offer the newest titles completely free, you should remember to keep your PC protected. There are lots of pop-ups and they might be infected with malicious software.

Compared to other streaming websites, however, UpMovies offers exceptional sorting options from the upper bar by genre, country, and release year. In their library, you can sort and find lots of movies in foreign languages and you can access them easily through the “Country” sorting filter.

Unfortunately, these videos often don’t have CC in English. Even so, if you’re multilingual or speak various languages, it can be an excellent way to explore foreign movies.

Pros

• Global availability
• HD quality
• Available in multiple languages
• No subscription or sign-in necessary

Cons

• Might be illegal in some countries

13. SolarMovie

Unfortunately, the navigation and sorting on the SolarMovie website are confusing. On the home page, the movies and TV shows are listed in the “Latest” and “Suggestion” categories. However, on the top bar, there are Genres, Country, and IMDB buttons as well as Movies and TV Shows. Once you go to the Movies page you have additional sorting options. By clicking on the Filter button, you have an overwhelming number of options for sorting. All of which overlap with what is offered on the home page and in the upper bar.

Note that clicking action you perform on the website triggers a pop-up or a potentially dangerous website to open. Sadly, the regular ad-blocker won’t help you here. SolarMovie offers the latest titles, and most of the videos are in HD 1080p with the option to change the video quality settings. The CC option is embedded in every video, but the multilanguage options aren’t available for all movies.

Pros

• Global availability
• HD quality
• Available in multiple languages
• No subscription or sign-in necessary

Cons

• Might be illegal in some countries

Always Protect Yourself

Please be aware that you’re accessing these free movie sites of your own accord. We advise you to check beforehand if they feature movies that are copyright-protected. Learn about the legal implications regarding the content that you want to watch and make sure your actions align with the local laws. It goes without saying that we don’t endorse piracy or illegal activities in any way

Safety

Before you proceed to venture off into the world of free movie streaming, you’ll have to think about protection. These websites are often full of pop-up ads and can be the main source of potentially malicious software. That’s why it’s important you use an ad-blocker and a decent VPN. Keep your information, PC, and identity protected!

FAQs

Are free movie sites legal to use?

You have to read the fine print. On some of these sites, it’s obvious right away if they’re legal or have some potential copyright issues and concerns. You have to double-check, and make sure that your activities are in accordance with the local laws. Some of the sites we listed are 100% legal and offer only outdated titles and embedded ads. Others have some concerns regarding torrent peer-to-peer connections and piracy. However, merely viewing the videos available without sharing or downloading isn’t illegal in all countries.

Do free movie sites require registration or payment?

The sites we listed are free, which means they do not require any kind of payment. On some of the websites we reviewed, you do need to pay to unlock extra features and access new titles. When it comes to registration, it’s free for all the websites. In some cases, however, you do get access to useful features like watchlists.

What are the risks of using free movie sites?

The sites that are 100% legal in all countries don’t come with a lot of potential risks. On the other hand, sites that use torrents and content that is hosted on third-party affiliate websites present some risks. These sites are full of pop-up ads. As such, any clickable action will direct you to a different website full of potential malware. To protect your privacy, data, and device safe from harm, use a VPN, ad-blocker, and good anti-virus software.

Are subtitles available on all these sites?

For most free streaming services that offer live TV programs, there are subtitle and CC options included in their interface. However, they usually don’t provide CC in languages besides English. The upside is that you can adjust the size and the color of the subtitle font. For the websites that offer streaming through different servers, you can see if the video uploaded has any CC. If it does, it will have multilingual options in most cases.

What are the differences between free movie websites and streaming services?

Based on our list, streaming services are legal in almost all jurisdictions. These platforms are usually used for streaming live TV. However, the movies are always listed in their “On Demand” content and are outdated. On the other hand, even if most of these movie websites don’t ‘host’ the potentially copyrighted content on their own servers, there are some legal concerns regarding that in some countries. They usually use third-party hosting services or peer-to-peer connections, but they offer the newest and exclusive titles in multiple languages.

Free Movies at Your Fingertips

If you want to save money on TV and movie tickets, there are some excellent free movie websites to consider. Always remember to stay safe and use VPN and ad-blockers. Make sure you’re not breaking any laws and check if the apps/websites are compatible with your devices.

Have you already tried using free movie streaming services or websites? If so, what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments section below.