Are free streaming services any good in 2024? We tested them all to find out

Nothing is free, right? It may seem strange that there are so many free streaming services out there, but with streaming prices constantly rising, perhaps it’s no wonder that services like Pluto TV, Tubi, Amazon Freevee, Sling Freestream, Crackle, and the Roku Channel are becoming increasingly popular. With so much to choose from, it can be difficult to know which of these services actually have anything good to offer. Are these services worth trying out? Let’s take a look at each one and find out!

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1 PlutoTV

Free TV with countless channels

Pluto TV is one of the free streaming platforms that allows viewers outside of the US to stream for free. It is available in Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Denmark. This service’s reality TV offering is a bit overwhelming – there is practically every MTV reality show ever aired. The OG shows like Teen Mom, Punk’d, and Jersey Shore are there for our consumption! Pluto TV also has several live channels that constantly show reruns, just like classic cable TV!

The interface is very user-friendly and allows you to browse the TV guide while the current show you are watching is displayed in the bottom right corner! This is perfect. You can search for other shows while staying up to date with all the details of your show! This way you will never miss a repeat of classic game shows like Deal or No Deal and The Price is Right! So this option is perfect for any parents or grandparents looking for free game shows.

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2 Tube

Free streaming with a huge library

Tubi’s tagline on their website is “Free Movies and TV, fewer ads than cable, no subscription required.” Users read this and are instantly hooked. It’s literally exactly what everyone wants: free content, very few ads, and no sign up! The ads are a minor downside for some people, but what Tubi seems to do really well is that the ads are fun and short. Most of the time, I don’t even realize it’s an ad until it’s already over.

Tubi is known for its extensive library of content, ranging from anime to silent films to some pretty prestigious feature films. Perfect for anyone who likes anime like Naruto (with subtitles), Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, and not forgetting Beyblade: Metal Fusion! It brought back memories of my older brothers’ anime obsessions – although I secretly grew to love them too!

The movie selection covers all genres and offers exceptional films to binge-watch, such as Only Mandy Moore. However, if you’re not in the mood for a heart-wrenching, tear-jerking movie, then maybe something like The Goonies or Drinking Buddies. There are so many movies on Tubi that it’s like trying to count the stars in the night sky. I also find Tubi’s interface to be the easiest to use of all these free streaming services. It loads quickly and doesn’t buffer. You can’t ask for much more from a free streaming service, can you?

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3 Amazon Freevee

Free movies and TV shows with no obligations!

This free, Amazon-based streaming service offers a wealth of exciting content, including Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and the 2018 hit Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski. If action isn’t your thing, Freevee has every single episode of The First 48 and Everybody Hates Chris. FYI, make sure you use Amazon Freevee and not Amazon Prime Video to watch these shows, as they are two different services and you definitely want the free service!

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4 Free SlingTV stream

Your gateway to free live TV

The paid version of this streaming service you may be familiar with is SlingTV. Its free counterpart, Sling Freestream, offers an impressive 500+ different channels, all free, so you’re bound to find something that piques your interest. I have it on good authority that there are an unhealthy number of sports channels for all you sports enthusiasts out there! Freestream also includes a diverse selection of Spanish-language channels. While the free version offers an extensive selection, the paid subscription unlocks a wider range of channels and content.

While everyone loves the nostalgia of live channels, the movies and TV shows shown on freestream also keep viewers coming back. Episodic TV shows like Fear factorAnd American Horror Story are a staple in various TV genres. What I like best is probably the personalized recommendations that help me discover new content that I usually enjoy. The only unfortunate downside to this streaming service is that it is ad-supported, so the ads really make it seem like traditional TV.

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5 Crackle

Lots of old-school fun

Crackle is a streaming service I’ve heard of before, especially around the time when Netflix was really taking off. It’s a free app with an extensive library of some good retro movies and TV shows. You could sit back and watch all the seasons of Heartland, Merlin, or a well-known favorite like Gulliver’s Travels! The app also has plenty of TV shows starring Gordon Ramsay, including Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares.

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6 The Roku Channel

A cozy, endless streaming experience

With live news channels, hit movies and TV shows broadcast 24/7, this free streaming service is packed with content for virtually every taste. The Roku Channel offers content like the original movie “21 Jump Street” starring Johnny Depp and family favorites like “Air Bud,” as well as original shows and movies including the crime drama “Swimming with Sharks” and the Emmy-winning film “Weird,” starring Daniel Radcliffe as a fictionalized version of Weird Al Yankovic.

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In short, while free streaming services like Pluto TV, Tubi, Amazon Freevee, SlingTV Freestream, Crackle, and The Roku Channel offer a wide variety of different content without a fee, they all come with their own limitations. Availability is restricted to certain regions, and the dreaded ads that support every free service are inevitable with “free” streaming. These 6 free streaming services are great options for anyone on a budget or anyone who wants to enjoy streaming without having to worry about creating an account, paying for a subscription, etc.