best sites to watch movies for free

 

Watching movies at home lets you maximize comfort while you also maximize entertainment (and allows access to your favorite snacks). Want some great movie snack ideas? Just tap or click here.

Streaming makes watching movies at home easier than ever, but what if you could stream free movies online? We know a few sites where you can access free movies online right now, from your computer or laptop, and a few of them from streaming devices like a Roku or an Amazon Fire TV stick.

Check out the list below to see the best sites for watching movies free. Make sure to bookmark your favorites, so nights at home can be just as amazing as going out to the theater — while costing you nothing!

1. Kanopy

If you particularly love artsy or classic films, Kanopy is the best site for your free movie streaming purposes. With some gems from the Criterion Collection, as well as modern indie masterpieces, Kanopy does its best to get high-quality and critically acclaimed cinema into people’s living rooms, and all at no cost.

To use Kanopy, your local library, university or college needs to be connected to it. Learn how to check if your library is connected by tapping or clicking here. With a library card or your college email login, you can access Kanopy’s catalog at any time.

One warning: Kanopy’s movie offerings change periodically, so if you really want to watch “Moonlight” or “Lady Bird,” make sure to do so while they’re still listed. Movies come back to Kanopy, but it’s not always clear when, so just keep that in mind when making your viewing selections.

2. Popcornflix

For those who prefer comedies, thrillers and more mainstream movies (“popcorn flicks,” if you will), Popcornflix is the perfect free streaming site. It gives you access to tons of movies and TV shows to choose from in exchange for playing ads while you watch.

If ads annoy you, this may not be your favorite site, but you won’t be able to deny the selection is vast, covering a variety of film eras, along with recent releases.

Popcornflix can be accessed through the web, but you can also download an app on Roku, Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon or Xbox to watch on your TV screen. We’ve recommended Popcornflix before, and we stand by that recommendation now.

3. Vimeo

Vimeo is a video platform like YouTube, allowing users to upload their own movies and clips to share in HD quality. You have to pay to watch some movies on the site, but many are free, particularly short films.

Vimeo exists as a website and as an iOS and Android app. You can watch movies through streaming or download them for later, when you’re not on Wi-Fi, so Vimeo gives you some great watching options at no cost.

4. Sony Crackle

Sony Crackle, formerly known as Crackle, is another great site to watch modern movies and TV shows for free, but, like with Popcornflix, you do so with ads. We know ads can be very annoying, but that’s the trade-off when you don’t want to pay for the film.

If you really like action and thriller movies, and some older TV shows that are hard to find on other platforms, Sony Crackle certainly makes sitting through some ads worth it.

5. Vudu

Though primarily a platform for buying movies and TV episodes, Vudu also has many free feature-length movies and TV show episodes for you to watch — once again, possible thanks to ads. Vudu is really good at reporting how long movies will remain free (the catalog changes monthly) and it has a ton of modern movies, in addition to some beloved older dramas and comedies.

You can get Vudu on your computer, game consoles, streaming devices, smart TV, Blu-ray players, phones and tablets. You just have to sign up for a free Vudu account to use the apps and site.

6. IMDb TV

Working through IMDb.com or Amazon Fire products, IMDb TV is a way to watch critically acclaimed films free from the comfort of your home. Like most of these streaming sites, this one is ad-supported, but if you have Amazon Prime, you can watch movies free through Prime on IMDb TV without ads.

To watch movies, you need an IMDb or an Amazon account, and you can watch to your heart’s content. IMDb TV isn’t the easiest to navigate or search through, but their “Top Rated” category allows you to find movies other users love, so you have a better chance of enjoying what you pick from there.