13 Best Free Streaming Services Without a Subscription

Maybe you just want to watch shows without wasting any more time filling out forms. Or maybe you want to protect your email address and reduce your digital footprint by limiting your presence online. Whether it's speed or security, whatever your reason is for opting out of account creation, we get it. And streaming services seem to do, too, because some of them give you the convenient option to skip registration and go straight ahead to watching your favorite shows and movies. Even better? A number of these services are free. 

Below, we list the best free streaming services you can tune into without a subscription.

Our recommended three best free streaming services without a subscription:
Tubi free Watch
Pluto TV Live free Watch
The Roku Channel free Watch

Tubi

Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less than stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.

Price: free for 78 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox One

Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACC Digital Network, AFV Family, All Real, Baywatch, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bounce XL, Brat TV, BUZZR, Caught in Providence, CBC News, Cheddar, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, Comedy Dynamics, Cosmos, Deal or No Deal, Dove Channel, El Rey, Estrella News, EuroNews English, Fear Factor, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Westerns, Forensic Files, FOX, Fox Deportes, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Gordon Ramsay, Heartland, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, LOL-Network, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, Maverick Black Cinema, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Nash Bridges, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ, Revolt Mixtape, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Conners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Grio, the NFL Channel, The Only Way is Essex, TMZ, TODAY All Day, Tubi Originals, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vice, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Weather Nation, Wipeout Xtra

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The Roku Channel

The Roku Channel can't replace Netflix or a cord-cutting service like Sling, but it's a nice added bonus if you already have a Roku device. The selection of live channels is limited, but there's something for everyone, including news, sports, and entertainment. Up to September 15th, 2024, The Roku Channel will air a weekly Sunday MLB game for free.

Price: free for 1 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Website

Channel lineup: ABC News Live, Architectural Digest, Bein Sports XTRA, Binge TV, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bon Appétit, Cheddar News, Dr Phil, Euronews, Fox Live Now, Fox Weather, Funny or Die, Just for Laughs Gags, Laugh On, Miramax Movies, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Mystery TV, NBC Comedy Vault, NBC News Now, Newsy Live, Polly Pocket, Reuters, Roku Sports Channel, Sony One Cinema, Team USA, The Comedy Shop, The Comedy Store, UEFA Champions League, WeatherNation, Wild West TV

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In response to the growing popularity of free streaming services like Tubi, Xumo, and Pluto, Sling TV has come up with Sling TV Freestream, an ad-supported version of its live TV and on-demand streaming service. Compared to its paid tier, Freestream has fewer channels and premium titles, but with more than 200 live channels and on-demand content to boot, it's certainly worth giving a try—you don't even need to sign up for an account to start watching.

Sling TV has been at the forefront of live TV for years, but it breaks new ground with Freestream, a platform designed to both entertain and entice users to upgrade to their meatier packages. Recently, Freestream also added free DVR.

Price: free for 43 channels available

Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: AajTak International, ABC News Live, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera English, Always funny, Anthony Bourdain A Cook's Tour, Architectural Digest: Open Door, ARY News, BBC Comedy, BBC Earth, BBC Game Shows, BBC Top Gear, Bein Sports XTRA, Buzzr: Family Feud, CBS News, Cheddar News, Court TV, Crunchyroll, Defiance, Dilemma, Documentary Plus, Drag Race Universe, Electric Now, EntrepreneurTV, ESPN On Demand, ESR, FailArmy, Fear Factor, FilmRise: Hell's Kitchen, Forensic Files, Fox Weather, France24, Fubo Sports, Glewed TV, GoTraveler, Grit extra, Heartland, ION, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Life OK, Maverick Black Cinema: Boxed In, Military Times, Nash Bridge Channels, Noticias Univision 24/7, Real Wild, Rick Steves Europe, Rig TV, Scripps News, Shout TV, SonyKal, TD Ameritrade Network, Teen Vee, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Pet Collective, The Walking Dead Universe, TVP World, USA Today, VH1 I Love Reality, Willow Channel, World Poker Tour, Zona TUDN

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Pluto TV Live

Pluto TV is a modern take on traditional cable: it has hundreds of channels streaming live, a huge library of on demand content, and it’s supported by ads. But the key difference from the competition? It’s totally free.

Price: $free/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Virgin Media, Vizio SmartCast, webOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Channel lineup: 60 minutes Pluto, BBC Food, BBC Home, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg TV+, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN Headlines, CNN Originals, ET Live, Family Feud, Food TV, Fox desportes, Fox Sports, Hallmark En Espanol, Hip Hop Family, Hip Hop Family VH1, La Familia del Barrio, Love & Hip-Hop VH1, Major League Soccer, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, MLB, MotorTrend FAST TV, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, NFL Super Bowl Classics, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Queens of Reality, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, Today, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WOW – Women Of Wrestling, WPT

Xumo Play

With people overwhelmed by the onslaught of mammoth streaming services, companies like Xumo are having a moment. A free, ad-supported hub for both live and on-demand content, Xumo is gaining ground in the streaming landscape.

Price: $free/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Panasonic, Roku, Samsung TV, Visio TV, webOS, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: ABC News Live, AccuWeather Now, Bloomberg, CBC News, CBSN, Cheddar News, Fox Sports, ION, NBC Comedy Vault, NBC News Now, NBCLX, PGA Tour, Today, USA Today

Vudu is an on-demand streaming service that allows users to rent or purchase more than 200,000 new releases. Founded in 2007, it's one of the first companies to offer digital films in HD. Vudu's main strength is its ease of access and jam-packed catalog of movies and TV shows, but it also boasts free content, which they run on ads. In 2020, media and ticketing firm Fandango acquired Vudu and merged both companies' streamers into one. They decided to keep the Vudu name because of its large and loyal customer base. 

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, iOS, LG Smart TV, Playsation, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, TiVo, Vizio, Xbox, Xfinity Flex

Samsung TV Plus

All Samsung Smart TVs come with a free Samsung TV Plus app, the company's own streaming service that offers more than 200 live TV channels and on-demand content to users around the globe. There's no need to subscribe or even sign up for an account to access the app. 

Aside from its TVs (specifically those released from 2016 onwards), Samsung makes its streaming platform available to all Galaxy Devices, mobile and tablet, as long as their operating systems are updated to Android 8.0 or higher. It's a worthy option for cord-cutters, especially if you want a fuss-free and cost-efficient way to watch your favorite channels.

Price: free for 216 channels available

Device availability: Android, Samsung Smart TV

Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, 80s Flashback, 90s Throwback, ABC News Live, ACC Digital Network, ALL ACTION, All Reality WE TV, All Weddings WE TV, All-Out Reality, ALTER, Always Funny Videos, America's Test Kitchen, Anime All day, Antiques Roadshow, Are We There Yet?, Asian Crush, Backstage, BBC Food, BBC Hom, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bon Appétit, Bounce XL, Brat TV, BUZZR, Canela.TV, Cars, CBS News, Cheddar News, Chicken Soup for the Soul, CHIVE TV, Cine Romántico, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, CJ ENM, Clarity 4K, Classic Doctor Who, CNN Replay, CNN RESUMEN, Comedy All Day, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, Crime Zone, Dallas Cowboys Cheer, Danger TV, Deal or No Deal, Degrassi, Documentary+, Dove Channel, Dr. G: Medical Examiner, Drama Life, Dry Bar Comedy, DUST, EDGEsport, ElectricNOW, Estrella News, Estrella TV, ET Live, Fail Army, Family Ties, Fear Factor, FilmRise Action, FilmRise Free Movies, FilmRise Western, Forensic Files, Formula One Channel, FOX SOUL, FTF, fubo Sports Network, FUEL TV, Game Show Central, GOLFPASS, Gravitas Movies, Grit Xtra, Gusto TV, Hallmark Movies & More, Halloween Movies, Heartland, Hell’s Kitchen, Hollywire, Home Refresh, Home.Made.Nation, HSN, Hungry, IGN, IMPACT Wrestling, INSIGHT TV, InWonder, ION, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Journy, Kidoodle.TV, Kitchen Nightmares, Law & Crime, LiveNOW from FOX, Loupe 4K, Love & Hip Hop, Love Nature 4K, Lucky Dog, Magellan TV Now, Maverick Black Cinema, MAVTV Select, MHz Now, Midnight Pulp, Midsomer Murders, Million Dollar Listing, MinecrafTV, MLB, Moonbug Kids, MOTORVISION.TV, MovieSphere, MTV Pluto TV, NBC News Now, NBCLX, NEW KMOVIES, NEW KPOP, Newsmax, Newsy, NHRA TV, Nick Pluto TV, Nosey, ONE Championship TV, Operation Repo, Origin Sports, Outdoor America, Outside, Pac-12 Insider, Paramount Movie Channel, PBS Digital Studios, PBS Kids, People Are Awesome, People TV, PGA Tour, Plated, Pluto TV Fantastic, Pluto TV Westerns, pocket.watch, Portlandia, PowerNation, PrendeTV Lo mejor de Liga MX, PrendeTV Novelas de Oro, PrendeTV Novelas de romance, PrendeTV Novelas en familia, Project Runway, Pursuit UP, QVC, Real America’s Voice, REELZ Famous & Infamous, Revry, Ride or Drive, RiffTrax, Rock On, Rotten Tomatoes, Shades of Black, Shout! Factory, Skills + Thrills, Sony Canal Comedias, Sony Canal Competencias, Sony Canal Novelas, SportsGrid, Stadium, Stingray Naturescape, Stories by AMC, SURF NOW TV, T2, Tastemade, Tastemade Travel, TED, Telemundo Al Día, TG Junior, That Girl, The Asylum, The Bob Ross Channel, The Challenge, The Design Network, The Hotel Inspector, The Jack Hanna Channel, The LEGO Channel, The Movie Hub, The New Detectives, The Pet Collective, The Preview Channel, The Walking Dead Universe, This Old House, This Old House Makers, Tiny House Nation, TODAY All Day, Toon Goggles, Top Gear, Tu Cine, TV Land Drama, TV Land Sitcoms, TYT Network, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vevo 2K, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Latino, Vevo Pop, Vevo R&B, Vice, ViX Grandes Parejas, ViX JaJaJa, ViX Villanos de Novela, Waypoint TV, WeatherNation, WeatherSpy, Whistle TV, Wild 'N Out, Wipeout Xtra, World Poker Tour, XITE Just Chill, Xplore, Yahoo! Finance, ZooMoo

Redbox

No longer just a physical DVD kiosk, Redbox has expanded to become an online space where you can rent and purchase films and TV shows as well as watch live channels for free. Like Vudu and Amazon Prime, Redbox gives you access to a plethora of movies, including fan favorites and indie gems (these can cost anywhere from $2 to $5) and movies currently screening in cinemas (these usually cost more, around $20). Redbox also has a live TV streaming feature that you can access even without a registered account. Although most of the channels are not that notable, they cover the essential categories: news, sports, and entertainment.

Price: free for 18 channels available

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG, LG Smart TV, LG TV, Roku, Samsung, Vizio, Vizio TV, Xbox

Channel lineup: America's Test Kitchen, beIN Sports Extra, Billiard TV, Bloomberg, CBC News, Cheddar, Family Feud TV, Glory Kickboxing, Hard Knocks, Johnny Carson TV, Now This News, Outdoor America, Pac-12 Insider, Scripps News, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vogue TV, World Poker Tour

PBS channels around the country are free on television, and thanks to the PBS app, they're now free to stream as well. The PBS app gives you on-demand access to many of the network's famously educational shows, including Nova and PBS News Hour, as well as the nearest local station in your area. You don't need an account to start watching on the PBS app, although you might have to activate it beforehand. Again, PBS is free, but if you want to support your local PBS station and gain extended access to even more films and TV shows, then you can purchase a PBS Passport membership, which costs around $5/month or $60/year.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire Tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Comcast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio

NewsOn

NewsOn is a free streaming service that lets you access live TV newscasts from over 200 local stations around the United States. According to the platform, it has partnered with ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX and their respective local affiliates to cover up to 91% of the country (a full list of their local channels can be seen here).

You can also watch previous news, sports, and weather reports on NewsOn from up to 48 hours ago and select your favorite stations so that they appear first on the homepage. No registration is required, and it allows you to watch local channels wherever in the country you may be. 

Price: free for 3 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Website

Channel lineup: CBS local channels, Local news channels, NBC local channels

NASA+ is the space agency's official, ad-free, and on-demand streaming service. It carries original shows and movies that feature NASA's discoveries on the cosmos and beyond and intimate interviews with the astronauts and scientists behind these projects. There are also animated kids' shows and Spanish-language content for younger viewers and families to enjoy, as well as high-definition intergalactic videos set to interesting sounds, in case you're not in the mood to watch anything too heavy. The app, which can be downloaded on iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV, is completely free and requires no sign-up to access.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Website

Midnight Pulp

Remember those thrashy (but fascinating!) films that would air on TV late into the night, long after the proper programs had their run? Those titles have found a new home in Midnight Pulp, a free streaming service that lets you watch films and TV shows on-demand and live. It specializes in the weirdest content you can imagine; whether that's a 1960s Star Trek knockoff, a B-movie erotica, or a laughable monster flick, they likely have it here. Midnight Pulp also offers a live TV stream that's active 24/7 with channels that offer much of the same—with the exception, perhaps, of RetroCrush and AsianCrush, which have solid lineups of anime and dramas. Midnight Pulp also offers more titles (many of which are adult-themed) ad-free if you pay for their premium $4.99/month tier. 

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 14 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense, iOS, LG, LG TV, Plex, Roku, Samsung, Vizio, Website

Channel lineup: Asian Crush, AsianCrush, Crime Hunters, Midnight Pulp, Retro Crush, RetroCrush, Screambox TV, Tokushoutsu

FilmRise is a streaming app that's partnered with the likes of MGM, Warner Bros., and ITV Studios to provide over 20,000 films and TV shows you can watch for free. It's not immune to ads, but FilmRise more than makes up for those disruptions with its impressive selection of titles. On the film front, it has indie favorites, award-winning classics, and foreign gems, while on the TV front, it has murder mysteries (many imported from the UK), Gordon Ramsey-led competition shows, and oldies-but-goodies like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Roseanne, and the original 21 Jump Street. FilmRise isn't available to stream directly on the website, but if you have a compatible device, you can download the app and start watching for free.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, iOS, LG, LG TV, Roku, Samsung, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio, Xbox, YouTube

Which are the best free streaming services without a subscription?

You can get free streaming services without a subscription with Tubi, The Roku Channel, Sling TV Freestream, Pluto TV Live, Xumo Play, Vudu, Samsung TV Plus, Redbox, PBS App, NewsOn, NASA+, Midnight Pulp, or FilmRise.

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The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.