Best free streaming sites (2024)
Last updated: 17 Nov 2024
Finding the best free streaming sites can sometimes be a tricky challenge. In my opinion, this is simply because popular websites to watch movies online often disappear unexpectedly. The result is that people constantly need to look for new pages. It is true that there are many out there, but most are of poor quality. Nevertheless, once a good one has been found, things are so much easier. That's why this website exists. Make sure to bookmark this page for future reference.
The table below ranks the top websites to stream free tv shows and movies. A big preference is given to long-standing and reliable platforms. Due to users requesting options that use only HTML5 video, such options have now been included. Keep in mind that these will also give free movie streaming on PlayStation and Xbox. Classification points are also given for the number of high quality links, update frequencies, and overall usability. The ranking changes frequently, so be sure to come back once in a while for new updates.
Minimum requirements for best free streaming:
- 100% Free
- 1080p or 720p
- NO account required
- NO geoblocking
- Mobile friendly
- Works with ad-blocker
- English website
- Easy to start watching
- Easy to find S02E03
- New movies/tv shows
- Old movies/tv shows
- Similarweb rank below 100,000
- I would personally use it daily
Ad-score explained:
Test is done with Adblock Plus and uBlock Origin on desktop, and DuckDuckGo browser on mobile.
For more comprehensive ad-blocking, use Brave browser on mobile. Also, I highly recommend BrowseHere for Google/Android TV.
How ads are implemented may change over time so always use ad-blocker when visiting these websites.
- Pop ads are not detected. Use this form to report annoying ads.
- Pop ads are mostly blocked. May have captcha. Ad-blocker may interfere.
- Pop ads may redirect from current page. Ad-blocker may interfere. Intrusive ads.
The best sites to watch free movies and tv shows (2024)
Which is easier: Streaming vs downloading?
Method 1: Streaming
Streaming means that the video is sent directly to your browser. Playback happens instantly. Most modern sites use HTML5 video to stream but some older ones require flash player (not listed on bfs). The former works across all devices, while the latter is outdated and byggy. The advantage is that all browsers are equipped to play HTML5 movies. No extra steps are required, it works right out of the box. This make things really easy.
Let's face it – when I want to watch free movies online I go straight to best free movie streaming sites to find what I'm looking for. This leads me to a site where I can stream free movies right in my browser online. I prefer this method, but let's take a look at the alternative.
Method 2: Downloading
Downloading means that you wait for the whole file to be transferred to your computer. This means that while the file is downloading you can't watch it. Additional software is usually required to watch full movies right on your desktop. Most people use VLC media player as this supports a wide range of video formats. Then you'll need to install and setup a BitTorrent client for taking care of the actual download.
Pretty inconvenient. The only real advantage with downloading is that you can get free movies to watch offline. Should you go ahead and choose method 2 then I recommend transmission to download using p2p file transfer.
Final thoughts & extra tips
Let's hope this page has been useful to help you watch movies for free online. For a really great site that gives summaries of each title (with a rating and users reviews) you can check out IMDb.
There are of course other places to watch free online movies but these may not be as good as the ones listed above. In case you need more, then a paid streaming service is your best option.