Best Free TV Streaming Services: Pluto TV, Tubi, Freevee and More

Pluto TV is noteworthy for offering not only on-demand, free movie streaming, but also more than 250 live and linear channels on the platform, including BBC Food, CSI, Star Trek and CBS News. Because it's a Paramount-owned brand, Pluto also has episodes of shows like Criminal Minds and Survivor.

Pluto offers an impressive selection of live channels sorted into categories like news, reality, sports, comedy and movies in a grid format. On-demand TV content is organized into TV drama shows, sitcoms, crime, action series, sci-fi and more. The layout is not nearly as slick as the live channels, but there's a variety of genres. One oddity: If you're watching a livestream, there's no way to pause. You can only mute it.

Roku Channel is a free TV streaming service designed for people who own the company's streaming devices and TVs, but it's also available via Roku's apps for phones and tablets as well as online. 

The Roku Channel offers more than 350 live channels including a channel guide, with its existing selection of on-demand content. While the linear TV includes live news and lifestyle channels, the on-demand content ranges from Roku originals (like the Weird Al Yankovic biopic), to reality TV (Hoarders, Kitchen Nightmares) to popular series like 2 Broke Girls and House. You'll also find anime (live and on-demand) and crime shows. 

Unfortunately, not every TV series is complete (Bewitched, for example), and the service offers only a single episode in some cases. There's plenty of stuff to watch, however, including a dedicated kids section. There's also a solid array of classic movies, including It's a Wonderful Life and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In addition, you can subscribe to premium services including HBO, much like you can via Prime Video channels or the Apple TV app.

Formerly known as IMDb TV, Freevee is Amazon's ad-supported streaming service that features a motherlode of TV shows and movies. In addition, you can stream Freevee originals and a string of 24/7 live channels.

Though the service's initial focus was primarily on movie streaming, it's now filled with TV shows too. Popular movies like Ted are available, as well as Leverage and all 11 seasons of The X-Files. Other titles include MacGyver (the reboot), Desperate Housewives, Good Times, Freevee original Jury Duty and nine seasons of the Gen X classic Little House on the Prairie, starring Michael Landon.

Notably, full seasons of Prime Video original series like Homecoming and Upload (plus movies like The Vast of Night) are also available to stream for free with ads on the service.

Though Sling's live TV packages start at $40, Sling Freestream offers more than 40,000 titles of free on-demand TV, and movies and over 400 live TV channels. Sling Freestream is a bulked-up and rebranded version of Sling TV's former offering, Sling Free.

Sling TV's free streaming service includes livestreams for news, entertainment, sports, kids and more. You'll find channels for ABC News Live, The Walking Dead Universe, Bon Appetit, Barstool Sports and on-demand selections including Ryan's World, Kim's Convenience and The Goonies.

You do not need to create an account when watching Sling Freestream, but if you do, it makes it easier to personalize what you watch, create profiles or use parental controls. (The service is reportedly considering giving people who create an account access to a free DVR, though there's nothing official on that yet.) The service is available to watch on a web browser and via the Sling app. No payment information is required for viewing.

Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service that offers mostly movies, but also some TV shows -- including original content. It doesn't require you to set up an account, though doing so enables you to save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.

Crackle's commercial-supported selection has expanded with over 300 different shows, and mainly consists of older releases such as The Carol Burnett Show, Alf and Highway to Heaven. As with other free services, however, not every TV series is complete -- you might get only one or two seasons, or even just a partial season. There are movie selections from the 1940s to the present, including Sophie's Choice and Halloween.

Starting as a way for users to stream content stored on users' computers, Plex has evolved to incorporate other sources such as OTA broadcasts, Tidal and free streaming TV. You don't need to install the Plex server, you just stream it with the basic Plex app, or if you want, sign up for an account.

Plex's free streaming service operates similarly to Pluto. The offering started with a modest slate of ad-supported content, mostly movies, but Plex has since entered a partnership with Crackle, offering thousands more TV shows and movies from that service. In addition to on-demand content like Broadchurch and Kitchen Nightmares, Plex also offers live TV channels like Stories by AMC, Hallmark and niche 24/7 streams for certain series, including The Walking Dead. 

Movie fans can search by title and genre. Or you can check out themed collections such as Cheap Thrills or Midnight Movies.

Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff -- from ebooks to movies to TV shows. When you "borrow" one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of titles you can borrow each month. An added bonus for this service is there are no commercials interrupting your viewing experience.

Hoopla's TV selection is something of a hodgepodge, with a smattering of well-known shows mixed in with a lot of self-help, documentary and family fare. For example, you'll find two seasons of Chewing Gum, both seasons of The Jim Gaffigan Show and lots of Ken Burns documentaries. Hoopla also has instructional videos from The Great Courses series, various PBS Kids shows and plenty of Acorn TV content that would otherwise require a subscription. Film selections rotate on and off the platform, so be sure to check the rotation on a regular basis.