Free streaming sites can be risky, so knowing where to look and how to protect yourself is key. After testing over 100 free streaming sites for safety, usability, and speed, my team and I shortlisted the 10 best ones below.

Free video streams and torrents have many dangers. Some contain copyrighted content that’s not licensed for that platform or your location, so you’ll be breaking the law if you watch it. Hence, you need to be careful and check whether the title you want to see is in the public domain.

Plus, these sites are often rife with hackers, trackers, scammers, phishing scams, and “malvertising” (ads containing malware). I recommend using a reliable VPN to protect your data and devices from these attacks, so you can enjoy a selection of great movies and TV shows for free.

I recommend ExpressVPN to keep your connection and data private. It provides military-grade encryption to keep you safe online and fantastic speeds for uninterrupted streaming in HD. Plus, its large server network works reliably with streaming platforms from all over the world. Thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can try ExpressVPN without risk. Editor's Note: Transparency is one of our core values at vpnMentor, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process.

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See 3 More Free Streaming Sites | Best VPNs to Safely Watch Free Streaming Sites

Owned by Fox Corporation, Tubi TV is a free and entirely legal platform with no credit cards and no subscription required. It offers a wide range of popular movies and TV series in HD, including classics and new releases.

Its user interface is attractive and well-organized, making it simple to find and stream your favorite content. Search options such as Browse, Tubi Kids, and Live TV are easily accessible at the top.

You can watch Tubi without an account, but if you sign up, you can create a watchlist, get recommendations, and use parental controls. To register, you need to provide your name, date of birth, and email address.

On the downside, you will need to watch some ads in between streaming, which is how the platform makes revenue. You can watch Tubi in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, and the titles you can watch vary by region. A reliable VPN with IPs from those countries can also safely access Tubi TV from abroad.

Visit Tubi TV

Vudu Movies on Us provides a wide range of classic and new movies and shows, both free and pay-to-view. Its free catalog includes hundreds of titles, from old movies to popular hits like School of Rock or Mad Max, ensuring there’s something for everyone. The video quality allows you to stream in up to 1080p, so there are no concerns regarding the quality.

The website is also well organized — it's immediately clear which titles are free and which are rentals. There's a basic search option if you're looking for something specific.

Vudu is only available in the US. You do need to sign up for the service, but this takes less than a minute, and you only need to provide a name, email address, and password. Some VPNs with servers in the US can access Vudu Movies in HD from anywhere.

Visit Vudu Movies on Us

With XUMO Play (formerly XUMO TV), you can watch 200+ live channels, including those focused on reality TV, vintage TV, and sports. Plus, you can enjoy thousands of free on-demand movies and TV shows of incredible quality. I was impressed with its variety of content, including classic titles from Samuel Goldwyn Films. XUMO Play is available in the US, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. A reliable VPN can provide IPs from those countries, which means it can safely work with XUMO Play from anywhere.

It’s also compatible with a range of devices, so you can watch on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Plus, you don’t need to sign up to stream.

I found the website to be a little cumbersome to navigate. For instance, it doesn’t offer a search bar to allow you to search your preferred title easily. However, you can search by genre.

Visit XUMO Play

If you're willing to sit through some ads, you can enjoy free Live TV and popular shows on almost any device. Categories range from action, sports, kids' content, cooking shows, news, and more. I streamed the Jerry Springer show without issues while on the road, and I didn't even have to sign up or provide credit card details.

To unlock premium features, you require a paid subscription. You'll get offline access and DVR (which may require additional hardware). However, you can still enjoy plenty of shows and movies with the free version.

Visit Plex

Amazon Freevee lets you stream from your phone, tablet, computer, smart TV, and most other streaming devices. It was launched in 2019 as IMDb TV but rebranded to Freevee in 2022. It provides on-demand movies and TV shows, as well as a collection of original content.

You don’t need to provide any information to watch its content. However, if you sign up, you can customize your experience by tagging favorites, rating shows, as well as tracking your watch progress. It also allows you to receive recommendations for new titles based on your streaming history. Sadly, Freevee doesn’t offer live TV. Instead, the “live” channels are repeats of popular daytime TV shows like Unsolved Mysteries and Leverage.

Visit Freevee

Vumoo houses thousands of movies and TV shows that you can stream and/or download, both classics and newly released hits. You just need to go to the site, search for the title you want, and start streaming. It also has a clutter-free homepage with a clear search bar, but you can also browse by scrolling down through covers. I also like that you don’t need to register to start watching.

This is an unofficial video entertainment platform that gained popularity as a replacement for shut-down streaming services. That said, it's important to exercise caution when using Vumoo, as it may contain copyrighted videos. Plus, it’s heavily ad-supported, so some links on the site may contain viruses.

Visit Vumoo

Crackle is a US-only free streaming platform that’s owned by Sony, so you can only watch it if you’re in the country. There are hundreds of titles, including classics and original shows in every genre. The website is also well organized, making it easy to find content by title, actor, or genre. It isn’t necessary to sign up for the service to watch videos, but doing so allows you to create and organize your watch lists. A VPN with US servers can safely access Crackle from anywhere in great quality.

Visit Crackle

Popcornflix, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment subsidiary, is a free and legal streaming site. It offers movies and TV shows from a wide range of genres. While you probably won’t find many new releases, the catalog includes classic movies, big TV hits of the past, documentaries, and some B-movie cult favorites. No sign-up is required, but you'll encounter ads on Popcornflix.

Popcornflix is available in the US and some other countries. A VPN makes it possible to safely watch its content from any location.

Visit Popcornflix

AZMovies is a sleek and easy-to-use free streaming platform that offers a wide variety of movies. When you open the site, you'll see a list of featured movies and all the recently added titles. You can also search by genre or year or use the search bar. Just bear in mind that a lot of these titles are likely copyrighted and therefore protected by copyright law, meaning it’s illegal to watch them on this platform.

You can find many binge-worthy titles, including some classics. However, it doesn’t offer TV shows or live channels.

As with most free streaming platforms, AZMovies has a lot of pop-up ads, which can be annoying and potentially harmful, so proceed with caution. As mentioned in the note above, it’s unclear whether this site offers copyright-free content, so unless you find any title from the public domain, we recommend avoiding this one.

Visit AZMovies

Flixtor has over 30,000 movies and TV shows that you can stream right away without having to sign up. The platform is optimized for both mobile and desktop streaming, ensuring uninterrupted viewing on all major devices. The site also gives you the option to stream directly or to download movies and TV shows so you can watch them later.

Bear in mind that it's restricted and/or illegal in some countries because it doesn’t have distribution rights for all movies. To stay on the safe side, make sure you only use Flixtor to watch movies that are in the public domain.

Visit Flixtor

The majority of free streaming services make their revenue through ads. Without proper protection, these sites can expose you to various online threats, such as tracking, information and/or identity theft, malware, etc.

A VPN keeps you safe when using free streaming sites. It sends your traffic through its private server network, encrypting and anonymizing your data, making it almost impossible for anyone to see who you are and what you’re doing online.

A VPN can also provide IPs from different regions, allowing access to platforms that are only licensed in specific locations. That makes it possible to safely stream global content from anywhere.

It depends. A free streaming service can be illegal if it distributes copyrighted material without proper licensing. If the site contains only content with free streaming permission or has permission to share, then it's legal.

Although it’s typically not illegal to browse such sites, it’s against the law to use copyrighted content. Using an online service to stream copyrighted movies and TV shows may expose you to legal risks, including fines or even imprisonment, depending on the laws in your country.

ExpressVPN's Lightway protocol offers faster and more reliable connections, making it an excellent choice for streaming. Using efficient encryption methods enhances data transfer rates while providing optimum security. While in the US, I connected to servers in Los Angeles, and my speed was stable at 110 Mbps — this is impressive since you only need 5 Mbps to stream in HD. It's also my go-to for streaming on mobile since the CPU doesn't have to work so hard, conserving battery life.

Its world-class security features protect you from all the dangers of free streaming sites, like hackers and malware. It uses military-grade (AES 256-bit) encryption and DNS/IPv6 leak protection to ensure your online activity stays private. I detected no leaks on ipleak.net while trying a US server from Washington. On top of that, its Network Lock kill switch automatically cuts your internet connection should the VPN stop working, like when your laptop goes into sleep mode.

The only drawback is that it’s more expensive than the other VPNs on this list — prices start at $6.67/month. However, ExpressVPN often offers great deals and discounts. I paid 48% less on my yearly subscription and got 3 months of free service.

Plus, all of its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try all its features without risk. To check its legitimacy, I contacted the 24/7 live chat support and asked for a refund. I received my money back in my PayPal account within 4 working days.

CyberGhost is straightforward to set up and works similarly across various operating systems. Once you download and log in, just select a server and hit the big power button. You can choose a server by scrolling through the location list or typing your location into the search bar. During my tests from Washington, it took me less than 5 minutes to set up CyberGhost on my Windows laptop and connect to a server in New York.

An audited no-logs policy ensures the privacy of your streaming activity, as it prevents the collection or sharing of your information. Similar to ExpressVPN, CyberGhost employs RAM-only servers for additional security. Furthermore, it features an integrated ad-blocker for Windows and Android, allowing you to stream without any disruptive ads or pop-ups.

On the downside, CyberGhost short-term subscriptions are pricey. However, long-term plans are affordable ($2.03/month) and have an extended money-back guarantee. You can also get up to 84% off your subscription with its current offers.

You can use CyberGhost free for 45 days and get a full refund if you're not 100% happy. I requested a refund through 24/7 live support, which was approved when I provided a reason for canceling. I got money back into my bank account after 5 business days.

PIA has the largest network of US servers, covering all 50 states. This provides safe access to the most popular free US streaming sites, like Tubi TV and Popcornflix, from anywhere. Many server options also ensure you can watch content without dealing with buffering caused by server overcrowding. During my tests from Washington, I was able to watch Willy’s Wonderland on Tubi in the highest available quality with no lag.

PIA's AES 256-bit encryption, paired with the WireGuard protocol, offers a perfect balance of security and speed. Depending on your needs, you can also choose OpenVPN and switch between 256-bit and 128-bit. Its automatic kill switch also keeps you safe when changing between servers.

I was concerned that PIA is based in the US, within the 5 Eyes Alliance. But its strict no-logs policy ensures that none of your data gets shared with third parties.

You can save money with PIA’s long-term plans at only $2.03/month. Subscriptions are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test PIA risk-free. I asked for a refund via their 24/7 chat support and got my credit card reimbursed that same week.

Editor's Note: Transparency is one of our core values at vpnMentor, so you should know we are in the same ownership group as ExpressVPN. However, this does not affect our review process.

If you're concerned about safely streaming movies and TV shows, you'll be happy to know that several of the world's leading TV networks and studios now offer their own excellent free premium streaming channels. These let you watch new episodes of TV shows immediately after they've aired, decades of classic TV series, live streaming, and more.

There's a caveat, however. A lot of these services limit viewership to individuals located within their own nations. If you’re outside of the licensed country where a particular platform is available, then you won’t be able to watch it. However, a VPN can offer IPs from around the world, allowing safe access to platforms from different regions.

No. 123movies distributes copyrighted content without proper licensing, making it potentially unsafe and illegal to use. Even when streaming movies and shows on legal platforms, like Popcornflix, a VPN is recommended to keep you safe from hackers and data leaks.

Probably yes, but I wouldn’t advise using them as they tend to restrict servers and speeds, which could result in buffering. A premium VPN with a money-back guarantee is a more reliable option since it offers a global network of servers, unlimited bandwidth, and high-level security features.

Free VPNs don’t have the proper security features to protect your online privacy. Some have even been caught harvesting and selling user data to third parties in exchange for a fee.

It’s complicated. Using a VPN to protect your data while you stream from legitimate services in licensed regions is legal. However, using a VPN to watch content from an unlicensed region or service might go against a streaming provider's Terms of Service, and it may even be considered copyright infringement. The team and I don’t condone this.

Also, some countries (like China and Turkey) ban the use of VPNs. Ensure you familiarize yourself with the laws and rules of your region to ensure you don't accidentally break them.

There are a few free streaming sites that don't require signing up. You can watch free movies and TV shows on platforms like Tubi TV, Flixtor, XUMO Play, and Plex. These services have a wide selection of movies and TV shows. However, to turn a profit, they're usually ad-supported.

Some of the most well-known illegal streaming sites to avoid are 123Movies, Putlocker, and Popcorn Time. It's generally more convenient and safer to use legal streaming services with the appropriate licenses, high-quality video, and a wide selection of content.

There are tons of free streaming sites available, however, not all of them are available to every region. A VPN can provide IP addresses from global locations and access free streaming sites worldwide. Plus, VPNs safeguard your online data providing security while watching your favorite content.

ExpressVPN is my top pick for watching free streaming sites securely and in HD. It has impressive speeds, robust security features, and a vast server network that can safely access these platforms from anywhere. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try ExpressVPN risk-free.

Editor's Note: We value our relationship with our readers, and we strive to earn your trust through transparency and integrity. We are in the same ownership group as some of the industry-leading products reviewed on this site: Intego, Cyberghost, ExpressVPN, and Private Internet Access. However, this does not affect our review process, as we adhere to a strict testing methodology.

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VPNs can help you hide this information from websites so that you are protected at all times. We recommend ExpressVPN — the #1 VPN out of over 350 providers we've tested. It has military-grade encryption and privacy features that will ensure your digital security, plus — it's currently offering 48% off.

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