Tired of spending so much on the big streamers? It may be time to explore free alternatives.
Our Experts
Written by Kourtnee Jackson, Ty Pendlebury, Meara Isenberg
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Kourtnee Jackson
Senior Editor
Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities, and streaming platforms.
Expertise: Cord-cutting | TV and music streaming services | Netflix | Disney Plus | Max | Anime | Interviews | Entertainment
Credentials: Though Kourtnee hasn't won any journalism awards yet, she's been a Netflix streaming subscriber since 2012 and knows the magic of its hidden codes. See full bio
Ty Pendlebury
Editor
Ty Pendlebury has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise: Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast.
Credentials: Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket. See full bio
Meara Isenberg
Writer
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in journalism. When she's not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies. See full bio
Why You Can Trust CNET
+ Years of Experience
Hands-on Product Reviewers
Sq. Feet of Lab Space
How we test
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
What to consider
Do you prefer on-demand or live? Some free streaming platforms offer both live and on-demand content or only one type. If you like to channel hop, then a service like Pluto may be your first pick over Tubi or Freevee. Because they're all free, you can get more than one without hurting your wallet.
Ad load: Only one service on this list is completely ad-free, so you should decide if the commercials are worth the tradeoff during your viewing experience. The ads are not that heavy in Tubi, but you may discover they are unbearable on another service. Choose according to your tolerance level.
Kids' content? Not every free streaming service is loaded with kid-friendly titles, so scroll through the live and on-demand lineups to see who carries the most age-appropriate content. You can also check out our best streaming services list for kids for recommendations on free platforms.
Table of Contents
- Best Free TV Streaming Services: Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee and More
- What's the best overall free TV streaming service?
- Best free TV streaming services of 2024
- Factors to consider
- How we test streaming services
- Other streaming services we tested
- Free streaming services FAQs
Our Picks
- See at Tubi TV Best free TV streaming service overall Tubi TV
- See at Pluto TV Best for channel flippers Pluto TV
- See at Roku Best for Roku users Roku Channel
- See at Amazon Best for originals, cult favorites, TV shows Freevee
- See at Sling Best recently revamped service Sling Freestream
- See at Plex Best for extra features Plex
- See at Hoopla Digital Best for library card holders Hoopla Digital
- See at Crackle Best for classics and B-list movies Crackle
Why You Can Trust CNET
+ Years of Experience
Hands-on Product Reviewers
Sq. Feet of Lab Space
How we test
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
What to consider
Do you prefer on-demand or live? Some free streaming platforms offer both live and on-demand content or only one type. If you like to channel hop, then a service like Pluto may be your first pick over Tubi or Freevee. Because they're all free, you can get more than one without hurting your wallet.
Ad load: Only one service on this list is completely ad-free, so you should decide if the commercials are worth the tradeoff during your viewing experience. The ads are not that heavy in Tubi, but you may discover they are unbearable on another service. Choose according to your tolerance level.
Kids' content? Not every free streaming service is loaded with kid-friendly titles, so scroll through the live and on-demand lineups to see who carries the most age-appropriate content. You can also check out our best streaming services list for kids for recommendations on free platforms.
Table of Contents
- Best Free TV Streaming Services: Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee and More
- What's the best overall free TV streaming service?
- Best free TV streaming services of 2024
- Factors to consider
- How we test streaming services
- Other streaming services we tested
- Free streaming services FAQs
What's the best overall free TV streaming service?
Kourtnee Jackson,Meara Isenberg,Ty Pendlebury