Best Free Streaming Services to Save You From Subscription Hell

Free streaming services typically don't have as many viewing options as their paid counterparts, and most make you watch a few ads along the way. Some even include original programming, or something close to it; the Roku Channel acquired the rights to dozens of shows that originally appeared on the ill-fated Quibi streaming service, and it began showing them on Thursday.While you shouldn't expect any of the following free streaming services to replace Netflix in your streaming regimen, you shouldn't count them out either. And either way, at least now you don't have to pay money to find out.The Roku Channel's other neat trick is that it offers free linear programming—which is to say, it acts like a traditional television channel rather than on-demand viewing—including news reports from ABC and indie movies and classic TV from Filmrise. Or you can get it—and everything else on this list—through your Roku device.In terms of movies and TV shows you might actually be excited to watch, no other free streaming service comes close to Peacock. (While you can watch movies on the platform for free, your library pays per stream.) If your library does offer it, though, you can't do much better in terms of quality indie fare. You don't need an account to watch, at least, and the content gets updated pretty regularly.Updated May 2021: We've added Peacock TV, updated availability details on other streaming services, and dropped our Vudu recommendation.When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small affiliate commission.