If you own or are thinking of purchasing a Roku-powered smart TV or streaming device, there’s a good chance you signed up for Netflix, Hulu, or another VOD platform that is eating away at your monthly savings. What if you could use your Roku hardware to access thousands of movies and TV shows for free? You just need to know where to look.
The Roku Streaming Store is full of movie and TV show apps you don’t have to pay a dime for. Some platforms offer features like on-demand programming and watchlists, giving you more control over how and when you consume your content. If all this sounds good to you and you want to start zero-dollar-streaming, here’s a list of the seven best Roku apps for streaming movies and shows for free.
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7
FilmRise
Source: Roku
Claiming to be “the largest independent provider of free movies and TV,” FilmRise offers over 10,000 hours of cinematic and episodic content for free.
FilmRise offers titles from almost every genre. Whether you’re a horror household or a rom-com family, there’s something for everyone to watch. The FilmRise UI is intuitive and includes features like Add to Watchlist for bookmarking flicks you want to watch later, plus a Continue Watching filter for movies you had to hit the pause button.
6
Pluto TV
There’s a lot to love about Pluto TV. First and foremost, the service is home to an immense library of TV shows. Classics like Three’s Company and The Mary Tyler Moore Show can be found here, as well as modern programming. The platform is home to a decent selection of movies. Ads occasionally pop up, but Pluto doesn’t overburden you with these brief interruptions.
Thanks to its simplistic but thoughtful UI, Pluto makes it easy to search for something new to watch while also providing plenty of genre filters if you’re up for a bit of scrolling. You don’t need an account to use the service, so you don’t need to enter an email or think up a clever password.
5
Tubi
Another ad-supported gem is a service called Tubi. Smooth-running and packed with weeks’ worth of movie and TV show content, Tubi’s library has a decent amount of rotation. When searching through the platform’s more than 50,000 titles, helpful genre filters and categories like Cult Classics and Highly Rated on Rotten Tomatoes make finding a flick even easier.
Tubi ads are infrequent, and even though the resolution for most movies and shows is capped at 720p, features like parental controls and numerous live TV options make everything come out in the wash.
4
Fawesome
It’s hard to say no to over 100,000 movies and TV shows for free, and Fawesome users don’t need to sign up for an account. New content is added to the library every week, and Fawesome’s eclectic sub-genres divvy films up in a unique and intuitive fashion. You can also enjoy most streams in HD, and commercial interruptions are limited.
We’ve heard some reports of ads playing loudly and suddenly, but we feel that’s a small price to pay for all the free media.
3
The Roku Channel
Roku’s namesake channel is a fantastic platform for watching hours of movies and TV shows for free. Roku has produced original content for a while, with films like Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and episodic content like Shape of Pasta. While the platform is ad-supported, the commercial breaks aren’t too aggressive, and you can use the Roku mobile app as a second TV remote.
Signing up is not required. If you want to add more movies and shows, subscribe to premium add-ons like Max and Shudder for an additional cost.
2
PBS Kids
What list of free movie and TV show apps is complete without an option for the kiddos? PBS Kids is your one-stop shop for all things kid-friendly, from the app’s layout to the content offered within. Not only will you have 24/7 access to the PBS Kids channel, but when you select Live TV, you’ll be tuned in to your local PBS. PBS Kids programming is also on demand, so you can select the episodes of Curious George and Sesame Street you and yours are most interested in.
1
Plex
Plex is home to a ton of free movies and TV shows. Thousands of titles are on tap, and new content is added frequently. With access to over 600 live TV channels, over 50,000 titles to stream, and fun features like Watch Together for global watch parties, Plex’s fast and sleek UI makes it a no-brainer for our list. You can also use the platform to host your own media. Upload music, movies, shows, and photos to your heart’s content.
Roku smart TVs and streaming devices give you access to many movie and TV show platforms. While services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video may be worth the subscription, it’s nice to have free media to lean on, especially if you’re thinking about canceling one or several VOD memberships. When or if this time comes, there’s a Roku Channel to step in and take over.
There’s more to your Roku than meets the eye, and we have several guides on how to make the most of your streaming experience. Check out our article on how to access your Roku’s secret screens.
