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Top 5 free Netflix alternatives

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  • 6 min read

Netflix has been on top of the online streaming industry for quite a while now. However, with other players in the game, it’s no longer the one-stop shop for everything that it used to be. Besides, a lot of content has moved to alternative streaming platforms from Netflix anyway. In this article, we’re going to talk about the top five Netflix alternatives you can try out. 

Watch the Top 5 Netflix alternatives video in English or Hindi below or continue reading the article.

Also read: Why is Netflix not working on Roku? Quick Fixes


Tubi

Tubi is a free video streaming service that offers over 20,000 older TV shows and movies to watch for free. It is an ad-supported streaming service that allows you to stream its content from your phone, smart TV or streaming device at no charge. The library holds content from studios including Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate and networks including A&E, Lifetime and Starz.

While Tubi’s library is limited compared to Netflix’s vast library of content, it’s free and meant to be supplementary material. Tubi probably won’t fully replace Netflix for the average paying customer, but if you’re not keen on spending for streaming video, then it’s a strong ad-supported alternative.

You can check out Tubi here. 

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a free live TV streaming service that provides more than 350 channels of live TV and thousands of on-demand movies and TV shows. It’s like a virtual version of old-fashioned cable TV. You can surf through channels of all types, in many different categories.

Pluto TV is a bit different from other streaming services. Besides being free to access, it offers over 250 “channels” of content that run “live” 24/7 which you can keep on while you’re scrolling on your phone or cooking something in the kitchen. This approach also makes it very different from Netflix. 

Overall, it offers over 250 live and linear channels. Some of the best channels to watch for free include NFL channel (2070), Star Trek (270), Stories by AMC (230), The Walking Dead Universe (227), Degrassi channel (255), CBS News channel (306), and Hell’s Kitchen channel (1630).

You can check out Pluto TV here. 

Crackle

Crackle is a free streaming service that has been around since 2004. It offers free access to shows and movies from a huge range of content makers. Crackle is present on almost all platforms, making it simple to jump from one device to another. It 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 allows you to save favourites and resume playback if you switch between devices.

Netflix has a dramatically larger pool of content that is increasingly made up of some of the best original shows today. Crackle has a couple of original shows and the occasional original movie, but it’s like B-level cable fare at best – stuff you’d find on TBS, not AMC, FX or Netflix. Also, when Netflix does have ads, they’re usually for their content. Crackle is free but it does have ads that can encompass just about everything. 

Here are some of the most popular shows on Crackle :

  • The Pinkertons (2014-2015)
  • Vacation (2015)
  • Serious Moonlight (2009)
  • Break-Up Nightmare (2016)
  • Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)
  • ALF (1986-1990)
  • The Coroner (2015-2016)
  • Lars And The Real Girl (2007)
You can check out Crackle here. 

Vudu

Vudu is a digital video-on-demand service currently owned by Fandango with two separate primary functions, each appealing to a slightly different kind of audience.

It’s a digital rental and purchase outlet, with more than 200,000 selections available to rent or buy, including a range of movies and TV shows from new releases to catalogue titles. However, in 2016, Vudu added an ad-supported free streaming service similar to Crackle to its app. Today it has a huge catalogue of over 31,000+ movies and 5,500+ TV shows.

Here are some of the most popular shows on Vudu:

  • 3rd Rock From The Sun (1996-2001)
  • Heartland (2007- Till Now)
  • Doc Martin (2004-2022)
  • Blue Mountain State (2010-2011)
  • Death Note (2006-2007)
  • Shameless (2011-2021)
  • Hunter X Hunter (2011-2014)
You can check out Vudu here. 

Stremio

Stremio is a free media centre software with some advanced features and add-ons that can help you stream content online. Using it is also rather easy with the only step required being installing the app itself. 

Stremio sources its content from just about everywhere and is fairly easy to use with a good user interface. It’s available on just about every platform, including the Steam Deck and is open-source, meaning it’s relatively safe to use. 

What’s not safe to use though are the hundreds of plugins that it offers. Stremio plugins are tools developed by third-party developers which are in some cases required to watch specific content and this is where you start entering the grey area between piracy and potentially getting your computer infected. However, with a little bit of precaution, using Stremio can actually be a rather freeing experience. 

You can check out Stremio here. 

Also read: Netflix not working on Samsung TV: Quick Fix 

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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