Best Free Movie Apps in 2026: 9 Legal Apps Compared

Tubi is the app we would install first. It is owned by Fox, and its corporate site says it carries over 275,000 movies and TV episodes plus more than 300 exclusive originals. The App Store listing calls it "completely fee-free," and there is no paid tier to upsell you to.

The breadth is the point. You can jump from a cult horror film to a classic western to a recent indie, and new titles arrive every month. Live channels for local news, weather and sports sit alongside the movies. On the US App Store, the app has about 1.3 million ratings.

The trade-off is ads. Movies stop for commercial breaks, a bit like broadcast TV. And while Tubi has some well-known films, most of the biggest current releases go to paid services first.

Pluto TV, owned by Paramount, is the closest thing to old-fashioned cable without the bill. The App Store listing describes hundreds of live channels covering news, sports, crime, comedy and anime, along with an on-demand library of movies and shows.

That makes it good for people who do not want to choose. Flip to a movie channel and something is already playing, or switch to the on-demand section when you know what you want. Genres run from action and sci-fi to romance and family favorites.

Like Tubi, it is ad-supported. Live channels loop their programming, so they can feel repetitive, and Pluto TV does not publish a title count that would let you compare its movie library with Tubi's.

If you own a Roku, you already have The Roku Channel. It is Roku's own free, ad-supported service with movies, shows and live TV, and it also works in a web browser at its own site and in the Roku mobile app, so you do not need a Roku player to watch.

The convenience is real. Free movies show up on the Roku home screen, and the official Roku app lists free movies and live TV as one of its features, so you can keep watching on your phone.

Watch for the upsell. The Roku Channel also sells premium subscriptions to other services inside the same interface, so not everything you see there is free. Check for the free label before you press play.

Plex started as a way to stream your own movie files around your home, and it still does that well. Today the free app also offers over 50,000 free movies and shows from studios such as A24, Paramount, AMC, Magnolia and Lionsgate, plus more than 600 free live TV channels, according to its App Store listing.

It also works as a guide to other services. You can connect streaming apps like Netflix and Prime Video, keep one watchlist, and see reviews from friends. For movie fans who like to track what they watch, that social side is a nice extra.

The downside is focus. With free movies, live TV, your own library and a social network in one app, the interface can feel busy. Some media server features also sit behind a paid Plex Pass.

Kanopy is the hidden gem on this list. You sign in with your public library or university card, and you can stream films free with no ads. The App Store description highlights festival award winners, documentaries and The Criterion Collection, with new titles added weekly. Its US App Store rating is about 4.8 from more than 150,000 ratings.

It is the best choice for people who want something more thoughtful than what the ad-supported apps push. Kanopy Kids offers age-appropriate shows and movies with parental controls, and the app works on mobile, the web and TV devices.

The catch is access. Not every library offers Kanopy, and libraries set their own monthly viewing limits. Check your library's website before you download.

Hoopla works with your local public library. You find your library in the app, sign in with your library card and borrow titles, much like checking out a DVD. The App Store listing says there is no subscription and no ads, and it covers movies, TV episodes, documentaries and anime alongside audiobooks, ebooks, comics and music.

The no-waiting model is the strength. Many titles are ready to borrow the moment you find them, and a SeasonPass feature lets you borrow a full season of a show. It works on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, as well as other devices.

The limit is the library's budget. Libraries usually cap the number of borrows per month, and whether your library offers Hoopla at all depends on where you live.

Xumo Play is the app for people who hate signing up for things. Its App Store listing says no subscriptions or logins are needed, so you can open it and start watching. It offers 350+ live channels and 15,000 on-demand titles.

The channel mix leans toward comfort viewing: local news, weather, westerns and country TV, game shows, crime, and horror and sci-fi. New and exclusive movies are added monthly.

It is a good second app rather than a first one. The on-demand library is far smaller than Tubi's, and the App Store rating count is low compared with the bigger names on this list.

If you own a Samsung TV, you probably already have Samsung TV Plus. The company says it is available free on Samsung Smart TVs released after 2016, Galaxy devices, Smart Monitors and even Family Hub refrigerators, with free movies, TV channels and on-demand shows.

Because it is built in, there is nothing to install and no account to create on a Samsung TV. It is a quick way to find something to watch without opening five apps.

The obvious limit is hardware. If you do not use Samsung devices, the other apps on this list are more practical.

Fawesome is a smaller service that punches above its weight for movie lovers. Its App Store listing advertises 150,000+ free movies and TV shows with no subscription or sign-up, and recent additions have included classics like Vertigo and Blue Velvet.

It is especially useful for Spanish-speaking households, with a large library of Spanish movies and series, including comedies, novelas and dramas. The genre browsing makes it easy to find cult horror or old westerns.

Expect quantity over polish. Much of the catalog is older or lower-budget, and the app is ad-supported. Treat its title count as the company's own claim.