We love movies and we love them even more if they are free. Right? If you open your web browser and type free movie download websites, you’ll be presented with a long list of illegal websites promising to grab your favorite blockbuster in a matter of seconds.
We are here with a list of some free movie download websites where you can get some quality entertainment without paying any money. This list includes the likes of The Internet Archive, Kanopy, Hotstar, Pluto TV, Public Domain Torrents, Retrovision, etc.
There are many legal sources that provide free movies and TV shows; you can check out our list of sites for free and legal music and free sports streaming as well.
| Legal Movie Site Name | Website URL |
| YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/movies |
| The Internet Archive | https://archive.org/details/feature_films |
| Hotstar | https://www.hotstar.com/movies |
| Retrovision | https://retrovision.tv/ |
| Netflix Trial | https://help.netflix.com/en/node/16282 |
| Crackle | https://www.sonycrackle.com/ |
| Pluto TV | https://pluto.tv/watch/ |
| Open Culture | https://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline |
| MoviesFoundOnline | https://moviesfoundonline.com/ |
| PopcornFlix | https://www.popcornflix.com/ |
| Hulu | https://www.hulu.com/ |
| Kanopy | https://www.kanopy.com/ |
| Vimeo | https://vimeo.com/ |
| Yahoo View | https://view.yahoo.com/browse/movies |
| IMDb TV | https://www.imdb.com/tv/ |
| Yidio | https://www.yidio.com/movies/filter/free |
| Legal Torrent Sites | Legal Torrent Sites |
| Watch TCM | https://www.tcm.com/watchtcm |
| The Korean Film Archive | https://www.youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm/videos |
| Le CiNéMa Club | https://www.lecinemaclub.com/ |
Free Movie Download Websites [Totally Legal]
1. YouTube
In an earlier version of this article, YouTube was listed a lot lower in this list. However, thanks to some recent changes and the company’s growing inclination towards free, ad-supported content, I’ve decided to list it as the #1 source of free movies on the web.
Now, YouTube offers more than 100 complete feature-length films on its platform. It’s also mentioned on our latest list of best movie streaming sites. This makes YouTube a perfectly free movie website for those who can’t afford to spend a premium for accessing Netflix and Hulu content. You can simply visit this link and watch movies like Zookeeper, Legally Blonde, The Terminator, Flawless, Kung Fu Killer, IP Man, and more. Moreover, YouTube also has plans to make its original shows and movies free from 2020.
It’s worth noting that these movies for streaming are currently only available in the USA. In case you’re from India, feel free to check out our list of best sites for Indian movies. The list contains reputed sources like YuppFlix, BoxTV, etc.
Availability: USA
2. The Internet Archive
You’ll be surprised to find The Internet Archive sitting at the top of our free movie download websites. It like a goldmine to download free movies, music, and books. This list includes the original Jungle Book, Farewell to Arms, Iron Mask, Night of the Living Dead, The Brother from Another Planet, etc.
About 4-5 years ago, The Internet Archive just provided direct links and often the movie downloads failed as the file sizes were large. Thanks to the torrent links, now you can easily enjoy and download hundreds of movies without spending a penny. The overall catalog found on this website is continuously growing and new content is added every day.
This free movie download site also allows creating a free virtual library card which grants you access to forums, the ability to upload videos, bookmark favorite content, etc.
Availability: Everywhere
3. Watch TCM
As an added benefit, many movie studios and streaming services offer free access to movie websites if you have an active cable subscription. Out of all such free offerings, Turner Classic Movies’ TCM features the best collection of movies. Called Watch TCM, this service lets you watch an unlimited number of free movies with either a cable or satellite package.
Some of the most popular feature films on Watch TCM are Gone With The Wind, Westworld, Casablanca, etc. What makes TCM even better is the availability of dedicated apps for Android, iOS, Apple TV, etc. The service also contains articles, information about artists, short movies, and lists of movie recommendations.
Availability: USA
4. Hotstar
Having talked about the American viewers and the availability of free movies for them in the YouTube section, let’s talk about Indian/Hindi content. Even though paid services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are focusing more and more on Indian audience, Hotstar remains a good source of free streaming and movie download for offline streaming.
This free movie download site’s catalog has good amount of popular Indian movies like Housefull, Raid, Kaabil, Jolly LLB, Bodyguard, and more. The interface of the service is pretty neat and there’s a well-designed app as well. Moreover, Hotstar is also great for watching Indian TV shows, sports, and news for free.
Availability: India (free), USA (Paid)
5. The Korean Film Archive
The Korean Film Archive on YouTube is a hidden gem that cinephiles will surely appreciate. Named Korean Classic Film, this official channel contains more than 200 classic Korean movies right from the 1930s onwards. With the increasing popularity of Korean cinema in the West, this channel is the perfect way to explore the classic works of South Korean Cinema.
Some of the notable works streaming for free are The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well, Aimless Bullet, A Drawf Launches A Little Ball, Sopyonje, etc. All the movies come with English subtitles, so you don’t have to worry about the language barrier. If you love cinema, go ahead and give these free movies a try — you won’t be disappointed.
Availability: Everywhere
6. Retrovision
By paying a visit to this free movie download website, you can get your hands on many classics and free TV shows in the public domain. This source of classic content also has an Android app named Classic UHF, using which you can grab and watch things on the go. On a side note, we’ve recently published a list of free movie apps that are available for Android and iOS. So, do check them out.
Thanks to its genre-specific menus, searching for movies on Retrovision is very simple. The website splits its content into different popular categories like Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Cartoons, Sci-Fi, Horror, War, Drama, and Westerns.
If you are looking for all the content at one place, just hit the All button in the top menu bar. On the left side there are tags as well for easier navigation. You can also sign up for their newsletter to get notified about any new content that’s posted on the website.
Availability: Everywhere
7. Le CiNéMa Club
Earlier this year, the highly-curated Indie film streaming site Le CiNéMa Club was relaunched with a redesigned interface. First launched in 2015, the website aims to promote new talent and provide exposure to rare gems that don’t get the attention they deserve.
The website is known to stream one new film each week and is open to contributions from filmmakers. While most of the content you’ll find on the site is of short-film nature, the website is open to features of any length. The site has notably streamed Claire Denis’ ultra-rare “Keep It for Yourself” in the past. At the time of writing this article, the website is streaming “Out-takes From The Life Of A Happy Man” by Jonas Mekas.
Availability: Everywhere
8. Crackle
Crackle is a great website for free movies online as it’s owned by Sony. So, naturally, you get lots of movies to watch. You need to do a simple signup, create a watchlist and you’ll be shown recommendations based on your priorities.
Crackle offers lots of popular movies and TV shows that you won’t find for free on other websites. As long as you are willing to watch a couple of ads and commercials. Some of its great offerings include Seinfeld, Firefly, Sports Jeopardy, and more. Crackle has Android and iOS apps as well, which is an obvious plus point.
Some of the content on Crackle could be blocked in your country due to license restrictions. You can access them using a VPN or proxy service.
Availability: USA
9. Pluto TV
Pluto TV tries to mimic a traditional TV layout and it’s one of my favorite services on this list. This service to watch free movies online offers 75+ TV channels from different categories. All these channels are divided into news, TV, movies, tech, sports, and other popular sections.
Pluto TV also offers its official application for almost all popular platforms and you can enjoy the content on the go. They also have their own dedicated movie channel.
One thing you should note is that some channels will only be available if you’re in the US. So, you can either use a VPN service or a proxy for an uninterrupted experience.
Availability: Worldwide (More content in the US)
10. A24 Movies on Kanopy
When we talk about hidden movie streaming gems, we can’t miss Kanopy. By partnering with libraries and universities all across the world, Kanopy has managed to deliver a unique collection of content for free. Just last year, Kanopy announced its partnership with Oscar-winning movie studio A24. As a result of this, widely celebrated features like Lady Bird, Good Time, Room, The Lobster, The Florida Project, Moonlight, First Reformed, etc., are available to stream for free.
Availability: Everywhere
11. Open Culture
Open Culture offers high-quality videos from all across the world. It’s home to free movies, free online courses, and free language lessons. Founded in 2006, it has 6 main sections: Movies, Online courses, Language lessons, e-Books, Textbooks, Audiobooks.
Movies section consists of an excellent collection. Currently, it hosts 1,150 free movies online that includes a special collection of Oscar-Winning Movies and Charlie Chaplin movies.
Availability: Everywhere
12. MoviesFoundOnline
This website curates free movies, independent films, TV shows, and stand-up comedy video. The website hosts free movies ranging from cult classics and short films to documentaries and comedy movies.
This website curates lots of public domain movies and serves them to you. As MoviesFoundOnline doesn’t host or upload any media on its own, it works actively to delete the movies if there’s some copyright infringement.
Availability: Everywhere
13. NoBudge
If I call NoBudge a one-person project, I won’t be wrong. Founded by indie filmmaker and actor Kentucker Audley, this website is dedicated to independent short and feature films. Most of the movies on NoBudge haven’t been much seen or reviewed by the critics, so you’ll have to stream them without any assistance of any kind. However, since each money is personally selected by Audley, the chances of stumbling on a bad movie are slim.
Availability: Everywhere
14. PopcornFlix
This free movie streaming website is owned by Screen Media Ventures. The website offers lots of public domain movies and original content. You can use this website to view content on any type of device without spending a single penny.
The website hosts thousands of free movies spread across multiple categories like drama, action, comedy, horror, etc. Here, you’ll also get many free TV shows and full National Geographic series catalog.
Availability: USA
15. Hulu
Subscription-based streaming website Hulu is also here at your service even if you choose to opt for the free account, which comes with limited content. Here, without any need to download movies, you can stream more than 100 free movies. Apart from the movies, you can also spend some hours watching lots of free TV episodes. Hulu too has apps for Android and iOS. Again, Hulu isn’t available in all countries around the world. So, the usage of a VPN or proxy is required.
Availability: USA
16. Vimeo
Just like YouTube, Vimeo also has a good collection of free movies. It goes without saying that the site offers a clean layout that makes it a great place for movie lovers who wish to enjoy free independent movies online and documentaries. There are lots of short movies available for your entertainment. You might not be knowing but Vimeo also offers an On-Demand content section where you can pay for TV shows and movies.
Availability: Everywhere
17. Yahoo View
Before telling you further about Yahoo Movies’ free movies section, let me mention that you can access most of the free content of this service only in the United States. Some of you might try to access it using a VPN but we can’t guarantee if it’ll work for you. The site for streaming free movies online has all the content sorted in a clean interface; you can select any genre of your interest by tapping on large rectangular buttons.
In case you’re interested, the website also hosts movies trailers, free TV shows, and documentaries. A lot of content on this free movie site is powered by Hulu and other services. Under each video, you’ll see a message telling the days remaining before that particular free movie expires from the website.
Availability: USA
18. IMDb TV
Update: This service is now renamed as IMDb TV.
The latest addition to this list of movie streaming sites in IMDb Freedive. As IMDb is owned by Amazon, this service has been made available for free to all owners of Fire TV in the United States. The initial collection of free movies and TV shows is pretty impressive and the owners of the service have promised to add more content from time to time.
The users can also use Alexa to launch Freedive online streaming. To do so, one simply needs to say “Alexa, go to Freedive.” Some of the interesting titles available at launch are Midnight in Paris, The Illusionist, Memento, Born This Way, Quantum Leap, and more.
Availability: USA
19. Yidio
Many of you might not be knowing that Yidio movie site’s full name is Your Internet Video. If I talk about the complete library of content available on Yidio, this online video guide contains more than 1 million TV shows and movies. The users can sign up on the website and add movies to the watchlist section for later viewing. This feature is very useful for maintaining your collection of favorite movies.
Moving on to the free part, you can choose the free filter at the top and categorize all the content at one place. At the right, there are options to sort content by popularity, date, and genre. Moreover, you also get the option to sort the free movies by R, PG-13, PG, G, NR, and NC-17 rating.
Availability: Everywhere
20. Legal Torrent Sites
Last but definitely not the least. There are tons of legal torrent websites out there that only share content that’s in the public domain. You can visit these safe torrent sites to download movies and watch them offline at your convenience.
Availability: Everywhere
As linked earlier in the article, you can also visit our list of best apps for streaming free movies we all.
Free Movie Download FAQs:
To download the movies from free websites, you need to access them using your desktop or mobile web browser. Different websites have different download options: some provide direct download links and some offer torrent links as well. For torrent links, you will need to install a separate BitTorrent client as well.
There isn’t a particular test that you can perform to confirm that the site from which you’re downloading is providing legal movies. However, we’ve tested and made sure that all the sources in our list are 100% legal. Additionally, you can see if the free site is providing newly released movies and trying to earn money via tons of advertisements and VPN recommendations — these are some of the red flags for an illegal source.
If you’re sure that you’re using a legal website to download movies, you don’t need a VPN or proxy to hide your online activity.
Currently, YouTube lets you watch more than 100+ full movies on its website. However, this feature is only available in the USA and is expected to expand to other countries in the future.
If you have a paid Netflix subscription, you can go ahead and download content on your Android or iOS smartphone. For Windows, you need to download the official Netflix app. However, there’s no app available for watching/downloading Netflix on Mac.
The post 20 Free Movie Download Sites For 2020 [Legal Streaming] appeared first on Fossbytes.
20 Free Movie Download Sites For 2020 [Legal Streaming]
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