Up until a decade ago, movie fans collected DVDs like readers collected books. However, the evolution of the internet has made it possible for movie lovers from all over the world to find most, if not all, of their favorite movies online. This not only helped movie lovers clear up some space in their home, but it also opened the door to a whole new world of entertainment opportunities.
Nowadays, you no longer need to wait months for a new movie to be released on a DVD as you can find it much sooner online, and if you know your way around the internet, you can watch movies for free with the help of virtual private networks. If you are new to the online movie scene, you probably have a lot of questions right now? What is a virtual private network (VPN)? How much does a VPN service cost? How can I use VPN for free? And finaly, which are the best websites for watching movies or TV series? Well, keep on reading as we are about to reveal the best ways to watch movies online.
Understanding Virtual Private Networks
Before we reveal the best sources for watching free online movies, we will start with a short intro on VPNs. A VPN is a virtual private network that protects your device and unblocks content which is only available in a certain location. But keep in mind that not all the movies that you find online are legal and it is your responsibility to check the copyright status of the movies that you access. To set up a VPN, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Choose a reputable virtual private network and download the app on your device
- Launch the app, sign in and choose a server, preferably a US server to have access to a wider variety of content
- Choose one of the sites detailed below
- Start your movie marathon!
Top 5 Best Free Streaming Sites
There are many websites that let you stream movies for free, but to save you the trouble of going through countless options (some of which are not safe or easy to use), we have narrowed down the choices to the 5 best movie sites:
- Popcorn Flix
This website is short on new releases, but it has a great collection of classic and cult movies. The best thing about Popcorn Flix is that it is very easy to use. The movies are organized by genre, and you can find special sections for movies and TV series. If you have a specific movie in mind, you can use the search function to see if it is available for live streaming. You don’t even have to sign up to use this website, but you will have to watch a fair number of adds. However, the site has excellent playback and we guarantee that it will become one of your favorite sources of entertainment.
- YouTube
This should be obvious, but the truth is that there are still many people who don’t know that you can watch movies on YouTube. The beauty of this platform is that we all know how to use it. You will, however, need a fair share of patience. Since this is not a website specifically designed for streaming full movies, you won’t find the movies properly organized like on Popcorn Flix. But if you are patient, you can find a lot of great classics, as YouTube also has an impressive selection of movies, covering all genres. Moreover, popular movie streaming websites often use YouTube to host their movies.
- Crackle
This website is owned by Sony and it features Sony’s entire catalog, featuring hundreds of movies. The movies available for live streaming are not hosted permanently, but rather on a rotation basis, which means that there is always a new movie to watch. We love how well Crackle is organized, with main genre categories and a search option with tags for actors or titles. While sign up is not mandatory, it is useful, as it allows you to organize your preferences into watch lists.
- Vudu Movies on US
As a movie lover, you may be familiar with rental and sales services of Vudu Movies, but did you know that on their website they also have a section for free movies? It is not the most comprehensive collection of movies, but it does feature some masterpieces that will keep you entertained on dull evenings. You will get a good share of commercials, but the website makes up for this inconvenience through an excellent playback and a user-friendly interface.
- SnagFilms
If you are looking for a free Netflix alternative, SnagFilms is your best option. It has a lot of fresh content and a library of thousands of movies. You can browse conventional categories like “classic movies” or unique categories like “before they were famous”. This last category is a great way to see how your favorite actors evolved in time.