You searched for an FMovies alternative because the site you knew is gone, and the ones using its name are not the same thing. In August 2024, ACE shut down FMovies, the largest piracy site in the world at the time. Since then, hundreds of look-alike domains have appeared, and nobody knows who runs them.
Most "best alternatives" lists do not help, because they still recommend services that closed years ago. This guide covers only what works today: 8 free, licensed options you can watch in a browser or an app. Each pick shows what it is best for, whether it needs an account, how heavy the ads are, and what you give up.
The best free, legal FMovies alternative in the US is Tubi. It has one of the largest free on-demand libraries of the legal options, and you can start watching without an account. For live channels, use Pluto TV. For free originals, use The Roku Channel. For no ads, use Kanopy or Hoopla with a US library card.
Is FMovies Still Working?
No. The original FMovies operation was shut down in 2024, so a page using the name is not proof the old service returned. If a site loads under that name today, it is not the FMovies you remember.
What happened to the original
Hanoi Police, working with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, shut down FMovies and its associated sites in August 2024. It was widely described as the largest piracy site in the world at the time. Related sites in the same network went down with it, including Bflix and Sflix.
Why clones keep appearing
Shutting down one site did not end the brand. Hundreds of domains with similar branding are pulling in millions of visitors, and who runs them and from where is unknown. This has happened before. 123Movies was shut down in 2018 and came back under different branding.
Authorities are now blocking at the brand level. A Canadian court order in July 2026 also covers thirteen piracy brands, including 123Movies and FMovies.
The practical point for you: an FMovies-branded page today has unknown ownership, no track record, and no reason to be trusted. That is why every pick in this guide is a licensed service you can verify.
1. Tubi: The Closest Match to FMovies
Best for: on-demand movies and TV with no account. Catch: ads, and a rotating catalog.
Tubi is the nearest thing to the old FMovies routine: search a title, click, watch.It is owned by Fox and has one of the largest free on-demand libraries of the legal options here. You can start watching without creating an account. Signing in is optional and keeps your place across devices.
What you get
Tubi carries a broad mix of movies and TV across action, comedy, horror, drama and kids, plus Tubi originals. It also runs a live channel lineup, so you can switch between on-demand and channel-style viewing in one app. It works on phones, smart TVs, streaming sticks and consoles, so you are not tied to a browser.
The catch
Ads run through every title. The catalog rotates as licenses expire, so a film you saw last month may be gone. Video quality is mostly 720p HD, so do not expect 4K.
2. Pluto TV: Best for Live Channels
Best for: live TV and channel-style viewing. Catch: ads, and a smaller on-demand library than Tubi.
Pluto TV works like cable without the box or the bill. Instead of searching for one title, you open a channel and let it run: movies, crime shows, news, sitcoms, all on a schedule. It is owned by Paramount, which bought it in 2019, and you can watch without creating an account.
What you get
The lineup is roughly 250 or more live channels alongside an on-demand library. Many live channels are available only in the US, so as a US viewer you get the fuller lineup. It suits background viewing, since something is always playing, and it is a good pick when you do not know what you want to watch.
The catch
Ads play in breaks, like broadcast TV. Tubi has the larger on-demand selection, so treat Pluto as the second app you add, not the first.
3. The Roku Channel: Best for Free Originals
Best for: free originals plus live channels, no Roku device needed. Catch: ads and a rotating catalog.
You do not need a Roku player to use The Roku Channel. It runs in a browser and in a mobile app, so it works on a laptop or phone just like Tubi does. Basic browsing works without an account, and signing up adds watchlists and personalized recommendations.
What you get
The lineup includes 500 or more free channels alongside a large on-demand library. What sets it apart is the Roku Originals, exclusive shows and films made for the platform that you cannot stream anywhere else for free. One example is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. If you have watched most of what Tubi offers and want something you cannot find elsewhere, this is the app to add.
The catch
Ads run in breaks throughout, and the catalog rotates as licenses change. Originals stay on Roku's own platform, so if you want them, this is the only place to watch.
4. Plex: Best for a Fast, Light App
Best for: a quick-loading free app, and anyone who also wants to stream their own media files. Catch: ads, and less help choosing what to watch.
Plex is known as a personal media server, but it also runs a free, ad-supported catalog of movies, shows and live channels. You do not need a Plex Pass subscription for any of it. Basic browsing works without an account, and a free account adds filters and a watchlist.
What you get
The free catalog runs to tens of thousands of on-demand titles plus a large live channel lineup, so it covers the same ground as Tubi and Pluto TV in one app. Its interface is lightweight and often loads faster than both. It runs on nearly every device a US viewer owns: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, smart TVs, game consoles and mobile. If you keep your own movie files, Plex lets you stream those from the same app alongside the free catalog, which none of the other seven picks do.
The catch
Ads run in breaks. The layout is clean but built around browsing, not smart recommendations, so you will scroll more than you would on Tubi. A free account is worth creating, because it unlocks the genre filters that make finding something faster.
5. Kanopy: Best for Ad-Free Films
Best for: arthouse, documentaries and classics with no ads. Catch: you need a participating library card or university login, and there is a monthly borrow limit.
Kanopy is the outlier on this list. Public libraries and universities pay for it, so viewers see no commercials and pay nothing. It streams indie films, documentaries and international cinema, and it is where you go for the Criterion Collection and A24 titles that the ad-supported apps rarely carry.
How to get in
You sign in with a library card or a university login. Check whether your local library or school participates before you download anything. If it does, setup takes about ten minutes. Enter your card number in the app or on the site, and you are watching.
What you get
Quality over quantity. Expect festival films, foreign-language cinema, classic titles and a strong documentary shelf. It works on phones, smart TVs, streaming sticks and in a browser.
The catch
Two limits apply. Your library has to participate, and most libraries cap you at a set number of plays per month, commonly somewhere between 5 and 10 titles, though the number depends on your library. Mainstream blockbusters are mostly absent, so do not expect it to replace Tubi.
6. Hoopla: Best for an Ad-Free Mix of Titles
Best for: ad-free movies and TV from a wider mix than Kanopy. Catch: you need a participating library card, and your library sets a monthly borrow limit.
Hoopla works like Kanopy: your public library pays for it, so you pay nothing and see no ads. It is the ad-free pick for TV shows as well as movies. The difference is range. Kanopy leans toward arthouse and documentaries, while Hoopla covers a broader spread of popular titles and also carries other media, such as audiobooks, ebooks, comics and music.
How to get in
Sign in with a library card from a participating US public library. Check your library's website first, since not every library offers Hoopla. If yours does, create a Hoopla account, link your card, and you can borrow right away in the app or a browser.
What you get
Titles borrow instantly, with no waiting list on most of the catalog, and you can watch on phones, smart TVs, streaming sticks and in a browser. Expect a mix of popular movies, TV series and older favorites. It will not have the newest theatrical releases, since licensing windows apply here too.
The catch
Your library caps how many titles you can borrow each month, and the number varies by library. Titles are also available only for a set borrow period, after which they return automatically. The catalog depends on what your library has licensed, so two people with different library cards can see different selections.
Kanopy or Hoopla? If you like film and documentaries, start with Kanopy. If you want popular TV series and a wider mix, start with Hoopla. If your library offers both, use both, since the borrow limits are separate.
7. Amazon's Free Tier (Formerly Freevee)
Best for: free Amazon originals, licensed movies and live channels. Catch: you need an Amazon account, ads run throughout, and only select titles are free.
Freevee is gone as a separate app. Amazon shut it down in August 2025 and moved its content into Prime Video, so the free titles now live there. You do not need a Prime membership to watch them, but you do need to sign in with an Amazon account. That is the one real difference from Tubi and Pluto TV, which let you watch with no account at all.
What you get
Amazon says non-Prime viewers can still watch select originals from Amazon MGM Studios, a variety of licensed movies and series, and a library of free live channels. The best-known Freevee originals include Jury Duty, Bosch: Legacy and Judy Justice, and they are still free to stream. The free library is a small slice of Prime Video's full catalog, in the low thousands of titles, so treat it as a bonus app, not a main one.
The catch
Ads run in breaks throughout. Only select titles are free, so much of what you see in Prime Video will still be locked behind a Prime membership or a rental fee. Expect to browse for the free label instead of searching for a specific film.
8. Internet Archive: Best for Old Public Domain Films
Best for: classic and public domain movies, plus independent films. Catch: mostly older titles, and quality varies.
The Internet Archive is legal, free, and largely ad-free, but its library is niche. It leans toward older and independent content, so this is where you go for a 1940s noir, a silent-era classic or an old sci-fi B-movie, not for anything recent. You can watch in a browser with no account.
What you get
Feature films in the public domain or shared under Creative Commons licenses, plus old TV and newsreels. There are no commercial breaks in most cases, and no subscription. It is the one pick on this list where you will find films that no ad-supported app carries, simply because those apps only license newer catalogs.
The catch
Everything is older or independent, so do not expect new releases or mainstream hits. Video and audio quality vary a lot, since many files come from old prints or user uploads. Also check that a title is marked as public domain or Creative Commons before you watch. Not every upload is guaranteed to be licensed for distribution, and the collections labeled public domain are the safe place to start.
Also worth a look: YouTube
YouTube's official free movie channels are a useful side option. You can stream full movies without creating an account, and it works on nearly every device. The free catalog is smaller than Tubi's and rotates often, so treat it as a place to check for a specific title, not a main app.
Which App Works on Your Device: Roku, Fire TV, Smart TVs and Phones
Every app on this list has a version for your TV, phone or browser, so you do not need a computer to use them. Here is what to install on each device, and where the exceptions are.
Roku
The Roku Channel comes pre-installed on Roku devices, so there is nothing to download. Tubi, Pluto TV and Plex all have Roku apps too. This is the easiest setup for the free services, since you can stack three or four apps on one home screen.
Amazon Fire TV and Firestick
Plex runs on Fire TV, and Tubi and Pluto TV each have Fire TV apps you can install from the Amazon Appstore. The Prime Video app on Fire TV is also where Amazon's free titles now live, so you do not need a separate download for those. Use the official apps from the store. You never need to sideload anything or install a "player" for a legal streaming service.
Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio, Google TV, Apple TV)
Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex and The Roku Channel support the major TV platforms, including Roku OS, Android TV, Apple TV and Samsung's Tizen. Samsung smart TVs made since 2016 also come with Samsung TV Plus pre-installed, which offers 200 or more free live channels. It is a useful bonus on a Samsung TV, but it works only on Samsung hardware, so it is not one of the eight picks.
Phones, tablets and browsers
Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, The Roku Channel and Prime Video all have iPhone and Android apps and work in a browser. Kanopy and Hoopla have apps as well, but both need your library card to sign in. On TV apps, you usually enter an activation code from the service's website.
If an app will not load or keeps buffering
Restart the device, update the app, and reinstall it if the problem continues. If the app still refuses to open, it is usually a temporary error on the service's end and you need to wait or retry.
Services That No Longer Work (Skip These)
Older lists still recommend the names below. Each one is closed, shut down or replaced, and a site using the name today is not the original.
Name | What happened | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
FMovies | Shut down in August 2024 | Tubi |
Soap2Day | Announced it was closing forever in 2023. Look-alike domains kept appearing under the name, including some tied to the FMovies network. | Tubi or Plex |
123Movies | Shut down in 2018, then returned under new branding. A domain was seized again in 2021 | Pluto TV |
Crackle | Went down after its parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, went bankrupt in 2024. The apps stopped working and Roku removed it | Tubi or The Roku Channel |
Popcornflix | Went down in the same collapse as Crackle | Tubi |
Freevee app | Amazon shut the standalone app in August 2025 and moved the content to Prime Video | Prime Video free tier |
The pattern to watch for
Two things matter here. First, big piracy brands do not die, they get cloned. When one shuts down, similar-looking domains appear under the same name, so a familiar name is not a sign of safety. Second, legal services can close too. Crackle and Popcornflix were licensed and legal, but they still went under when their parent company did. That is why this guide names the ownership of each pick (Fox for Tubi, Paramount for Pluto TV) and tells you to check the app store listing before installing.
If a site or app carries one of these names today, treat it as unverified until you can confirm who runs it.
How to Find a Specific Movie for Free
Checking eight apps by hand is slow. Use one search tool first, then open only the app that has your title.
Step 1: Search the title on JustWatch
JustWatch is a streaming search engine, not a streaming service. Type the movie name, apply the "Free" filter, and it shows which platforms carry the title for free right now. It checks Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock, Plex, Kanopy and others in one pass, so you do not have to open each app.
Step 2: Open the app that has it
Tap through to that service, and search the title again inside the app to confirm it is available in the US. If the title shows under "Free" on more than one service, pick the one with the fewest ads or the highest quality. Kanopy and Hoopla are the ad-free choices, if your library offers them.
Step 3: If no service shows it as free
Two answers are possible. The title is on a paid subscription, or it is available only to rent or buy. JustWatch shows both, so you can choose the cheapest legal option. Free catalogs rotate as licenses expire, so check again in a month before paying.
A quick test for whether a site is legal
Legal free services follow licensing windows. A film appears after its premium release period ends, so it is normally months or years old. If a site offers a movie that is still in theaters, or a show that aired last night, it is almost certainly unlicensed. That is a red flag whatever the site is called.
What to Do If You Already Opened an FMovies Clone
What you need to do depends on what you did on the page. Find your situation below and do only that part.
You only closed the tab
You are fine. Loading a page is not the same as acting on it. Close it, and do not go back to test whether it redirects again.
You clicked "Allow" on notifications
Revoke it. In Chrome, go to Settings, then Privacy and security, then Site settings, then Notifications, and remove the site from the allowed list. In Safari, Firefox and Edge the setting is under each browser's site permissions. Clone sites use notifications to push fake virus alerts and ads long after you leave.
You installed a player, extension, app or "update"
This is the one that needs action. A legitimate streaming service never asks you to install a player, codec, extension or APK to watch a movie.
Remove any browser extension you did not choose. In Chrome, open Extensions and delete anything unfamiliar.
Uninstall any program or app you added at that moment. On Windows, use Settings, then Apps. On Mac, delete it from Applications. On Android, remove the unknown app.
Run a full scan with your built-in security tool, such as Windows Security, or a reputable antivirus.
Restart the device, then check that your browser home page and search engine are unchanged.
You entered a password or card number
Move fast. Change the password on every account that used it, starting with email. If you typed a card number, call the card issuer, report the site, and ask for a replacement card. Watch your statements for small test charges over the next few weeks.
How to judge a site before you click
Ownership and track record matter more than looks. Every legal pick in this guide is run by a company you can identify, and you can find its app in an official store. If you want a wider look at how to judge whether a site deserves trust, see the Voozon.com review.
Bottom Line
FMovies is gone, and the sites using its name are clones with unknown owners. You do not need them. A free, legal setup covers most of what you want to watch.
Install these three first:
Tubi for on-demand movies and TV. It is the closest match to the old FMovies routine, and it needs no account.
Pluto TV or Plex for live channels and background viewing.
The Roku Channel for free originals you cannot watch anywhere else.
If you hate ads, get a US library card and use Kanopy and Hoopla. If you want old public domain films, use the Internet Archive. If you cannot find a specific title, search it on JustWatch with the Free filter before you go looking anywhere else.
The trade-off is timing. Free services carry a film only after its premium release window ends, so a movie still in theaters will not be on any of them. For those, a rental is the legal route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FMovies still working?
No. The original FMovies operation was shut down in August 2024. Sites using the name today are unrelated clones with unknown owners, so they are not the service you remember.
What is the best free, legal alternative to FMovies?
Tubi. It has one of the largest free on-demand libraries of the legal options, and you can start watching without an account. For live channels, use Pluto TV. For free originals, use The Roku Channel.
Are FMovies-style sites legal or safe?
They stream copyrighted movies without a license, and the clones carry extra risk, including fake player installs, forced notifications and phishing. This is not legal advice, but a licensed service removes both problems.
Do I need a VPN to use these free streaming apps?
No. Every app in this guide is licensed and works normally in the US without one.
Why can't I find a movie I want on any free service?
Free catalogs follow licensing windows, so newer films are often unavailable and titles rotate out over time. Search the title on JustWatch with the Free filter, and check again in a month.
Is there a free streaming service with no ads?
Yes. Kanopy and Hoopla are ad-free and free with a library card, if your library offers them. The Internet Archive is also largely ad-free, but it carries older titles.