Putlocker was once the most popular free movie and TV show streaming site on the internet. At its peak, Putlocker attracted over 1.6 million daily visitors who used the site to watch the latest blockbuster films and binge-worthy shows without paying a dime.
According to Alexa rankings, Putlocker ranked among the top 200 websites in the world in terms of traffic. It became a go-to destination for cord-cutters looking to stream Hollywood movies in high quality without any registration or sign up required.
However, after several high-profile lawsuits filed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and other groups, the original Putlocker site was taken down and shuttered.
But don’t worry – even though the original Putlocker is gone, there are still lots of great alternatives and mirror sites that have emerged to take its place. The internet is a vast ocean, and shutting down one site doesn’t mean that 10 more won’t pop up to serve the huge demand for free movies and TV shows.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share the top 20 best Putlocker alternatives that are working in 2023. These streaming sites offer extensive libraries of both old and new movies to watch online without signing up for an account.
We’ve researched and rated dozens of Putlocker clones, mirrors, and free streaming platforms based on video quality, library size, safety, ads, and more.
I’ll also provide tips on how to safely use these Putlocker alternatives without getting into any legal trouble, as well as answer frequently asked questions about the legality of streaming free movies online. Let’s dive in!
Overview of the Top 5 Putlocker Alternatives
Before we get to the complete list, here’s a quick preview of our top 5 recommended Putlocker replacements:
1. Tubi – Legal and safe free streaming service with thousands of movies. No registration required.
2. Crackle – Sony’s official free, ad-supported streaming site with big name movies and shows.
3. Popcornflix – Ad-supported streaming platform focused on free movies. Owned by Screen Media Ventures.
4. Vudu – Walmart’s ad-supported streaming service with 100+ free movies. No account needed.
5. Pluto TV – Free live TV streaming with on-demand movies. No sign up necessary.
These topPutlocker alternatives offer the best mix of huge content libraries, smooth streaming, and safety that resembles Putlocker in its heyday. Let’s look at each of them in more detail, along with 15 additional options.
The Top 20 Putlocker Alternatives for Free Movie Streaming
Based on popularity, library size, streaming quality, and safety, these 20 services provide the best Putlocker replacement options:
1. Tubi
Tubi is my number one recommendation for Putlocker alternatives. It‘s a completely legal and free streaming service owned by FOX. No registration, credit card, or account creation is required.
Tubi offers over 20,000 movies and shows available on-demand across genres like action, comedy, drama, horror, kids, and more. The library is constantly updated with new content.
Given that it‘s legal and above board, you don‘t have to worry about getting into any trouble using Tubi. You can stream their movies freely without fear of malware, hidden charges, or low quality videos.
Tubi is available on all major platforms and devices like Roku, Firestick, smart TVs, iOS, Android, and web browsers. No VPN required.
2. Crackle
Crackle is Sony‘s official free streaming service, offering Hollywood movies, popular TV shows, Crackle originals, and exclusives. No registration needed.
Crackle has over 1,500 titles like El Mariachi, The Interview, Blue Streak, Luther, Sports Jeopardy, and more. New content is added monthly.
You can instantly start watching Crackle‘s library of movies and shows without even creating an account. Content can be streamed in quality up to 1080p HD.
Crackle is legally licensed and backed by Sony Pictures, making it completely safe to use. Available on all devices and platforms. Give it a try if you’re looking for a truly free Putlocker alternative.
3. Popcornflix
Popcornflix is an ad-supported streaming site owned by Screen Media Ventures with a large catalog of over 1,500 free movies you can watch instantly without signing up.
Popcornflix adds new content every week from major studios like Lionsgate, MGM, and Sony Pictures. Genres include action, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, and more.
You can browse Popcornflix‘s entire library without even creating an account. Movies can be streamed in up to 720p quality based on your internet speed.
4. Vudu
Vudu is a Walmart-owned, ad-supported streaming service with over 100 free movies and TV show episodes available to watch without signing up.
In addition to the latest cinema releases and classics, Vudu offers original shorts, documentaries and concerts in HD quality up to 1080p.
Vudu has apps for all major platforms like iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, smart TVs, and browsers. You can instantly start watching Vudu‘s free movies library without registration.
5. Pluto TV
Pluto TV provides a free live TV and on-demand streaming experience with hundreds of channels and thousands of movies and shows. No account required.
Pluto TV offers a cable-like guide of live channels ranging from movies, entertainment, news, sports, comedy, and more. Plus on-demand libraries of hit movies, viral videos, cartoons, and other content.
Available on all devices, Pluto TV replicates the experience of regular paid TV but entirely free. It‘s a legal, high-quality Putlocker alternative.
6. The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is Roku‘s own free, ad-supported streaming channel with thousands of hit movies and TV show episodes available to stream without signing up.
The Roku Channel can be accessed from Roku devices, mobile apps, and the web. Stream hit movies like Zombieland, The Karate Kid; popular shows like Homeland, Rick & Morty; plus live news, sports, and more.
7. IMDb TV
IMDb TV is Amazon‘s free, ad-supported streaming service available as an app on Fire TV and other devices.
IMDb TV provides thousands of hit movies like La La Land, Awakenings, True Grit; and full seasons of TV shows like Chicago Fire, Person of Interest, and Overhaul.
The video quality is excellent and you can watch IMDb TV‘s entire library without needing an Amazon Prime account. Limited ads.
8. Hoopla
Hoopla offers ad-free streaming movies, TV shows, audiobooks, comics, ebooks, and music through partnerships with public libraries. Access is free with your library card.
Hoopla has hundreds of thousands of titles to borrow and watch instantly without holds, wait lists or fees. Content comes from major studios like Disney, HBO, Sony Pictures, and more.
If you have a library card, Hoopla is worth checking out for free, legal streaming from your local public library. Create an account and enter your library card number to get access.
9. Kanopy
Kanopy is an on-demand streaming service with over 30,000 indie films, documentaries, classic cinema, and educational videos.
Access requires a university or public library login. Once signed up through your library, you can watch up to 10 videos per month for free.
With Kanopy, stream acclaimed films and documentaries from A24, Paramount, BBC, PBS,Criterion Collection, and more. Available on all devices.
10. Plex
Plex offers free streaming movies and TV shows from their partnerships with MGM, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and other major studios.
Create a free Plex account and you can start watching hit movies like Rain Man, The Terminator, and Apocalypse Now. Limited ads.
Plex organizes your personal media library and also offers free on-demand streaming of popular movies and shows. Apps available on all platforms.
11. Peacock
Peacock from NBCUniversal offers thousands of hours of movies, classic sitcoms, news and sports channels, and Peacock originals – over 20,000 hours of content in total.
Sign up for a free Peacock account (with ads) to instantly stream movies like The Matrix trilogy, Jurassic Park, Shrek, and TV series like Parks & Rec, 30 Rock, The Office, Modern Family, Friday Night Lights, and much more.
Peacock is available on mobile, web, Fire TV, Roku and other devices. If you don‘t mind a few ads, it‘s a great free Putlocker alternative.
12. Retrovision
Retrovision offers hundreds of classic movies from the public domain available for 100% free, legal streaming.
All of Retrovision‘s content is in the public domain, making it completely legal to stream these classic films. Movies are categorized by genre and decade.
If you love old school movies, Retrovision should definitely be in your streaming rotation. No ads or account registration required.
13. Tubi Kids
Tubi Kids is Tubi‘s free on-demand library of kids TV shows and movies available for 100% legal streaming anytime.
Tubi Kids doesn‘t require downloads, subscriptions or logins. Just launch the app or visit the site to instantly start streaming over 1,000 children‘s shows without ads or account creation.
Available on all platforms and devices. Let the kids watch safely without worrying about questionable or pirated content.
14. Yidio
Yidio is a meta search engine that aggregates where movies & TV shows are streaming online. Think of it as "Google for streaming".
Search for a movie or show, and Yidio will tell you everywhere it‘s available online – whether free on Tubi or Netflix, purchasable on Vudu, or available as a rental.
Yidio makes it easy to find where your favorite movies are streaming, so you don‘t have to hunt across different services.
15. The Archive
The Internet Archive contains millions of free ebooks, movies, software, music, websites and more in the public domain available for free viewing or download.
The Archive‘s movie section hosts over 1,000 free public domain films to stream online or directly download.
You can also borrow and read books on Archive.org. An amazing free resource for media.
16. DistroTV
DistroTV is an ad-supported streaming service with news, sports, movies, TV shows, cartoons, and more available for free viewing.
Just visit their website or download the app to start watching a selection of live channels and on-demand programming without any registration required.
17. YouTube
YouTube offers hundreds of free, legal movies you can watch right now from major studios like Paramount, Warner Bros., and MGM.
Check out this list of free movies on YouTube and start watching instantly! No login or app download required.
18. Vimeo
Vimeo has an extensive collection of free, independent films and videos in up to 4K quality.
Create a free Vimeo account to access thousands of indie shorts, animations, documentaries and more to stream across your devices.
19. CW Seed
CW Seed offers hundreds of free, ad-supported classic CW shows on demand like Whose Line Is It Anyway, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and more.
20. Xumo
Xumo provides over 190 free streaming channels and on-demand movies & shows. Owned by Comcast.
No registration needed – just visit Xumo.tv or download the app to watch free movies, TV series, news and entertainment.
4 Tips for Safely Using Putlocker Alternatives
Streaming movies from Putlocker alternatives is generally legal and safe as long as you follow some basic precautions:
1. Use trustworthy sites – Stick to well-known, legit streaming platforms like Tubi, Crackle, or Popcornflix. Avoid sketchy “Putlocker Proxy” type sites.
2. Use a VPN – A VPN will encrypt your streaming activity and IP address to keep you anonymous and secure.
3. Don‘t download – Never download or torrent movies, which can lead to piracy. Only stream content.
4. Avoid suspicious links – Don‘t click questionable, pirated movie links on blogs or ads. Stick to official streaming apps and sites.
Following these tips will allow you to safely enjoy free movies online without worry. Now, let‘s look at some common questions about streaming legality.
FAQ on Putlocker Alternatives and Legality
Is Putlocker fully gone?
Yes, the original Putlocker site has been permanently shut down and is no longer operational. However, lots of imitation sites have emerged trying to piggyback on Putlocker‘s popularity.
Can you get in trouble for using Putlocker alternatives?
In most cases, no. Streaming on legitimate sites like Tubi and Crackle is completely legal, as they offer public domain or properly licensed content. However, some sketchy Putlocker proxies do host pirated content, which you should avoid.
Which Putlocker alternative has the most content?
Of the legal options, Tubi currently has the largest library of free movies to stream at over 20,000 titles. Vudu, Crackle, and Popcornflix also have thousands of free movies available.
Do you need an account for Putlocker alternatives?
The top Putlocker replacement sites featured here do not require registration or account creation to start watching. A few free streaming platforms like Peacock do need a quick sign-up to access their libraries.
Should you use a VPN with Putlocker sites?
I always recommend using a VPN when visiting free streaming platforms to keep your activity private and secure. Public WiFi hotspots are especially risky without a VPN.
What are the best free movie apps?
Some of the top free movie apps include Tubi, Crackle, Pluto TV, Popcornflix, Vudu, Peacock, The Roku Channel and others featured on this list. They offer extensive libraries of free films to stream on demand.
Keep Watching and Stay Safe!
While the original Putlocker is gone forever, I hope this guide has provided you with lots of great replacement options to safely stream free movies and TV shows in 2023.
Bookmark this page, as I‘m constantly monitoring and updating the list of working Putlocker alternatives.
Now grab some popcorn and start watching thousands of free films using any of these legal, high-quality platforms. Click on any link above to begin streaming instantly!
Let me know in the comments about your favorite free streaming service for enjoying movies without Putlocker. Enjoy!
