Updated on: September 4, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best YesMovies alternative in 2024:
- YouTube. YouTube offers a wide range of movies for free on its channels, and it’s available worldwide. If you’re located in the US, you’ll have access to a large catalog of movies that you can stream for free. Plus, the platform is intuitive to use and works reliably with most major devices.
Streaming sites like YesMovies host pirated content, which is illegal to stream. So you could get into legal trouble when you use these sites, as they haven’t obtained rights from the copyright holder.
Beyond the legal risks, these sites often contain malware links and ads that can compromise your device. Plus, they frequently go offline, which can be annoying when you want to watch your favorite shows and movies.
To help you find better options, I created a list of the best YesMovies alternatives. My choices are all legal and free. I chose them based on factors including library size, ease of use, device compatibility, and more.
Pro Tip: A top-notch VPN like ExpressVPN can protect your data and privacy when streaming online. In addition, good VPNs have large server networks and work with the streaming sites mentioned on this list. The VPNs we recommend have strict no-logs policies, so you remain fully responsible for following all rules and regulations. Neither I nor anyone at SafetyDetectives supports copyright infringement.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
5 Best YesMovies Alternatives in 2024
1. YouTube
YouTube is the best YesMovies alternative — it’s available worldwide and free of charge. The platform has channels for a wide range of movie genres, including comedy, romance, documentaries, action, drama, horror, and more. Moreover, US residents can access YouTube Movies, which provides a lot of free movies.
Although YouTube does feature some ads tailored to your activity on the platform, these ads help recommend videos you might enjoy. And you can opt out of personalized ads in your account settings if you prefer a more generic viewing experience.
The platform is compatible with smart TVs, gaming consoles, smartphones, and tablets, allowing you to stream movies and TV shows on any device. It also synchronizes your viewing progress across devices. This is quite convenient for watching longer films.
I like that YouTube doesn’t require you to create an account, so you don’t have to share your personal info with the site. However, having an account allows you to create playlists and rent or buy movies on YouTube Movies.
2. Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a great free YesMovies alternative that offers original content. It has movies that are hard to find elsewhere like Fairfax, Troppo, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. However, the platform is limited to certain countries like the US, the UK, Germany, and Austria.
The site has ads that appear right after you click on the movie thumbnail. Plus, it shows you a couple of ads that are marked as breaks during the movie. Sometimes, these ads can be pretty long — up to 30 seconds.
One of the great things about Amazon Freevee, though, is the X-Ray feature. It gives you info on the cast (as a whole or in-scene) and music tracks. In addition, the platform is available on smart TVs, Amazon devices, mobile devices, gaming consoles, and streaming media devices. If you’re using a Comcast Xfinity device, Fire TV, or Fire tablet, the Amazon Freevee app should be pre-installed on your device.
Unlike YouTube, with Amazon Freevee you’ll need to create an account (if you don’t already have an Amazon account). The site will use this info and your activity on the platform to target you with ads and offer recommendations.
3. Tubi
Tubi is a good free platform for streaming movies and TV shows in the US. On the platform, you can find some classics like The Hot Chick and recent popular releases including Hell’s Kitchen. There’s also a dedicated section for families, Tubi Kids, where you can find Tom and Jerry and other great titles. All content is categorized into convenient categories like New Releases, Recommended, Recently Added, Tubi Originals, and more.
As Tubi is an ad-supported service, it does show some ads. However, they aren’t that intrusive or annoying and are usually short. The ads typically appear before the content starts playing and several times during longer videos.
The site comes with a screencasting feature. It allows you to stream content from your mobile device or computer to a larger screen such as a TV. Plus, it’s compatible with various casting devices like Chromecast, AirPlay (for iOS devices), and other DLNA-compatible devices.
You don’t need to create an account to start streaming on Tubi. That said, the site still collects certain information like your IP address and activity on the site. It might share this data with third-party advertisers and business partners.
4. Pluto TV
Pluto TV has on-demand and live TV content free of charge for US residents. It includes over 250 live channels in the US including news, sports, entertainment, and kids’ programming. The guide is structured similarly to traditional cable TV, with an easy-to-navigate interface where you can browse through different channels.
The ads on Pluto TV appear every 10–15 minutes during shows and movies. They can sometimes be repetitive, which can detract from the viewing experience. For live TV, commercial breaks occur during pauses in the programming.
This platform is accessible on a wide range of devices. These include smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, and through web browsers on both Mac and Windows computers.
To use Pluto TV, you don’t need to create an account. That said, signing up allows you to save your favorite channels and resume watching from where you left off. What’s more, the site collects your IP, preferences, and activity on the site and might share this info with its business partners.
5. Rakuten TV
Rakuten TV is a good choice if you’re in Europe and looking for free movies. It has a variety of genres such as horror, thriller, and family movies, and even has original content. You can also watch live TV and rent and buy movies in the Store section.
I didn’t encounter that many ads on Rakuten TV — there were some occasional ads during a movie, but they weren’t that invasive. That said, I still recommend using a good ad blocker to protect your privacy while streaming.
It’s also great that the platform provides high-quality video streaming, including 4K HDR, for certain titles. This ensures an improved viewing experience with superior picture and sound quality.
You don’t have to share any information with the platform as signing up is optional; you can jump straight into watching your favorite content. However, Rakuten TV might offer some content recommendations based on your activity on the site.
Is YesMovies Legal?
No — YesMovies is illegal because it shows copyrighted content without obtaining permission from copyright holders. Legal actions have been taken against the site, causing it to go down multiple times.
Some countries have strict rules about copyright infringements, while others are less strict about it. In certain places, you can stream pirated movies for personal use without facing significant legal consequences. However, it’s always best to use legal streaming services to avoid potential legal issues and support content creators.
Why You Need a VPN for Streaming Sites Like YesMovies
Using a VPN for streaming sites like YesMovies can be beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, it masks your real IP address, giving you a new one from a location of your choice. This allows you to stream on these sites from anywhere. Moreover, a VPN encrypts your traffic, making it unreadable to malicious third parties while streaming.
A VPN can protect you from potential malware and viruses often present on such streaming websites. These threats can compromise your device and personal data, but a VPN provides an added layer of security to protect against them.
The VPNs that I recommend come with strong security features to protect your data and privacy when streaming. Plus, they offer ad blockers that can give extra protection against malicious sites and ads on sites like YesMovies.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for streaming sites like YesMovies:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best VPN for streaming on legal and free YesMovies alternatives.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Great VPN with excellent privacy features for streaming.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Intuitive VPN for streaming on legal YesMovies alternatives.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Frequently Asked Questions
What site is better than YesMovies?
YouTube is a safer and legal alternative to YesMovies. It offers a wide range of movies, from classics to popular new titles. What’s more, US residents have access to a large library free of charge. It’s also very intuitive to use and works with multiple devices.
Is YesMovies safe?
YesMovies isn’t a safe streaming site, as it includes broken and malicious links and pop-up ads, and it often goes down. This malware and viruses can compromise your device and privacy. That’s why I recommend using a VPN. My favorite VPNs have ad blockers that block ads and connections to malicious sites, plus VPNs encrypt your traffic so your data and privacy are protected while streaming.
Which is the best site to watch movies for free?
YouTube is the best site to watch movies free of charge. It’s available worldwide and has plenty of movies in different genres. In addition, it doesn’t require you to create an account and has fewer ads than most streaming sites.
Are there YesMovies alternatives with live TV options?
Yes, some of the recommendations on my list offer live TV content. Pluto TV offers more than 250 live TV channels for news, sports, and entertainment. Tubi is another excellent alternative with multiple live TV channels. However, these two platforms are only available in the US. That said, Rakuten TV is good for European residents, as it’s available in several countries in Europe, and it comes with unique live TV channels.
