Why I Watch Free Pluto TV, Tubi and Freevee More Than the Streaming Services I Pay for

The year 2024 is in its final months, and given TV schedule for 2025 around the corner some may have to make a decision. Every day people decide to cut the cord and buy a cheaper account, but given the prices of streaming services, sometimes even that isn’t enough. As an entertainment reporter who has many other outlets like cable TV, I understand this. However, after casually browsing Pluto TV and Tubi, I found myself watching free apps much more often than the ones I pay for.

This sounds like absolute madness because why would anyone willingly choose ad-based streaming services if they pay for ad-free streaming services? While I would prefer no ads, I can say that there are some benefits to using free streamers like Pluto TV, Tubi, Freevee, and many others that the big companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ can’t match. Hear me out and maybe consider canceling a subscription or two and downloading one of these.

Drew Carey hosts The Price Is Right with a microphone — (Image credit: CBS)

Channels curated by Pluto TV make it easy to post something to the wind

I realize my job is a little unique, but I know I’m not the only one who has the TV on when I’m working from home on a weekday. Sometimes you just want something to be on, but when you’re streaming a show on Netflix or somewhere else, that can be a problem. Cutting the cord offers the freedom of being subscription-free, but I can understand people being upset about having to interrupt their workday to tell their app that they’re still watching when they’re not.

I’m absolutely addicted to Pluto TV’s TV streaming, which allows me to watch what I like without having to watch them in sequential order. When I was looking forward upcoming Star Trek showthe service channel became a salvation. The same is true on a sick day, when I can watch the broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The price is right and even choose between Drew Carey and the Bob Barker era. If I had this when I was a kid, those weekends would have been a lot easier to get through.

Apart from TV shows, it is also great for movies. I love that you can choose the genre of movie you like and then just turn on the channel and see what’s on. If I’ve learned anything from doing this with my wife, it’s that people tend to figure out what they like much faster if they watch something they don’t like. There’s also a chance that you’ll both end up liking what’s on TV without having to play the game of constantly choosing what to watch. I won’t say categorically that it saved my marriage, but it definitely saved me time endlessly scrolling through headlines on my computer. Netflix subscription.

Alf is sitting at the kitchen table and talking.

(Image credit: Alien Productions)

You’ll find some obscure shows you won’t find anywhere else

Tubi has been one of my best assets for the Halloween season as it has great deals that I haven’t seen in a long time. Although my daughter is still too young to see recent sequel Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceI was able to use the free streamer to show her the animated series, as well as another obscure cult classic that I never expected to see streaming, period. Check out both seasons of the children’s horror series. Spooky, Indiana it was truly a gift I will never forget.

If you dig around Pluto TV, Tubi, and Freevee, you wouldn’t expect to find some little-known gems there. Basically, there are a bunch of old shows that you forgot about that are still great. I also saw a surprising amount of anime there, including the first 746 episodes. One piece. I don’t big fan of the Fish-Man Island arcbut I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t watched this series yet to do so.

And while services like Freevee will offer limited episodes of some of Amazon’s original shows, those who would like to spend the day bingeing something like Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, Alf or Hell’s Kitchen I can totally do this. Not everyone has the same taste in television, so I just throw out what I’d like to watch. However, rest assured, there are some gems that are worth checking out, and even some that are included on our list. 32 Popular TV Shows to Stream.

Tom Cruise in the movie

(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

The selection of films is surprisingly good

The old saying when something is free is, “You get what you pay for.” While some things were certainly true, the selection of movies on Tubi, and especially Pluto TV, is pretty darn good these days. Of course, you won’t get the latest and greatest, but there are plenty of classics worth listening to at home in the evening. To give readers an idea of what’s completely free to watch this weekend on Pluto TV, here are a few options:

First four Mission: Impossible movies
Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy
Beauty in pink
Godfather trilogy

I could go on listing all the classic films available for much longer, but readers can see for themselves. Suffice to say, there is no shortage of options on any of the free services, and these films are not only worth watching, but also relevant. I’ve seen quite a few films on our best horror movies listing on all platforms ahead of Halloween.

The trade-off, of course, is that you’ll have to take commercial breaks mid-viewing. Of course, it’s not as great as watching it completely without ads, but it’s also free. If you’re someone who has cut the cord and relies solely on these platforms for entertainment, I think it’s a fair trade-off. I can guarantee that the ads are still less intrusive than watching a movie on regular cable, but that’s just an anecdotal experience on my part. Readers will have to decide for themselves when they watch it.

Use the App Store to find Pluto TV, Freevee, Tubi and other free streaming apps on your Smart TV or streaming device today. With the holiday season approaching, it’s never a bad idea to think about where to cut back on expenses so you can have a little extra money for the holiday season. Cutting the cord is a great option, and as readers can see, there are still opportunities to watch TV for free.