The Polygon piece on Brad Pitt’s WWII drama Fury landing on Pluto TV is a useful reminder that free, ad-supported streaming still pulls in real catalogue weight. It is also a reminder that Pluto TV is no longer the only place to find that catalogue. Paramount keeps adding licensed series and Spanish-language channels, but the ad load has crept up and the channel grid is messier than it used to be. Some users are quietly moving to Tubi for movie depth, The Roku Channel for live news, or Plex for the recommendation algorithm.
We tested 7 Pluto TV alternatives on Android and ranked them on catalogue breadth, ad load, live-channel quality, app stability on mid-range hardware, and offline support. Every app here is free. The question is which one fits the way you actually watch.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Live channels | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tubi | Free movies with the deepest catalogue | Yes, fully free | 200 plus | Largest movie library on this list |
| The Roku Channel | Live news plus on-demand without a Roku | Yes, fully free | 350 plus | News bundles from major networks |
| Crackle | Sony-curated movies and shows | Yes, fully free | None | Cleaner home screen, less channel sprawl |
| Plex | One app for free streaming plus your own library | Yes, ad-supported | 600 plus | Reads your own server if you run one |
| Xumo Play | Comcast-backed live channel grid | Yes, fully free | 250 plus | Tight integration on Xfinity hardware |
| Sling Freestream | Live news and sports without a cable login | Yes, fully free | 400 plus | Deepest free live-sports surface |
| Freevee | Amazon-curated free movies and shows | Yes, fully free | None | Originals like Bosch Legacy and Jury Duty |
Why people leave Pluto TV
The Reddit r/cordcutters thread on Pluto keeps surfacing a few recurring frustrations:
- Ad load is heavier than it used to be. Most users report 5 to 6 ad breaks per hour on on-demand content, up from 3 to 4 a couple of years ago.
- Channel grid is overcrowded. The single-show channels (an entire channel of Star Trek, an entire channel of Bar Rescue) make discovery harder, not easier.
- App stability on older Android. Crashes on Android 11 and below are common, especially when scrubbing through long live-channel programs.
- Catalogue churn. Movies rotate in and out faster than they used to. The Fury arrival is news because it is unusual for a high-profile title to stay long.
- No offline downloads. Every other app in this list is also stream-only, but Pluto is the one most people remember asking for it.
If any of that lines up with how you watch, here are seven Pluto TV alternatives.
The 7 Pluto TV alternatives
1. Tubi, best for free movies with the deepest catalogue
Tubi has the largest free movie library of any app on this list. Fox bought it in 2020 and kept investing, and the result is over 50,000 titles, including a deep bench of cult and genre films you will not find on the major paid services. The 200-plus live channel grid is secondary; people pick Tubi for the on-demand catalogue.
Where it falls short: Ad load on long movies is heavy, with breaks every 8 to 12 minutes. The app’s search lags on older phones.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported
- Paid: None
- vs Pluto TV: Both free, both ad-supported. Tubi has a bigger movie catalogue. Pluto has more single-show live channels.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Sign up with the same email, add favourites, and the home screen rebuilds itself in about a week. There is no watchlist transfer, but search is solid.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when movies matter more than live channels.
2. The Roku Channel, best for live news without a Roku
The Roku Channel is available as a standalone Android app, no Roku stick required. It bundles 350-plus live channels, free on-demand movies, and a clean news section that pulls from ABC, NBC, Reuters, and Newsmax. The Live TV grid is the best-organised of any app in this list, with proper genre filters and a search that actually finds what you want.
Where it falls short: The app pushes Roku Pay-Per-View rentals at the top of the home screen on every launch. The free catalogue is in there, but the storefront makes it feel like an upsell.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported
- Paid: Optional premium add-on channels (Showtime, Starz) and pay-per-view
- vs Pluto TV: Both free. Roku has better news, Pluto has more single-show channels.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Sign in with any Roku account or create a fresh one. The “Continue Watching” row backfills as you watch.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when live news matters as much as movies.
3. Crackle, best for Sony-curated movies and shows
Crackle is owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment but stocked with a Sony Pictures licensing deal that gives it a strong rotation of action movies, comedies, and back-catalogue TV. The home screen is the cleanest of any app here, with no live-channel sprawl. If Pluto TV’s channel grid annoys you, Crackle’s pure on-demand layout is the answer.
Where it falls short: Catalogue is smaller than Tubi’s, and the rotation is more aggressive. A movie can be on Crackle one month and gone the next.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported
- Paid: None
- vs Pluto TV: Both free. Crackle is curated and tidy. Pluto is broader and messier.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Create an account to save progress across devices, browse the curated rows, set up genre alerts in the notifications screen.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when you want a calmer free-streaming home screen.
4. Plex, best for one app that streams free and reads your own library
Plex does double duty. It hosts a free ad-supported catalogue of movies and shows, runs 600-plus live channels, and also acts as the front end for any media server you run at home. That second job is why power users keep Plex installed even when they are not actively self-hosting; the moment they spin up a server, the same app finds it.
Where it falls short: The free catalogue is solid, not standout. People come to Plex for the integration, not the licensing deals.
Pricing:
- Free: Ad-supported streaming, server integration, basic apps
- Paid: Plex Pass at $4.99/month or $39.99/year unlocks hardware-accelerated transcoding and offline downloads from your server
- vs Pluto TV: Both free for streaming. Plex adds the home-server feature for free; Pluto does not.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Install, sign in, browse the Movies and Shows tabs for free titles. If you have a NAS or a home server, pointing Plex at it takes about 20 minutes.
Download: Aptoide | Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when you might one day run a home server, and want one app for both.
5. Xumo Play, best for the Comcast-backed channel grid
Xumo Play is owned by Comcast and NBCUniversal, which means it lands first on Xfinity boxes and most Hisense smart TVs. On Android, it ships a 250-plus channel grid that leans heavily into news, sports recap, and lifestyle content. The on-demand catalogue is thinner than Tubi’s but the live channels are tightly curated and run with fewer technical hiccups than Pluto’s.
Where it falls short: Lower-profile movie catalogue and a search that struggles with anything outside the main rows.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported
- Paid: None
- vs Pluto TV: Both free. Xumo’s live channels are smoother, Pluto’s catalogue is broader.
Migrating from Pluto TV: No account required for streaming. Add favourite channels to the My Channels row.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when smoother live channels matter more than catalogue depth.
6. Sling Freestream, best for live news and sports without a cable login
Sling Freestream is Dish’s free-tier app, broken out from the paid Sling TV product. It carries 400-plus live channels including a meaningful free-sports surface (Fubo Sports, Stadium, T-Sports, plus regular MLB and NFL highlights), live news from ABC News Live and others, and a decent free movie row.
Where it falls short: Sign-in walls appear on some channels, even when the channel itself is free. The app sometimes treats free live sports as an upsell into paid Sling.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything labelled Freestream, no account required for most channels
- Paid: Sling TV Orange or Blue from $40/month if you want full live cable
- vs Pluto TV: Both free. Sling has the best free live-sports surface; Pluto has none.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Open the app, browse the Freestream tab, and skip account creation for most channels.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when free live sports matters and you can put up with occasional sign-in walls.
7. Freevee, best for Amazon-curated movies and originals
Amazon Freevee rolls into the main Amazon Prime Video app on most platforms, but the standalone Freevee Android app is still available and worth installing if you do not want a Prime account in your face. The catalogue includes Amazon originals like Bosch Legacy, Jury Duty, and Leverage Redemption alongside a movies row that rotates more carefully than Tubi’s.
Where it falls short: Amazon keeps merging Freevee into Prime, so the standalone app’s long-term life is uncertain. Ads are also concentrated in heavier breaks rather than spread evenly.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything, ad-supported
- Paid: None
- vs Pluto TV: Both free. Freevee has cleaner originals; Pluto has more live channels.
Migrating from Pluto TV: Install, sign in with any Amazon account (or create one with email only), and pin favourite shows to the home row.
Download: Google Play | App Store
Bottom line: Pick this when you want originals and curated movies without channel sprawl.
How to choose
- Pick Tubi if movies matter most.
- Pick The Roku Channel if you want live news bundled with on-demand.
- Pick Crackle if Pluto’s home screen feels too busy.
- Pick Plex if you might run a home server.
- Pick Xumo Play if you want live channels that don’t crash on older phones.
- Pick Sling Freestream if free live sports is the missing piece.
- Pick Freevee if you want curated movies and Amazon originals.
- Stay on Pluto TV if the single-show channels are the reason you watch (Bar Rescue 24/7, the Star Trek channel, the Top Gear channel).
FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Pluto TV?
Tubi for movie catalogue, The Roku Channel for the best balance of live and on-demand, Plex if you also self-host. All three are free.
Does Pluto TV have offline downloads?
No. None of the alternatives in this list support offline downloads either. The free streaming category is stream-only across the board.
Are there ads on Pluto TV alternatives?
Yes. Every app on this list is ad-supported. Ad loads vary, with Crackle and Freevee running the lightest and Tubi running the heaviest.
Which Pluto TV alternative has live news?
The Roku Channel and Sling Freestream both ship strong live-news bundles. The Roku Channel leans national, Sling Freestream leans 24-hour cable-style.
Can I watch sports for free on a Pluto TV alternative?
Sling Freestream is the strongest option, with Stadium, MLB, and NFL highlights running free. The Roku Channel and Xumo Play both carry occasional live sports as well.
