Discover a selection of 10 online platforms that allow you to legally and freely watch movies, series, and documentaries without the need for a VPN. There’s no need to subscribe to multiple services like Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video to enjoy streaming. The web is full of legal solutions that provide access to a variety of free video content. While some are well-known, others, less popular, are worth exploring for the richness of their catalog.
We’ve reviewed several platforms and selected the most relevant ones. Here are 10 online services that you should definitely bookmark to legally and freely watch movies and series.
1. YouTube
It’s impossible to talk about video streaming without mentioning YouTube, the world’s most popular streaming platform. In addition to vlogs and podcasts, it hosts numerous channels dedicated to documentaries and cinema. By using the appropriate keywords, you can find content in different languages, including French. Queries like “full movie”, “Full Length Movie”, or simply “Full movie” will lead you to original productions, sometimes old, and channels entirely dedicated to their broadcast.
In French, channels like Ma Chaîne FilMs, Ciné Movies, Boxoffice, CINE PRIME, My Digital Channel, Cinéma Cinémas, and the excellent ARTE Cinema will cater to your needs. There are also many thematic channels in English, like Horror Central, Barbella X: Science Fiction movies, Sci-Fi Central, and the channel dedicated to old movies, PizzaFlix. YouTube is undoubtedly the richest source of free and legal content.
2. France TV
You may not be aware, but you can access many contents directly on the France TV website for free. The public television offers a wide variety of movies, from more or less recent productions, to many episodes of series and documentaries. You can even review the highlights of certain sports competitions.
The platform, accessible from any web browser, only requires the creation of an account, which is of course free. This will allow you to create playlists, save programs in your favorites, and most importantly, resume playback of interrupted content. You can also watch all channels of the France TV group live, access replays of shows, and enjoy the OKOO platform, entirely dedicated to children’s programs.
3. Plex.TV
You probably already know Plex, the client-server software that allows you to manage multimedia content stored on your devices on a local network. But did you know that Plex has its own online streaming platform? The Plex.tv service, accessible from your web browser, is completely free and perfectly legal. It aggregates content from several online streaming services and also offers its own content, funded by short advertising pages.
To access the content, it is essential to disable your ad blocker if you are using one. However, no account creation or login is required to enjoy the content broadcast on Plex.TV.
4. Arte.TV
Arte is not limited to documentaries. The Franco-German public channel offers on its dedicated website a multitude of varied programs: cinematographic productions, series, fictions, documentaries, and even concerts. The platform offers cinema and documentaries in several languages, subtitled, old or recent, in black and white or in color, to satisfy all tastes.
In addition to being accessible for free, the programs are available without the need to create an account or log in.
5. TV5MondePlus
In line with France TV and Arte.TV, TV5MondePlus also stands out. The French-speaking generalist channel offers on its website the opportunity to watch many movies, series, documentaries, and children’s programs.
To broadcast these programs for free, TV5MondePlus relies on short advertisements. It is therefore imperative to disable your ad blocker. No registration or login is required to access the content.
6. Rakuten.tv
You probably already know Rakuten for your online purchases, but perhaps less for its dedicated streaming platform, Rakuten.TV. To access it, click on the “Free” tab at the top of the page. You will find a vast catalog of cinematographic productions classified by categories. However, although Rakuten.TV is free and does not require any registration, there are some prerequisites.
You will need to disable your ad blocker if you are using one, as the service displays ads to finance the content it broadcasts. In addition, you must use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox, as Safari on macOS will not be compatible. Furthermore, depending on your hardware, Rakuten.TV may limit the quality of the videos.
7. Molotov
Molotov, a French service, is also an excellent solution for watching movies and series for free. It is accessible from a web browser and also has a dedicated application compatible with all platforms. Thus, you can enjoy it on a computer, a smartphone, or a smart TV. In addition to the ability to watch various live TV channels, Molotov offers quick access to programs currently airing on each channel. Contrary to what one might think, Molotov is not limited to the broadcast of live television channels.
The platform also offers a wide selection of on-demand content, particularly through its dedicated Mango service. Here, you will discover movies, series, children’s programs, and documentaries. Furthermore, Molotov provides access to the replays of certain channels, including those of the France Télévisions group.
8. PlutoTV
Launched in France at the beginning of 2021, the American platform PlutoTV is quite similar to what Molotov offers. It allows you to watch many contents live for free and, above all, without the need for registration. You can watch movies, series, news programs, documentaries, cartoons, music videos, sports programs, and many other types of entertainment from your web browser, smartphone, or smart TV. In addition to live programs, PlutoTV offers on-demand content.
The platform has a well-stocked catalog of French and international movies and series, covering all genres. You will find, among other things, British series produced by the BBC (including Doctor Who), detective series, action movies, science fiction, thrillers, animated movies, and much more.
9. Crunchyroll
Manga lovers will undoubtedly find what they’re looking for with Crunchyroll. This American platform, launched in France in 2013, allows you to stream many Japanese anime series and movies. While most are reserved for paying users (labeled as “Premium”), some productions are available for free. You will need to explore the site to find free-access content, as Crunchyroll does not offer a filter to display only free videos.
The service is accessible directly from your web browser and is also available as a mobile application on iOS and Android. Crunchyroll allows you to watch many contents in their original version, often subtitled in French. Moreover, if you want to take a break from watching anime, you can also read manga in your browser or play one of the games offered by the platform.
10. Archive.org
If you’re not familiar with Archive.org yet, this platform is an absolute must-add to your favorites. This website, also known as the Internet Archive, is a non-profit organization with the mission of archiving the entire web. The service is particularly known for its Wayback Machine tool, which allows you to view old versions of web pages or find web pages from sites that no longer exist.
However, Archive.org is not limited to web pages. The service also archives books, audio files, games, software, and of course, videos. By visiting the page dedicated
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MegaStreaming
MegaStreaming is another platform worth exploring for free and legal streaming of movies, series, and documentaries. While it may not be as well-known as some of the bigger names, it offers a variety of content and a user-friendly interface.
Film Streaming VF
For those who prefer their content in French, Film Streaming VF is a valuable platform. It provides a selection of movies, series, and documentaries in French, catering to a specific audience looking for content in their native language. This platform is a great addition for French-speaking viewers seeking a diverse range of entertainment options.
