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Watch free movies online or download them with your library card. Enjoy movies from popular genres like horror, comedy, westerns and more.
Aug 12, 2024 · Find out the top streaming platforms to download movies for free and watch offline. Compare the pros and cons of 31 sites, from Popcorn Flix to Yidio, and learn how to unblock geoblocked services.
- Overview
- PublicDomainMovie.net
- The Public Domain Review
- Internet Archive
- The Library of Congress
- Netflix
- YouTube
- Amazon Prime Video
- Vudu
- Hulu
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Want to watch that movie on your schedule? Download it to your device so you can watch it (aka "stream it locally") later on, whenever and wherever you want. That's the beauty of downloading a movie: It's ready when you are, even without an internet connection.
Of the hundreds of free movie download websites available on the internet, public domain movies should be your go-to so that there's no question about their legality. PublicDomainMovie.net is a great source for these kinds of films.
When a movie is public domain, it means the copyright is no longer held by any one individual—the public owns the movie. In other words, you can watch and download the films as many times as you like, completely legally.
There are a handful of genres along the top of the site to help you find the dramas, horrors, comedies, etc., among the several hundreds of movies that are offered here. Every movie page shows the film's cover image, release date, synopsis, and cast list.
I like that I can stream these movies directly from the website for a preview of what I'm getting before I start the download. However, I don't like all the ads. There are actually loads of them all over the place; fortunately, they aren't included in the videos themselves.
This one is very similar to the above site. Most of the films at The Public Domain Review are from the same source as the previous site's collection, but I've added it here for two reasons: the lack of ads and the great filtering options.
The link below takes you to the films section specifically, but once you're there, you can filter by century, genre, theme, and type. For example, maybe you're looking for 20th century movies, or only shorts or silent films, or movies that fall under the food, architecture, or natural world theme.
Internet Archive's Free Movies & TV Shows
Internet Archive is a trove of digital information. It has not only movies for download, but also software, web pages, books, and more. Like the above two sites, this one offers free movie downloads because they're in the public domain.
There are lots of categories here where you might find movies, so the link below, which takes you to Feature Films, is just one example. There are tens of thousands of free films in over a dozen languages.
Most if not all the movies from the sites listed above are actually sourced from Internet Archive, but I prefer those movie download sites over this one because there's just too much to sift through here. Still, I like to use this website for its filtering options, which can include language, creator, year, topic, and more.
Another way to download movies is through the Library of Congress. According to the LOC, the purpose of this list of movies is to "showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage."
They're a selection of films from the National Film Registry (NFR), which is a collection of movies selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board.
A couple of things I like about downloading movies here is that the website is ad-free and all the options are on a single page because there are only a couple dozen movies to pick from.
These titles can be downloaded directly from the Library of Congress' website in formats like MP4 and MOV.
Netflix is one example of a subscription service that lets you save its movies and TV shows to a download portion of the app so you can watch even without an internet connection.
As a long-time Netflix user, this is an obvious choice for me when I want to save a movie offline. If you don't use Netflix, there are several other, similar options listed below.
Downloads are permitted from both the Netflix mobile app and the desktop app. See How to Download Netflix Shows and Movies to learn how this works.
Streaming services like Netflix don't give you the video file to save wherever you want. You can only download the movie in their approved app, which helps them control further copying or burning to discs.
To my surprise, YouTube permits offline viewing for purchased or rented movies, and it's not restricted to YouTube Premium subscribers!
Anyone who buys or rents a movie through YouTube can save it for offline playback. Just open the video for viewing in the Android or iOS app, and tap Download to pick the quality and preferred audio track.
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, you can download movies from the same screen where you can stream the video. Downloading movies also works for rented and purchased titles (but not the Freevee collection).
Most rented movies, and films purchased through a Prime subscription, expire 48 hours after you download them. Purchased movie downloads can be saved on up to four devices, but subscription titles can be stored on only two devices at a time.
Vudu movie downloads are allowed through the official mobile app. Just like with Netflix and similar movie streaming services, this is possible only if you've already purchased the video.
The app can sort movies by most watched or release date. Another thing I like about using this app for movie downloads is the option to show only "Fresh" movies, as determined by Rotten Tomatoes. There's also a genre picker.
Hulu is another subscription-based service that offers full legal movies and original programming. This means it's a totally legit way to get movie downloads.
To watch stuff offline, use the download button next to the film you want to save.
My biggest gripe? Like these other services, downloading a movie only works on some of the plans, Hulu (No Ads) and Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV. In addition to plans with ads, movies from premium add-ons and Live TV on-demand movies, are not downloadable.
This works on the Hulu app for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Amazon Fire devices.
- The Internet Archive. Availability: Worldwide. The Internet Archive is an excellent platform for accessing legal movies and television shows completely for free.
- Public Domain Torrents. Availability: Worldwide. One thing that I have learned after years of research is that copyright laws are extremely complex and could cost you millions.
- YouTube. Availability: Worldwide. YouTube can be a great go-to when you’re looking for something to watch. As the world’s largest video-sharing website, it offers a vast array of visual content from around the globe.
- Roku Channel. Available in: The United States and the U.K. Roku specializes in crafting digital media players for video streaming. They introduced their first major product, the Roku Streaming Player, in 2008.
Jun 17, 2024 · Learn how to find and download free movies from legal and safe sites, such as Public Domain Torrents, YIFY Movies, and Watch TCM. Compare features, quality, and formats of different sites and get tips on how to transfer movies to your devices.
Apr 25, 2024 · Learn how to download movies and shows from Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and YouTube legally and safely. Compare the features, limitations, and costs of each service and find out which one suits your needs.
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Jul 11, 2024 · Find out how to watch and download movies for free from various sources, including YouTube, The Internet Archive, Hotstar, and more. Compare the features, pros, cons, and availability of different websites for free movie streaming in 2024.