Downloading movies for free from the internet is kind of a gray area. As tempting as it may be, most free movie download sites are super-illegal, and you could get in some trouble if you grab a flick or TV series from one of the many illegitimate free services littering the web.
How can you tell which ones are for real? One big sign is the kinds of movies you’ll be able to download. If moviesarefreedude.com (we made that up) is offering the latest Marvel blockbuster for download before it hits VOD platforms, Blu-ray, or DVD, there’s like a 99.9% chance that site is up to no good.
We don’t want anyone behind bars — or paying hefty fines — for something as simple as watching a flick. So we’ve rounded up the best free movie download sites and corresponding apps that are 100% legit, as well as some of the best streaming services that allow you to download titles for offline viewing.
Netflix
Streaming platforms like Netflix and a handful of other popular streaming services give paying subscribers the ability to download movies and series for offline viewing, but there’s a bit of a caveat: These offline downloads are only “offline” within the platform’s mobile or desktop app, meaning you won’t actually be able to download the movie to your device.
As far as Netflix downloads go, there are a few other limitations to consider. For starters, offline movies and shows are capped at 15 downloads per device per calendar month for ad-supported Netflix plans. Ad-free users can have up to 100 active downloads at a time per device, up to however many devices your plan supports. Certain movies and shows cannot be downloaded, titles will automatically be removed from your downloads after a week or so, and some movies and shows can only be downloaded a specific number of times per year.
Now that we’ve covered all that ground, we can praise Netflix for its amazing selection of movies and shows. You’ll even be able to filter search results for titles that can be downloaded. Once a movie is finished downloading, head to your downloads page in the Netflix app, find the title you want to watch, and select Play.
We also dig some of Netflix’s download automations. When enabled, features like Smart Downloads will automatically add new episodes of shows and recommended content to your download queue. You’ll even be able to adjust the quality of your downloads (but only when using the Netflix app on iOS and Android devices).
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video has been around for a minute, and if you’re paying $140 annually for this perk-packed membership, you’ll have the ability to download movies and shows for offline viewing. While these aren’t official downloads that can be stored on your PC, in a cloud, or on an SD card, you’ll be able to access downloaded titles without an internet connection by simply heading to the downloads page in the Prime Video app.
Prime Video also lets you download movies and shows you’ve either purchased or rented (Freevee titles excluded), as well as streaming-only selections. Purchased downloads can be stored on up to four devices, while streaming-only downloads are limited to two. Offline downloads must be completed through the Prime Video app, which is available for iOS and Android devices, Windows, and macOS.
Conveniently, Amazon Prime Video will let you filter searches for movies and shows that can be downloaded. Once you select a film, episode, or entire season, just tap or click the Download button (located below the player window, or next to an episode description).
Hulu
Another of the big streaming platforms, Hulu is a safe and secure service that allows downloads for offline viewing with a number of its plans. This includes 25 active downloads per device on up to five devices. Do keep in mind if you’re an ad-supported Hulu user, the download feature won’t be available. And like Netflix and Prime Video, not all movies and shows can be downloaded. In fact, premium add-on and Live TV on-demand content is completely off limits.
To download a movie or show, you’ll need to be using the Hulu app on an iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire TV device. Tap Downloads from the list of menu options. You can also tap See What’s Downloadable to see what movies and shows can be saved for offline viewing. To download a movie, tap the Download icon on the Details page. To download an episode of a show, tap Episodes, then tap the Download icon next to the episode description.
Unwatched Hulu downloads will automatically be removed from your download queue after 30 days, and you’ll have up to 48 hours to finish a movie or episode once you’ve started it. You’ll also be able to renew certain expired downloads by tapping Downloads > the alert icon (an exclamation point with a circle around it) > Renew Download.
Disney+
The home of all things Mickey Mouse, Boba Fett, and Homer Simpson, Disney+ is another great streaming platform with a download option. But are you ready for the caveats? (Don’t worry, there aren’t too many).
Like Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, downloads for offline viewing are not available to Disney+ Basic plan subscribers. You’ll need to have a Disney+ Premium, Disney Bundle Trio Premium, or Legacy Disney Bundle to take advantage of this feature. Oh, and if you’re a Hulu subscriber with a linked standalone plan to Disney+ (or a Disney Bundle subscriber), you’ll also be able to download select Hulu (No Ads) movies and shows for offline viewing.
To download a movie or show you want to watch, you’ll need to be using the Disney+ app on an iOS or Android device. Once you’ve found the title you want to download, tap Download on the Details page to start the download. One thing we love about offline downloads for Disney+ is you can store an unlimited amount of downloaded content, on up to 10 different devices. Just be sure to log in once or twice per month, as downloads will automatically be removed from inactive Disney+ accounts after 30 days.
YouTube
YouTube can be a never-ending rabbit hole of silly pet videos, guitar covers, world news, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Fortunately, the popular Google property lets you download a number of these uploads for offline viewing.
There’s a catch though: You’ll need to be a YouTube Premium subscriber, which costs $14 per month for PC web browsers and the Android version of the YouTube app. If you own an iPhone or iPad, the cost goes up to $19 per month, because YouTube bundles in Apple’s in-app transaction fee.
You can store downloads on up to 10 devices. If you add a new device to your plan, the oldest of your 10 existing devices will be removed. You can perform this swap-out up to four times per year. To begin a download, simply find the movie, show, or user upload you want to watch, then click or tap the Download icon. To view dowloaded content, tap your YouTube profile icon, and select a title from the Downloads dashboard.
You’ll also be able to download movies and shows you’ve purchased or rented from YouTube for offline viewing — without needing a YouTube Premium account. Unfortunately, offline viewing doesn’t extend to YouTube’s free movie collection.
Library of Congress
A bastion of cultural significance, the Library of Congress (LOC), in partnership with the National Film Registry, curates a yearly section of movies that “showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage.” For 2024, the collection only features 18 films, but you couldn’t ask for an easier interface to use.
After selecting one of the films, you’ll be brought to a video player page. Use the playback controls by hovering over the film thumbnail. Credits, release dates, and format info can be found by scrolling down past the player. You’ll also see a small Download dropdown. Click or tap this option to choose between an MP4 or MOV for your export file. Click Go, and the film will open in a new tab.
To save the movie to your computer, right-click, then click Download Video or Download Video As… to choose an export location on your PC. We were able to use the Download dropdown on an iPhone too, but once the film opens in a new tab, there isn’t a way to actually save it to your mobile device.
PublicDomainMovie.net
We explicitly advise against downloading copyrighted material to a PC or mobile device. So if you’d like to venture away from the big streaming titans like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube, your best bet for legal free downloads are public domain films. And one of the best sites for this kind of material is PublicDomainMovie.net (PDM).
Unlike most of the other services we’ve mentioned thus far, PDM will actually let you download films directly to your PC. Numerous genre filters take up the top of the home page, with page after page of titles to choose from. If you’re on a PC, click the Download icon to open the video player in a new tab. Then right-click and choose Download Video or Download Video As… to choose a location on your machine.
You can also view movies offline using a smartphone or tablet, even though you won’t be able to save the title directly to your mobile device; just make sure the video player page for the movie you’d like to watch is pre-loaded on your web browser. We tested playback out by enabling Airplane Mode, and we were able to play, pause, rewind, and fast-forward our chosen film.
Perhaps the only drawback with PDM is its curation is limited to older films only. But if you’re a Hollywood Golden Age fan, or discerning arthouse viewer, you’ll be quite pleased with the selections.
Internet Archive
Similar to PublicDomainMovie.net, the Internet Archive site is just what it sounds like: a handsome collection of royalty-free films that you can sort by genre, era, subject, and many other filters. The Internet Archive actually provides public domain films to sites like PublicDomainMovie and similar free-to-download pages.
There are thousands of selections on the Internet Archive, and every film gets its own title page, complete with synopsis, cast and crew credits, and a handy Downloads sub-menu with several file types to choose from. The download process is identical to the PublicDomainMovie site. Choose the file extension you’d like to export with. Once the player opens in a new window, right-click and choose Download Video or Download Video As…
Far more than just a movie trove, you can also download books, music, games, images, and software.
Mubi
Here’s a unique option for all our indie film lovers, foreign cinema devotees, and arthouse fans. For $11 per month (or $96 annually), a Mubi subscription gives you access to a library of over 800 films. Many of these titles can be downloaded for offline viewing, but you’ll need to be using the Mubi mobile app to do so.
To download a film, simply select the title and tap the Download icon from the Details page (located under the video player). Movies you’ve downloaded will be housed in the Your Offline Films dashboard. Mubi even lets you choose the download quality of these offline films.
If you like dishing out discourse about your cinephile habits, Mubi is more than just a streamer and download hub: It’s a community forum for film lovers, too, so comment, debate, and critique to your heart’s content!
