Key Takeaways
- There are few services that offer free, ad-free content, but the content they offer is specialized.
- Kanopy offers highly acclaimed movies, while Hoopla offers a wide variety of library content.
- WaterBear focuses on documentaries that inspire positive change in an engaging way.
Typically, you pay for movie and TV content in two ways: You pay a high price, or Subscription Fee for example Max Disney+, or Netflix Or you can choose a free service that is peppered with ads just like your old cable service. Ultimately, you have to decide if you’re willing to spend more time or money to get the content you want. But what if there was a service that was free and didn’t bother you with ads? That would be the ideal solution, but does such a service actually exist?
There are very few services that offer content for free and without advertising.
There are very few services that offer content for free and without any ads. Also, they tend to have very limited content offerings, so you can’t expect them to completely replace your existing paid or ad-supported services. However, it doesn’t hurt to check out these services and browse their offerings to see if you can watch good content without ads or fees. I had to dig deep into the world of streaming to find these services that are somehow free of cost and without ads.
1 Kanopy
Dig out your old library card
Kanopy
Kanopy is the best hidden gem streaming service that no one is talking about. All you need to sign up is a library card, which you can get online in minutes and get instant access to a huge catalog of movies. We’re not talking about something outdated or niche. You can easily find popular and critically acclaimed movies like Eighth Grade, Lady Bird, and I Am Not Your Negro. If you want to dig a little deeper, you can also check out their great selection of foreign and indie films. Of course, there’s also a ton of educational content for kids. You can watch directly in your browser, on your mobile device, or download the app to most smart TVs.
Related
Do you lament the demise of movie theaters or welcome the future of streaming?
Some may say it was inevitable, but there is no denying that movie theaters have been in a steep decline over the past few years. Streaming services are to blame. Movie theaters survived the era of home video and DVDs because they were the only place to watch new movies for months, and your home screen was pretty underwhelming. Now movies appear on your favorite streaming service within a month or two, or even weeks, of their theatrical release, and they look amazing on your affordable TV. Convenience and comfort are certainly there, but we all know that movie theaters’ real predicament was the price. Movie tickets are getting more and more expensive, and concession stands are on the rise. At this point, the “movie-going experience” has lost its appeal to the general audience, who want to avoid going out, buying a ticket, sitting with strangers in a big auditorium, and being distracted by talking or fiddling with their phones. Still, movie theaters are still bringing people to the movies because of the magic of the movie theater.
2 Fuss
The entire library experience
No, Hoopla and Kanopy are not exactly the same thing. Although they both require you to have a library card, they offer very different things. Kanopy mainly offers movies, while Hoopla gives you digital access to everything you want from the library. This includes audiobooks, e-books, graphic novels, magazines, music, and of course TV and movies. The only thing to note is that the content available to you depends on which library you sign up for. Personally, I think the movie selection is a little weaker than Kanopy, but they still have some hits like Everything Everywhere All At Once. They make up for it with hundreds of e-books and audiobooks that you can download for your road trip.
3 Water Bear
Get better
Water Bear
Finally, WaterBear is a free streaming service with a clear and focused mission: to inspire people and create change by spotlighting the people and stories that matter. Most of the films are all documentaries, focusing on issues related to the climate, the earth, animals, and even us humans. However, they’re not all doom and gloom like many documentaries. Instead, WaterBear wants to offer hope and actionable steps towards positive change. You might not understand anything when you first look at what’s on offer, but you’ll soon find something about a cause that interests you and get hooked.
