Home Cut the Cord Pluto TV The Best Pluto TV Alternatives
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Pluto TV is one of the popular alternatives for cable today. This is mainly because of its free service.
Pluto TV is as simple as opening your browser or downloading the Pluto TV app. You can use the service as long as you have a stable internet connection. That means you can watch it on all of your devices – from Android mobile phones, Android TV, or even the PlayStation 4.
And just because it’s free doesn’t mean you have limited channels to choose from. It turns out this streaming service can offer over 200 channels. This includes some of the most popular ones, like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, CNN, and more.
The best part is that it doesn’t require you to set up an account. Because of this, Pluto TV’s service reaches more than 22 million viewers today.
However, it’s not flawless. Unfortunately, Pluto TV lacks some features that can affect your viewing experience.
One of the things that Pluto TV lacks is offline download features. It also does not offer original content, unlike streaming giants like Netflix.
If you want these features, you’re better off finding an alternative service. Luckily, there are lots of options that you can choose from today. Here are some of them.
Compatible With
Like Pluto TV, Tubi TV offers a free streaming service. Here, you can enjoy both live and on-demand content without any obligation. What makes it better than Pluto TV, though, is its sports channel options and free content for kids. With Tubi TV, you won’t miss out on some o the most popular TV series and movies. Some of the shows you can enjoy here are Hell’s Kitchen, Storage Wars, Unsolved Mysteries, and Friday Night Lights, to name a few.
If you want to stay updated with current events, Tubi TV offers news channel options such as ABC News Live, NBC News NOW, LiveNOW from FOX, and Newsy. Apart from that, Tubi TV offers sports channels, which Pluto TV can’t offer as of writing. With this service provider, you can watch Fox Sports, NFL channel, MLB Channel, USA TODAY SportsWire, and more. This is perfect for the sports fans in your household.
If you have kids, Tubi TV can also offer you kids’ content. To watch them, you can simply go to the main menu on the app or website. Then, choose the “Tubi for Kids” option. Some of the notable content that children will love in Tubi for Kids are Kung Fu Panda, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Flinstones, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and more.
However, Tubi TV isn’t your best option if you’re looking to stream original content. Also, in exchange for the lack of a subscription fee, it inserts ads into its content to create revenue. But don’t worry, you won’t be bombarded with commercials. In fact, you’re likely to encounter five commercial breaks on average in a two-hour span of watching.
Compatible With
Crackle also offers a free service where you can watch on-demand content. What makes this a better option than Pluto TV is that it offers some original content. Compared to other free streaming services, Crackle offers a pretty impressive library. You can even see recognizable TV series and original programming.
On top of that, there is often no shortage of popular actors on its movie menu. Here, you’ll usually see names such as Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and Harrison Ford, to name a few. When it comes to on-demand TV series, Crackle can also offer well-known shows. This includes the Ellen Show, Hell’s Kitchen, T.J. Hooker, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, and more, and if you have kids, don’t worry; they can enjoy some content with Crackle too.
Some of the options your kids can choose from are Lost!, Kukuli, Dennis the Menace, and Creature Comforts America. In terms of original content, you can enjoy a few series and films too. Today, there are 21 original TV series and 17 original movies that you can watch. And there are more to come.
Additionally, its interface is very user-friendly. If you click on content, it will take you straight to an ad and then rolls you to the start of the movie or TV show. One drawback, though, is that it inserts ads into its on-demand content. It’s understandable, though, as it needs to make revenue, and it can only do so via ads. The good news is that the number of commercials that Crackle inserts are not much of a problem. In fact, they’re fewer than what you’d expect for a free service, and of course, they’re lesser than the commercials on traditional TV.
Compatible With
Xumo TV XUMO is a default option on many kinds of smart TVs, thanks to partnerships with several major television makers. But you can also download its app. The service, which does not require registration, provides access to over 190 live-streaming channels as well as a library of on-demand movies and television episodes.
For its live content, Xumo TV offers news channels like ABC News Live, NBC News, CBSN, Bloomberg TV, Cheddar, and Newsy. If you’re a sports fan, the service provides six channels. This includes Pac-12 Insider, ACC Digital Network, Fox Sports, Stadium, PGA Tour, and USA Today Sportswire. For entertainment, on the other hand, you can watch TMZ, History Channel, Family Feud, Funny or Die, and Hallmark Movies.
If you’re looking for original content, though, this isn’t the service for you. You’re better off finding another service if you’re looking to access some kid-friendly content. In terms of usability, Xumo TV is pretty easy to use. Its interface is straightforward, so if you’re a beginner, you won’t have a hard time navigating through the app.
One of its cons, though, is that you have to set your content expectations. Unfortunately, you won’t see the latest episode of CBS’ top shows or NBC’s top comedy shows. You’re not getting HBO-quality thrillers here either. Also, it has ads, so it can earn revenue since it’s free. But, like the first services, you won’t be bombarded with ads.
Compatible With
Hoopla is yet another great streaming service that can replace Pluto TV. What makes it great is that it teams up with libraries across Canada and the United States. As a result, you have more content to enjoy. The best part of it is that you can’t only stream TV shows and movies. Hoopla can also give you access to audiobooks, comics, ebooks, and music, which is a huge advantage against its competitors.
Everything you borrow on Hoopla is fully legal, just like borrowing books from a library. You won’t have to worry about late fees because the books will automatically return after a specified period of time. When it comes to its interface, Hoopla offers a simple and straightforward design. This is perfect for new users, and of course, you won’t experience any hassle while navigating through the app.
One drawback of using Hoopla, though, is that you can’t borrow too much content from its library. This is because it only allows 10 total borrows a month. But, it’s unlikely that you’ll experience problems with this as you’ll probably rarely run out of borrows. Moreover, unlike the first apps mentioned, Hoopla will require you to create an account by completing a form. Overall, it’s a great app, especially because it’s free and you can get access to a lot of content.
Compatible With
Kanopy is a free streaming service offered by public libraries and institutions. What makes it stand out among the rest is that it features content from huge production companies, such as HBO Documentaries and Paramount. The best part is it’s ad-free! Kanopy’s library is populated by a variety of film and documentary content partners.
Its network, which reaches over 45 million eligible public library members in more than 200 countries, includes more than 12,000 filmmaker and supplier partners. Apart from films, you will also enjoy watching thousands of documentaries, including Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like, I Am Big Bird, and Echo in the Canyon.
And if you have kids at home, Kanopy is also a great option, as it offers an entire section dedicated to children. Some of its notable content for kids are Peanuts (Charlie Brown and Snoopy), Sesame Street, Franklin the Turtle, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (which is based on Mr. Rogers’s characters). Most free streaming services rely heavily on advertisements. On Kanopy, it’s nice not to have to deal with it.
When it comes to the user interface, Kanopy is also straightforward. Its content is segregated by genre. Plus, you can simply swipe left and right when browsing content. The most difficult obstacle to overcome with Kanopy is obtaining free access. Unlike the majority of the free streaming services we’ve evaluated, which make creating an account unnecessary and the material easy to find, Kanopy needs some upfront effort. However, once you have access, you will find a rather easy user experience that will likely feel familiar to you from other apps you’ve used.
Compatible With
STIRR is relatively new to the industry, as it was only launched in 2019. But it’s already showing promising performance. STIRR seeks to reach the growing number of cord-cutters in the United States with local TV news and other material. The business already controls over 190 television channels, which it is using to build its own “thin bundle” for free.
Like Pluto TV, this service also offers content for entertainment. But that’s not all. What makes STIRR great is that it can also give you access to sports and national news, as well as a video-on-demand library. STIRR CITY, the service’s special channel streams a program lineup based on where you live. And you can get access to it 24/7. This means you can watch local news, as well as local and regional sports, entertainment, and city-focused lifestyle programs.
If you’re a sports fan, you can also get access to high school football through STIRR’s sports channel. In case local content isn’t available in your area, STIRR fleshes out content that is integrated from other networks on the streaming service. Since it’s relatively new, STIRR only has a few national networks and digital-first stations. This includes BUZZR, Cheddar, Charge, Comet, Dove Channel, DUST, FailArmy, Futurism, NASA TV, The World Poker Tour, and MovieMix, to name a few. STIRR could be better if its signals are improved. Unfortunately, some areas have poor reception. It’s also not ad-free. But don’t worry; the number of commercials is tolerable.
Compatible With
If you browse at Walmart.com frequently, you may have come upon the on-demand streaming service Vudu whilst looking for anything to buy. Vudu, which is owned by Walmart, sells and rents some of the most anticipated new releases in the film and television industries. However, you might be shocked to learn that it also offers over 10,000 free movies and TV episodes.
Due to the presence of adverts, this content is available for free. In Vudu’s free streaming section, there are some huge Hollywood names associated with movies. However, as you might expect, there aren’t many titles in this division that we’d label “new releases.” Vudu has those restricted for rental or purchase. Instead, the free movie menu features a variety of older films. Some of these are already available on standard cable television channels.
Vudu TV also has 633 seasons of television shows available. The most well-known titles, like the movie selection, are a little antiquated. Thomas the Tank Engine, for example, is a well-known and still-relevant children’s character. As you know by now, free streaming comes at a cost, and it comes in the form of your time and patience in exchange for sponsored advertising.
Vudu interrupts your viewing experience with adverts before your content begins, which I find to be less than ideal. You’re already in a commercial break if you’re unsure about a show you’ve never seen before and want to watch a few minutes of it before committing to the entire episode.
Compatible With
Popcornflix is a free on-demand streaming service that lets you watch movies and TV shows without having to pay a monthly fee. Popcornflix incorporates adverts into the viewing experience in exchange for free content. It’s a subsidiary of Screen Media Ventures, which bills itself as one of the biggest independent distributors of motion movies to the global television market. Popcornflix is likely to disappoint you if you’re hoping for big-name new releases and unique stuff to brag about at the office water cooler.
In that aspect, it isn’t a viable Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, or Disney+ substitute. On the plus side, there’s plenty of recognizable content available that doesn’t come with a monthly subscription to one of those streaming services. The content on Popcornflix has several well-known names associated with it. There is no shortage of A-list celebrities in films directed by Martin Scorsese and Stephen King, as well as films starring Matt Damon, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
However, the choices aren’t always the best performances from some of those celebrities, and the programming is a little outdated. In the free streaming market, this is a regular give-and-take. But, if you’re looking for original content, lucky you, as Popcornflix has recently added Popcornflix Originals, where you can see titles starred by recognizable names in the film industry. Unfortunately, Popcornflix isn’t ad-free. You may frequently see ads, unlike in some free streaming apps. Despite that, it’s still a pretty decent choice that you can substitute for Pluto TV.
Copyright @2021 TechJunkie
Copyright @2021 TechJunkie
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