11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (2024)

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

Our Favorite Download Sites

The biggest issue with searching for "free movies", though, is that pretty much everything you find will be illegal. The last thing you want is to download something from one of those sites, so I've done the work for you and scoured the internet to find all the best, completely legal free movie download sources. They are filtered to remove any of the shady options (you're welcome, trust me), and waiting for you below.

If you don't already have a great TV to watch these on, check out our TV buying guide to help you settle on one that's right for you. Then get the popcorn and settle in to enjoy!

01

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PublicDomainMovie.net

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (1)

What We Like

  • Several genres to choose from.

  • Downloading is straightforward.

  • Most can be streamed as well.

  • No payment necessary.

What We Don't Like

  • Only older movies.

  • No search or sort options.

  • Way too many website ads.

Of the hundreds of free movie download websites available on the internet, public domain movies should be your go-to so there's no question about their legality. PublicDomainMovie.net is a great source for these kinds of films.

When a movie is in the public domain, itmeans 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 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 loads of them all over the place; fortunately, they aren't included in the videos themselves.

02

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The Public Domain Review

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (2)

What We Like

  • Useful filtering options.

  • Includes a search function.

  • Ad-free website.

What We Don't Like

  • Solely older films.

  • Fewer than 200 movies.

  • Hardly ever updates with new additions.

  • Some dead links.

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 directs you to the films section, where you can filter by century, genre, theme, and type. For instance, you might want to explore 20th-century movies, specifically shorts or silent films, or perhaps movies centered around themes like food, architecture, or the natural world.

Everything here can be streamed. The movie download links are at the bottom of each page.

03

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Internet Archive

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (3)

What We Like

  • Lets you stream before downloading.

  • Filter by year and topic.

  • Huge listings, all totally free.

  • Free from ads.

What We Don't Like

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 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.

04

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The Library of Congress

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (4)

What We Like

  • Lets you stream before downloading.

  • No ads, and nothing costs.

  • Multiple file format options.

What We Don't Like

  • Only includes older films.

  • Tiny collection.

  • Updates once a year.

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.

05

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Netflix

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (5)

What We Like

  • Includes both movies and TV shows.

  • Big library of films that updates often.

  • Browse for just downloadable movies.

What We Don't Like

  • Must be a paying user.

  • Ad-supported plans don't include downloads.

  • Must download from the app (not the website).

  • Not all titles can be downloaded.

  • Downloads are automatically removed in no later than seven days (some sooner).

The Best Kids' Movies on Netflix

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 someone who has been using Netflix for a long time, it's my top choice for saving movies offline. If you don't use Netflix, there are several other similar options listed below.

Downloads are allowed through the Netflix app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

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.

06

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Amazon Prime Video

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (6)

What We Like

  • Download purchased, rented, and subscription titles.

  • Purchased movies can be saved to up to four compatible download devices.

  • Includes a section for just downloadable content.

  • Filter by genre.

What We Don't Like

  • Must use the app to save movies.

  • Downloading isn't available for all films.

  • Subscription and rented movie downloads expire after a set time.

If you subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, you can download moviesfrom 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.

It's super easy to download Amazon Prime movies. Just look for the Download button in the Prime Video app. This works on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.

07

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YouTube

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (7)

What We Like

  • Download movies you've purchased or rented.

  • View comments, ratings, and trailers.

What We Don't Like

  • Can't download free titles.

  • No filtering options.

  • Only works from the mobile app.

To my surprise, YouTube permitsoffline 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 Downloadto pick the quality and preferred audio track.

If only this worked for YouTube's free movie collection, it'd top this list in a heartbeat!

This works in the Google TV app, too. Go to Your stuff > Movies, then tap a movie to see the download option.

08

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Fandango at Home

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (8)

What We Like

  • Lots of high-quality movies.

  • You can download purchased and rented movies.

What We Don't Like

  • Downloading requires the mobile app.

  • Free movies can't be saved.

  • Generic genres to pick from when sorting the movie list.

Fandango at Home (formerly 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.

09

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Hulu

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (9)

What We Like

  • It's easy to locate just the titles that support being downloaded.

  • You can have up to 25 downloads on five supported mobile devices at one time.

What We Don't Like

  • Ad-supported plans don't include movie download support.

  • Not all movies can be saved offline.

  • Requires a supported mobile device.

  • Must occasionally renew expired downloads to keep them offline.

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.

10

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Disney+

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (10)

What We Like

  • Download the same movie on up to 10 supported mobile devices.

  • Includes movie trailers.

  • Suggests similar movies.

What We Don't Like

  • 'Basic' subscribers can't download movies.

  • Downloaded content gets removed if you're offline longer than 30 days.

  • Some titles may be unavailable for download.

  • Few genres to pick from.

I've seen lots of great movies on Disney+, many of which would be awesome to watch on a long plane ride. To download movies from the Disney+ mobile app, tap Download on the movie page.

Unfortunately, this only works on some plans. Specifically, subscribers of the Basic plans can't get movie downloads.

11

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iTunes

11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (11)

What We Like

  • Download movies on your computer, phone, or tablet.

  • Helpful categories for finding a movie to purchase.

What We Don't Like

  • Downloaded films play only in an approved app.

If you use iTunes to buy movies, you'll be pleased to know you can download movies via iTunes Store by selectingDownloadafter you purchase it. Movies can also be downloaded on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

I love the extensive list of genres to pick from when looking for a movie download. Classics, Made for TV, Music Documentaries, Regional Indian, and Short Films are some of the more unique ones, but others are included as well, for comedies, musicals, Westerns, thrillers, etc.

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There Are Few Legal Movie Download Sites

It's obvious from the above list that there are very few free and legal movie download sites. This isn't from a lack of trying on my part. In fact, every month, I look over this list and check for any new sites I can add to it.

A quick Google search for 'movie download site' will list lots of options, but you probably won't even see any of the above websites on the first page of the search results.

Why is that? There are two reasons:

  1. Most websites offering movie downloads are doing so illegally.
  2. Most "movie download" sites are really just movie streaming sites.

The top sites people are visiting for movie downloads often don't deliver on the 'download' part and instead let you stream movies (here's the difference), but they still shouldn't. Usually, the films you can get on those sites were released this year, and some are even still in theaters! That's the first red flag that the website isn't complying with most copyright laws.

Movies obtained that way are almost always rips of Blu-rays or DVDs, meaning someone is sharing their purchased (or rented, filmed, or pre-released) movie with others. This is how most movie torrent sites work.

If a movie isn't in the public domain or if the creator hasn't authorized its sharing, then it's not yours to keep. The first few sites in the list above offer completely free content because they host public domain films, while the others are legally sound due to agreements those companies have with the movie studios, allowing them to offer authorized downloads.

Consider Streaming Movies Instead

If you don't have to, don't limit yourself to downloading when there's the option of streaming.

This is what I do 99% of the time. There are many more choices if you consider watching films on free movie websites instead. The films may not be yours to keep, but you'll get to watch them often in high quality and stream them directly from the websites, usually as many times as you like.

If you want to download a movie so it can be played on your phone or tablet, I recommend using a free movie-watching app instead. It's all the same titles you can find on movie websites but packaged for a smaller screen.

Are you more into old-fashioned disc rentals? You can even often take advantage offree Redbox rental codes to keep entertainment on the cheap.

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11 Best Free Movie Download Sites for 2024 (2024)

FAQs

Which is the best free movie download site? ›

If you have a good internet connection, you may watch movies online for free. Sites such as Solarmovie, Putlocker, fmovies, and bmovies may help you find the movies or television shows you want to watch.

How do I download a full movie? ›

Download videos
  1. Make sure your device is connected to the internet.
  2. Open Google Play Movies & TV .
  3. Tap Library.
  4. Find the movie or TV episode you want to download.
  5. Tap Download .

What is the best safe free movie site? ›

Best free streaming sites for movies and shows: 10 services to...
  • Kidoodle.TV. ...
  • European Film Gateway. ...
  • Internet Movie Archive. ...
  • Beamafilm. ...
  • NFSA. ...
  • Crunchyroll. ...
  • Tubi. ...
  • Filmzie.
Apr 3, 2024

How can I download free movies for cost? ›

TorrentDownloads. TorrentDownloads is a torrent site that is very famous for its wide range of movies, TV shows, music, software, and many others. However, it has content from various genres and categories that are not just torrents requiring a torrent client to download.

Are there any legal free movie websites? ›

Tubi tv, Crackle and CW tv are free and legal.

What is 123Movies called now? ›

The original name, and URL, was 123movies.to, which changed to other domains including 123movies.is before redirecting to gomovies.to and later gomovies.is.

How do I download movies from any website? ›

Use an Online Video Downloader
  1. Access the web page where your desired video is embedded.
  2. Copy the URL of the video you want to download.
  3. Access the video downloader.
  4. Paste the URL of your desired video.
  5. Tap the download button below the box where you've posted the URL.
  6. It will start validating the given URL.
Mar 12, 2024

How to download full HD movies for free? ›

MyDownloadTube is another great website to free download movies in HD quality. It is a free and legal website, which only contains links to other sites. Like Gomovies, 123movies, Putlocker, etc. For easy and simple navigation on the site, there is a search bar at the top right side of the homepage.

What movie app lets you download movies? ›

8 Best Streaming Services That Allow Downloads
Hulu 30 days free trial$7.99Watch
Starz No contract, cancel anytime$2.99Watch
Disney+ No contract, cancel anytime$7.99Watch
Apple TV+ 7 days free trial$9.99Watch
Netflix No contract, cancel anytime$6.99Watch
5 more rows

Is it illegal to download a movie for free? ›

It is illegal to download any music or movies that are copyrighted. Downloading or file-sharing a copyrighted song or movie could expose you to a lawsuit for money damages that could cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

How can I legally download movies? ›

Whether or not downloading music and movies are illegal depends on the particular copyright attached to it. To be sure you and your child are downloading music and movies legally, it is important to go to a trustworthy site, for example, iTunes, 7digital, Amazon, Playlouder, HMV, and Virgin.

What happens if you download a movie from an illegal website? ›

When you illegally download or stream digital content on a distrustful website, it can mean exposing yourself to: malware that could access your personal information, browsing data or credit card information. viruses that may damage or destroy your files and device.

Is it illegal to download movies from 123Movies? ›

123Movies and other similar pirate sites violate copyright laws and operate in a legal gray area or even illegally. Using such a site is illegal in many countries. This can cause law enforcement agencies and copyright holders to monitor and track you for legal repercussions.

Is it OK to download movies for free? ›

Most songs and movies that appear on download or file–sharing websites are copyrighted. It is illegal to download any music or movies that are copyrighted.

Can you download on 123Movies? ›

Is The Best Streaming Content source, Watch And Download Movies In Hd Quality 1080p 720p, And 460p You Can Download Any Movie Only More Than 300MB HD Quality 123 Movies App Combines The Best Streaming Content From 123Movies App For Android (Tamilmv cloud, Gomvies, YesMovies,123Movies, And Fmovies) Sources.

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