If you find yourself flicking through Foxtel, Netflix, and Stan desperate for something new and interesting, it’s time to expand your horizons.
There are an extraordinary number of alternative free streaming services offering everything from timeless classics to Aussie reality TV to blockbuster rip-offs that are so bad, they’re good. And for those a little tight right now, good news, they're all 100% free!
Kanopy
Kanopy is the most unique streaming service on our list. The platform is free for anyone with a public library card or university login and specializes in ‘Critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films, and more.’
A quick scroll through their catalogue reveals indie darlings like Donnie Darko and Get Out, mega-hits like Inglorious Bastards and Saving Private Ryan, as well as old classics like The Godfather and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
And what they lack in binge-worthy TV shows, they make up for in intriguing documentaries, artsy foreign films, and plenty of Aussie-made flicks. It’s the perfect platform for long-time cinema lovers and aspiring film-geeks alike.
ABC iview
ABC iview takes all the great content from across ABC’s channels and puts it one place. That includes all of their comedy line-up with fan favourites like
The Mighty Boosh and
30 Rock, Australian arts and culture documentaries like
You Can’t Ask That, and their endless supply of homegrown kids shows like
Bluey.
ABC iview is also a great place to stay up to date with news and current events. Not only do they have all of their weekly shows like Q&A and Four Corners, but they also air special government updates and responses (something there’s plenty of right now).
9now
Bringing all of channel 9’s content to your computer screen, 9now is a great streaming service to jump onto if you’re interested in one thing and one thing only – Reality TV. Sure, they have some dramas like
Doctor Doctor and some comedies like
The Mindy Project, but we all know what you’re really here for…
Whether you need help Keeping Up with the Kardashians, can’t get enough of Married at First Sight, or need your weekly hit of Love Island, 9now is the place to be. You can go back and binge-watch old seasons, or catch up on episodes you missed. They’ve also got a pretty well stocked kids section if the early school holidays are driving you up the wall.
Tubi TV
How can we put this delicately…?
Tubi TV has thousands of titles, from action movies to comedy series – and almost all of them are straight-to-video, B-grade schlock. From cheesy knockoffs like Triassic World, to sequels you never knew existed like Krampus 2: The Devil Returns, Tubi TV seems to delight in airing movies any film-snob would scoff at.
So why bother going to Tubi TV? Well, when the world seems to be on the brink of collapse, and you just want a break from the seriousness of it all, isn’t the comfort of laughing at a terribly produced rip-off of a major franchise exactly what you need? Plus, you can watch Tubi TV without signing up, so you can enjoy such cinematic masterpieces as Evil Bong 2: Devil’s Harvest, Shaolin Invincible Guys, and 2-headed Shark Attack with just the click of a button.
SBS on demand
‘Our content connects you to a shared experience of the world that celebrates our differences and diversity. That way, you get closer to the stories that count.’
SBS on demand may be the most varied of any streaming service on this list. Not only do they have TV shows and movies from around the world, they have news, sports, documentaries, lifestyle shows, family flicks, and sitcoms straight from the U.S.
Some of their highlights are the cult-classic X-files, brand new eps of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Daniel Radcliffe helmed Swiss Army Man, and the iconic kung-fu flick Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. With a bottomless pit of hidden gems, SBS on demand may just be the perfect streaming site to scroll through when you don’t know what to watch next.