With the rise in popularity of smart TVs and devices like streaming sticks, there have been a ton of new streaming services that have been released. While some of them, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, are really popular and have a ton of customers signing up and paying a monthly fee to access their content, there are also quite a few that don’t require customers to pay to watch the shows and movies on them.

While paid streaming services are still the only place to see some popular shows like Stranger Things and you won’t be finding Disney Channel classics like Lizzie McGuire anywhere outside of Disney+, a lot of free channels that can be added to streaming sticks have some surprisingly good content.

To see 10 of the best completely free channels for streaming sticks (and what you can watch on them), keep reading!

FilmRise

FilmRise is a company that has quite a few different channels, depending on what you’re into. If you’re looking for a good variety of different movies and TV shows, just download the basic FilmRise channel. On it, you can check out shows like Kitchen Nightmares, 3rd Rock From the Sun, and movies like Donnie Darko.

While FilmRise is a great channel for classic TV and some underrated movies, FilmRise is also well-known for their variety of genre-specific channels. Whether you’re into horror movies, comedies, or true crime shows and documentaries, there’s likely a channel out there for you to pick out.

Vudu

If you’ve got a streaming stick or a smart TV, you’re probably aware that Vudu is a channel where you can rent and buy movies and TV shows. So, what’s it doing on our list of free channels?

One thing many people don’t know is that Vudu has a huge selection of free shows and movies. Some shows only have the first season available for free, but that’s a good way to see if it’s a show you’re interested in seeing more of. The channel has a lot of movies that are totally free with ads, including titles like Hancock, Scary Movie, and Groundhog Day.

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a super popular and really unique free channel that is available on streaming sticks, tablets, and can even be checked out in your browser. This channel has a selection of live channels that play movies and TV shows as well as a huge library of on-demand movies and shows.

More channels are regularly being added, but some of the 24/7 channels available on Pluto TV include Unsolved Mysteries, featuring all the classic Robert Stack episodes, various MTV channels, a Degrassi channel, and a channel that shows Doctor Who episodes all day and night.

The Roku Channel

This channel offers paid subscriptions to other channels, but they’re not necessary as it’s loaded with a ton of free content, including a few live channels. Some of the shows on The Roku Channel include Schitt’s Creek, The Bachelorette, and classics like The Nanny. Along with TV shows, there are movies like August Rush, and Halloween.

Crackle

Crackle is a free channel that has shows and movies that we know and love as well as some of their own originals. Crackle is a well-designed app that allows users to add shows and movies that they’re interested in to a “watch later” list which is super helpful and syncs between devices through your account.

Classic shows like Who’s the Boss and Starsky & Hutch as well as completely original shows that are only available on Crackle, like Cleaners and Going From Broke, are all available on this channel. New shows and new movies are added regularly, which is great.

Tubi

Tubi is a channel that features a wide variety of free movies and TV shows. The library is updated regularly, which means that there’s always something new to watch. And if you’re someone that has been missing your “happy little trees” since Bob Ross’ The Joy of Painting channel was removed from streaming sticks, you’ll be happy to see that the series is available on Tubi.

Along with that series, Tubi has a blend of movies and TV shows of all genres. This channel has everything, from scary movies like Annabelle: Creation to action flicks like Kill Bill and shows like Cold Case Files, Grounded For Life, and Merlin.

Crunchyroll

Anyone familiar with anime will probably already know about Crunchyroll. Most people know that they can pay a monthly fee to watch entire series on Crunchyroll, but one thing that many people don’t know is that you can also watch Crunchyroll without paying the monthly fee.

The premium membership for Crunchyroll costs $7.99 a month, but if you don’t mind only being able to watch anime in standard definition, not being able to watch within an hour of the Japanese broadcast of new episodes, and you don’t mind watching ads, then you don’t have to pay it. Crunchyroll offers a wide variety of popular anime completely free.

PBS Kids

This channel is one that not everyone will be interested in, but anyone who has kids will be excited to know that PBS Kids is a free channel available on streaming sticks. If you’ve got younger children and you want to make sure that they’re watching appropriate, educational shows, definitely get the PBS Kids channel on your streaming stick.

PBS Kids has a wide variety of different PBS shows that are aimed at different age groups. Some of the shows that the channel has include Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Odd Squad, and Sesame Street.

Tiny Desk Concerts From NPR

Tiny Desk Concerts is a series that NPR does in which different musicians come put on a concert in their small, eye-catching space. Some of the musicians that NPR has gotten to do their Tiny Desk Concerts include Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Ari Lennox, and Weezer.

Although this channel isn’t like others that feature movies and TV shows and you can catch NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert performances on their website or on YouTube, it’s nice to be able to have them all in one place, right there on your TV screen. If you’re a music fan, this channel is a must.

Kanopy

Kanopy is a unique streaming service that doesn’t require payment for a membership, you just have to have a library card or be a university student. Unfortunately, Kanopy is only available through select libraries and universities, but there are a ton of them and new ones are being added regularly. You can check through Kanopy’s website to see if your local library or the university you attend is supported and if it is, you’ve got access to Kanopy’s entire library, completely free.

Kanopy has a massive selection of movies and documentaries. Some of what’s available on the streaming service include movies like Moonlight, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, and Young Adult. Along with those, the service has documentaries like The Central Park Five, I Am Big Bird, and Grey Gardens.

Next: The 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2020 (According To IMDb)