NordVPN Black Friday Banner

The best free movie streaming sites in Australia

Grab a free ride with these movie streaming sites. 

Tubi
Tubi
Free
TV shows
1,000+
Movies
4,000+
Featured titles
Midsomer Murders, Iron Chef, Cruel Intentions, Brokeback Mountain, Pokémon
Kanopy review logo
Kanopy
Free with a library card
TV shows
100+
Movies
6,000+
Featured titles
Midsommar, Hereditary, Ex Machina, Pig, Parasite and Moonlight
SBS On Demand LOGO
SBS On Demand
Free
TV shows
1200+
Movies
350+
Featured titles
The Orville, Taskmaster, Alone, Atlanta and Halt and Catch Fire
ABC iview logo
ABC iview
Free
TV shows
500+
Movies
150+
Featured titles
Booksmart, Pan's Labyrinth, Bluey, Killing Eve, Doctor Who and Grand Designs
Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video
30 days free then$9.99/mo
TV shows
1,600+
Movies
7,000+
Featured titles
The Boys, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and This is Us
Brodie Fogg
Jan 20, 2023
Icon Time To Read5 min read

Ever since the Australian government started cracking down on file-sharing websites and BitTorrent clients like Popcorn Time and Putlocker, streaming movies for free has become a tad trickier Down Under.

We’ve all used one of these sites in our most desperate moments. Maybe that movie you wanted to see before the internet spoiled it for you was delayed in Australia, or maybe you just don’t want to pay for another streaming service. Both valid reasons but it’s fair to say, we should be paying for our movies and TV shows where we can. It’s just that paying for it can prove difficult in Australia.

There are plenty of paid streaming services readily available in Australia (maybe too many) but far fewer opportunities to stream for free these days. Thankfully, the following services will allow you to stream an outstanding selection of TV shows and movies without any price barriers. 

You can read on for more information on each free streaming site but if you just want the key details, take a look at the list below. 

Site/service
Model
Go to site
Movie library
TV show library
More info
TubiTubi
Free4,000+1,000+
Kanopy review logoKanopy
Free
with eligible library card
6,000+100+
SBS On Demand LOGOSBS On Demand
Free
Digital catch-up service
1200+350+
ABC iview logoABC iview
Free
Digital catch-up service
150+500+
Prime VideoPrime Video
Paid
$9.99/mth with 30-day trial
7,000+1,600+
Rev Streaming
There’s too much good TV and not enough time. We take the guesswork out with our weekly picks for what to watch.
You're going to love The Watchlist**By clicking this link, you are contractually obliged to love The Watchlist. You don't have to tell everybody about The Watchlist, but that would help prove that you love it in the court of law. if it came to that.

1. Tubi

Best free movie streaming site in Australia

Tubi
Tubi TV
Our Rating
3 out of 5 stars
3
PriceFree
pro Surprisingly decent catalogue
con Occasional ads

Tubi is a free-to-use streaming site that was purchased by Fox in early 2020. It was first launched in the US back in 2014 but only made its way to Aussie shores in late 2019. And, in case you were wondering, it is 100% legal to usel. Unlike most services’ subscription models, Tubi is 100% ad-supported. Here in Australia, giving Tubi a go won't cost you a thing.

Despite this, there aren’t quite as many ads as you might expect. According to Tubi’s support centre, their ad breaks are short (one to two minutes long) and only interrupt your stream every 15 minutes or so. To test it, we watched a movie and a couple of TV episodes and only experienced about half a dozen ads. That’s still nowhere near as many ads you’d have to sit through watching an episode of Masterchef.

Tubi’s no-cost admission is its biggest selling point but its massive library of movies is its second strongest draw. As you could probably guess, its catalogue of movies isn’t short of a few duds and B-grade bangers but that’s part of the charm. You can stream award-winning films like Brokeback Mountain and Birdman, bonafide classics like Metropolis and Nosferatu, as well as some of the worst and best-of-the-bad flicks like Samurai Cop and Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Play Video
Deals

Stream for free tonight with these trials

Looking for something new to stream tonight? These services offer free trials so you won’t pay a cent unless you decide to keep subscribed once your trial’s up.

2. Kanopy

Next best for free movies

Kanopy review logo
Kanopy
Our Rating
3 out of 5 stars
3
PriceFree with library card
pro Brilliant selection of over 11,000 movies
con Limited streams per month

Kanopy houses over 6,000 movies and over 100 TV shows but more important is the quality of movies you can find there. A huge number of Kanopy's movies hold an IMDB score of 7 or above. It’s also the only place you’ll find masterpieces like Kurosawa’s Rashomon or Tarkovsky’s Solaris, which is why it’s considered an invaluable free resource for anyone studying film.

But therein lies the biggest problem (and catch) with Kanopy. To access it, you need an eligible library card from a library that pays for it. While it might be free to you, a subscription to Kanopy can cost your library a small fortune, and depending on what plan your library pays for, you might be limited to ten streams per month.

Those caveats make it hard to recommend to a broader audience. Kanopy’s competitor Beamafilm offers a similar service but also gives the general public the option to pay for a subscription. That said, paying for it means it no longer qualifies as a free streaming service.

3. SBS On Demand

Best catch-up streaming site

SBS On Demand LOGO
SBS On Demand
Our Rating
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
pro Quality movie selection and recent TV series
con Lengthy (and buggy) ad breaks

Where Kanopy is free with a few strings attached, SBS On Demand is a bonafide free movie streaming service so long as you’re willing to put up with the ads. SBS On Demand might not have the biggest movie library out there (just over 1200 movies at last check) but it does offer a curated collection of some truly outstanding films. On the fresher side of its collection, there’s Bong Joon Ho's award-winning Parasite, 2018 cult-horror flick In Fabric, and Barry Jenkin's drama If Beale Street Could Talk. There are a few quality classics too, like Rabbit-Proof Fence, Lion and Fitzcarraldo.

As you can probably tell by now, it’s not typically the place you go for action-packed comfort viewing but it’s not all so serious. I mean, it’s got the Timecop, The Fifth Element and cult-classic Near Dark at the moment but you probably won't find the latest Fast and the Furious movie streaming on SBS On Demand. 

SBS On Demand's better strength is the access it gets to critically acclaimed television. Donald Glover's Atlanta has long called SBS home here in Australia, but it's currently joined by comedy sci-fi The Orville. comedy quiz show Taskmaster, Fear the Walking Dead and AMC all-timer Halt and Catch Fire. 

Play Video

4. ABC iview

Best free streaming site for families

ABC iview logo
ABC iview
Our Rating
4 out of 5 stars
4
pro Fantastic television for the whole family
con User interface isn't comparable with paid streaming services

ABC iview and SBS On Demand are birds of a feather. Two of Australia's most cherished TV networks, evolved for the on-demand age. While SBS On Demand has a focus on highlighting multicultural voices in Australia, and more mature, high-brow content, ABC iview's focus is on family programming and locally produced comedy and drama. It's partnership with BBC also makes it Australia's closest thing to a free-to-air UKTV. Amongst the best of the Brits, you'll find popular crime shows like Midsomer Murders and Broadchurch, as well as modern hits like Killing Eve, Schitt's Creek and of course, everyone's favourite, Bluey. 

Bluey itself is more than enough to draw most Australian families in, but ABC iview is a veritable treasure trove for kids of all ages. The little ones will squeal with joy at the site of Peppa Pig, Octonauts, Bing and Sesame Street, whereas young teens will dig the selection  cartoons available; Dragon Ball Z, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Avatar: The Legend of Korra, just to name a few. 

And, of course, ABC iview is always worth signing up to if you follow the network's various national and regional news programs.

Play Video

5. Prime Video

Best free trial for streaming movies

Prime Video logo, the streaming service by Amazon, offering movies, TV shows, and original content
Amazon Prime Video
Our Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.75
Starting from$9.99/mo
pro Exceptional value
con Pre-roll ads

When it comes to the sheer number of movies available, it seems you can’t go past Prime Video. Amazon’s streaming service had over 7,000 movies available when we last checked. More importantly, it seems they are the movies people want to watch.

Here's just a sample of some of the most popular movies on Amazon Prime Video at the moment:

  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage
  • House of Gucci
  • 007: No Time to Die
  • The Godfather
  • Dear Evan Hansen
  • Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
  • Nobody
  • Get Out

And that's just the movie offering. Some of Prime Video's most popular titles are its exclusive, original TV shows, such as The Boys, The Terminal List, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Bosch.

Of course, it only comes for free for the first 30 days, after that you will pay $9.99 per month if you would like to continue streaming. But that $9.99 gets you a lot. Not only do you get access to Prime Video, but you also get all the regular benefits of being a Prime member (including exclusive Prime Day deals).

Play Video

Compare streaming services

See how the free services above compare against Australia's various paid streaming services.
Service
Details
Monthly price
More info
Binge LogoBinge Standard plan
4K streaming
2 streams
Deal: 7-day free trial
$18/mth
Foxtel Now | 2022 logo | Reviews.org AustraliaFoxtel Now Starter Bundle
HD streaming
2 streams
Access to over 35 channels
Deal: 10-day free trial
$35/mth
Apple TV+Apple TV+ plan
4K streaming
6 streams (Family Sharing)
Deal: 7-day free trial
$12.99/mth
Disney PlusDisney+ Standard plan
HD streaming
2 streams
Deal: $139.99 for 12mths
$13.99/mth
BritBoxBritbox plan
HD streaming
5 streams
Deal: 7-day free trial
$9.99/mth
NetflixNetflix Standard + Ads
HD streaming
2 streams
$7.99/mth
StanStan Basic plan
SD streaming
1 stream
$12/mth
Paramount+Paramount+ Basic with ads
HD streaming
1 stream
Ads: Yes
$6.99/mth
Kayo SportsKayo One Plan
HD streaming
1 stream
Deal: 7-day free trial
$25/mth
ShudderShudder plan
HD streaming
1 stream
Deal: 7-day free trial
$6.99/mth
Disney PlusDisney+ Premium plan
4K streaming
4 streams
Deal: $179.99 for 12mths
$17.99/mth
Paramount+Paramount+ Standard
HD streaming
2 streams
Ads: No
$9.99/mth
Paramount+Paramount+ Premium
4K/HDR streaming
4 streams
Ads: No
$13.99/mth
NetflixNetflix Standard
HD streaming
2 streams
$18.99/mth
Brodie Fogg
Written by
Brodie Fogg is the Australian editorial lead at Reviews.org. He has covered consumer tech, telecommunications, video games, streaming and entertainment for over five years at websites like WhistleOut and Finder and can be found sharing streaming recommendations at 7NEWS every month.

Related Articles

Samsung phone charging with battery percentage on black screen
Best fast Samsung chargers compared: From $29
Seeking a faster way to charge your Samsung smartphone?
Shark FlexStyle hair styler on top of a large black carry case with the Shark logo on it
Shark FlexStyle review: A dupe with a difference
More flexible than I’ll ever be.
iPhone with USB-C and Lightning chargers
Best iPhone chargers in Australia: From $24.95
Change up your charging setup.