Plex now offers thousands of free, ad-supported movies and TV shows

Plex
(Image credit: Plex)

Starting today, the client–server media library platform Plex has taken a huge step into streaming service territory, adding a massive and diverse selection of movies and TV shows to the libraries of every Plex user at no extra cost.

The ad-supported initiative has been rolled out globally, with available titles varying greatly depending on your region. While Plex users in the US now have access to classic films like Raging Bull, Apocalypse Now, The Terminator and Bloodsport, users in other territories may not be so lucky. 

Thankfully, the service has announced that it will be adding more free movies over time, promising "Oscar-winning Hollywood movies" and "the latest from India, Russia, China, Japan, Africa, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe", along with "really cool independent movies fresh off the festival circuit".

To access Plex's ad-supported content, simply launch the app or go to the browser version and click on the new 'Movies & TV' tab in the side panel. From here, you'll get a very Netflix-esque set of genres and sub-categories, from 'Comedy' and 'Drama' to 'Awkward With Your Grandma' and 'Love Is In The Air'.

As with users' personal media libraries, Plex's own offerings aren't always correctly labeled or matched. In other words, a movie's title and description (a.k.a. metadata) may not reflect the actual movie that Plex has on file – as an example, we clicked on the 1984 slasher classic Silent Night, Deadly Night only for the 1972 film Silent Night, Bloody Night to start playing in its stead.

If you aren't an existing Plex user, you need only to sign up for a free account to receive instant access to the service's free library of movies and TV shows.

Stephen Lambrechts
Senior Journalist, Phones and Entertainment

Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar's Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He's obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible. 

He's also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he's most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.

Latest in Streaming
Disappointed by The Electric State? Here's 4 reasons you should watch Tales From the Loop on Prime Video
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Brad Pitt looks over his right shoulder with 'F1' written behind him
Apple Original Films will take you behind-the-scenes of a racing cockpit in this new thrilling F1 movie trailer
Reacher looking down at another character from the Prime Video TV series Reacher
Reacher season 3 becomes Prime Video’s biggest returning show thanks to Hollywood’s biggest heavyweight
The cast of The Parenting
The Parenting is Max's #1 most-watched movie but it has frightening reviews – here are 3 better horror films with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Jason Sudeikis' Ted Lasso pointing at someone in Ted Lasso season 2
Believe it, baby: Ted Lasso season 4 is officially in development for Apple TV+ and Jason Sudeikis will reprise his role as the titular soccer coach
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough