With an ever increasing list of content providers to choose from, it can be increasingly difficult to find what to watch, and on which of the best streaming services or best free streaming services you can watch it, especially with so many shows and movies jumping between the various platforms. But that’s where we come in.
Alongside the boom in on-demand streamers, a number of apps and websites have popped up designed to help you find the type of movies and shows you love, based on recommendations from folks with similar tastes and interests. The following list contains everything from social sites to search tools and one of the mainstream internet's oldest ports of call. Do note though, that while all of the following are free to download and use, some may require a subscription for certain features.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed in a sea of content, knowing there’s stuff you’d love but with no idea how or where to find it, read on, as we outline our five favorite apps designed to help you navigate the streaming landscape.
JustWatch
JustWatch is an app designed to help you find exactly where you can stream the movie or show you’re in the mood for.
Its encyclopedic knowledge of global streaming homes means you can simply search the title you’re looking for and it’ll tell you which service is currently hosting it, as well as options for digital rental and purchase. You can also change the region you’re searching in, which is handy if you find yourself overseas as streaming service’s libraries vary between countries.
If you’re looking for recommendations, JustWatch is also a great place to start, with tabs letting you know what’s just been released across the major streamers, as well as what’s popular. There’s also quirky features like TV show tracking, allowing you to be notified when a new season drops, and lists made by users which may provide viewing inspiration.
While some could argue the additional features are starting to overwhelm the basic search tool that made JustWatch so essential to begin with, it still remains the must have streaming companion.
LetterBoxd
Once considered a film snob's paradise, Letterboxd usership exploded during the pandemic, with the social media platform now used by over 17 million film fans.
Essentially a cataloging service, the app allows users to log and rate each film they see, write and share reviews and connect with other cinephiles. Users can also compile lists and rank franchise films in order, sparking discussion and creating a resource for other members.
As with most of the platforms outlined here, Letterboxd also allows users to browse based on what they’re into, or just generally look at the week’s biggest releases, offering data on how many times a film has been ‘liked,’ watched and added to a list.
Be warned though, while Letterboxd is a great way to log one's own cinematic experience and connect with others, there’s a tendency for some to leave deliberately ‘funny’ reviews, which tend to creep up the algorithms and bury some of the more useful ones.
That being said, Letterboxd is still a great place to be if you're a movie fan, to look back on what you’ve seen and find great new movies you may have otherwise missed.
IMDb
A movie site that’s been around since the dark ages of the internet, this writer remembers browsing the platform back when you couldn’t surf the web if someone wanted to make a phone call at the same time.
At its core, an enormous database that lists every film ever made, every actor who ever spoke and every crew member that ever did a Starbucks run, IMDb is one of the most popular websites in the world.
Starting life as a fan-run database, the site has been owned by Amazon since before most of us had home computers, with the retail giant even branding their free streaming tier IMDb TV at one point. But other than the obvious advertising and the absence of information regarding any streaming home that isn’t Prime Video, IMDb runs fairly independently.
Users can search anything from films to actors, directors, writers and more and get comprehensive information on all. There’s also recommendation lists, cinema listings, interview videos, news, trailers and just about anything a film and TV fan could wish for.
You’ll likely be familiar with the database giant, but if not, it’s an essential partner for any media fan.
Trakt
Trakt works similarly to some of the features already listed in that it's a platform predominantly designed to help you track everything you watch.
The big advantage with Trakt, however, is that it is able to sync with some of the most popular media centres to log everything you’re watching in real-time without the need for the user to manually input the data.
There’s also familiar features such as lists of the hottest shows and movies and where they’re available, and it’ll also remind you when new episodes of previously watched shows are due to air. Like Letterboxd, the app also has a social element, with those signed up able to rate and review movies and shows and discuss them with the wider community.
One of Trakt’s best features, however, is that because it logs everything your watching, it gets a good flavor of what you enjoy, and then uses that data to recommend new entertainment, which is a great way to discover more niche stuff you may have otherwise missed.
Not as essential as some of the above, perhaps, but if you're the sort of viewer who likes to keep your viewing habits in order, Trakt is a fantastic piece of tech.
Fable
While predominantly geared towards readers, Fable recently introduced TV to its social community.
Fable is an app designed to allow users to track, discover and discuss books and TV shows with users from across the globe and engage with suggestions from tastemakers and experts.
The list section contains carefully curated choices based around mood and interests designed to help users spend less time searching, while their book and watch clubs allow members to discuss whatever they’re currently watching (or reading) with a community of like-minded people.
You can also track what you’re reading and watching, your progress, your favourite moments and make public and private lists to help you return to your most loved shows and books, often with a discussion-induced refreshed perspective.
Book lovers will definitely get the most out of the platform, but for TV fans looking to enjoy their favourite shows with an inclusive community, Fable is becoming the place to be.
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