Tubi Review 2025: 52,000 Titles, 260+ Live Channels—Almost Completely Free

Is Tubi worth it?

Tubi is a free ad-supported TV (FAST) streaming service where you can watch 52,000+ movies and shows and 260+ live TV channels for nothing but your time (because, ads). I think Tubi is pretty legit, so it’s mos def worth it for most TV fans.

You can watch Tubi with or without an account, but signing up lets you create a watchlist, get recommendations, and use parental controls. Don’t expect Cloud DVR and simultaneous streams (no need with on-demand streaming services) or offline viewing (you can’t serve ads on downloads). Tubi’s massive content library is the main feature.

Is Tubi really free, though? Yes and no. There’s no monthly payment, but there is a price: You pay for it by watching ads.

For this review, I downloaded the Tubi app on five devices (phone, laptop, two streaming boxes, and a smart TV) and watched a variety of on-demand and live content, evaluating the user experience and comparing it to that of competing FAST streaming services.

Jump to:

• Plans and prices
• Tubi vs. the competition
• Movies and shows
• Live TV channels
• Specs and features

Tubi: One plan, no (monetary) price

Simplicity is a huge selling point for streaming TV services, and Tubi keeps it extra plain, with one plan, no (monetary) price, 52,000+ movies and shows, and 260+ live channels. Tubi isn’t completely free, though: You pay for the service by signing up with your email address and watching ads. I think that’s as fair a deal you’ll find for the service’s wealth of streaming movies and shows.

Ads on Tubi

When you sign up for an account on Tubi, it creates a data profile so the service can tailor ads to your interests. You can opt out of targeted ads if you want, but either way, you’ll still see 4–6 minutes of ads per hour of content.

Ads are how Tubi pays its bills, and Tubi has one of the lowest ad loads in streaming TV (the average is 8–9.5 minutes). Even better, according to Seana Sullivan, Tubi’s VP of Communications & Publicity, “We have no plans to increase our ad load.”

Tubi vs. other top FAST streaming services

Tubi is one of the top free streaming services, with the largest on-demand library and the fewest ads, but it also has the lowest resolution (tied with Sling Freestream). Plex has tons more live channels, almost as many on-demand titles, and a slightly higher ad load.

I use both Tubi and Plex. I prefer Tubi’s content library and low ad load, but I love that Plex has the ability to configure a server for hosting and sharing my personal media library.

I watch TV on the other three services less often. Pluto TV has a solid channel count but the smallest on-demand library (which is probably why it’s quantified in “hours” instead of titles) and the most ads. I use the Roku Channel when it has content I can’t find on other services. There’s rarely anything I want to watch on Sling Freestream, so I use it only when researching articles.

Compare Tubi with paid streaming services

Is it fair to compare free streaming services to paid ones? Well, again, Tubi’s biggest selling point is that it offers more movies and shows for free than you get from any paid streaming service.

Sure, the other services might have more current films and series (including originals and exclusives), and more features, but Tubi’s library will keep you busy indefinitely. Plus, I haven’t even mentioned the live channels, which add live local news (in select areas) and sports (like Super Bowl LIX).

Tubi has 52,000+ movies and shows

Genres, collections, and networks on Tubi

Select movies on Tubi

Select shows on Tubi

Tubi has nearly 200 original movies and shows—they mostly suck

Tubi has 260+ live TV channels

News channels on Tubi

Among Tubi’s 260+ live TV channels are 22+ live news channels. They’re sorted into five categories on the Tubi live TV guide: Local (8 channels), National (9 channels), Global (2 channels), Business (2 channels), Weather (1 channel), and Español (1 channels). See the full list below.

Sports channels on Tubi

I wouldn’t expect it on a free service, but Tubi has a surprising amount of sports channels (27) with live sports, prerecorded games, news, and documentaries—they’re all listed below.

Tubi specs and features

Tubi’s main feature is its content library. You won’t find other popular features like simultaneous streams or offline viewing. There’s no reason for extra streams with on-demand streaming services, let alone a free one where anyone can have an account.

As for offline viewing, it’s currently impossible—or at least very difficult—to serve ads on downloaded content.

Is Tubi easy to use?

Getting set up with Tubi is a snap. You probably already have one of the service’s many supported streaming devices, you can go from “Sign Up” to streaming in under five minutes, and user interfaces don’t get much more intuitive than Tubi’s.

Tubi supported devices

Tubi supports a vast array of devices—browsers, gaming consoles, smartphones, streaming device’s, and tablets. Only Nintendo fans should be disappointed (but they probably know that Nintendo supports few, if any, streaming TV services). Click the link below to see the full list of Tubi-compatible devices.

Tubi user interface

Tubi video and audio quality

Tubi’s max resolution is standard high-definition (HD), or 720p. That’s a bummer, but plenty of streaming services stream at that res. It keeps the services’ costs down (but they keep raising prices—hmmm …). But you can’t differentiate between standard and full HD (1080p) on screens smaller than 32″, anyway. And if you have a newer large-screen TV, it should be able to upscale 720p to 1080p.

I tested the Tubi app six different ways, using five screens (two smart TVs, a smartphone, and a laptop), two set-top streaming devices, and two internet connections. Video and audio quality were largely consistent, with one exception.

Tubi testing details

I performed five tests at home on my Google Fiber (1 Gbps) Wi-Fi connection. For the other test, I used the T-Mobile 5G mobile network while a friend drove me around town.

On the home tests, I experienced no perceptible differences in video and audio quality. On the mobile test, I experienced a few dips in video quality, but not as many as I have with services that stream at 1080p or higher.

Note: Video and audio quality starts with the source and then the internet speed. Many older movies and shows—Tubi has a lot of these—still stream at their original resolution (480–720p).

Tubi review FAQ

Why you should trust us

Our TV experts constantly research and test streaming TV services, including free ones like Tubi. Senior Staff Writer Randy Harward tested Tubi on five devices and two TVs, and that experience informs this review. Randy also compared Tubi to free and paid streaming services based on overall value, content, features, user experience, ad load, and more to provide accurate, reliable recommendations to our readers. See the CableTV.com How We Rank page for more information about our process.

Endnotes

1. JustWatch.com, “All Movies and Shows on Tubi.” Accessed January 29, 2025.