Piling up on the couch to watch family-friendly streaming options is time well spent — especially when it’s free.
We’ve compiled a list of streaming platforms that deliver a mix of content suitable for everyone at home, from educational shows to animation. These options are either free or low-cost, and most give you some control over what your kids watch.
Keep reading to check out our reviews on the best free streaming content for families and our top choices for low-cost, family-friendly content:
Free streaming services for families (reviews)
Other ways to stream free content
- Archive.org
- Fawesome
- HappyKids
- Hoopla
- Kanopy
- NickJr.com
- PBS.org
- Samsung TV Plus
- Sensical.tv
- Watchfree+
- YouTubeKids.com
Free streaming services for families (reviews)
For each of the following streaming services, we’ll go over:
- What content they offer
- Ad experiences
- Parental control options
- Compatible devices
- What users think of the service
Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a free, ad-supported streaming service that shows on-demand movies and TV shows and offers more than 200 24/7 live TV channels. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to sign up for a free Amazon account to watch Freevee.
Freevee has a Family Movies category with movies like “The Lorax,” “Madagascar 3,” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Titles are ever-changing.
Freevee Live TV has family-friendly channels like:
- AFV TV: Episodes of “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
- Dove Channel: Family and Christian-based programming
- Heartland: Episodes of the series “Heartland,” a family drama
- FilmRise Family: Family movies, comedies, and adventure shows
- ION Plus: Reruns of family-friendly Canadian TV shows and movies
You can set up parental controls if watching Freevee on an Amazon Fire TV streaming device. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you have parental control options in the Prime video app.
If you are watching Freevee through a smart TV, game console, set top box, iOS device, or media player, you can restrict access by establishing a PIN on the Prime Video settings restriction page, which will be required to watch content outside of the ratings you select.
Quick facts about Amazon Freevee
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? No
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch Amazon Freevee for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Comcast Xfinity X-Class and Flex boxes
- Google TV
- LG and Samsung smart TVs
- Most web browsers
- Playstation 4 and 5
- Roku
- Xbox One and Series X/S
Amazon Freevee Reviews
BBB: Amazon.com has a B rating, but this rating encompasses all of the site’s services/products
Trustpilot: 1.7 stars
Amazon: Freevee has an excellent rating of 4.2 from customers with 65% of users giving the app 5 stars
App Store: 4.7 stars
Google Play: 4 stars
Despite the mixed reviews, users like the variety of content on Amazon Freevee according to this Reddit thread:
On Trustpilot, one reviewer praises the viewing options Freevee offers:
However, there are lots of complaints about the ad experience. Some think the ads are too frequent (and too long):
Some Amazon forum users also complain that ads don’t match the content. While watching an age-appropriate animated series, you could see an ad about prescription medication for adults.
Crackle
Crackle is a free, ad-supported streaming service with a choice of TV shows, movies and original programs. You can watch Crackle as a guest or create an account to access parental controls to limit content for kids and teenagers.
You can establish a PIN to access any content that is not within your preferred rating for your family. For example, you can restrict content to G-rated movies but require a PIN for a PG-rated title. You can enable this PIN through Crackle settings or through your smart TV or streaming device.
To view family-oriented options, select the Family category under the TV show or movie menu. You can choose from titles like “The Wishing Tree,” “Father Knows Best,” and Jim Henson’s “The Storyteller.” Compared to other free streaming options, Crackle does not have popular or recent in-demand titles.
Quick facts about Crackle
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? No
Live TV channels? No
You can watch Crackle for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Google TV
- LG, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs
- Most web browsers
- Playstation 5
- Roku
- Xbox Series S
Crackle Reviews
BBB: Not rated
Trustpilot: 3.3 stars, but most reviews are at least 10 years old
The most recent Trustpilot review mentioned that the choices for children were scarce:
Amazon: Freevee has a rating of 4 from customers with 57% of users giving the app 5 stars
App Store: 3.1
Google Play: 3.8
Most complaints are about glitchy playback and too many ads. Users also complain that if the title does freeze while watching and you have to restart Crackle, it does not hold your place (you can save your watch progress if you create an account).
Kidoodle TV
Kidoodle is a Canada-based streaming platform with free content for children. It features 45,000+ episodes of kid-friendly videos for fun, entertainment and education and is a recipient of the Mom’s Choice Award, Webby Award, Gold Stevie and more.
It is certified by kidSAFE, an independent safety program for child-friendly websites and technology and COPPA, which recommends FTC-approved kid-friendly content that also complies with privacy rules. On Kidoodle TV you can watch titles like:
- “Blippi Wonders”
- “Dude Perfect”
- “Paw Patrol Pup Tales”
- “Peppa Pig”
- “Spongebob Squarepants”
- “SuperHeroKids”
Although this is an ad-based option, Kidoodle shows family-centered ads and asks for feedback via email from parents on any ads they find questionable.
You have access to parent controls when you create a free account. Using the Parents Room feature, you can create customized profiles for your children, set age limits for shows and turn off individual shows.
Quick facts about Kidoodle
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? Yes
Live TV channels? No
You can watch Kidoodle for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Fetch
- Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sharp and Vizio smart TVs
- Jio
- Most web browsers
- Roku
- Vewd
- VIDAA
Kidoodle TV reviews
BBB: No profile profile
Trustpilot: No profile
Amazon: 4.1 rating with 64% of users giving it 5 stars
App Store: 4.3 stars
Google Play: 4.1 stars
The most recent reviews are on the App Store, where Kidoodle users share how they like the content on the streaming app:
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a free streaming service from Paramount that offers both live and on-demand TV and movies. You can watch Pluto without creating an account. You get a variety of family programming on Pluto, which you can access online, via an app, or through smart TVs and connected streaming devices.
Pluto has several categories of entertainment with a mix of family-friendly TV shows and movies.
The 24/7 live streaming service offers a Kids category. Here are just a few of the included channels:
- Nick Jr. Pluto TV
- Dora TV
- Totally Teen
- LEGO Kids TV
- Kids Movie Club
Pluto doesn't offer a family category, but family-friendly options are available, such as Pluto TV Animals and PBS Nature, which you can find by browsing through other categories. The on-demand titles also offer a Kids category, with options like “The Rugrats Movie” and “Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius.”
If you create a free account, you can enable Kids Mode, a profile that only shows content for children. However you can’t adjust the mode for children of different ages. Kids Mode caters to young children, not pre-teens or teens.
Quick facts about Pluto TV
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? Yes
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch Pluto for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Comcast Xfinity stream boxes
- Google TV
- LG, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs
- Microsoft Windows
- Most web browsers
- Playstation
- Roku
- TiVo
- Xbox
Pluto TV reviews
BBB: Not rated
Trustpilot: 1.8 stars
Amazon: 4.2 stars with 66% of users giving it 5 stars
App Store: 4.8 stars
Google Play: 3.7 stars
Most complaints on Trustpilot are about repeat episodes on live channels, too many ads, and episodes freezing in the midst of playback. Some users also think the customer service is not helpful.
On the r/PlutoTV subreddit, Reddit users are mostly positive about the free streaming service, noting the variety of viewing options (especially popular older movies and shows):
The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel offers free access to TV shows, movies, live TV and original programming. You don’t have to own a Roku streaming device to use the service. You can watch online or through the mobile app without an account.
On The Roku Channel, there is a Kids & Family category where you can find shows like “Peppa Pig,” “KidCity,” and “Yo Gabba Gabba!” You can click on categories to choose shows for children as young as 1 or 10 and older. You can also add free channels like:
- Blippi: Educational content for children ages 2-10
- CoComelon: Episodes with songs and adventures for preschoolers
- HappyKids: More than 70,000 free on-demand, kid-friendly videos and games
- Kanopy: Access free streaming content with your local public library membership
- Kidoodle TV: A kidSAFE COPPA-certified channel (FTC-approved kid-friendly content that also complies with privacy rules) with 45,000+ episodes of kid-friendly videos
- Sesame Street: Songs and video clips featuring characters like Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird
The Roku Channel does not offer parental controls. However, if you have the Roku device, you can enable a PIN to control what shows or movies your children can access. Similarly, if you are watching The Roku Channel on a streaming device, it may have built-in parental controls you can use to protect your children from content for adult viewers.
Quick facts about The Roku Channel
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? No
Kid profile option? No
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch The Roku Channel for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Google TV
- Samsung TVs
- Most web browsers
- Roku
The Roku Channel reviews
BBB: A rating (includes Roku device)
Trustpilot: No profile
Amazon: 4.3 rating with 68% of reviewers offering a 5-star review
App Store: 4.7 stars
Google Play: 3.3 stars
This recent review from the App Store shares the pros and cons of the app:
Of course, like many free streaming services, frequent ads are the main complaint with The Roku Channel. In this r/Roku subreddit, Reddit users share their differing opinions on the Roku Channel ad experience:
Even though reviews are mostly positive, the lack of built-in parental controls makes it difficult for parents to manage what their children can watch when using the free streaming service.
Sling Freestream
Sling Freestream is the free version of Sling TV, a paid subscription service. You don't have to have Sling TV to use Sling Freestream. You can watch with or without an account, though you need to create a free account to access parental controls.
Sling Freestraem has a Kids category, where kids can watch live episodes of shows like “Bob the Builder,” “Thomas & Friends,” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.” You can also browse by channel, where you can find:
- Filmrise Family: Family-friendly shows for all ages
- Filmrise Kids: Shows suitable for children
- Nick Jr.: Content geared towards kids from Nickelodeon
- PW Kids: Educational and family shows from content creators
- Ryan & Friends: Learning and recreation videos from young content creators
If you create a free account, you can manage content from the settings menu and access Sling Freestream parental controls. The service allows you to block content based on ratings, as well as categories like news, sports, and even unrated content. You’ll create a PIN to bypass and change these controls.
Sling Freestream also allows you to create up to four different viewing profiles. That way, you can create a profile that matches each of your children’s interests.
Quick facts about Sling Freestream
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? Yes
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch Sling Freestream for free on:
- AirTV Player and Mini
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Comcast Xfinity stream boxes
- Cox
- Google Chrome
- Google TV
- LG, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs
- Microsoft Windows
- Roku
- TiVo
- Xbox
Sling Freestream reviews
BBB: Not rated, though Sling TV has an A+ rating (accredited since 2019)
Trustpilot: Sling TV has 1.2 stars (not specifically Freestream)
App Store: 4.6 stars
Google Play: 3.2 stars
There are mixed reviews about Freestream, but the top complaint about Sling TV overall is choppy playback and difficulty getting some content to play. Others don’t like the length of the ads (these review are from Google Play):
Tubi TV
Tubi TV is a free streaming service you can watch instantly on the web or through supported devices. You can watch without an account, but creating one gives you access to parental controls.
Using the browse feature, you can select the Family Movies category to see titles that you and your children may enjoy. There are animated classics and family-friendly titles to choose from, such as “Sing,” “Where the Red Fern Grows,” and “Raising the Bar.”
The platform also offers Tubi Kids, an entire channel dedicated to content for kids with cartoons, adventure stories, preschool shows, fantasy and mystery shows. There are also movies like “All Dogs go to Heaven,” “Paddington 2,” and “The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones.”
To enable parental controls, sign in to your free Tubi account and click on your name or access Tubi on your device. Under account settings, you’ll see an option for parental controls. Here you can set your preferences for viewing based on ratings and age. For example, if you select Teens (PG-13, TV-14), all Tubi content will be based on that rating until you change it.
Quick facts about Tubi TV
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? Yes
Kid profile option? No
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch Tubi for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Amazon Echo Show
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Comcast Xfinity stream boxes
- Cox Contour
- Google Nest Hub
- Hisense, LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio smart TVs
- Microsoft Windows
- Most web browsers
- Nvidia Shield
- Playstation 4 and 5
- Roku
- Sony Blu-ray devices
- TiVo
- Xbox One, Series S and Series X
Tubi TV reviews
BBB: No profile
Trustpilot: 2.4 stars
Amazon: 4.5 rating, where 75% of reviews gave it 5 stars
App Store: 4.8 stars
Google Play: 4.7 stars
It’s no surprise that the main complaint is the frequency and length of ads, but some users also cite issues with playback and dated titles for TV shows and movies. There are some viewers who like having access to classic films and shows and don’t mind the ad experience.
These reviewers on Trustpilot share their thoughts on the good and bad of Tubi TV:
On these r/TubiTV subreddits, Reddit users weigh the pros and cons of Tubi:
Xumo Play
Xumo Play is a free streaming service offered by Comcast Xfinity. It offers more than 300 channels of live TV and thousands of on-demand TV shows and movies. You can also access local news networks, current TV shows and programming that is family-friendly and educational.
Xumo offers family and kid-friendly channels like:
- Xumo Family: Family movies 24/7
- Dove Channel: Family and Christian-based programming
- Encourage TV: Provides family-oriented films, TV shows, and animated series for all ages
- Xumo Kids: Features everything from cartoons to educational content for kids
- All Babies Channel: Offers musical entertainment geared towards toddlers and preschoolers
On the Free Movies and TV Show categories, you can select menus that feature streaming options for children and families. However, there are no parental controls. If you are watching on an Xfinity X1 or Flex box, you can lock the Xumo Play application with a PIN so that no one can access it unless they have the PIN.
Quick facts about Xumo Play
Supported by ads? Yes
Parental controls? No
Kid profile option? No
Live TV channels? Yes
You can watch Xumo Play for free on:
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV devices
- Amazon Echo Show
- Android TV and mobile devices
- Apple TV and iOS mobile devices
- Chromecast
- Comcast Xfinity X1 and Flex stream boxes
- Hisense, Samsung, Vizio and Xumo smart TVs
- Most web browsers
Xumo Play reviews
BBB: Xfinity carries an A+ rating
Trustpilot: 1.2 stars for Xfinity page
Amazon: 3.9 out of 5 stars, but most recent reviews are poor, stating that the Xumo Play box lacks features like search, pause, rewind, and fast forward
App Store: 4.6 stars
Google Play: 3.9 stars
On Google Play, there are some complaints about program offerings but some enjoy watching and find navigation easy:
On the App Store, Xumo Play users offer praise, as well as criticisms:
On this thread, Reddit users share why they do or don't like Xumo Play:
Reviewers point out that it isn’t easy to search on Xumo Play. You have to scroll through categories to find what you want to watch.
Other ways to stream free content
Here are some family-friendly apps and other free streaming platforms to check out:
Archive.org
Visit Archive.org to search for family content. It's a non-profit online library with access to free movies, books, music and more. Use the search features to look for kid-friendly resources, specific titles or choose a menu to browse, like movies or television under the Video category.
Here are some of the family-friendly titles you can find:
- “101 Dalmatians: Dalmatian Vacation”
- “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!”
- “Gulliver’s Travels”
- “Walt Disney Cartoon Classics”
- “The Adventures of Superman”
You can search and watch without an account, but creating an account is free and allows you to borrow books, upload files, create collections of what you upload, leave reviews, comment on the forum, view and use restricted items, and get monthly newsletters.
Fawesome
Fawesome boasts a free library of more than 10,000 movies across 25 genres and 250+ channels, including a kids edutainment channel. It’s an ad-supported streaming platform you can also find on Roku.
No subscription is necessary to watch, but you'll have to download the app to access the content, even if you're watching via web browser.
HappyKids
HappyKids is a free app that features TV shows and movies for children ages 4 and up. It features popular animated series like “Barbie Vlogger,” “Care Bears” and “Transformers.” According to HappyKids, it ranks as a top kids channel on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
The app also offers educational videos for school subjects like math, social studies, geography and science.
Hoopla
Hoopla is a free service that makes it possible to watch TV shows, movies and other media through a membership at your local public library. You can watch Hoopla content through the Hoopla app or on the web.
You use the platform to borrow what you want to watch, so there is a time limit on how long you have access to it. You can turn on the kids filter to only show kid-friendly content.
Hoopla doesn't show ads. You can check with your local public library to ask about Hoopla.
Kanopy
Kanopy is a free streaming service you can access through your public or university library. The platform has thousands of films, TV shows and educational videos, many of which are family-oriented. There are narrated and read-along storybooks and classic animated tales such as “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Corduroy.”
Kanopy is not ad-supported. You can watch Kanopy via app, web browser, smart TVs and streaming devices like Roku and FireTV. Check with your local library to see if it offers Kanopy.
NickJr.com
The Nick Jr. website shows free, on-demand episodes of “Paw Patrol,” “Baby Shark’s Big Show,” and other programs for young watchers. The content is geared toward preschool-aged children and offers games and videos based on popular shows.
You can stream from the web or through mobile devices. To unlock content, you must create a free account.
PBS.org
PBS and PBS Kids both offer family-friendly content online. From the PBS.org site, you can stream live TV based on your local public broadcasting station. You can also access PBSKids.org, a site dedicated to streaming kid-friendly videos and games. These items are not ad-supported.
Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus is a free, ad-supported streaming service offering more than 350 live TV channels and on-demand shows and movies. You don't need an account to watch. It’s built-in on Samsung smart TVs and devices.
You can access channels like PBS Kids, LEGO and Kidoodle TV to find suitable content for families with children.
Sensical.tv
Sensical is a free, on-demand and live TV streaming platform you can access online. You can start watching children’s shows and select content based on age without creating an account. However, signing up for a free account gives you access to parental controls.
All context on the platform is approved by child development experts and matches the national elementary school curriculum. Sensical only shows ads that are kid safe.
Watchfree+
Watchfree+ is only available on Vizio smart TVs, but the free, ad-supported streaming service offers a kids and family category that gives you access to Nick Jr., Kids Movie Club, FilmRise Family, and other channels that cater to family viewing.
You can use parental controls on your Vizio TV to block access to channels and specific programs.
YouTubeKids.com
YouTube Kids requires an adult account to get started and to set up parental controls. You can help your children navigate YouTube Kids and find videos and TV shows they enjoy that are age-appropriate.
Cheap options for streaming
If you are looking for streaming options that are cheap or low-cost, here are some options that cost $10 or less each month:
- Disney+: The Duo bundle costs $9.99 per month and includes top Hulu and Disney+ titles like “Encanto,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Star Wars Ahsoka.”
- FrndlyTV: Offers live TV and on-demand shows and movies with a 7-day free trial and plans starting at $6.99 per month. Channels include Family Movie Channel, Great American Family, Hallmark Family, and more.
- Great American PureFlix: A faith and family streaming platform that offers a free 7-day trial and an annual plan that costs $6.67 per month or $8.99 per month for a monthly plan.
- UP Faith & Family: Offers faith-based and family-friendly programming with a free 14-day trial and starts at $4.49 per month with an annual subscription.
- Minno: After a free 7-day trial, Minno costs $8.99 per month to get unlimited faith-based content for children with titles like “VeggieTales,” “Friends and Heroes,” and “BibleMan.”
- Noggin: after a 30-day free trial, you can try a plan for as little as $5.99 per month when billed annually to get loads of educational content for children ages 2-7.
- Plex: Plex offers free access to movies and TV shows but it also offers a Plex Pass subscription for $4.99 per month that allows you to create your own personal media service where you can watch your favorite uploaded movies and shows without internet
If you want to increase your parental controls, you can consider using a service like Vidangel. At $9.99 per month for an annual plan, Vidangel offers software that filters out profanity and skips inappropriate scenes before you begin watching a show or movie. VidAngel offers a 30-day money back guarantee.
The filtering service works with:
- Amazon Prime
- Amazon channels (Showtime, Paramount+ premium, Starz, PBS, BritBix, and AMC+)
- Apple TV+
Also, check out our post on how to get free cable and these posts with other free resources:
