I Tried Free Streaming Services — Now I’m Thinking About Canceling Netflix

FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming) services have been gaining popularity over the past few years, and it’s easy to understand why. With subscription-based services like Netflix and Apple TV+ continuing to increase their prices, more and more people are turning to these free alternatives. I only recently started exploring FAST streaming options, and I’m honestly glad I decided to give them a try. The experience has been eye-opening, and it’s changed how I view streaming services in general.

FAST Streaming Services Explained

FAST stands for “Free, Ad-Supported Television“, and it basically means you can watch movies and TV shows without paying anything. FAST streaming services work just like regular streaming platforms, but instead of a monthly subscription, you watch a few ads during the shows or movies, just like traditional TV. It’s a small price to pay for free entertainment.

Some of the most popular FAST streaming services right now include Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, and The Roku Channel. These platforms offer a wide variety of on-demand content, so you can pick what you want to watch anytime. Many of them also provide live TV channels, which you can browse through just like you would with regular cable TV. This is great for times when you’re not sure what to watch and just want to flip through channels.

Of course, you won’t always find the latest blockbuster movies or trending new series on FAST platforms. However, most of these services have a surprisingly good collection of classic movies, older TV shows, and even some original content. So, if you enjoy revisiting old favorites or discovering hidden gems, FAST streaming services can be a great option without adding another subscription to your monthly expenses.

Here’s Why I Delayed Exploring FAST Streaming Platforms

I remember checking out a few FAST (Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television) services a couple of years ago, and honestly, I wasn’t impressed at all. I didn’t like the idea of sitting through ads, and to make things worse, the content available back then felt boring and not really worth my time. Most of the shows and movies seemed outdated or uninteresting, so I quickly lost interest and went back to my paid subscriptions.

But that was during the early days of FAST streaming, and things have changed a lot since then. Back then, Netflix still had plenty of classic TV shows and movies, so there was no real reason for me to explore other platforms. However, over the years, the cost of subscription-based streaming services has kept going up, and a lot of the older, classic content has slowly disappeared from platforms like Netflix.

With prices rising and content libraries shrinking, I finally decided it was time to give FAST streaming services another try. Living in the UK made things a bit tricky because I don’t have access to all the FAST platforms that are available in the US. For example, services like The Roku Channel and Sling Freestream aren’t available here. Still, I found that there are quite a few good options that are accessible in the UK, and honestly, I’m glad I decided to explore them this time around.

My Experience with FAST Streaming Services

After giving FAST streaming services another try, I realized that things have changed a lot over the past few years. While platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ now focus mostly on creating new original content, many FAST services have picked up some of the best classic movies and TV shows. This makes them a great option if you enjoy older content or just want something different to watch without paying extra.

Some FAST platforms ask you to sign up for a free account to access their content, while others let you start watching right away without any registration. Still, I found that signing up, even when it’s not required, is usually a good idea. Creating an account often unlocks extra features like making a watchlist or saving your progress so you can easily continue watching where you left off later. These small features really help improve the overall streaming experience.

What I Found After Trying Three Popular FAST Streaming Services

I decided to try out three popular FAST streaming services — Tubi, Pluto TV, and Plex — to see what they had to offer. I also checked out Amazon Prime Video which now includes content from Freevee. The good thing about Freevee is that you can watch some of its content with ads, even if you don’t have a Prime subscription.

Tubi
Tubi offers both on-demand movies and TV shows, along with live TV channels. Everything is nicely organized into genres, collections, and networks, which makes it easy to find something to watch. I was surprised to see that some of the newer movies were actually pretty good. Honestly, I can understand why people call Tubi “the best free streaming service you’re not using” — & I kind of agree after trying it.

Pluto TV
Pluto TV also gives you access to both on-demand content and live TV channels. Its layout feels a lot like Netflix, which makes browsing easy. The live channels are interesting because some are dedicated to just one TV show, while others focus on specific genres or movie types. I really enjoyed flipping through the live channels — it felt a bit like using old-school cable TV again, which was fun and nostalgic.

Plex
Plex works similarly, offering on-demand content and live TV channels. The movies and shows are sorted into different categories, and there are helpful sections like “Most Popular” and “Leaving Soon” so you know what’s trending or what to watch before it disappears. The live channels are also divided by category, with several channels under each one. However, I did notice that sometimes a movie or show would show up in the listings, but it wasn’t actually available to stream, which was a bit disappointing.

Each platform had something unique to offer, and I was surprised at how much free content is out there if you’re okay with sitting through a few ads.

FAST Streaming: What I Liked, Didn’t Like and Issues

Just like any other service, FAST streaming has good, bad, and a few annoying sides.

Like

The best part about FAST streaming is that it’s free. You can watch movies and TV shows without paying, but you have to sit through some ads. Honestly, the ads aren’t that bad when you’re getting good content for free.

Also, the quality of content has improved a lot. Before, these platforms were filled with low-quality shows and movies no one wanted. Now, you can find some really good classic movies and TV shows.

Don’t Like

You don’t need to sign up to watch, but some useful features like watchlists or “continue watching” are only available if you create an account. Signing up is optional, but it helps.

Another issue is that there’s sometimes too much content. With so many options, it can be hard to pick what to watch. I wish the platforms showed the best movies and shows instead of making you search so much.

Issues

Some of the apps or websites are confusing to use. The menus and layouts make it hard to find what you’re looking for, and you might end up clicking on the wrong show.

Also, the content availability is sometimes messy. For example, I searched for Comic Book Men on Plex, and it showed up. But when I clicked to watch, it said it was only available on other services. I checked those, and it wasn’t there or the seasons were incomplete.

FAST streaming is great because it’s free, but it does have a few frustrating parts.

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Is FAST Streaming Worth Watching?

Since FAST streaming services like Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, and The Roku Channel are free, there’s really no reason not to try them. You might be surprised by how much good content you can watch without paying anything. And the best part is—everything is legal and free.

Yes, the ads can be a bit annoying sometimes. But with paid streaming services getting more expensive every year, it’s easy to get used to the ads. Plus, with so many good FAST services now available in most countries, you’ll definitely find something worth watching.

After trying a few of these services, I actually enjoyed them a lot. I’m even thinking about canceling my Netflix subscription—or at least switching to the cheaper, ad-supported plan to save some money every month.