123Movies is a group of a video streaming network which includes GoMovies, GoStream, MeMovies or 123movieshub sites that allow users to stream pirated movies. The service provides visitors with a large catalogue of titles, including new releases. As you can expect, you do not need an account. Just simply click on the title that you want to watch and begin streaming on any internet-connected device. You can watch recently released movies with theatre print in CAM quality within a day of a release. The service works by indexing torrents and online uploads. 123Movies is the online treasure for entertainment lovers. The site is often blocked and hence it jumps back with different URL every now and then.
123Movies was a network of file streaming websites operating from Vietnam which allowed users to watch films for free. It was called the world’s “most popular illegal site” by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in March 2018, before being shut down a few weeks later on foot of a criminal investigation by the Vietnamese authorities. Source Wikipedia
The Internet is on Crackdown to remove all the websites which stream Movies and TV shows for free without any licensing. Watching illegal streams which do not have any authorization is a crime and you may end up in jail. Some countries have very strict litigations on the unethical online Movie and TV streaming, the accused and the perpetrator both may face the wrath of the judicial system. In most cases, the developer of the website is one who is punished.
Many online streaming websites on the internet are deceiving in nature and they just try to inject malware into your device. The free broadcast of copyrighted content cost billions of dollars to the entertainment media and film production industry. Production houses are raising voice against all the unethical online content providers.
Illegitimate websites are potentially harmful and malicious for your system and data, as they are capable enough to harass the privacy and collect sensitive information from your device. So, today I have come up with some of the best websites to watch movies online for free without any copyright infringement issues.
Content at Glance
- Why Avoid 123Movies?
- You May Fall in Trouble
- Is there any Official Website?
- Free and Safe 123Movies Alternative
Why is it Good to Avoid 123Movies?
123Mocies is a bit of Gamble, because of the type and amount of content it provides. You get all the movies, shows and anime for free causing millions of dollars of loss to the digital providers. Like many unauthorised streaming sites which do not generally host the content on their servers, the 123Movies also plays on safer grounds but earlier it used to host the files on 3rd party servers but lately, they avoided keeping the files by not hosting any content. It works by indexing the streams through various means which include but are not limited to BitTorrent, magnet source, file hosting services, video streaming entities, pirate sites and other similar streaming services.
Related: Best Free Movie Streaming Sites [Free & Paid]
The services offered by 123Movies are in a “non-clear” legal area. The legality of the 123Movies depends on the country and the material being presented. The site streams movies and TV Shows from Torrents and other sources not accepted by studios. Downloading or streaming copyrighted material that you don’t own without permission or paying for it is illegal. The federal agencies in your country may track your activity via IP Address, you may end up in jail. So it is better to avoid using pirate sites to access free content.
The Site has been regularly under the government scanner for its activities.
In March 2017, it was reported U.S. ambassador to Vietnam talked with the local Minister of Information and Communications about shutting down illegal video streaming sites and noted 123movies as one specific site.
In October 2017, the MPAA listed 123Movies (and GoStream.is) in its Online Notorious Markets overview to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
In March 2018, the MPAA said that the site was the “most popular illegal site in the world”, stated it was operated from Vietnam and estimated that it received 98 million visitors per month.
You May Fall in Trouble
Streaming illegal content is, of course, a punishable offence. But rules vary from country to country, some states have a very stern legislations while some may have nominal laws. Generally, the government attacks the publishers of the sites in an attempt to pull out the root cause. But it doesn’t mean the users of the site can’t feel the heat, as IP is public so is your activity, this is just enough for federal agencies of your country to penalise you. It is better if you distance yourself from the illegal watch.
Is there any Official Website of 123Movies?
The Service had an official website in the past but due to regular litigations and DMCA takedowns, the websites get shut. On 19 March 2018, a note on the site’s home page announced its shutdown and urged users to “respect filmmakers by paying for movies and TV-shows”. This does not stop it completely as the service again springs back with some different URL. Presently there is no official site but there are few mirror sites which offer the services. A proxy or VPN can still unblock any locked site. The developers of the site work in complete anonymity to avoid any lawsuit.
Note: DigitBin do not encourage the use of Pirate Streaming Sites, we are not affiliated with the services in any form. Use the legal free websites listed below to avoid any legal persecution.
Best Free and Safe 123Movies Alternatives
Here are the Legal and Safe 123Movies Alternatives for Free to Stream Movies and TV Shows
1. Vudu
This is another popular content delivery platform similar to Netflix but unlike Netflix a similar to 123Movies, it offers a number of movies and TV shows for free. All Vudu titles are true high definition in 1080 pixels, come with standard Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound. The best part of Vudu is it offers full-feature length movies in 1080p making it a very right choice for HD streaming. Vudu categorises content into comedy, crime & suspense, action, family & kids, etc.
While movies are available for rent. You can watch 1000’s of free movies with Ad support on the VUDU at, Movies on Us and New Movies. You need a User Account in order to watch movies at Vudu, even for the content which does not cost, but registration is totally free. Vudu offers some of the best programs and TV shows to watch out with a library of over 20000+ Programs.
Why Vudu?
- Free Movies in 1080p
- Rent movies you like
- Early Access to Latest Movies
- Premium Movies and More
2. Sony Crackle
The Crackle by Sony is a free online service available across 20+ countries which let you stream TV Shows and Movies online. Being a Sony Entertainment product you can expect a large number of movies from Sony Pictures. Sony Crackle has a bouquet of movies and has partnered with the number of big production houses. Since you can stream the films for free without any subscription, the service supports itself by running short pre-roll and mid-roll ads every now and then. Given its wide range of movies and the trust of Sony, this service is surely the one which you should try
The Sony has partnered with a number of production houses like 20th Century Fox, MGM, Lionsgate, Funimation, WB, Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, Village Roadshow Entertainment etc. The video library is huge and features content in good quality even if opt to watch it on big screens.
Why Sony Crackle?
- Mammoth Library of Movies from various production houses.
- Free Movies without Subscription
- Good Quality Video Play
- Simple Interface
- Dedicated Mobile App
3. Tubi TV
This free service is available globally and houses a bunch of movies and TV shows which is difficult for you to find elsewhere. With a library now surpassing 50,000 titles, second only to Netflix, Tubi TV is the best source of Movies and TV Shows. The site hosts thousands of Movies and TV Shows for all the age groups and that too without any subscription and as a necessity, it runs on Ads. Tubi TV has something to offer for everybody with content ranging from comedy, drama, kids, classics programs, and even Korean dramas, anime, and British series.
Tubi provides free ad-supported content from Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Lionsgate with many Not on Netflix programs. It also hosts a number of independent cinema. So just dive deep to take a ride on the largest library of free media content online.
Why Tubi TV?
- Large Number 0f Movies
- Asian Content
- Critically acclaimed movies and shows
4. YouTube
With over a Billion Visits per month, YouTube is undoubtedly the most popular video streaming site. YouTube has a mammoth library of independent movies and TV shows. You can have this content right on your device and if you wish you can also download the content offline. YouTube has a number of Indian, Spanish, Turkish, Hollywood Cinema from the Golden Age and movies from counties worldwide. YouTube has a Movies Section which has some good movies free to watch. The number of independent movies and programs on YouTube is large. And the features offered by YouTube as we know are pretty great including quality settings, subtitles, suggestions etc.
Why YouTube?
- Never-Ending Movie Collection
- Suggestions and ratings
- Subtitle and Video Quality Settings
- Movies hosted by YouTube itself
5. SnagFilms
SF claims to have over 5000 movies in their catalogue. The site primarily holds Documentaries and Independent Films from Hollywood, Indian Cinema, African, Spanish, French and more. It has some of the best content ranging from cult horror to classic movies in 15 languages including Hindi, Chinese, Korean and more. This service has really set our expectation and trust of movies to the next level.
Over 5,000 independent movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Over a dozen categories from adrenaline-filled action-adventure films to hilarious comedy and critically acclaimed documentaries. SnagFilms also has a special interest in gay & lesbian art cinema, international foreign films, and much more. If you wish to experience some high-critic films than SnagFilms is the best place to visit.
Goods About SnagFilms
- High Rated Documentaries
- Critically acclaimed Independent Movies
- LGBT Based Movies
- Action, Comedy, Horror all under one hood.
6. Voot
Voot is a digital platform which serves India and is owned by Viacom 18. The platform serves more than 50 million monthly users alone on its site. It also has a dedicated App for Android, iOS and Fire TV. The Voot works by advertising-led video-on-demand service. Voot hosts content from its own network of Channels namely, Colors TV, MTV, Nick India, Cineplex, and other TV Channels. It also hosts a number of Indian films for streaming which also includes regional movies. The Voot also produces its own web originals all of which can be streamed for free. The service is exclusively available in India and you may need a VPN to access the service outside India.
Goods About Voot
- Movies and TV Shows from Viacom
- Simple to access and free to use
- Bouquet of TV Shows and Originals
7. Crunchyroll
The Crunchyroll is a popular site with over 50 million monthly visits which primarily focuses on east-Asian content primarily on Anime, Manga Series, Music, and Shows. The site is solely made for all the anime lovers. A legal and simple way to stream all your favourite animation. The service has rights to popular Anime Series like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Titan, etc. The Crunchyroll is the one-stop destination for all the Anime Lovers and is much recommended as it is safe and legal. Though all the content is not free, you get a 14-day free trial to access the shows and programs.
The Content Provider uses a freemium model. That means they offer anime for free at a lower definition and with advertisements. Latest episodes of ongoing shows can’t be accessed for free unless you wait for a week.
Goods About Crunchyroll
- Best Place for Anime Lovers
- East-Asian Movies and TV Shows
- Popular Manga Series
8. The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit public domain online organisation which aims at preserving the digital content. Therefore, many movies and TV shows are uploaded onto the archive for long-term storage. You will find movies dating back from the silent era to the modern 21st-century. Movies which cannot be easily found elsewhere can be located on the Archive. Being a public domain site you can only have access to movies which do not have any digital right licenses, so you mostly find independent movies and old TV programs. But it could be the largest free motion picture library given the number of movies it hosts. You can download the content with a click or as a magnet link.
Goods About Archive
- Largest Library of Movies
- Direct Download
- Categorised genres and titles
- Classic Movies
- Lesser-Known Movies
9. Veoh
Veoh is not a very good option to watch free movies as you will not get any new movie to watch but it has a number of short films and independent movies to watch for. The site has over 7000 films most of which are short in length. The videos run in standard quality and it is not much you can expect. The website gets a good amount of monthly visits and generally show very few Ads compared to its counterpart like Crackle. Veoh has curated very well by sorting by genre, popularity, date, length, language, subtitles, length, and other factors. Veoh is a good place to enjoy movies.
You get movies, TV shows, music and general videos. You also get shows from networks like Hulu, ABC, CBS and more. Individual content creator as well can put their videos. Veoh has become very popular among fans for the kind of full-length TV Shows which aren’t available in other unpaid platforms. The content pool is very huge and there is a huge possibility that you will get what you are looking for.
Goods About Veoh
- Very few Ads
- A large number of short movies
- No registration needed.
10. IMDb Freedive
IMDb is the biggest resource library for movies, shows, documentaries, and all other television and internet shows. It hosts reviews, ratings and other information related to the movie or program. The service is owned by Amazon. And recently IMDb launched an ad-supported streaming service called IMDb Freedive. Freedive allows you to enjoy movies, shows and originals for free with Amazon, IMDb, FB or Google login. Once you’ve logged in to IMDb, along with full-length movies, additional features include personalized recommendations for Freedive content and upcoming alerts.
Goods About Freedive
- Full-Length Movies for free
- Fewer Ads
- Simple UI with quick access
- Originals and Shows with simple player
- Fire TV support
11. Crunchyroll
The Crunchyroll is a popular site with over 50 million monthly visits which primarily focuses on east-Asian content primarily on Anime, Manga Series, Music, and Shows. The site is solely made for all the anime lovers. A legal and simple way to stream all your favourite animation. The service has rights to popular Anime Series like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Titan, etc. The Crunchyroll is the one-stop destination for all the Anime Lovers and is much recommended as it is safe and legal. Though all the content is not free, you get a 14-day free trial to access the shows and programs.
The Content Provider uses a freemium model. That means they offer anime for free at a lower definition and with advertisements. Latest episodes of ongoing shows can’t be accessed for free unless you wait for a week.
Goods About Crunchyroll
- Best Place for Anime Lovers
- Free Anime with Dubs and Subs
- East-Asian Movies and TV Shows
- Popular Manga Series
Conclusion: 123Movies is known to be one of the most notorious series of illegal streaming sites. The site offers free movies and TV Shows embedded for streaming and free download. It is illegal to use 123Movies to stream movies and the local law agencies may crack you down causing legal troubles. But you can still use Free and Legal Alternatives to 123Movies to enjoy movies and TV shows.
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