Best Movie Streaming Apps for Android

Updated August 2026 · Verified against the Play Store listings on 7 August 2026.

For most people Netflix is still the one to install: 3.9 stars from 15,387,059 ratings, 1B+ downloads and no ads declared on its listing, but nothing plays without a subscription. The best free pick is Tubi, 4.9 stars from 2,545,914 ratings, paid for with ad breaks and not available in Europe. For arthouse and classics, Kanopy is free with a library card and is the only free app here whose listing declares no ads. Verified against the Play Store listings on 7 August 2026. Full breakdown below.

Verdict: Netflix is still the app most people should install first, but there is no free tier at all, and 3.9 stars from 15,387,059 ratings is the lowest score of any paid app here.

3.9★15,387,059 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

1B+ downloads · free to install, no ads label · no in-app purchases on the listing · Netflix, Inc. · listing updated 3 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Netflix's own help centre states: "You can watch TV shows and movies offline at any time by downloading them from the Netflix app" (help.netflix.com).

Pros: 1B+ downloads, the largest install base here · no ads declared on the listing · offline downloads on Android, confirmed by its own help centre.
Cons: no free tier, so nothing plays until you pay · 3.9 stars, the lowest of the paid apps here · no in-app purchases on the listing, so billing sits outside Google Play.

Skip it if you want something to watch tonight without paying.

Choose Netflix over Disney Plus for breadth across genres; Disney Plus if the household watches Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.

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Verdict: Disney Plus suits a household built on Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, and its listing declares neither ads nor in-app purchases, but you pay for everything and 4.3 stars from 5,113,374 ratings is mid-table here.

4.3★5,113,374 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

500M+ downloads · free to install, no ads label · no in-app purchases on the listing · Disney · listing updated 30 July 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: no ads and no in-app purchases declared · over 100 titles in 4K UHD and HDR, by its listing · several screens at once at no extra cost, by its listing.
Cons: subscription only, with nothing free to sample · its listing warns that content may vary by region · its own note limits the full Hulu and ESPN experiences inside the app to US residents aged 18 and over.

Skip it if you watch films outside the Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic families.

Choose Disney Plus over HBO Max for family viewing; HBO Max for adult drama and Warner Bros cinema.

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Verdict: Tubi is the strongest free pick here at 4.9 stars from 2,545,914 ratings, the highest score on this page, but it is paid for with ad breaks in every film and by its own account it is not available in Europe.

4.9★2,545,914 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free, listing says Contains ads · no in-app purchases · Tubi TV · listing updated 4 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Tubi's own site states: "Tubi is the largest free movie and TV streaming service in the US. We are not available in Europe due to changes in EU laws" (tubitv.com, read 7 August 2026), which is the first thing to check before you install it.

Pros: 4.9 stars, the highest rating on this page · no in-app purchases at all on the listing · an account is optional, by its own listing.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads · no paid ad-free tier exists, since the listing declares no in-app purchases · not available in Europe, in Tubi's own words.

Skip it if you live in Europe, or you want films without ad breaks.

Choose Tubi over Pluto TV for on-demand films; Pluto TV when you would rather flip to a channel that is already playing.

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Verdict: Plex plays your own film files and a free ad-supported library side by side, but 3.6 stars from 482,820 ratings is the lowest score on this page and its purchases run to $949.99.

3.6★482,820 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free to install, listing says Contains ads · in-app purchases $0.99 to $949.99 · Plex, Inc. · listing updated 6 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: its listing counts 50,000+ free films and shows on demand and 600+ free live channels with no subscription · it streams your own library from a home server · rentals start at $3.99, by its listing.
Cons: 3.6 stars from 482,820 ratings, the lowest here · the listing declares Contains ads · in-app purchases reach $949.99, the widest range on this page.

Skip it if you have no film files of your own and just want something to press play on.

Choose Plex over Xumo Play for a far larger free library; Xumo Play when you want no setup at all.

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Verdict: Prime Video makes sense once you already pay for Prime, and 4.7 stars from 5,521,080 ratings is second only to HBO Max among the paid apps, but its listing declares ads and rent-or-buy titles push purchases to $349.99.

4.7★5,521,080 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

500M+ downloads · free to install, listing says Contains ads · in-app purchases $0.05 to $349.99 · Amazon Mobile LLC · listing updated 4 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: 4.7 stars, second only to HBO Max among the paid apps · downloads to watch anywhere, listed as an app feature · X-Ray cast and trivia mid-scene, by its listing.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads · rent-or-buy titles sit beside included ones and reach $349.99 · rental availability varies by marketplace, in its own words.

Skip it if you do not already pay for Prime.

Choose Prime Video over Apple TV for the bigger included catalogue; Apple TV when you want a listing that declares no ads.

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Verdict: HBO Max holds the best rating of any paid app here, 4.8 stars from 5,611,210 ratings, and the deepest Warner Bros catalogue, but its listing declares ads and downloads depend on the plan you buy.

4.8★5,611,210 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free to install, listing says Contains ads · in-app purchases $2.49 to $229.99 · WarnerMedia Global Digital Services, LLC · listing updated 3 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: 4.8 stars, the highest of the paid apps here · HBO, DC, Adult Swim and A24 in one app, by its listing · live Multiview streams up to 3 games at once, by its listing.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads · downloads and their limits vary by plan, in its own words · its listing says HBO Max is only available in certain territories.

Skip it if you live outside its territories, or you expect every plan to include downloads.

Choose HBO Max over Netflix for cinema-grade releases and HBO drama; Netflix for breadth and a listing with no ads.

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Verdict: Pluto TV is free with no subscription and built around live channels, so something is always playing, but 3.7 stars from 802,535 ratings sits near the bottom of this page and its listing declares ads.

3.7★802,535 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free, listing says Contains ads · no in-app purchases · Pluto, Inc. · listing updated 31 July 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: no subscription required, in its listing's words · hundreds of live channels alongside an on-demand library · registration is free and optional.
Cons: 3.7 stars from 802,535 ratings · the listing declares Contains ads · channel flipping means taking what is on rather than choosing a film.

Skip it if you want to pick a specific film rather than land on one.

Choose Pluto TV over The Roku Channel for the bigger live channel list; The Roku Channel for its own Originals.

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Verdict: Apple TV is one of three paid services here whose listing declares no ads, alongside Netflix and Disney Plus, and its Originals are few but well made, though it is the most expensive to start: purchases begin at $9.49.

4.1★159,736 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free to install, no ads label · in-app purchases $9.49 to $239.99 · Apple · listing updated 23 July 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: no ads declared on the listing · new releases weekly with no ads, by its own listing · you can rent or buy films without subscribing.
Cons: 4.1 stars from 159,736 ratings, below every paid app here except Netflix · in-app purchases start at $9.49, the highest entry price on this page · the subscription does not include third-party services or rentals, in its own words.

Skip it if you want a deep back catalogue rather than a small original one.

Choose Apple TV over Prime Video when you want a listing that declares no ads; Prime Video for the wider catalogue.

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Verdict: Xumo Play asks for no subscription and no login, the quickest free start here, but 3.7 stars from 11,050 ratings and a listing last updated on 4 February 2026 make it the least maintained app on this page.

3.7★11,050 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

1M+ downloads · free, listing says Contains ads · no in-app purchases · XUMO LLC · listing updated 4 February 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: no subscription or login needed, by its listing · 350+ live channels and 15,000 on-demand titles, by its listing · nothing to buy: no in-app purchases declared.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads · 3.7 stars from only 11,050 ratings · its listing has not been updated since 4 February 2026, the oldest date on this page.

Skip it if you want an app that ships updates often.

Choose Xumo Play over The Roku Channel for more live channels; The Roku Channel for a more recently updated app.

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Verdict: The Roku Channel is free, needs no Roku device and carries Roku Originals you get nowhere else, but with 3,999 ratings it is the least reviewed app here and its listing declares ads.

4.0★3,999 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

5M+ downloads · free, listing says Contains ads · no in-app purchases · Roku, Inc. and its affiliates · listing updated 1 June 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: 500+ free live channels, by its listing · Roku Originals are exclusive to it · nothing to buy: no in-app purchases declared.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads · 3,999 ratings, the thinnest evidence on this page · 5M+ downloads, well behind Tubi and Pluto TV.

Skip it if you want a large on-demand film library rather than live channels.

Choose The Roku Channel over Xumo Play for a more recently updated app; Xumo Play when you want more live channels.

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Verdict: Hulu carries a rotating film library alongside its TV catalogue and sells a no-ads tier, but the default plan declares ads and the service is built for the United States.

4.5★1,592,056 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

100M+ downloads · free to install, listing says Contains ads · no in-app purchases on the listing · Disney · listing updated 4 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: 4.5 stars from 1,592,056 ratings · Hulu (No Ads) adds offline downloads for select titles, by its listing · Live TV plans include Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Cons: the listing declares Contains ads on the default plan · regional restrictions and blackouts apply, in its own words · premium add-ons such as MAX and STARZ cost extra each month, by its listing.

Skip it if you live outside the United States.

Choose Hulu over Disney Plus for a wider adult film and TV mix; Disney Plus for family viewing. Our best TV streaming apps guide goes deeper on box sets.

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Verdict: Kanopy is the most rewarding free app here if your library supports it: the only free service on this page whose listing declares no ads, with nothing to buy inside it either.

4.6★14,684 ratings · checked 7 August 2026Get it on Google Play →

1M+ downloads · free, no ads label · no in-app purchases · Kanopy, Inc. · listing updated 4 August 2026 · checked 7 August 2026.

Pros: no ads and no in-app purchases declared · The Criterion Collection, documentaries and festival films, by its listing · Kanopy Kids with parental controls.
Cons: useless without a participating library or university card · you sign up with that card, so there is no anonymous start · 14,684 ratings, a thin evidence base next to Tubi.

Skip it if you have no library or university card that supports it.

Choose Kanopy over Tubi for arthouse and classics with no ads; Tubi when you want volume and no sign-up.

How to choose a movie streaming app for Android

Cost first. Six apps here cost nothing to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, Xumo Play and The Roku Channel run on ads, Plex adds a free ad-supported library beside your own files, and Kanopy is funded by participating libraries, which is why its listing is the only free one declaring no ads. Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max and Hulu are subscriptions. Prime Video and Apple TV sit in between, since both rent films to non-subscribers.

Ads, region and downloads

Eight of the twelve listings declare Contains ads, including the Prime Video and HBO Max subscriptions, so read the badge rather than assume paying removes them. Region comes next, and the apps say it themselves: Tubi is not available in Europe, HBO Max is available only in certain territories, and Hulu warns of regional restrictions. Downloads are a paid-tier feature here, with HBO Max limits varying by plan. High definition uses roughly 1 to 3 GB an hour and 4K far more, so cap the quality on mobile data.

A note on safety and free movie apps

Alongside the legitimate free services here sits a category of apps promising brand new cinema releases for nothing, usually as files shared outside the Play Store. Two real problems follow.

• Malware and unwanted software. Apps from outside trusted stores skip the review and update checks Play apps go through, and some carry hidden code that shows aggressive ads or harvests data.
• Pirated content. Many stream films without permission from the people who made them, then vanish without warning and without support.

The rule is simple: if a free app offers current cinema releases that every paid service charges for, be cautious. Our roundup of safe Showbox alternatives covers where those fans land now.

How we verify these apps

We do not claim to have installed or lived with every app here. On 7 August 2026 we opened each one through the store link printed in its own section, with Google Play set to the United States and English, and read the rating and review count from the listing structured data rather than the visible page. From that same listing came the download band, the install price, the Contains ads badge, the in-app purchase range, the developer name and the date the developer last updated it, and we check the Play Data safety section. Developer statements are quoted from the developer's own site and linked in the sentence that uses them. Every app is re-checked quarterly, and anything delisted is removed.

Putting it together

One subscription matched to the films you actually watch, plus one free ad-supported app for everything else, covers most evenings. Add Kanopy if your library card works. More picks sit in our entertainment apps hub.