Public Domain Film Network
Multiple genres to choose from.
Downloading is very easy.
Most can also be streamed.
No payment required.
Only old movies.
There are no search or sort options.
The website has too many ads.
Among the hundreds of free movie download sites on the internet, public domain movies should be at the top of your list so there is no doubt about their legality. PublicDomainMovie.net is a great source for such movies.
When a film enters the public domain, it means the copyright is no longer held by any one individual—the public owns the film. In other words, you can watch and download movies as much as you want, and it's completely legal.
There are categories at the top of the site to help you find drama, horror, comedy, and more among the hundreds of movies available here. Each movie page displays the movie's cover image, release date, plot synopsis, and cast list.
What I like is that I can stream these movies directly from the website to preview what I'm getting before starting the download. However, I don't like all the ads. There's stuff like this everywhere; luckily, they're not included in the video themselves.
public domain comments
Useful filtering options.
Includes search functionality.
Ad-free website.
Only old movies.
There are less than 200 movies.
Almost no new content is updated.
Some dead links.
This website is very similar to the one above. Most of the movies in The Public Domain Review come from the same collection as the previous site, but I've added them here for two reasons: lack of ads and excellent filtering options.
The link below will lead you to the movies section where you can filter by century, genre, theme and genre. For example, you might want to explore 20th-century cinema, particularly shorts or silent films, or films that center on themes such as food, architecture, or the natural world.
Everything here is available for streaming. Movie download links are at the bottom of every page.
Internet Archive
Lets you stream before downloading.
Filter by year and topic.
Huge list, all free.
No ads.
You won't find newer movies here.
Strange classification method.
The Internet Archive is a treasure trove of digital information. It not only has movies for download, but also software, web pages, books, and more. Like the above two websites, this website also offers free movie downloads as they are in the public domain.
There are many categories here where you can find movies, so the link below (which takes you to feature films) is just an example. There are tens of thousands of free movies in a dozen languages.
Most, if not all, of the movies in the sites listed above are from the Internet Archive, but I prefer these movie download sites to this one because there is so much to sift through. Still, I like using the site’s filtering options, which can include language, creator, year, theme, and more.
04/11Library of Congress
Lets you stream before downloading.
There are no ads and no fees.
Multiple file format options.
Only older movies included.
Tiny collection.
Updated annually.
Another way to download movies is through the Library of Congress. According to LOC, the purpose of this film list is to "demonstrate the scope and diversity of America's cinematic heritage."
They are selected films from the National Film Registry (NFR), a collection of films selected by the National Film Preservation Commission.
Some things I like about downloading movies here is that the site has no ads and all the options are on one page since there are only dozens of movies to choose from.
These videos can be downloaded directly from the Library of Congress website in formats such as MP4 and MOV.
05 11 in totalNetflix
Including movies and TV series.
Large library of movies that is updated frequently.
Browse download-only movies.
Must be a paying user.
Ad-supported plans do not include downloads.
Must be downloaded from the app (not the website).
Not all titles are available for download.
Downloads will be automatically deleted no later than 7 days (some sooner).
Netflix is an example of a subscription service that lets you save its movies and TV shows to the downloads section of the app so you can watch them even without an internet connection.
As a long-time Netflix user, it’s my go-to for saving movies offline. If you don't use Netflix, there are several other similar options listed below.
Downloads are allowed through the Netflix app for iOS, Android and Windows.
Streaming services like Netflix don't let you save video files to wherever you want. You can only download movies in their approved apps, which helps them control further copying or burning to disc.
06/11Amazon Prime Video
Download purchased, rented, and subscribed books.
Purchased movies can be saved to up to four compatible download devices.
Includes sections with downloadable content only.
Filter by type.
This application is required to save movies.
Not all movies are available for download.
Subscriptions and rental movie downloads will expire after a set time.
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, you can download movies from the same screen where you can stream videos. Downloading movies also works with rentals and purchases (but not Freevee series).
Most movies rented and purchased with a Prime subscription expire 48 hours after downloading. Purchased movie downloads can be saved on up to four devices, but subscription titles can only be stored on two devices at a time.
Downloading Amazon Prime movies is very easy. Just look for the "Download" button in the Prime Video app. This works on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.
07/11Youtube
Download movies you purchased or rented.
View reviews, ratings and trailers.
Unable to download free books.
There are no filtering options.
Applies to mobile app only.
To my surprise, YouTube allows offline viewing of purchased or rented movies, and not just for YouTube Premium subscribers!
Anyone who buys or rents a movie through YouTube can save it for offline playback. Simply open the video you want to watch in the Android or iOS app and tap "Download" to select the quality and preferred audio track.
If this applied to YouTube's free movie collection, it would be at the top of the list in no time!
This also applies to the Google TV app. Go to your Profile > Movies and tap a movie to see download options.
08/11Fandango at home
Tons of quality movies.
You can download purchased and rented movies.
Download requires mobile app.
Free movies cannot be saved.
A generic type that can be selected when sorting a list of movies.
Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu) movies are available for download via the official mobile app. Just like Netflix and similar movie streaming services, this is only possible if you've purchased the video.
The app can sort movies by most viewed or by release date. Another thing I like about using this app for movie downloading is the option to only show "fresh" movies (as determined by Rotten Tomatoes). There is also a genre selector.
09/11gourd
It's easy to find titles that support downloading.
You can make up to 25 downloads on five supported mobile devices at one time.
Ad-supported plans do not include movie download support.
Not all movies can be saved offline.
Requires supported mobile devices.
Expired downloads must be updated occasionally to keep them offline.
Hulu is another subscription-based service that offers a full slate of legal movies and original shows. This means that it is a completely legal way to download movies.
To watch content offline, use the download button next to the movie you want to save.
My biggest complaint? Like these other services, downloading movies is only available on certain plans, Hulu (Ad-Free) and Hulu (Ad-Free) + Live TV . Movies in premium add-ons and Live TV on-demand movies are not available for download except on plans with ads.
This works with the Hulu app for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Amazon Fire devices.
10 out of 11Disney+
Download the same movie on up to 10 supported mobile devices.
Includes movie trailer.
Recommend similar movies.
"Basic" subscribers cannot download movies.
If you are offline for more than 30 days, downloaded content will be deleted.
Some titles may not be downloadable.
There are very few genres to choose from.
I've watched a lot of great movies on Disney+, many of which are perfect for watching on a long plane ride. To download a movie from the Disney+ mobile app, click Download on the movie page.
Unfortunately, this only works on certain plans. Specifically, subscribers to the Basic plan cannot download movies.
11 out of 11iTunes
Download movies on your computer, phone or tablet.
Useful categories to find movies to buy.
Downloaded movies can only be played in approved applications.
If you use iTunes to purchase movies, you'll be happy to know that you can download the movie through the iTunes Store by selecting "Download" after purchase. Movies can also be downloaded to iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
I love the extensive list of genres to choose from when looking for movies to download. Classic films , TV movies , music documentaries , regional Indian films , and short films are some of the more unique films, but other films are also included such as comedies, musicals, westerns, thrillers, and more.
As is evident from the above list, there are very few free and legal movie download websites. It’s not for lack of trying on my part. In fact, I look at this list every month and check to see if there are any new sites that I could add to it.
A quick Google search for "movie download sites" will list a lot of options, but you probably won't even see any of the above sites on the first page of search results.
why is that? There are two reasons:
- Most of the websites that offer movie downloads are illegal .
- Most "movie download" sites are actually just movie streaming sites.
Popular websites for movie downloads that people visit usually don't offer a "download" section but let you stream the movie (that's the difference), but they still shouldn't do that. Typically, the movies you can find on these sites were released this year , and some are even still playing in theaters! This is the first red flag that the site doesn't comply with most copyright laws.
Movies obtained this way are almost always Blu-ray or DVD rips, which means someone is sharing their purchased (or rented, filmed, or pre-released) movie with others. This is how most movie torrent sites work.
If a movie is not in the public domain, or the creator has not authorized its sharing, then it is not yours to keep. The first few websites on the list above offer completely free content because they host public domain movies, while other websites are legal because these companies have agreements with movie studios that allow them to offer licensed downloads.
Don't limit yourself to downloading when streaming options are available if you don't have to.
That's what I do 99% of the time. If you are considering watching movies on free movie sites, there are many more options. These movies may not be yours to keep, but you can often watch them in high quality and stream them directly from the site, often as many times as you want.
If you want to download movies to play on your phone or tablet, I recommend using a free movie viewing app. These are the same titles you'd find on movie sites, but packaged for smaller screens.
Do you prefer vintage disc rentals? You can even often take advantage of free Redbox rental codes to get entertainment on the cheap.
