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July 19, 2022

Everyone loves free. But in today's economy, and with the steady creep of streaming service prices that leaves a big question mark for those of us who are penny pinchers. Is free achievable for streaming anymore? Indeed it is. In fact, we're staring down a free-with-ads future as streaming providers realize that getting a bit less revenue from ad-supported models is better than no revenue at all from people dropping services completely due to price constraints.

What's Still Free in 2022?

Trying to track down free quality content can be difficult these days. In the golden age of cord-cutting, 30-day free trials were everywhere. Now, it's far more difficult to find free trials. Getting in usually requires paying upfront, although (thankfully) that still means only having to pay month-to-month. Nevertheless, free is free, right? Here are some free options to consider as you navigate the streaming landscape in 2022 with an eye on your wallet.

For on-demand, Tubi is still king

It's simple. Tubi TV is still the absolute king of free, ad-supported on-demand content right now. Fox bought the service a few years ago and shifted some of its content there, as well, so it's service has only improved recently. And now that Fox is planning to bring free live sports to the service as well, it's hard to discount how amazing of a service Tubi will continue to be for streaming fans who are looking to save money.

Peacock's ad-supported option is still free

When NBCUniversal's Peacock service launched around this time two years ago, it also included a free ad-supported tier. That free tier includes a ton of excellent content on its own and is still available today. That said, Peacock doesn't advertise its free tier too widely, but it's still available.

Xumo and Pluto have grown

Free live services Pluto TV and Xumo are both still available and both have grown in what they offer. If you're not familiar with these services, their entire model is 24/7 live channels (very little on-demand, though both have some) with an ad-supported model. Both have been around for several years now, and they're an excellent option for those who like to watch content endless and aren't too picky.

That doesn't mean their content is low quality, however. They're excellent, completely free options that should be in anyone's catalog.

Explore more free options

Need to check out some additional free options? Here are the 5 Best Free Streaming Services you can use right now.

This Week's Streaming Guide

grown-ish returns for season 5

The popular follow-up to the hit show "black-ish" returns for its 5th season this Wednesday, July 20, on Freeform.

Virgin River comes back to Netflix for season 4

The drama continues as this surprise Netflix hit returns for its 4th season this Wednesday (July 20)

American Horror Stories scares up a second season

The reprised series on Hulu comes back for a second season of scares this Thursday (July 21)

How bad is The Gray Man? Find out this Friday on Netflix

New action film The Gray Man has been widely panned. Find out why this Friday on Netflix.

News and Industry Developments

What's coming to Amazon Prime in August?

Here's a list of what you can expect to watch with your Prime Video subscription. - ReadySteadyCut

Netflix with ads is coming

There's no stopping it, but will it mean lower prices at all? - CNN

YouTube TV hit 5 Million subscribers

It may be the future of cable and the future of cord-cutting for live TV. - TheVerge

What's coming to Hulu in August?

Hulu has some real gems lined up for August. - ReadySteadyCut