The Best Free Roku Channels

You can always start with the Roku Channel itself, which is available not just to Roku owners but to anyone who signs up for a free account. Access the Roku channel from your device or from the Roku website via your computer or mobile device. Its Live TV Channel Guide is now available on the Roku home screen, and Roku just released a standalone Roku Channel mobile app for when you're on the go.

No matter how you connect, the Roku Channel serves up films like Fatal Attraction, Heaven Can Wait, Police Academy, and Halloween. It digs up TV shows of the past with episodes of Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Unsolved Mysteries, and Batman (1966). You’ll also discover news broadcasts, stand-up specials, and documentaries to keep you informed and entertained.

Who needs regular TV when you’ve got Pluto TV? This free Roku channel works just like your standard cable TV subscription. Start by browsing the live TV offerings. Pluto TV offers news stations such as CBS and NBC, sports highlights, comedy specials, documentaries, tech items from CNET and Geek & Sundry, classic TV programs like Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation, music and radio stations, and select motion pictures. No, you won’t find the latest and greatest movies and TV shows, but you’ll discover plenty of past and current selections worth watching.

Here’s another free Roku channel with movies and TV shows you probably wouldn’t find on Netflix or Amazon. Tune into Tubi and browse through the large collection of unique and unusual titles. You’ll discover a range of films across different genres, including comedy, action, horror, romance, and sci-fi.

There’s even a category devoted to movies that are not on Netflix. Lay back on the couch for an evening of The Da Vinci Code, 13 Going on 30, Cloverfield, Resident Evil, and Sin City. Watch your favorite TV shows like The Honeymooners, The Andy Griffith Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Dead Zone. Tubi rounds out its lineup with comedy specials, documentaries, and programs for preschoolers.

Looking for a place to watch music videos from your favorite artists? You’ll find them on Vevo. This free channel connects you to a wide variety of videos from singers, bands, and performers. The home screen offers recommended and trending videos, as well as new releases. Music is sorted by genre, including pop, rock, country, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, blues, and classical. You can also search for videos by artist.

Vevo even goes beyond just the latest, hottest artists. One clever and creative video I discovered spotlights Tony Bennett singing a duet of “God Bless the Child” with clips of the great Billie Holiday. Beyond music videos, Vevo serves up interviews and behind-the-scenes features of many artists.

TED offers thousands of talks and demonstrations from expert speakers on a variety of topics. Watch any of the many trending videos or venture into such categories as Courageous, Inspiring, Funny, Persuasive, or Jaw-Dropping.

You can also search by speaker name, topic, or other criteria. Learn about business, finance, politics, technology, science, medicine, art, culture, sex, and more with such talks as “How to bring compassion into everyday life,” “What would happen if you didn’t sleep?,” “Why people fall for misinformation,” and “When is a pandemic over?”

Looking to spice up your life in the kitchen? Cooking Guide TV is an appetizing channel for foodies, with its cool menu of shows featuring cooking demos, recipes, and advice from chefs that you can incorporate at home. Mind Over Munch covers a range of topics from breakfast cereal to intermittent fasting. Total Health offers tips and tricks on following a Keto diet. In the Kitchen with Matt serves up recipes for breakfast and lunch. And Firehouse Kitchen features profiles and meals from firefighters in and around New York City.

Okay, now it’s time to learn more about sex. Dr. Sonjia's Sex in South Beach shines a revealing light on this perfectly natural but often uncomfortable subject. Designed for “mature audiences,” this channel attempts to break down the barriers so people can enjoy a happier, healthier sex life. Each episode covers a specific topic by offering information and advice through discussions and interviews. You can watch Dr. Sonjia’s latest show or search for past episodes like “Erectile Dysfunction No More,” “Sex with Disabilities,” and “Booty After Baby.”

Newsy is a helpful source for staying abreast of the latest news. The channel offers newscasts highlighting the latest stories. Newsy starts you off with the top stories, and you can then browse for news among different categories, such as World, US, Politics, Business, Tech, Entertainment, Science/Health, and Sports. The main segments are brief but with enough detail to keep you informed on what’s happening. You’ll also find longer special features that focus on a specific person or topic.

Want more in-depth news coverage from across the US? NewsON is a great way to keep up with the news in your area or any of the 50 states. This channel tunes you into live and recent local newscasts from around the country. By default, the app starts you off with broadcasts in and around your area. You can catch a live feed or check out previous broadcasts from the past few hours or even late yesterday. From there, you can expand your coverage by picking a specific state to focus on local breaking news and other stories. 

When you want to catch an offbeat film or TV episode, check out Popcornflix. This channel is home to a range of movies and TV shows, some of which are gems and others…not so much. Popcornflix bills itself as offering blockbusters, award-winning cinema, cult classics, independent films, and binge-worthy shows. And that’s an accurate description.

Yes, you’ll find such stinkers as Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Wasp Woman, and Croczilla, but you’ll also discover classics like His Girl Friday, Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid, and On Golden Pond, as well as more modern movies like Train to Busan, Trollhunter, and The Adventures of Tintin. To spice up the offerings, Popcornflix taps into old TV shows, foreign films, documentaries, and stand-up comedy specials.