Tubi and Pluto TV are the two biggest names in free streaming, and they cost you nothing. I tested both apps side by side to find out which one actually earns a spot on your home screen. They're both ad-supported, legal, and real alternatives to a $20/month Netflix bill.
But each app is built around different habits: Tubi is designed for picking something specific to watch, while Pluto TV is built for turning something on and letting it play. That difference shapes almost everything else.
We recommend: Tubi, because of its movie selection and live sports
Choose Tubi if you want to search for a specific movie or show and watch it right away. It has a larger on-demand library and a better discovery experience, including major sports competitions. That said, Pluto TV is solid if you like having something on in the background without having to pick anything. The live TV guide is the closest free option to regular cable.
Quick comparison
Tubi:
- Bigger free on-demand library
- No account needed to start watching
- Better movie discovery than Netflix, in my experience
- Free live sports (including the Super Bowl and the World Cup)
- Dedicated kids' section
- Ads hit every 15–20 minutes with no way to skip
- Smaller live TV lineup
Pluto TV:
- Live TV guide feels like real cable
- Backed by Paramount, so the content is current
- Channels for current shows (like Survivor and 60 Minutes)
- A pop-up in the lower right corner can't be closed
- Very limited accountless version
- Smaller on-demand library
Library: Tubi has a bigger on-demand library
Tubi has nearly 300,000 movies and TV episodes, plus nearly 400 exclusive originals. That scale is obvious the second you start browsing. Categories go well past the usual genre breakdowns into decade, mood, and hyper-specific groupings like "Cult Classics," and the rotating picks mean there's almost always something new worth clicking into.
Pluto's on-demand side is a fraction of that size. Pluto TV doesn't publish an exact title count, describing its library only as "thousands of movies and shows," and the smaller catalog is noticeable once you start scrolling past the first page. What surprised me is the number of major motion pictures. The selection skews toward titles you'd actually recognize rather than public-domain filler, and is organized into sections like "On Now," "Recently Added," "Last Chance to Watch," and "News + Opinion," which make a smaller library easy to work through.
If you're the type who wants to search for one specific title and start watching, Tubi wins this round by a wide margin. If you're happy to grab whatever looks good from a shorter list, Pluto TV won't leave you disappointed.
Browsing a big library on the go? Watch your data
Scrolling through Tubi's library or flipping through Pluto's categories keeps video loading behind the scenes the whole time. A budget carrier with a generous data allotment can stretch your plan further without the premium price tag.
Check out our guide to the best MVNOs and compare the most popular plans below:
|
Mint Mobile
Unlimited Data Plan
$15.00/mo
$45 for 3 months of service
|
|
Visible
$19 Visible Plan
$19.00/mo
Taxes & Fees included
|
|
US Mobile
Unlimited Starter Plan
$25.00/mo
|
Live TV: Pluto TV offers the best live TV listings
Image: Jessica Santero | WhistleOut
Pluto TV's live guide is set up exactly like cable or DirecTV. Open the app, scroll the guide, and tap whatever's on. It took me two minutes to set up a free account, and I was watching Blue Bloods before the popcorn finished microwaving. Because Pluto is owned by Paramount, you'll find channels dedicated to CBS News, MTV Hits, and Comedy Central, plus current CBS programming like Survivor.
Tubi has a live TV section too, and it's worth checking out, especially for sports. Tubi streamed the FIFA World Cup this year and Super Bowl LIX in 4K in 2025. But outside of marquee sports events, the live lineup is noticeably thinner than Pluto's full channel guide.
If flipping channels is the experience you're after, Pluto TV is the superior option.
A foldable phone makes channel-surfing feel like the real thing
Scrolling through Pluto's live guide or flipping to Tubi's live section is a lot more like actual TV when you've got a bigger screen to work with. A foldable phone unfolds into something closer to a tablet, which makes watching your favorite shows so much better.
Check out some of the most popular foldable phones on the market now:
Galaxy Z Fold8 5G 256GB
- 7.6 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 50MP
- Front Cameras: 10MP, 10MP
Galaxy Z Fold7 5G 256GB
- 8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 10MP
Galaxy Z Fold8 5G 512GB
- 7.6 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 50MP
- Front Cameras: 10MP, 10MP
Ad experience: Both apps run ads, but the experiences vary
Tubi hits you with an ad every 15–20 minutes, and you can't skip them. They're short, and they don't interrupt plot twists the way Netflix's placement sometimes does, but they're frequent and predictable.
Neither app's ad load bothered me much, especially since I already pay for Netflix with ads anyway.
Pluto TV runs the same amount of ad time you'd expect from actual cable, since its whole format is built to mimic broadcast TV. The bigger annoyance isn't the ad breaks themselves. It's the persistent pop-up window in the lower right corner that you can't close, which sticks around on both desktop and mobile.
Which app uses less data?
| App | Data per 2-hour movie | Quality control |
|---|---|---|
| Tubi | 1.4–4GB | Auto-adjusts to bandwidth |
| Pluto TV | 3–4GB | No manual control |
Technically, Tubi uses less data than Pluto TV and gives you more control, since Pluto TV has no manual quality setting. Both keep video running continuously in the background, so if you're on cellular instead of Wi-Fi, check your plan before a long binge.
Streaming for the whole family—for less
Streaming burns through data fast, and streaming on multiple devices in a single household uses up data even faster. Check out the most popular unlimited data family plans below to find the best plan for you and your family:
|
T-Mobile
Essentials Saver 2.0
$100.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees NOT included
|
|
US Mobile
Unlimited Starter Plan
$100.00/mo
|
|
Verizon
Unlimited Plus
$170.00/mo
+ Taxes & Fees. Price includes AutoPay & Paperless discount.
+ $160 Upfront
|
Tubi vs. Pluto TV: Which one should you download?
If you already know what you want to watch, Tubi is the better app. The library is bigger, the discovery is faster, and you don't need an account to get started. It's also the stronger pick for live sports, since it's the only one of the two streaming major events like the World Cup and the Super Bowl.
If you want the feeling of turning on the TV without making any decisions, Pluto TV is the better fit. The live guide is the closest free experience to actual cable TV, and the current CBS and Paramount content holds up better than you'd expect from a free app.
Your phone has room for both if you want them, but if you're only picking one, make your choice based on how you actually watch TV, rather than the size of the library.
How I tested Tubi and Pluto TV
I tested both apps on my computer and my iPhone 11, and performed activities like:
- Browsing their content libraries and categories
- Timing the ad breaks
- Checking live TV guides
- Confirming which titles were actually available (rather than just what was listed)
Pricing, features, and availability may have changed since I wrote this, but I'll try my best to keep it updated.
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Tubi and Pluto TV: FAQ
Is Tubi or Pluto TV better?
Tubi is better for finding something specific to watch, while Pluto TV is better for live, channel-surfing-style viewing. Neither app is better across the board.
Do I need an account for Tubi or Pluto TV?
Tubi works without an account, but signing up saves your progress. Pluto TV works without an account, too, but the accountless version is limited enough that most people will want to sign up.
Which app has more live channels?
Pluto TV has a much larger live TV lineup than Tubi. Tubi's live section focuses more on marquee sports events than a full channel guide.
Which app uses less data?
Tubi tends to use slightly less data per movie than Pluto TV does, and it also lets you adjust the streaming quality automatically based on your connection.
Can I watch live sports on Tubi or Pluto TV?
You can watch live sports on both Tubi and Pluto TV; however, Pluto TV's options are limited, whereas Tubi includes live streams of major sports events (like the Super Bowl and the FIFA World Cup).
Jessica Santero
Staff Writer
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