Pluto TV alternatives worth trying
If you like Pluto TV's flip-through-the-guide style, the closest alternatives are Tubi, The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus, which also run free live channels with ads. If what you really want is that lean-back TV feel with the YouTube you already like, try dunno.tv.
Apps like Pluto TV, at a glance
| SERVICE | BEST FOR | WORTH KNOWING |
|---|---|---|
| Tubi | Free movies and TV on demand | A big on-demand library with ads, plus live channels. Good when you know you want a film. |
| The Roku Channel | Roku owners | Free live channels and on-demand titles, built into Roku devices and also available on the web and other devices. |
| Samsung TV Plus | Samsung TV and phone owners | Free live channels that come preinstalled on Samsung devices. Nothing to sign up for. |
| dunno.tv | YouTube creators, scheduled like TV | 15 free live channels built from full-length YouTube videos: sports replays, chess, documentaries, live news. Runs in any browser, no account. |
All four are free. The first three are ad-supported services that license shows and movies, with hundreds of channels each. Lineups and features change often, so check each one's own site for what's current.
A Tubi alternative, or a Pluto TV alternative?
It helps to decide what you're actually replacing. If you want a specific movie, an on-demand library like Tubi is the right tool. If you want to turn something on without choosing, a live channel guide like Pluto TV's is the thing you'll miss, and that's where the other options on this page come in.
Where dunno.tv is different
dunno.tv doesn't carry networks or reruns. Its channels are made from the long videos creators publish on YouTube: full tennis matches, chess rounds with commentary, documentaries and live news streams. Everything plays through YouTube's official player with YouTube's normal ads, and dunno.tv runs no ads of its own.
The other difference is that you can make it yours. The 15 free channels are the same for everyone. On a paid plan, AI builds your own lineup from creators you like, and you change it in plain words: "more cricket, less cooking".
Questions people ask
- Is there a free TV service similar to Pluto TV?
- Yes. Tubi, The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus all offer free, ad-supported live channels, and dunno.tv offers free live channels built from full-length YouTube videos. Which is best depends on whether you want licensed shows and movies or YouTube creators.
- Is Tubi better than Pluto TV?
- They lean different ways. Tubi is known mostly for its large free on-demand movie and TV library, while Pluto TV is known mostly for its live channel guide. Both are free with ads, and both are worth trying.
- What's the difference between dunno.tv and Pluto TV?
- Pluto TV licenses TV shows and movies. dunno.tv doesn't license or host anything: it schedules videos that creators publish on YouTube onto live channels, played through YouTube's official player. So you get tennis replays, chess rounds and documentaries from YouTube, not network TV reruns.
Stop scrolling. Turn it on.
dunno.tv has 15 free channels and needs no account. Want channels built around exactly what you like? Answer 4 questions and AI builds your lineup. Plans start at $6 a month, with a 3-day free trial. See pricing.
Keep reading
- Free live TV channels: All 15 free channels and what's on each one.
- Channel surfing, again: Flip through channels the way TV used to work, built from YouTube.
- YouTube without Shorts: How to turn Shorts off, and what to watch instead.
- How to stop doomscrolling: Practical ways to break the scroll at night.
Free channels: Documentaries, Tennis, Chess, Cricket, News.