Updated on: April 24, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best PrimeWire alternative in 2024:
- Plex. My top legal recommendation for a PrimeWire alternative is Plex, thanks to its large library of movies and TV shows. I also really like that it’s available worldwide, unlike many other legal streaming platforms. I recommend using it with a high-quality VPN like ExpressVPN, so you can stream securely.
PrimeWire, formerly LetMeWatchThis & 1Channel, is a risky way to stream. It’s run into legal problems because it hosts copyrighted content without a license, and its website has ads that may contain malware. Despite offering a large number of movies and TV shows, PrimeWire’s association with unlicensed streaming can put you at risk of both legal troubles and malware attacks.
I’ve put together a list of 5 free and legal alternatives to PrimeWire to ensure you can enjoy your favorite shows and movies without worry. I looked at things like library size, accessibility, and privacy to determine which ones made my list.
Alongside these alternatives, I recommend 3 VPNs to use with these streaming sites. A VPN further enhances your privacy while streaming online. With these alternatives and connecting to a VPN, you can stream content safely and freely.
Important: Here at SafetyDetectives, we don’t condone the use of VPNs for illegal activities, and that includes copyright infringement. The VPNs we recommend here all have strict no-logs policies, so they won’t track or record anything you stream online. This makes you alone responsible for your online activities, so please keep yourself informed of any applicable laws and regulations.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Is PrimeWire Legal?
It depends on where you live, but PrimeWire generally is breaking copyright laws. In 2022, a court in the United States ordered PrimeWire to stop its services and turn over the operation of its website to movie studios that brought suit against it, including Paramount and Netflix. PrimeWire was found liable for making copyrighted content available without permission; viewers of the content were not a subject of the lawsuit, however.
Laws about sites like PrimeWire can vary depending on the country. Some places might let you stream from these sites for your own use, but other places are very strict about copyright laws. For example, PrimeWire got in trouble in the US for helping and encouraging the sharing of copyrighted content, which led to its shutdown. In some places, the law might focus more on those sharing the illegal content than those just watching it.
It’s best to stick with legal streaming services. There are many good and safe free streaming services out there so you can avoid potential legal issues and cybersecurity threats.
5 Best PrimeWire Alternatives in 2024
1. Plex
Plex is my #1 recommended streaming site as a legal and free alternative to PrimeWire. Its library has thousands of free, ad-supported titles. It also has a Discover feature that functions as an aggregator for many streaming services, so you don’t have to switch from app to app when you’re looking to binge movies.
It’s available worldwide, and it has native apps for all popular devices, including smart TVs, tablets, and gaming consoles.
Plex collects your personal data, such as your IP address, usage statistics, and device information, but I like how its Privacy Policy goes into plenty of detail on what happens to your data.
2. YouTube
YouTube is an excellent free and legal alternative to PrimeWire. It’s available worldwide, and there are plenty of channels that legally host movies for free, such as Cult Cinema Classics and Public Domain Films, just to name a few.
YouTube Movies & TV also has a large library of films and TV shows you can watch for free; it’s supported by YouTube ads. Unfortunately, this particular feature is available only in the US.
As a Google app, YouTube is very secure but not very private. It collects your viewing history to direct better video recommendations to you and target you more accurately with ads, which YouTube is pretty aggressive with. Still, you can opt out of a lot of data collection through Google’s account settings. Fortunately, Google doesn’t sell your data to third parties.
3. Rakuten TV
Rakuten TV is a great site for viewers in Europe looking to stream movies for free. It’s available in 15+ European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Aside from its large library of rentable movies, it also has a section of free, ad-supported movies, many of which are Rakuten originals or fascinating documentaries.
Rakuten TV gathers some personal information so it can refine its recommendations. That said, I like that you don’t have to create an account to stream movies and shows, so you have some control over how much of your data the site gathers.
4. Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is Amazon Prime Video’s free streaming platform. It hosts a large library of ad-supported free movies and TV shows, and it’s available in the US, UK, Austria, and Germany.
You can access Freevee as a section in the Prime Video app, if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, or as a separate standalone app if you’d prefer not to sign up for Amazon Prime.
Both the Freevee app and the Prime Video app gather a lot of personal data, such as your IP address, device metrics, location, as well as any other personal information you give Amazon upon registering.
5. Crackle
Crackle is a pretty good alternative to PrimeWire for viewers in the US. Although it used to be available in 21 countries, it’s currently only available in the US. It has a large library of movies from a diverse range of genres, including action, comedy, crime, drama, horror, and sci-fi.
However, the site doesn’t have filtering options aside from selecting movies by genre. Also, since using Crackle is free, an occasional ad appears while streaming.
When it comes to privacy, Crackle tracks your IP address and site activity, but I think it’s good that it doesn’t force you to create an account. All of the information that Crackle collects and that you willingly give it may be shared with advertisers.
Why You Need a VPN for Streaming Free Alternatives to PrimeWire
A VPN is the best way to protect your data and privacy while streaming movies and TV from free alternatives to PrimeWire. A VPN encrypts your internet connection, so your online activities are kept private from third parties.
A VPN protects your identity and browsing activities from prying eyes by masking your real IP address. This means that the sites you visit only see the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours, and your ISP sees the server’s IP address instead of the streaming platform’s.
In addition, a VPN helps with ISP throttling. ISPs can slow down your internet speed if they detect heavy data usage, which is most commonly the case with streaming. A VPN encrypts your data and prevents your ISP from seeing that you’re streaming, so it won’t throttle your connection and dramatically slow down your streaming.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for free and legal alternatives to PrimeWire:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best VPN for streaming on PrimeWire alternatives (excellent speeds & streaming support).
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Excellent for streaming on mobile devices (has intuitive Android and iOS apps).
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Very user-friendly VPN for streaming on PrimeWire alternatives (good for beginners).
Disclaimer: I compiled this list of VPNs for the sole purpose of enhancing your online security and privacy — I don’t condone the use of VPNs for illegal purposes, including copyright infringement, and neither does anyone else at SafetyDetectives. Please keep yourself well informed on any applicable laws and regulations and be responsible online, even while using a VPN.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Frequently Asked Questions
Which streaming site is the best PrimeWire alternative?
In my research, the best legal and free alternative to PrimeWire is Plex. It has a large library of movies and TV shows, it’s available worldwide, and I like how it lets you connect it with your existing streaming platform subscriptions if you have them. This way, you can watch almost anything in Plex without having to switch from platform to platform.
Are free streaming sites like PrimeWire safe to use?
Legal streaming sites are much safer than illegal ones. My favorite VPN, ExpressVPN, has blocked malicious software when I’ve tried test logins to PrimeWire. Other illegal streaming sites have invasive ads or purposely infect your device with malware. What’s more, there are plenty of fake streaming sites online that have all these threats and more. Overall, you’re much better off using authorized streaming platforms like the ones I recommend on this list.
How can I protect myself while streaming on alternatives to PrimeWire?
The best way to keep yourself safe is with a VPN, which encrypts all of your traffic and masks your real IP address. I compiled this list of the top 3 VPNs, and among them, ExpressVPN stood out as the best choice.
Can I use a free VPN for streaming online?
You can, but I don’t normally recommend it. Many free VPNs aren’t suitable for streaming because they have slow speeds, unstable connections, don’t work with some streaming apps, or straight up don’t allow any streaming traffic. You should get a quality VPN like the ones I recommend here.
