Updated on: September 22, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best USTVGO alternative in 2024:
- Plex. My recommended alternative for USTVGO is definitely Plex. It’s fully legal, it’s completely free, and it has over 600 channels available in the US alone. What’s more, it’s available worldwide (unlike many other legal USTVGO alternatives).
USTVGO was a popular site for streaming live US TV online. It hosted live feeds from a total of 93 US channels, but much like similar TV streaming sites, it operated illegally without a broadcasting license. Most likely because of threats of legal action against the copyright infringement the site committed, USTVGO is no longer available.
That’s why I created this list of 5 top recommended legal alternatives to USTVGO. The list is ranked according to criteria such as number of channels, availability across different countries, and price, in case the platform offers more to paid users.
Pro Tip: I recommend using a quality VPN, such as ExpressVPN, to maintain your privacy and protect your device while streaming a USTVGO alternative. Top-tier VPNs have good streaming support, so they work great with the platforms discussed here. All the VPNs I recommend here don’t monitor or log your online activity, so you’re responsible for how you use a VPN. Neither I nor my colleagues at SafetyDetectives condone copyright infringement.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
5 Best USTVGO Alternatives in 2024
1. Plex
Plex is my no. 1 recommendation for a free, legal alternative to USTVGO. The platform is completely free, and it has a whopping 600+ channels available in the US.
It’s really convenient how Plex sorts both live channels and on-demand video content by genre, into categories like Hit TV, True Crime, News, etc. Alternatively, you can use the search bar to find specific channels, and I like how the dropdown list immediately shows you if the channel is currently available on Plex.
I also really appreciate how Plex is available worldwide, though the channels it offers may vary from country to country. What’s more, it has native apps for all popular streaming devices, including many smart TVs and even gaming consoles.
While I’m not a huge fan of the occasional ad break, they’re what keeps live streams on Plex free, and they’re not too intrusive.
Plex does collect some personal data, such as usage statistics, device information, and your IP address. However, it doesn’t require you to create an account for watching live TV (but it does if you want to watch on-demand shows and movies). That said, I like how its Privacy Policy details what happens to your data and how Plex handles it.
2. Pluto TV
Pluto TV’s library contains 200+ syndicated channels, including channels like Sky News and Ion Television, and it also carries VOD feeds from channels like CBS News 24/7, Fox Sports, etc. Both its live feeds and on-demand channels are available in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe and Latin America.
It has a large number of categories for you to explore, with the Featured and New on Pluto TV categories on top, so you can easily keep yourself up-to-date with everything Pluto has to offer. Moreover, it lets you add channels to the Favorites category, which is on the top of the list for convenient access. If you make an account on Pluto TV, you can sync your Favorites list across devices. However, that feature is currently only available in the US.
I think it’s great how you can use Pluto TV without creating an account. Still, it automatically collects some information about you. This includes things like your IP address, your preferences while watching, and the way you use the site. It also shares all gathered data with Paramount, its business partners, and advertisers.
3. Sling TV
Sling TV is a US-only streaming platform offering 500+ live TV channels through Sling Freestream, which doesn’t require you to pay for a subscription or even make an account.
However, if you want to watch the most popular channels, like HBO, Syfy, BBC America, and others, you’ll have to upgrade to one of its many subscription tiers. If you want to commit to a paid subscription, Sling TV also offers plenty of premium add-ons for a larger variety of channels, so you can get a curated list of channels you like to watch.
You can watch Sling TV on a wide range of devices, including macOS and Windows computers, Android and iOS mobile devices, Android TV, Apple TV, LG and Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, and even some gaming consoles like Xbox.
Sling TV collects personal information including but not limited to your name, billing information, usage statistics, device information, IP address, and location. It has a very detailed Privacy Policy discussing what can and can’t happen to your data.
4. Tubi
Tubi is a completely free streaming platform, available in 10+ countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and several countries in Latin America. Aside from a large library of on-demand content, it streams live feeds from 250+ channels, including popular English-language channels like Fox Sports, abc News, and beIN Sports, as well as Spanish-language ones, like Estrella.
I think it’s convenient how Tubi has a separate site section with Spanish-language channels, available with a click. What’s more, both the English-language and Spanish-language sections are further divided into numerous categories for easy access to a variety of live TV channels. It also has a dedicated Kids section, but for now, it doesn’t have any live channels, only on-demand video.
Tubi keeps itself free thanks to frequent ad breaks between programmes, but they’re not intrusive enough to be a real bother. It also collects potentially identifying personal data from its users, such as name, gender, birthday, email address, zip code, state/province/territory, and device-related information. However, you don’t have to register for an account to use Tubi, so you retain some control over what data Tubi gathers.
5. Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a free streaming platform that exists as a subsection of Amazon Prime Video. Amazon Freevee has 500+ live TV channels, and it’s available in the US, UK, Germany, and Austria. However, watching Freevee content on your PC in your browser is currently only possible in the US.
Unlike other platforms on this list, Amazon Freevee requires you to register for an account before watching live TV channels. I’m not a big fan of this, as logging in gives the channel access to lots more data about you. This can include your login name and email, IP address, device location, streaming history, device metrics, and more.
That said, Amazon Freevee is free to use, and it’s supported by frequent ad breaks, though I like that they’re clearly marked in yellow on the stream’s progress bar so you can plan your snack and bathroom breaks.
Was USTVGO Legal?
It depends on your location, but generally speaking, USTVGO was operating illegally. In its information section, the site didn’t mention hosting content, aggregating links, or anything of the sort — it only said that “watching is legal” with no further explanation.
That said, USTVGO unambiguously provided a way for users to watch copyrighted content, and the legal status of such sites varies greatly by location. For example, there are countries where pirating content is generally legal for personal use only (such as Spain or Poland) and countries where pirated content is illegal, but the level of prosecution differs.
In early 2023, the USTVGO site and its mirrors were all taken down and replaced with a simple text saying “Sorry, we are gone.” Upon further research, it seems that the site’s owners received multiple takedown notices in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (‘DMCA’) and decided to comply and avoid legal action.
In the unlikely case that USTVGO returns under some mirror site, I recommend steering clear and using a legal, free alternative to avoid any potential unpleasant situations.
Why You Need a VPN for TV Streaming Sites Like USTVGO
A VPN is a great way to maintain privacy and protect your personal data while streaming on many alternative sites to USTVGO. VPNs mask your real IP address by replacing it with that of the server you connected to, so your streaming habits are more difficult to trace back to you.
VPNs are also useful for avoiding ISP throttling. Many internet service providers (ISPs) reduce connection speeds when they detect high levels of data usage, and streaming is pretty data-heavy. VPNs encrypt your traffic, so your ISP won’t pick up on your streaming and throttle your speeds.
Additionally, most top-tier VPNs come with advanced security features, such as protection from malicious links. This really comes in handy while you’re looking for adequate USTVGO alternatives since there are plenty of fake streaming sites out there that can be harmful to your device.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for TV streaming sites like USTVGO:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best VPN for secure streaming on free & legal USTVGO alternatives.
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Great for legal & free TV streaming sites (servers in 50 states).
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Versatile VPN for easy streaming on legal USTVGO alternatives.
Editors' Note: Intego, Private Internet Access, CyberGhost and ExpressVPN are owned by Kape Technologies, our parent company
Frequently Asked Questions
What streaming platform is the best free alternative to USTVGO?
My no. 1 recommended alternative to USTVGO is Plex. It’s completely free to use and available worldwide, which sets it apart from most legal streaming apps. It has a fairly large variety of channels available, with 600+ channels in the US alone.
Another free alternative I recommend is Pluto TV, which has over 200 channels available in the US and Canada, as well as parts of Europe and Latin America.
How safe are free TV streaming sites like USTVGO?
Legal sites are generally quite safe, but the illegal ones can be harmful to your device. Many illegal TV streaming sites have impostor mirror sites filled with malware that collect a lot of data and compromise your online security.
That’s why I strongly recommend sticking to legal alternatives to USTVGO. What’s more, you could also use a quality VPN to further protect yourself while looking for an alternative TV streaming site.
What happened to USTVGO?
The USTVGO site went down in early 2023, along with its mirror sites. While no official reason was given for the takedown, the most likely scenario was that the site’s owners received a DMCA notice or a cease-and-desist. Because the site enabled users to watch copyrighted content, this would have eventually led to serious legal consequences for the owners had they not shut down the site.
If USTVGO reappears, it’d be liable for even more legal action, so I recommend going to a legal USTVGO alternative in order to avoid any potential risk.
Can I use a free VPN to stream on USTVGO alternatives?
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Free VPNs often have bad streaming support and slow speeds which aren’t suitable for online TV live streams. You’re much better off with a premium VPN, as they have better speeds, better streaming support, and are much better at maintaining your online privacy while streaming on USTVGO alternatives.
