A new month has arrived, and now is an excellent time to organize your streaming budget. As streaming costs continue to rise, more cord cutters are flocking to lower-cost and free options. With fall premieres, spooky movie lineups, and curated Halloween channels popping up across the free, ad-supported TV (FAST) landscape, October is an excellent time to try new services across your favorite devices.
Nearly 70% of cord cutters use at least one FAST service, but with so many choices, finding the right one can be challenging. Here are five free options worth trying this month and adding to your streaming lineup.
Sling Freestream
- Live, 24/7 channel surfing (news, kids, sports clips, niche entertainment).
- Big on curated, channel-style feeds that mimic cable channel surfing.
- Good for device coverage: On many smart TVs and streaming players
Sling’s Freestream is Sling’s free FAST offering that bundles hundreds of live channels and a large on-demand library into a single, easy app. You can enjoy 600+ channels, and there is no credit card required. If you want to record your favorites, Sling Freestream includes 10 hours of DVR, and you can upgrade to unlimited for $5 per month. Freestream is a great way to sample Sling’s ecosystem without committing to a paid package
Freestream rotates seasonal channels and on-demand horror titles in October, so you’ll often find spooky movies and horror marathons ready to stream.
Watching content is easy, as there is no account required to stream thousands of hours of content. Although creating an account unlocks personalization like favorites/watchlists. Freestream’s catalogue is updated frequently with new channels and VOD.
Philo Free Channels
- Lifestyle, reality, classic TV, and entertainment networks that aren’t always front-and-center on other platforms. Philo’s paid tier is inexpensive if you want to upgrade later.
Philo Free Channels packs an impressive slate of more than 110 ad-supported live channels and thousands of on-demand titles at no cost. If you’re curious about lifestyle, reality, and niche entertainment networks, Philo Free Channels is an excellent risk-free sampler.
Philo’s free lineup features a diverse spectrum of specialty channels (like AMC Thrillers and other genre channels) that often feature horror and thriller marathons in October.
No credit card is required, and you can browse the free lineup without a paid subscription. Philo Free Channels includes a 30-day DVR feature on select titles and an easy upgrade path to full Philo Core.
Pluto TV
- With a throwback channel-style experience, Pluto TV features dozens of genre channels (comedy, crime, retro TV, anime, news, kids, and many movie channels).
- Ideal for families and casual viewers who prefer a linear TV feel without the hefty price tag.
Pluto TV is one of the most established FAST services, and a favorite off Cord Cutters News readers. It has an easy-to-use interface with a live channel grid and tons of on-demand movies and shows. Designed for channel surfers who like themed, continuous streams, Pluto becomes a Halloween playground every October with specialty pop-ups and curated horror channels.
Adding Pluto to your lineup during Spooky Season brings a free streaming option that often runs a big “Halloween” or “Halloween Hits” pop-up category. Classic monsters, supernatural, The Walking Dead universe channels, Twilight Zone, etc. make it one of the best free options for continuous programming all-month long.
For the most part, no sign-up is required to watch 100s of free channels and thousands of on-demand titles. However, Pluto has rolled out free account requirements for some features/channels in recent updates.
Plex
- Plex brings a good mix of on-demand movies/TV and hundreds of live channels, paired with great discovery tools.
- The free streaming platform has a centralized UI if you use multiple free services.
- Plex also integrates with your personal media if you run a Plex Media Server.
Over the last few years, Plex has evolved from a media-server app into a full free streaming hub. With more than 250 live channels, 20,00+ curated on-demand movies/TV shows, and deep discovery tools, it stands out for those who like to aggregate free content.
Plex rotates horror movies and seasonal collections in October, giving you everything from cult horror to less mainstream picks in curated Plex collections.
Plex’s free tier is stuffed with live channels and on-demand content, and you can stream without signing up. However, if you do choose to sign up, you’ll get a more personalized experience. Plus, you can upgrade to unlock DVR / full recording of over-the-air channels with a tuner/antenna.
Tubi
- Tubi’s vast catalog is an on-demand bingeing dream.
- Huge lineup of feature films, cult favorites, and foreign titles you might not easily find elsewhere.
- Tubi’s catalog ranges from classics to newer indie genre films.
This fall, Tubi should be the go-to for free horror marathons and classic scary movies. If you need a free streaming option that has an extensive horror selection and curated October titles, Tubi has you covered.
With more than 275,000 films and shows across every genre, you can find exclusives, originals, and live sports on the free streamer. Tubi frequently runs a full “31 Days of Horror” or similar October programming with daily or themed horror picks for a month-long scare schedule. More than 97 million monthly active users stream a mix of classics, slashers, and international horror on the platform.
Tubi makes it easy to stream, as there is no credit card required, and you can usually stream without creating an account. Like other streamers on this list, creating an account unlocks personalized features such as watchlists and recommendations.
Which Free Streaming Service Should You Try Today
- Best for live channel surfing: Pluto TV | Sling Freestream.
- Best for on-demand horror catalog: Tubi | Plex.
- Best for lifestyle, reality+ niche networks: Philo Free Channels.
- Need DVR / recording? Sling Freestream + Philo Free Channels. include limited DVR; Plex Pass offer DVR with upgrade.
If you’re cutting the cord (or looking to supplement paid subscriptions), October is the ideal time to try these free services. These are five low-risk ways to discover new favorites and binge seasonal horror without spending a dime. For maximum spooky variety: combine Pluto’s themed channels with Tubi’s on-demand horror and keep Freestream or Philo handy for novelty channels and curated finds.
