Kodi is one of the best ways to watch movies for free. And contrary to popular belief, you don't need to break the law to watch movies for free on Kodi.
Sure, there are dozens of illegal Kodi movie add-ons out there. Often, they stream the latest Hollywood blockbusters just days after they come out in theaters. But why landing yourself in legal hot water when there are so many ways to watch free movies on Kodi without breaking the law?
With that in mind, here are the best legal Kodi add-ons for free movies.
1. Sony Crackle
Crackle has been a popular app among cord cutters for a while now. In recent years, Sony has been investing more money into Crackle, and as a result, the service is looking better than ever.
There are lots of ad-supported free movies to stream, as well as some TV shows and original content. Like Netflix, content is added and removed on a monthly basis.
Also like Netflix, the exact content available will vary depending on where you are based. In the U.S., Crackle has distribution agreements with 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Miramax, Universal Studios, and more.
2. Tubi TV
Tubi TV is another ad-supported movie add-on for Kodi that's entirely free to use. Currently, the add-on boasts more than 12,000 movies and TV shows in its collection.
Ads appear during movies in mini-breaks, rather than just at the beginning or end of a video.
The quality of movies on offer is surprisingly robust. Tubi TV has partnerships in place with studios like Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Lionsgate.
The add-on is not available in the official Kodi repo. Instead, you need to grab it on GitHub and install it manually.
If you want to access all the content, you will need to use a reliable VPN so you can hop between different locations. Here at MakeUseOf, we recommend using either CyberGhost or ExpressVPN.
3. Popcornflix
Popcornflix is of no relation to the illegal P2P streaming app, Popcorn Time. Popcornflix is entirely legal and is part of Kodi's official repo.
If you want to watch free movies on your Kodi app, Popcornflix is a must-have. It primarily offers independent feature films, though you'll also find some original content and a few web shows.
At the time of writing, the service is only available in the United States and Canada, though the developers plan to roll out the app to other countries in the future.
4. FilmRise
FilmRise is a popular YouTube channel for people who want to watch free movies online, but did you know it's also available as a Kodi add-on via the official repo?
As a company, FilmRise buys distribution rights for movies across all media---including theatrical releases.
Some recent releases that FilmRise has been responsible for include Manifesto (featuring Cate Blanchett) across North America, James Franco's The Vault in the U.S., and A Love Story starring Nicolas Cage.
Most recently, FilmRise signed streaming deals with ITV Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Warner Bros in January 2019, meaning the service's movie catalog is now larger than it's ever been.
5. SnagFilms
Like Popcornflix, SnagFilms is another Kodi add-on that specializes in offering free, ad-supported movies and documentaries from independent producers.
After launching back in 2008, the library has now grown to more than 5,000 videos. The jewels in the crown are the National Geographic documentary films. They include well-known titles such as Super Size Me, Kicking It, and Nanking.
6. Japanese Animated Film Classics
As you might have guessed from the name, Japanese Animated Film Classics is a website which specializes in cataloging and broadcasting old anime and other similar genres.
It features free anime movies from some of the greatest artists of the last 100 years, including Ikuo Oishi, Seitaro Kitayama, Junichi Kouchi, and Shigeji Ogino.
Any animated movies available on the organization's website are also available in this add-on. You'll be able to enjoy seminal works such as Old Man Goichi, The Donkey, Yoshichiro Salutes, Taro's Train, and Kamishibai Kintaro.
There are more than 100 movies to enjoy in total.
7. British Council Film
British Council Film is a British equivalent of the Japanese Animated Film Classics organization.
It makes dozens of old British movies available for free. Specifically, the add-on provides access to the British Council Film Collection. Some are in black-and-white, while others are in color.
8. The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a well-known repository of free music, videos, and TV shows that are legally allowed to be distributed for free. There are more than 5,000 regular films and 3,000 short films.
The add-on provides access to the site's catalog of content through the Kodi interface. Movies on offer include Night of the Living Dead, the original The Fast and the Furious from 1954, Jungle Book, and The House on Haunted Hill.
The add-on used to be available in the Kodi repo, but these days you need to download it from the SuperRepo repo. Open the site and go to Krypton > All to grab the ZIP file.
9. BIGSTAR Movies
BIGSTAR Movies offers one of the most extensive selections of legal free movies on Kodi.
On the main site, there's a mix of free and premium content. Unfortunately, only the free content is available through the Kodi add-on; there is no facility for you to log into your premium portal.
BIGSTAR Movies is notable for its broad selection of movie categories. Not only is it a testament to the amount of content on the site, but it also makes it easy to find something you want to watch---and that's always good news. The categories available cover everything from film-noir to westerns.
Like The Internet Archive add-on, it is available through the SuperRepo repo. Just go to Krypton > All to download the ZIP.
10. PlayStation Vue
We end with PlayStation Vue. It is one of the few web-based TV services to offer a Kodi app in the official repo.
Of course, the service is predominantly a live TV app. However, because it has DVR functionality, you can record movies as they air and watch them when you're ready.
Unfortunately, PlayStation Vue isn't free, with the entry-level access plan costing $44.99/month.
Other Things to Watch on Kodi
The legal Kodi add-ons we have introduced you to here should offer something for every film fanatic.
However, free movies are just one of the many things you can watch on Kodi. If you want more, here are the best Kodi add-ons to watch IPTV and the best Kodi add-ons you didn't know you needed.