14 Ways to Watch Movies for Cheap

Movies can be an excellent release after a long day of work or school or just an enjoyable way to pass the time on the weekends binging your favorites. Nowadays there are plenty of options to enjoy and watch movies for cheap, and save extra money along the way.

Have you ever thought about transforming old and current ways of watching movies into cheaper ways of watching movies? Well with streaming services it’s easy.

Get a friend and split the cost of the monthly subscription or if the service offers an annual billing, often you get a pretty significant percentage off your monthly subscription.

It’s very easy to stick with the Netflix and chill we’re all very comfortable and accustomed to. However, how about if I told you, you could watch movies and shows for almost nothing not only on Netflix?

Plus, with the recent global pandemic happening, most movie theaters were closed and some of them still are to this day. After reading these I bet you, you’ll know exactly where to run to whenever you’re looking to watch a movie for cheap.

Here are 14 ways to watch unlimited movies for under $14

Online streaming services

Online streaming platforms are arguably over-saturated. This is why it can be incredibly difficult to find the perfect fit for your particular preferences in movies and at an affordable cost.

On the other hand, not many people look outside of online streaming platforms for movies yet this might be where your best deal lies.

I won’t bore you with the in-depth descriptions of the oh-so-common streaming services, however, I will highlight each of their prices, shortcomings, and a few notable movies to watch on each platform.

1. Netflix

Netflix has been synonymous with streaming for as long as “lets Netflix and chill” have been a coined phrase. Netflix not only delivers quality movies and shows but the variety has certainly increased over the years.

Unfortunately, beyond Netflix originals like Stranger Things and Bridgerton, Netflix has an outdated library for some fan favorites.

Netflix has 3 tiers of packages you can stream and download from the basic $8.99/month to the standard and more popular $13.99/month.

2. Hulu

Hulu only costs $5.99 a month and hosts some critically acclaimed shows and movies like the handmaiden’s tale and Veronica mars.

The option Hulu includes for add-ons of various other streaming services also makes it a viable option but it does get more expensive.

It’s important to remember however that most titles that are available on Hulu are often available on amazon prime video as well with the exception of Hulu originals.

3. Amazon Prime Video

Prime video comes in at a reasonable $12.99 per month. However, this can be reduced to the equivalent of $9.99 a month if you select the annual billing option that saves you a little over $35.

Similarly, Prime video has an add-on option like Hulu, is cheaper than Netflix, and arguably has a wide and great selection of quality content. A few popular titles include Sound of metal, Les Misérables, the Lorax, and Baywatch.

The minor shortcoming with prime video is that it doesn’t offer the friendliest user interface due to the mixture of paid content and free content you receive within your given subscription.

4. Disney+

This is a great option to watch movies for cheap particularly if you have children, younger siblings or you could just simply be a fan of Disney productions.

Disney+ boasts a ton of classics as well as a decent range of Marvel options, Disney originals, Pixar films, national geographic documentaries to name a few.

At $6.99/month the only complaint with Disney+ is the availability of some titles but that’s a small qualm to have with the selection of films such as The Lion King and all your Disney favorites.

5. Apple Tv+

At $4.99 a month, this ranks as one of the cheapest streaming services for movies. Unfortunately, the variety of movies such as Greyhound and Cherry among the thin catalog does not compete with its price.

Additionally, people can’t access the Apple Tv+ application on android devices at the moment but it has been rumored that this might change in the near future along with an expansion of the movie range.

6. Movies on YouTube

Don’t let the title fool you, there are incredible movies on the official verified YouTube movies channel.

Unlike the previously mentioned streaming platforms, YouTube movies operate on a rental and purchases basis, ranging from as little as $2.99 per rental.

You can find titles as beloved as the titanic to newer releases like the Avengers: Age of Ultron and even celebrity documentaries.

7. Rakuten TV

Rakuten Tv similar to YouTube movies also offers the same transactional video-on-demand service where you pay for your specific movie choice, however the option to pay a monthly subscription is also available for $7.

The beauty of Rakuten is that it offers a free limited catalog selection of quality movies but lacks in quantity.

Buy affordable DVDs to watch movies for cheap

8. Redbox

With over 42,000 kiosks all over the United States, Redbox serves as a cheap and convenient way to rent movies, shows, and even games.

Red box prices are unmatched with an overnight rent fee of only $1.50 to $2.

Redbox also started selling online rentals early in 2020, truly boosting their convenience factor.

9. Movie theatre drive-ins

In light of recent events, many movie theaters have been ordered shut. But we can go back in time for a bit, and go for exciting movie dates at drive-in movie theatres.

Drive-ins are a great way to get you out of the house and watching a cheap movie all while still social distancing in the comfort of your car.

Movie theatre drive-ins serve as a reminder that the old might be a great new normal.

It’s important to note though that most drive-in movies often consist of classics and musicals with the occasional one-off blockbuster every so often.

10. The movie section at the public library

The library is an incredible resource to acquire super affordable movies to watch. As long as you have a library membership and depending on your public library, movies are often free tomorrow in the DVD format.

You can simply browse your public library’s titles online and figure out if they have what you’re looking for, and where and when you can borrow them.

11. The office initiative

As the age-old tradition of the butter trade once lived, I’m pretty sure we can all reuse it for the love of movies.

Simply start an office initiative where all your colleagues bring several movies for example every Friday and everyone can sift through the variety and take-home new movies to watch over the weekend.

It’s an entirely free exchange, however, be cautious about workmates that might not take the greatest care of your DVD’s

12. eBay

Individual store owners on eBay within the movie niche often have movie collections available for purchase from as low as $2. The movie collections consist predominantly of older releases from the ’90s up to the 2010s.

A few notable mentions I’ve come across include old movie franchises such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Twilight Saga, The Fast and Furious franchise, Nicholas Sparks movies, Star Wars, The Terminator, Princess Diaries, The Godfather, and a lot more.

A little deep dive on eBay can be the tiny difference between you and a collection of cheap quality movies.

Sites to watch movies for free

Looking to watch movies for cheap? How about watching them for free? Free is always better right?. Here are a few popular sites where you can watch free movies and TV shows.

13. Tubi

Tubi is a free streaming service and has some great underrated movies alongside household names from major film studios such as Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate.

Tubi has to account for its revenue from somewhere thus the commercial breaks can seem a little excessive for people that are accustomed to add free streaming.

14. Crackle

Crackle is an entirely free platform which unlike Tubi streams original titles from several Hollywood names.

The on-demand catalog Crackle offers has titles like the longest yard, the Ellen Show, and A Few Good Men.

Of course, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine with crackle considering the several ads plays before a film.  However, in comparison to the ad time on ordinary television, Crackles ads time is almost half of this, making it a not that bad option, especially since it’s a free service.

The best ways to watch movies at a minimal cost

Ultimately, there are a plethora of affordable ways to watch movies for cheap and get to enjoy your favorite titles without breaking the bank.

You can choose a combination of add-ons, exchange movies physically for free, subscribe to a streaming service for a month or more to test it out, and even still be able to get out of the house and have the cinema experience in the comfort of your car among other options.

Finding a great movie to watch based on your personal preference at a great price isn’t that complicated after all.