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Looking to cut down on your streaming bill? You may want to consider free streaming services like Amazon Freevee. Here's everything you need to know about Freevee and whether it's worth your time.
IMDB Freedive to Amazon Freevee
Freevee is a free, ad-supported video streaming service that was launched as IMDB Freedive in January 2019 before rebranding to IMDB TV a few months later. Its latest name change to Amazon Freevee comes into effect on April 27.
Unlike Amazon's premium offering---Prime Video---Freevee offers older movies and TV shows, including the classics, and a limited number of originals.
As of April 2022, Amazon only offers Freevee in the US and the UK. But the service is set to debut in Germany by the end of 2022.
Sizeable Content Library
You get a fairly large selection of content on Freevee. JustWatch, a streaming search engine, shows there are over 9,000 TV shows, movies, and documentaries. While most of it is licensed content from movies studios and TV production houses, you also get a growing number of originals.
To give you a brief idea of what to expect, as of April 2022, Freevee has TV shows like Schitt's Creek, Mad Men, Chicago Fire, Lost, The X-Files, and Fringe, and movies like Knives Out, Sicario, The Invisible Man, The Princess Bride, and Fury. But keep in mind that, like other streaming services, the service constantly refreshes its catalog. So the shows or movies available today may not be available the next month.
Is Freevee Worth Your Time?
As popular streaming services get expensive, Amazon hopes that you will come to Freevee because it costs nothing. Of course, there are unskippable commercial interruptions, but that's a small price to avoid a monthly service charge.
However, what brings people to any streaming service is its content. As mentioned, there are a solid number of movies and TV shows on the service. But when it comes to quality, barring a limited number of popular movies, you will mostly find run-of-the-mill stuff or plain obscure titles. TV show selection fares slightly better, and the service has a considerably bigger number of shows that you might recognize as they used to be popular when they were on-air.
However, since everyone has a different taste in content, we suggest judging the selection yourself.
In terms of user experience, the Freevee interface is pretty simple to use and quite similar to Prime Video. So if you have ever used Amazon Prime Video, you'll be right at home. Depending on the device you are using, you either get carousels for different categories and collections or vertical scrolls. Of course, if you can't find what you are looking for, you can always use the search bar.
Commercial interruptions are reasonable. And depending on the length of the content, you can get from zero to seven-eight advertisements of varying duration. But Freevee doesn't overload the streaming experience with ads.
Overall, Freevee is a decent option for streaming video if you don't want to get another subscription. Of course, you won't get the same content quality or diversity as paid services. But you can't hope for that without paying anything. Moreover, you get access to Freevee's full catalog---unlike some other streaming services with a free tier, such as Peacock, which only gives you part of its catalog. With Freevee, your access isn't limited to just a few episodes of a TV show or a limited selection of movies.
We tested Amazon Freevee in its IMDB TV form shortly before the rebrand. But even after IMDB TV becomes Freevee, you'll have access to the same content and features but with a different name. That said, Amazon plans to grow Freevee's originals slate by 70% in 2022.
How Can You Access Freevee?
Freevee is available via the Amazon website, or you can access it through its dedicated apps for iOS, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, and other platforms. In addition, you can watch the Freevee channel as a part of Amazon's Prime Video app on various platforms.
You will need an Amazon account to access the service. But if you don't want to make an Amazon account, you can also use an Apple, Google, or IMDB account to log in.
Supplemental Option
Freevee is an interesting option for cord-cutters. While if you frequently consume video content, its library may not be enough to satiate your appetite, but it can certainly work as a supplemental service to your existing premium subscriptions. Moreover, it's easily accessible, and you don't have to spend a dime.