Since the pandemic, OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ have shaken the television entertainment industry. The consumption of digital content is on the rise with easy access to the internet and content on the world wide web.
Content consumption behavior has changed drastically in recent years and it’s a no-brainer to see why. Nevertheless, not everyone, however, is willing to pay a monthly subscription fee for their daily dose of entertainment.
That’s where piracy comes into play. It’s quite easy to find your desired content on the internet these days, be it the latest blockbuster or an 80s sitcom comedy. There are a plethora of options such as torrent and dedicated streaming clients available to help you gain access to free content.
One such popular platform is Putlocker, which consists of a directory listing of popular entertainment media, particularly consisting of movies and TV series. Initially, the website originated from the United Kingdom for the first time in 2011.
Right at this time, the notorious FBI-seized website, Megaupload, also shut down its operations, which caused a gradual surge in the popularity of Putlocker and the website soon started receiving millions of visitors on a daily basis.
The Rise and Fall of Putlocker
Back in those days when Alexa Internet used to rundown popular websites based on their metrics, Putlocker was ranked among the 250 most-visited websites on the internet. However, the trouble began when UK’s major internet service providers blocked the website, following a court order.
The issue become even worse when the Motion Pictures Association filed a report against Putlocker as a major piracy threat to the world. To mitigate legal issues, the platform’s domain address was changed multiple times throughout since its inception.
Every new domain they registered began to get seized or suspended after a while. Today, there are more than hundreds, if not thousands, of mirror and proxy websites on the name of Putlocker, yet nobody knows if they’re real or managed by the original members.
A lot of sites were even reported to inject malware and adware into clients’ systems, which caused defamation of the original platform. It’s just not worth the risk of compromising your internet presence just for some mere couple of hours of entertainment.
Putlocker Alternatives You Can Trust
As stated above, it’s a cakewalk to find free content on the internet if you know where to look for it. We’ve tested certain Putlocker alternatives and determined which ones are genuine and have compiled a listicle for the same below. Have a look:
123Movies – Heavily Content-Rich
With one of the largest libraries of streaming media, 123Movies is a great alternative for Putlocker, but the ads are really annoying. Before you can stream any media, you’re redirected to certain static pages asking you to either install an extension or suggest you have viruses on your PC.
After you close a couple of popups, you should be able to stream your desired movie on the platform. The quality is admittedly amazing and you can choose from various different servers to stream your preferred content.
Even the UI itself is very professional as there are no display ads, but popups are still a pain. Regardless, the website moderator suggests that ads are the only way to manage the server costs for the website, so they’re not going anywhere soon.
Popcorn Flix – The Only Legal Streaming Client
If you’re a person of ethics, looking to watch some good shows and movies without streaming them illegally, Popcorn Flix is the perfect match for you. Although there’s not much content diversity on the platform, everything’s in line with the law and supported by ads.
The only restriction we can find on the platform is region-based accessibility. Popcorn Flix endorses its services for only some selected regions, but you can always evade this using a free VPN service and connecting to a specific region where the website is accessible.
As the website doesn’t promote piracy at all, you won’t be able to find most of the latest web shows and movies. The interface is very minimal and provides a satisfying user experience with much fewer ads than platforms like 123Movies.
Movies Joy – Best for US Audience
Movies Joy is one of our most preferred alternatives to Putlocker because of its several intuitive features. Not only do you get access to the latest content exclusively from the US region, but also there are very minimal ads on the platform.
There are no annoying redirects and your playbacks are monetized only with display ads at most. Additionally, there are certain nifty features like theater mode that make it more engaging to stream your favorite movies and shows on the platform.
The content is also categorized based on genre, country, type, and more. There’s even a companion android app that allows you to access the platform straight from your smartphone and enjoy your favorite content on the go.
AZ Movies – Fastest Streaming Capabilities
When it comes to streaming efficiency, nothing can beat the competency of this platform. AZ movies work as an aggregator that compiles streaming links of movies and TV shows from the internet and presents them on one single platform.
That being said, the platform doesn’t actually store any of the content on its server, which is why you are able to enjoy fast and high-quality streaming. You’ll also be able to find a slew of content on the website, ranging from the latest releases to content from the 1940s.
Sometimes, we’ve noticed that the website stops working all of a sudden, which suggests that the website might not be able to bear heavy traffic as of now. Talking about the user interface, the website serves only a single purpose and doesn’t boast any glossy features.
Yes! Movies – Great Collection of Biographies
With a recent makeover on the website, Yes Movies is now revamped into a fully-fledged streaming platform. While you can find a lot of movies and TV shows on the website, it emphasizes mainly content revolving around autobiographies of famous and influential people.
You can also choose to use the older interface for the time being through a dedicated directory on the website if you prefer to. There is even individual synopsis for titles with information regarding their plot, direction crew, and more.
The website also features several unique filters that can be used to help you pick out preferred content to watch. You can sort the results based on country, genre, date, and a lot more. Again, no content is hosted on the server and everything’s fetched from third-party clients.
Bottom Line
Free streaming sites like Putlocker may not last long. But there are plenty of other options out there—and many can be accessed from multiple devices, so you can choose to watch your movies and TV shows on your iPad, Android tablet, or Windows PC.
The point is, there are lots of alternatives out there for getting content for free in multiple formats—you just need to know where to look. The alternatives listed here offer several ways to watch, depending on what you prefer, so go ahead and start fulfilling your entertainment cravings right away.
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