Law enforcement, as well as hosting companies, tend to take down free streaming websites. One of the long-time favorites that have been taken down is Putlocker. You must be wondering about what to do if your best pick for free streaming is not working anymore. To make it easier for you, we have tested several streaming websites for speed, safety, and usability.
This article lists the top 10 alternatives to Putlocker that are completely safe to use. So, get back to streaming while avoiding potential risks by unknown sites by checking out the alternatives below. Let us start by understanding about Putlocker first!
What is Putlocker?
Putlocker is basically an online streaming site with a whole index of movies that are hosted by several third-party providers. This website was started in the year 2011, and as soon as it was launched, it immediately became popular. However, soon after, the United States Department of Justice took over its domain names and subsequently closed down all the sites that were associated with Megaupload, which is a Hong Kong-based company that provides online services related to viewing and file storage.
Streaming websites such as Putlocker and others have become quite popular in the past few years as they are quite convenient and have a huge variety of content.
Is Putlocker Illegal?
There isn’t a straight “no” for defining the legality of Putlocker. It falls into a gray area. In countries like the US, UK, or Europe, Putlocker is considered illegal as it gives access to content that is copyrighted. Even when Putlocker does not host the content itself and just provides links to it, the main purpose of the website is to enable such access. Thus, it is considered illegal. Putlocker also allows the users to stream through its website which is also considered illegal.
When there is a gray area in the legality of a site, the position of the user is important to understand in all this. If Putlocker is considered illegal, the user arrives in a gray area. Technically, it is illegal to use or watch copyrighted content. However, the present law has not kept pace with this change. There is a difference between making a stream available and watching an illegal stream when it comes to law. Thus, this is a gray area and the user might be at risk.
Is Putlocker Safe?
Since ISPs, as well as rights holders, monitor Putlocker and the traffic that comes to it, it can be considered safe for use. However, you should be aware of the fake sites as well as copycats of Putlocker that tend to redirect users to malware-infested pages. This is also a question of safety that should be considered.
Are the Putlocker alternatives safe?
Putlocker is under much controversy, so there are different alternatives that the users can choose from. Such alternatives are popular and safe to stream movies or TV shows. We have shared several such alternative sites in this article further.
Is it legal to use free streaming sites?
Most of the copyright laws state that if a user downloads even a part of a file, it would be referred to as pseudo-streaming. This means that one has download a copy of the copyrighted content, which can be illegal. And in case you stream this content to a huge number of people outside your normal family circle, it would also be considered a copyright violation.
But in case you’re not downloading the content, or sharing it further, it is legal to access streamed content. However, in case you upload or post unlicensed streamed content, it would be considered an illegal activity. Many streaming websites avoid legal trouble by not uploading their content. Instead, they act as search engines for links that lead to streamed content.
Why You Should Always Use a VPN With Free Streaming Sites?
For watching movies or TV shows on Putlocker without worrying about copyright infringement, it is recommended to use a virtual private network (VPN) for channeling the internet traffic with an encrypted tunnel.
This not only hides your internet traffic from any unauthorized parties but can also be used for circumventing geo-restrictions or censorship. This allows one to connect to restricted websites that cannot be accessed otherwise from your country.
How to Watch Movies Online Anonymously and Safely?
In case you want to unblock movies online from different geo-locations safely and anonymously, it is advisable to use a VPN. A VPN not only secures the connection but also hides your online activity. This is the main reason why VPNs tend to attract more interest from different users across the globe.
Alternatives to Putlocker in 2020 That Work
There are many top alternatives to Putlocker. These websites are not only well-designed but are also easy to navigate and come with a huge number of links for streaming content online. Keep reading to find out more about them!
- 123Movies
123Movies is an amazing site to find a specific title as it has the largest streaming library available online. This website is well-organized and has a minimalist interface. It is also very easy to navigate through. Many people might think that it is suitable for only movies due to its name. However, it can cater to all types of audiences. Along with movies, 123Movies also has a huge selection of live-action shows that includes both western hits as well as Asian dramas and cartoons. The site also has a big catalog of anime.
The website allows the user to sort the movies and shows alphabetically, by the number of views or by the year of release. This makes it easy to search for something for watching even if you have nothing specific in your mind. Also, one does not need to sign up or register on this website to start watching. It also has the benefit of having fewer ads than most of the free streaming websites.
This streaming site has several advantages, however, the main disadvantage of it is that the search function of this website is not very good. But since the site’s pros far outweigh its cons, this makes it one of the best alternatives to Putlocker.
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Popcornflix
Another good alternative to Putlocker is Popcornflix, which has a huge library of all the popular movies along with some well-hidden gems. It is the best alternative to Putlocker if we talk about movies but one cannot find TV shows here. Popcornflix has a huge variety when it comes to movie genres, so you can easily find any movie on it. While one can find the latest hits or recently released movies on it, it is also a great site for finding free movie classics.
Popcornflix also has an easy to navigate website design where you can check out different categories if you haven’t decided about what you want to watch. This website is one of the top recommendations for streaming on mobile devices or tablets as its layout is fully optimized for both desktops as well as mobile devices.
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SolarMovie
SolarMovie is another gem when it comes to free streaming websites. Although it is not widely known, it has both TV shows and movies to offer. This streaming website has a superior search function as well as an organized list of different categories. Additionally, it features a good website design that does not have many distractions and would not clutter your screen.
In this website, one can easily filter content according to what is trending, highest user-rated items as well as movies or shows that are most viewed. One can also view results according to the IMDb rating, making the whole idea of filtering the content quite convenient. Although a user need not sign up to stream content, one can put up requests of specific content on signing up. Users can even save any streaming preferences and make a list of the best or their favorite content to access it easily later on.
While this is one of the best alternatives to Putlocker, SolarMovie has a big downside. Its catalog is not very huge.
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Los Movies
Another excellent free streaming website is Los Movies that have a huge variety of movies as well as TV shows to choose from. The site has a big highlight- it has a good collection of international acclaimed content. One can search from a huge number of pages of international movies and shows in the original language. Most of the foreign language movies and shows come with subtitles.
While you’re browsing this website, the results can be sorted by rating, date added, release date, and by many more options. The homepage of this website also has a list of the latest trending content to help you get started. Los Movies has a functional search bar which helps in finding everything easily.
However, the only downside of Los Movies is that it there is a huge number of pop-ups that one can encounter. You should connect the VPN with an ad blocker before visiting this website.
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Fmovies
Fmovies is another website that is a great option for movie lovers. Its main advantage is that it has a unique interface as well as a layout that is user friendly. The website homepage has a simple and minimal design that is perfect for people who do not like cluttered screens. Another beneficial feature of this website is its amazing search function which makes this streaming site an amazing option for people who are looking for a specific movie.
Like other streaming websites, Fmovies also allows a user to sort the different categories so that it becomes easy to search for particular content. One can filter movies by most recently added, the genre as well as most-watched.
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GoMovies
GoMovies is an alternative to Putlocker that lets a user choose between two homepage layouts. The one that is the default is free from clutter and also features a well-designed search function. The site also has a button that can take the user to the website’s old layout. It is more suitable for browsing if you’re not sure what you want to watch. One can sort movies quickly by most viewed, trending as well as IMDb rating.
A unique feature of this streaming site is its night mode. If you turn on the night mode, the website turns into a dark-colored design, making it suitable for those late-night movie marathons.
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AZMovies
An amazing feature of AZMovies is that this site has a huge number of mirrors for every title. If a user comes to a dead link, they would always find another link that is working. This streaming website loads pretty quickly and has a good interface. One can stream in HD with little to no buffering. Just like its name, AZMovies is best suited for movies. Additionally, one can also find links to the partner site NOXX for browsing TV shows.
As great as this website is, the main downside is its homepage layout, which is too cluttered. This might even make it difficult to navigate through the website. You might also get some pop-ups on clicking on the links.
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MoviesJoy
MoviesJoy is another Putlocker alternative that has a functional search bar on the top of the homepage, which makes it easy to find your favorite TV shows and movies. The website is frequently updated with the latest hits. It also features a smaller number of ads than other free streaming websites.
Although one might not find many foreign dramas and international films on MoviesJoy, it covers up for this disadvantage with a huge library of US-based content. If this is what one is searching for, MoviesJoy is the perfect place. MoviesJoy also has an attractive layout which is easy to navigate and even works well on mobile devices.
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Yesmovies
Although Yesmovies may not have a large catalog as compared to other streaming websites, it is a great choice if you’re looking for some exciting new TV series and movies. Also, Yesmovies has some really good hidden gems in different categories. Its catalog has some interesting documentaries, that can be hard to find on other free streaming websites.
Yesmovies also has an attractive web design along with decent options for content sorting. The homepage of this website is more focused on a functional search bar; however, one can switch to the browsing view for sorting according to categories or by IMDb ratings.
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Watch Series Online
Watch Series Online is another great alternative to Putlocker where you can also find the TV series that might not be available on other streaming sites. Although a user might not find movies on this site, however, the site has several TV shows with complete episodes and seasons. The site offers multiple mirrors; hence you would always find a working link.
There is a “content at random” feed on the website’s homepage, which is an amazing way to search for new content if you do not want to re-watch the same show again. Also, most of the shows are available in HD. The site is not much popular as it displays a lot of ads that might interfere with the streaming.
Conclusion
As you can see through the above list, there are several alternatives to Putlocker which can match its quality as well as the variety of videos available. If you’re not able to find your desired content on Putlocker, you can search for it on the above streaming sites.