I gave Tubi's free streaming service a shot. It's got a ton of movies, but it can't replace my subscription to Netflix or Disney Plus.

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• Tubi is a streaming service with over 40,000 movies and TV episodes across many genres.
• Though the service is free to use, you have to sit through ads.
• Tubi can't replace a subscription platform like Netflix, but it's a worthwhile supplemental app.

Tubi is a free streaming service with thousands of movies and shows available to watch with ads. The platform launched in 2014 and has amassed a big library of content with a rotating selection from a variety of studios and networks.

The service is completely free to use and doesn't even require an account. All you need to do is go to Tubi's website and click "Start watching." You also have the option to make a free account to unlock extra features like watchlists. 

With so many paid subscription options littering the market, free services like Tubi could be convenient alternatives to help cut down on monthly streaming costs. With that in mind, I decided to give Tubi a shot to see how it stacks up to other popular entertainment platforms. Though its selection is worthwhile, I won't be canceling my Netflix plan anytime soon.

Tubi has lots of content but the selection is dated 

Tubi has a large, rotating selection of movies and shows, with new titles being added and removed every month. The streamer estimates that there are over 40,000 titles available to stream. Over 250 content providers contribute to Tubi, including studios like Sony, Disney, Paramount, Warner Brothers, and MGM. 

The selection covers a lot of genres, so there's a little something for everyone. A few notable movies and shows available on Tubi as of June 2022 include: 

• "Taken"
• "The Sandlot"
• "10 Things I Hate About You"
• "The Fifth Element"
• "Coraline" 
• "Jumanji"
• "Sherlock Holmes"
• "Ace Ventura"
• "Elf"
• "Beetlejuice"
• "Doctor Sleep"
• "Psycho"
• "The Notebook"
• "Firefly"
• "The Nanny"
• "Masterchef"
• "Kitchen Nightmares"
• "Naruto"

In addition to on-demand streaming, Tubi also has live channels. The selection doesn't include major cable networks, but Tubi does have channels that offer classic sports, national and local news, and various entertainment programs, including topic-specific channels that spotlight individual shows like "The Masked Singer," "Fear Factor," and "Deal or No Deal."

The service also has a library of international content, including British TV, K-drama, and anime. Tubi even has some original movies that mostly fall into the thriller or documentary genres. These include films like "Corrective Measures" starring Bruce Willis, and "Meet, Marry, Murder," a docuseries hosted by Michelle Trachtenberg.

But, while Tubi's selection is undeniably large, it feels dated and the originals aren't very appealing. There are some popular movies included, but you won't find many new releases. Even within the "Featured" section, the most recent films are typically from the mid-2010s. The TV show selection is even more limited with a lot of programs from the '90s or earlier.

Tubi is easy to navigate across multiple products

Tubi's interface is simple to use and the service looks similar across all the devices I tested it on. The web interface has a top menu with options for Browse, Tubi Kids, and Live TV, plus a search bar. The app on Roku devices has a top menu with For You (recommendations), Movies, TV shows, and Live TV.

The service has different ways to filter content by using the Browse or Category buttons. You can look through popular titles and new additions, sort by genre, or you can look through topic-specific collections Tubi curates. These include "Bollywood Dreams," "Good Eats," "Black Cinema," and more.

Tubi also has a separate interface for children. When you click on Tubi Kids, it takes you to a homepage that includes only kid-friendly titles with PG or lower ratings. 

If you choose to make an account, it's also easy to find your watchlist in the browsing menu and on the home screen alongside Tubi's most popular content.

Tubi has ads but commercial breaks are relatively short 

Tubi is an exclusively ad-supported platform, so every title has brief ad interruptions throughout your viewing. As someone who usually spends the extra money to get an ad-free streaming plan, I was curious to see how intrusive these commercials would be. 

With some ad-supported services, the progress bar during playback will include dots or breaks to signify when commercials will play. Unfortunately, Tubi doesn't have this feature, so you get no indication of when ads are going to pop up. 

While sampling the service, I watched "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" on my Roku Ultra. One short ad played before the movie started, but the first real ad break happened about 15 minutes in. This break included five commercials which lasted for around a minute and a half. The next set of five ads came around the 35-minute mark. Since you don't know when the ads are coming, the breaks always feel abrupt.

I also sampled an episode of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" on an iPad. The episode is only 21 minutes long, and three ads played halfway through the show. The break came mid-scene, and not at a spot where the creators intended for commercials to be played. 

Though I don't like how abrupt Tubi's ads are, the commercial breaks aren't very long and I didn't mind having to sit through them. Total ad time is a lot less for each show and movie than you'd see on cable, so Tubi's ads are ultimately less intrusive than typical TV commercials.

Tubi's video quality isn't great on a big screen

One of the biggest cons of Tubi is its video quality. The highest resolution Tubi streams in is 720p. That's considered high definition (HD) but it's much lower than the 1080p (Full HD) and 4K (Ultra HD) resolution options offered by many popular services like Netflix and Disney Plus. 

When watching Tubi on devices with a small screen, like a tablet, the lower resolution isn't much of an issue. But, when watching Tubi on an actual TV that supports higher resolutions, videos become noticeably soft and lack the sharp detail you'd see on most competing streaming services.

What devices does Tubi support?

Tubi is supported on many popular smart TVs, mobile devices, and media players. According to Tubi's website, you can access the Tubi app on the following devices:

• Amazon Fire TV/Stick
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablets 
• Amazon Echo Show
• Android mobile devices
• Android TV
• Apple TV (4th Generation)
• Chromecast
• Comcast Xfinity X1
• Cox Contour
• Google Nest Hub
• Hisense Smart TVs
• iOS devices 
• LG Smart TVs
• Nvidia Shield
• Playstation 4 and 5
• Roku platforms 
• Samsung Smart TVs 
• Sony Smart TVs and Blu-ray players
• TiVo
• Vizio Smart TVs
• Web browsers (including Google Chrome and Safari)
• Xbox One, Series S, and Series X

The bottom line: Is Tubi a good alternative to paid streaming services? 

Tubi is free, so ultimately you really have nothing to lose to try it out. In that context, it's a worthwhile addition to any streaming lineup. However, the key word there is "addition." 

Tubi makes for a good secondary service to supplement existing paid subscriptions to Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Disney Plus, or Hulu, but it just doesn't have the selection needed to really replace any of those entertainment options.

There aren't many recent movie releases, the TV selection lacks current networks shows, and none of the original programs can compete with the type of exclusives I pay to see on subscription services. 

Personally, I can see myself using Tubi when it has a movie I want to watch that's otherwise only available to rent for a fee on another service. I can accept the ads if it means I can watch for free. 

If you're looking to cut back on costs by canceling a few subscriptions, Tubi could help bolster your entertainment lineup, but it's not a true replacement for the experience you'd get on paid streaming service.

Pros: Completely free to use, easy to navigate, big selection of movies and shows

Cons: Dated library of content, lacks must-watch originals, ad breaks during all movies and shows, only streams at 720p resolution