123MOVIES - Watch Free Movies Online


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If you’ve been on the internet for a while and are a fan of watching movies and television shows, you might have heard of 123Movies. In fact, there is a very good chance that you have used 123Movies, as well.

 

In fact, today, the emergence of streaming services as an industry of its own means that there are a hundred and one different official streaming platforms that all require a considerable monthly subscription fee. Off the top of our heads, you’ve got Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube Red, DC Universe, the upcoming Disney+ and so much more.

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All of these platforms have an impressive amount of 3rd party titles, but they are also producing original content that you cannot find anywhere else. So, say you want to watch Netflix’s Daredevil and Amazon Prime’s The Boy and one of Disney+’s new shows… You will have to pay three separate fees each month to three different services. Having to pay monthly for different platforms just to watch one show you like is simply unfair, which is why people look to free alternatives.

And while there are many websites that allow you to stream content, absolutely free and at no cost at all, 123Movies is one of the more prominent ones. In this post, we will take a look at 123Movies, review it and consider the alternatives you can choose from if you want to do so.

What is 123Movies?

If you somehow you’ve made it this far without knowing what it is, here is a simple breakdown of what 123movies is:

123Movies is an online platform that allows you to watch movies and TV shows for free. No sign up, no credit card, no nonsense required. Just visit the website, type in the name of what you want to watch and you’re good to go. It is one of the many sites on the internet right now that possesses a large and varied catalog of content in multiple genres.

Recently, you might know 123Movies as GoMovies, instead. But both websites are essentially the same, they’re just using a different domain and name.

How does 123Movies work?

Simple. Instead of hosting the video files itself, what 123Movies does is act as a platform which allows you to access videos from popular cyberlockers from around the world. Essentially, it’s the middleman that connects you to the movies or TV shows you want to watch.

123Movies Review

Here's a review!

The Good

First, let’s look at all that’s great about 123Movies and to be fair, there are many. First of all, as we mentioned above, the site allows you to access a truly impressive amount of movies and TV shows. From brand new episodes of the whatever the trending TV series is to quality movies from the Golden Era of Hollywood, you can find nearly anything on the website.

You will certainly find new episodes of TV shows just a few hours after they’ve aired and in the case of movies, you can find them shortly after release, but they’re likely to be of inferior quality. For the HD versions, you would have to wait until they’ve had their initial Digital or DVD release.

All the movies and TV show episodes also come with their own dedicated pages that have full details about the movie, including cast and crew, description and even ratings.

Then there is also the fact that the website doesn’t require much from the user. If you want to watch a movie, you don’t need to go through a sign-up and verification process. There’s no usernames and there’s no passwords. And of course, there is also no payments required, which is the one defining feature that makes 123Movies such an attractive option for anyone looking to watch movies online.

123Movies also gives you a well-designed, user friendly user interface that can be navigated easily to find the movies and TV shows you want to watch. By working as a middleman between you and the cyberlocker where the content is stored, the website is also making your life easier because you don’t have to trawl through the internet to find that one episode of that one season of that one TV show you’re feeling like watching. You can just visit 123Movies and find what you want within a few clicks.

The 123Movies movie player also comes with subtitles support so that whatever movie you’re watching, you can enjoy it with subtitles. In most cases, where the movie lacks subtitles, you can even download subtitles elsewhere and load them in the player so that you can enjoy your movie properly.

Another massive bonus to using 123Movies is that there are applications that can be used with popular devices like the Roku or Kodi – which means that you aren’t limited to using the website on your computer or your mobile devices, but can also watch your favorite movies and TV shows on your TV for free!

The Bad

One of the major issues with 123Movies is the fact that the domain address may keep changing from one day to the next. In our time using the website, we’ve found that it’s had multiple different domains – very recently, as we mentioned above, the website has rebranded itself and also goes as GoMovies. This means that you may not be able to find the website reliably and it can also mean that copycat websites can easily fool you with similar domain names.

As with many other free websites on the internet, if you’re using 123Movies, you need to be prepared and willing to deal with a few pop-up ads. They can be annoying, but thankfully, 123Movies seems to have less ads than most of the other websites that provide a similar service.

You might also have concerns about the legality of the website, but it operates on what is more or less a grey area. The site itself does not actually host any pirated material at all. The website doesn’t allow for any user-uploaded content and 123Movies and affiliated websites all have a disclaimer that reads:

“This site does not store any files on its server. All contents are provided by non-affiliated third parties.”

Which means that website itself isn’t doing anything that is actually illegal. For all intents and purposes, the website simply provides a place for you to find the links to find content that is already hosted somewhere else on the internet. So, you don’t have much to worry about.

The Verdict

There is a reason why 123Movies is popular and the reason is this: 123Movies provides a service, the advantages of which massively outweigh the disadvantages. So, if you want to watch something online and cannot afford to pay for the hundred and one different streaming services that exist, 123Movies is a solid choice.

Alternatives to 123Movies

Considering that 123Movies is a reliable and proven platform that allows you to watch pretty much whatever you want, there is not much reason to go looking for alternatives to the website, but hey, if you are asking, we will provide. Below is a list of some of the more popular websites that act, in essence, more or less exactly like how 123Movies does and the pros and cons of each website.

1) Popcorn Time

Popcorn Time is perhaps the only alternative to 123Movies that provides a genuinely good service. It’s unique in that it essentially works as a fully-fledged alternative not just to 123Movies, but also to Netflix.

Popcorn Time is a free service and it works by streaming torrents directly instead of downloading them. The service is constantly searching all over the internet for the best torrents from the most important sites so that what you get on your end is a comprehensive list of movies and TV shows that you can enjoy without a lot of fuss. As the website claims, “If the movie is out there, Popcorn Time will find the best version possible and start streaming it right away.”

Popcorn Time also has no restrictions, which means that you can watch any movie or TV show as many times as you want. No one is going to stop you. All you need to get started with the service is to have a proper internet connection. Then, you’re set to go.

Popcorn Time is also available on all platforms, without requiring emulators and the such. Windows PC, MacOS, Android, iOS and Linux – every operating system and every device is supported with official versions of the app, so you don’t have any cause to go searching for emulators or outside support. You can even install the app on iOS devices without needing to jailbreak your phone or tablet.

So, really, there isn’t much negatives about the service except for the same concerns of ‘operating in a grey area’ as many other free streaming services. Well, that, and the fact that because Popcorn Time relies on torrents to be able to stream/download movies, you may find that some movies or shows – the torrents for which have little to no seeds – cannot be accessed.

2) ShowBox

ShowBox is another alternative to consider for 123Movies. Similar to PopcornTime, instead of being a website that allows you to watch movies, ShowBox provides you with an application you need to download and install before you can watch anything.

It’s a free app and is available to download for Android OS phones and even for Chromecast. The mobile version of the app has over a million installs and it is one of the most trusted applications available out there to watch movies for free. The app also comes integrated with an in-app VPN so that your browsing experience is fast and secure.

The app also features excellent functionalities such as auto-fetching latest movie details. The app also categorizes each movie by a number of different factors including genres, ratings (IMDB, RottenTomatoes, TMDB) and actors. It also provides in-app support to view official trailers and premiers, and cast profiles.

The best part of the app, perhaps, is the fact that you can use it to download movies and TV shows, whether directly or by using torrents. Once downloaded, you can watch the movies without needing to be connected to the internet.

The worst part about the application is this: you cannot use it on PC. Or at least, the app cannot be used on a PC without using an emulator. You can only use the ShowBox app on your PC (Windows 10/8/7/XP) if you’re using Bluestacks – an Android emulator that allows the users to run Android apps on a computer.

3) Sony Crackle

Here is an official and completely legal website that allows you to watch movies and TV shows online: Sony Crackle. This website has a number of brand new movies and popular TV shows. It even has original media.

As a website owned and operated by Sony, it is also well designed and has an easy-to-use UI that allows you to sort movies alphabetically from A-Z or Z-A and find exactly what you want.

Sony Crackle includes content from almost all the genres, including Comedy, Action, Horror, Scientific, etc and new content is added frequently. It is not without cause that the app has over millions of users. Sony Crackle also has full support for Android and iOS phones along with TV operating systems and devices like Kodi and Roku.

However, if you want to stream content using Sony Crackle, you will first need to sign up. Which, to be fair, isn’t all that big of an issue. What might be an issue is the fact that Sony Crackle has a lot of ads, which makes sense given that it is an official platform providing free content, but if you don’t like to sit through ads when you want to watch a movie or a show, this is not your thing.

The other big issue with Sony Crackle is the fact that it is region-locked. Not all countries can access the website or the app. As of writing, Sony Crackle is only available in the United States and in Australia. And in Latin America, the service is not free. Rather, users have to subscribe to use Sony Crackle.

4) Yes!Movies

The second option to consider as an alternative to 123Movies is Yes!Movies, a website that is almost as popular as 123Movies. Yes!Movies has established itself and has a good reputation for providing access to many different movies and shows from different countries and it’s catalogue is as extensive as 123Movies’.

The website also has a feature that allows you to adjust the quality of the video you’re watching to suit the device you’re currently using, though there are claims that the website is limited in video quality.

Personally, we also feel that Yes!Movies has a more convoluted user interface than 123Movies does. Yes!Movies’ video player, for instance, is only given about… 40-50% of the screen on a page that has a number of other content, including ads, whereas 123Movies opens a dedicated page for the video player which has nothing but the video player.

The biggest issue with Yes!Movies is the fact that the website is absolutely riddled with ads. Even for a website that allows you to watch movies for free, the number of pop-up ads that can… well, pop-up as you’re trying to enjoy your movie or TV show can be unreasonably large. This is in addition to the fact that the website keeps requesting permission to show pop-up notifications.

5) SnagFilms

SnagFilms is another excellent website to consider if you want to stream content for free. However, the one limiting factor to SnagFilms is that while it has a beautifully designed UI, provides TV series and movies in the highest of quality for no charge at all and requires no user accounts or registrations, it's a collection of movies and TV shows is limited.

SnagFilms describes itself as a platform for “Philanthropic Movies and TV Shows online”. For anyone looking to discover something different, something unique... SnagFilms has over 2,000 movies, TV show episodes, eye-opening documentaries and exclusive original comedy shorts but the website does not contain other titles. So, if you wanted to watch the latest Avengers movie or catch Joker… you’re out of luck. However, we must point out that the content that SnagFilms does have is excellent and more often than not, acts as… chicken soup for the soul.

This was a service we only discovered quite recently and in that time, it has managed to make an impression with the collection of movies, TV shows and other original content it does have. On SnagFilms, You can find movies under a wide variety of topics including climate change and the environment, pride, refugee and immigrant stories, veterans and the military, the world and more. All the movies in SnagFilms are carefully curated so you get nothing but the best experience. SnagFilms also has a selection of movies starring present day superstars from before they were famous which provide an excellent look into the evolution of your favorite celebrities and actors.

SnagFilms also has an incredibly intuitive player. Like most free services, SnagFilms is supported by ads, though, so expect a few ads while you’re watching whatever movie or TV show you’re watching.

SnagFilms provides support for all PC platforms and the service can also be enjoyed on your smartphones and tablets with dedicated apps for both iOS and Android.

6) Vumoo

Like 123Movies and Yes!Movies, Vumoo is another service that allows you to watch a number of different movies and TV series online for free. Much like the other two services, Vumoo has a vast collection of movies and TV shows that is continuously growing in the same way that 123Movies is.

With a clean and simple interface, Vumoo is a safe alternative to 123Movies that has a similarly impressive collection. Vumoo categorizes its content by category, but also has a Featured list that has a selection of movies that are either new or critically acclaimed.

You can use Vumoo to watch movies and TV series on either Android or iOS devices, but the problem is that it doesn’t have a dedicated app that you can install. You will have to visit the website and then find the movie or TV show that way. Unlike 123Movies, Vumoo doesn’t have a Roku or Kodi version, either, so you don’t have any hopes of casting movies to your TV.

Conclusion

As we mentioned in the beginning, there is an oversaturation of content in the world and it is accompanied by the introduction of multiple new streaming services, each one vying for your attention with fancy new shows and interesting new movies. It is perfectly understandable that you cannot afford to pay multiple companies just for some entertainment, and in such cases, you have no choice but to turn to free options like 123Movies.

While there are a large number of alternatives to 123Movies (or GoMovies as it’s now known), there is a reason that 123Movies stands out. There is a reason why it is popular. Not only was 123Movies one of the first of the many that popped up to establish itself by providing a reliable service, it has also constantly managed to provide it’s users with up-to-date content. So, if you’re feeling bored and want to watch something to while away the time… 123Movies is an excellent option for you.

However, if you don’t like 123Movies – whatever the reason, though we see no reason to dislike it – the other options we’ve listed in this post are excellent alternatives. From personal experience, we especially recommend Popcorn Time and ShowBox, both of which are well-designed and provide a lot of functionality.

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