What is 123movies? Has it shut down? If yes, then what are the best 123movies alternatives that work in 2024? What you need are working movie-streaming sites that offer a vast selection of streaming content, ranging from classic movies to the most popular TV series. After 123movies shutdown, the site was redirected to GoMovies.to, and then later to GoMovies.is. This guide will highlight all the answers to your queries, along with working alternative GoMovies sites. 

WARNING! Most free movie streaming sites are illegal or not safe to use. This is because most of its content violates copyright laws or license agreements. For this reason, FastestVPN does not condone accessing free sites. The free alternatives on this list are purely for informational purposes. However, we recommend going for the paid 123Movies alternative sites. Either way, consider connecting to FastestVPN to encrypt your connection and maintain online privacy while streaming online for free.  

Is It Legal to Watch Free Movies Online?

In simple words, no. It is not legal to watch free movies on sites that contain thousands of pirated TV shows and movies. Piracy or copyright infringement is a punishable offense and can land you in trouble, as these websites have been taken down for a reason. This is exactly why so many 123 Movies alternatives have closed down, as copyright infringement is taken seriously worldwide. 

What is 123Movies?

123Movies has always been a popular streaming website that was launched in the early 2010s. It offered users free access to some of the most popular movies and TV shows that were only available on major streaming apps or cable TV channels. 

It operated from Vietnam and frequently changed its domain name. 123Movies rebranded to sites like GoMovies, GoStream, and MeMovies. This was to avoid legal action for showing copyrighted content. 

However, the website is now defunct, meaning it’s no longer operational. This is why most are now seeking 123Movies alternatives that offer similar content. Of course, most seek free movie streaming sites, but paid options are the safer alternative. 

In fact, some often look for 123Movies proxy sites for online streaming, like 123movies.to, 123movies.la, or 0123movies.net, but they are no longer functional. 

This free movie-streaming website was one of the most popular file-hosting services that snagged a huge base of more than a million users daily. 

However, as popular as it was for its free movies and shows, it was notoriously popular for being one of the biggest illegal sites. 

So, due to the illegal nature of the 123movies website, it was taken down. Since then, many alternatives to 123Movies have cropped up. 

123Movies Features

If you have never used 123Movies before, there is a very high chance that you have never attempted to watch movies free online as this site has been around for decades now. However, to make sure you know what 123Movies has to offer, we have articulated a list of the top features of 123Movies.

Did 123Movies Shutdown?

Yes, 123Movies shut down in March 2018 after operating for almost 4 years. The VP of the Motion Picture Association of America deemed the service one of the most illegal websites, forcing the platform to shut down. Even though the official 123Movies is not working, many alternative sites have cropped up in its place. We’ve listed a few free and paid 123Movies alternative sites and apps that offer similar content.

Why Look for 123Movies Alternatives?

As mentioned before, 123Movies used to be a very popular site for streaming free movies online. However, because of the 123Movies shutdown, most are seeking for its alternatives. It’s a fact that for streaming site safety, users should consider legal movie streaming alternatives. For instance, even though YouTube, Crackle, and more are free, they’re legal to use. The other free options also violate copyright laws, so they are often discontinued or shut down. In fact, some free websites, when discontinued, are replaced by mirror sites with a domain change.  

Best Free & Paid 123Movies Alternatives – Detailed Analysis

Here are the details on the best alternative sites to 123Movies. I’ve listed both free and paid options. However, we’d recommend the paid ones for safety and security reasons. Let’s get started: 

Free 123Movies Alternatives 2024

Here are the top 16 free choices: 

MyFlixTOR

First on the list of the most popular 123Movies alternatives is MyFlixTor. Its variety of streaming content and zero ads is why it’s one of the best free streaming sites. You can open the homepage and select any highlighted movie or TV show or manually select them from the menu bar. It even highlights TV shows and movies that are coming soon. You will find older shows, as well as the latest releases, including Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Deadpool & Wolverine, and its prints are mostly in HD. However, this free streaming site is not the safest to use despite it having no ads. Always consider using FastestVPN to ensure that your footprints are secure.  

SolarMovie

Despite this website having received many copyright issues in the past, it still is one of the most frequently visited free movie sites. This is why it made it to our list of the best 123Movies alternatives. The website is known for its vast library of regularly updated content as well as its easy-to-use interface. Here, you will find the latest TV shows and movies with desirable streaming qualities. If you’re worried about ads, there aren’t any. However, to stream on SolarMovie, you are required to create a free account. Other than that, you can select shows according to what’s featured, genre, release date, and country or manually look them up.

Tubi TV – Best Free & Legal 123Movies Alternative

You might wonder why we didn’t list this free alternative first on the list. This is because even though Tubi TV is free and legal to use, it comes with ads to monetize its content. In addition, Tubi TV is partnered with Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount for its content. Here, you get access to on-demand videos, the latest Hollywood shows, and much more. However, there is a catch: Tubi TV is not available in every country. This is why you need a VPN to connect to a USA server to access it.  

Crackle

A 123Movies alternative site list would be incomplete without Crackle. This free and legal 123Movies alternative offers a huge collection of movies and TV shows. On the website, you can watch all kinds of free content, including new movies, TV shows, and documentaries. However, to download movies and shows on Crackle, you must pay. At one point, Sony used to own Crackle until it was sold to Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. Even though this is one of the best alternatives, it’s geo-restricted outside the US and its territories. You will need a VPN that offers a US VPN server, and FastestVPN is the best choice for it. 

Popcornflix

Another popular streaming website and alternative to 123Movies is Popcornflix. This free movie streaming site is legal to use. However, to monetize its website, it runs ads. On Popcornflix, you get access to an extensive variety of on-demand movies and TV series. You don’t need to create an account to use this streaming website. If you’re worried about ads, connect with FastestVPN. Our apps have an in-built Ad-blocker tool to limit or prevent malicious ads. 

YouTube

This website and app does not need any introductions. YouTube makes one of the best free and legal 123Movies alternatives and is also one of the oldest platforms. It might not give you an extensive list of movies and TV series, but it’s perfect for those only looking to binge on a few shows. Other than that, there are other things you can do on YouTube. You can stream live sports events and live music streams, watch documentaries, upload and download videos, and much more. However, for more content, you would need to pay for a premium YouTube account. Also, if you need to get international YT content, you can get another IP address with FastestVPN. 

VidStream

Another alternative site to 123Movies is VidStream. It might not be the best, but it gets the job done. It gives you a variety of content to stream, ranging from Hollywood, Bollywood, and many other shows from countries like the US, the UK, etc. Plus, there are many genres to choose from, including comedy, action, horror, thriller, and others. However, despite this site offering free shows to stream, there are a few downsides: the website takes forever to load, there are ads, and too many page redirections.  

FMovies

FMovies is considered to be one of the most popular 123movies alternatives, and it comes without ads. The site designed its layout to resemble 123movies, which makes it an ideal alternative. If that’s not enough, this site also lists HD-quality movies and has an extensive list of movies, with popular options like Joker, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and more. However, as always mentioned, free websites are not the safest, which is why you should consider paid options. 

BMovies

If you have never heard of Bmovies, this website is very similar to Fmovies. The interface is user-friendly, and the ads are blocked on this website, which is what makes it a good 123Movies alternative. However, the content, in my opinion, is a little outdated, with some of the movies being lower-grade productions. Although, if you’re looking for movies with subtitles, BMovies offers subtitles in multiple languages. It also offers a number of mirror links to each film in case one doesn’t work. However, since the site is free, it comes down to safety issues. For this, using a VPN is recommended.  

GoMovies

This website is another alternative to 123Movies, is free to use, and comes with ads. You may access it at your own risk, but it’s not something we would recommend. The ads and redirected sites it has on its website are malicious. Other than that, the GoMovies website offers a collection of shows to stream, with various genres like horror, Sci-Fi, comedy, and much more. All-in-all, you can help prevent a couple of malicious ads from infiltrating your device and data with the FastestVPN Ad-Blocker. 

MoviesJoy

With over 200,000 movies and TV shows, MoviesJoy makes a great 123Movies substitute. The platform and content are free to use, with content in HD quality. The downside is that this website is riddled with malicious ads and violates copyright laws. Other than that, MoviesJoy has numerous genres or content categories to choose from, ranging from Hollywood blockbusters, Indie classics, action thrillers, and much more. You don’t need to create an account to watch movies on MoviesJoy. 

YesMovies

One of the more popular free movie streaming websites working today is YesMovies, which is why it’s listed as an alternative site to YesMovies. The website content is updated regularly, and the interface is also very friendly. There is a variety of movies and TV series to select. The content quality is in HD, and there are zero ads. However, always remember that free websites for movies or TV shows are not safe. 

Cineb

Everyone wants to watch movies for free or go for streaming apps that offer great deals. With Cineb, watching movies is completely free. You get access to movies, popular TV shows, anime, short films, and limited series. All you need to do is search for a particular show, choose it from the menu, or pick any that is already featured. 

1HD

If you’re looking for popular movies and TV shows like The Forge, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Inside Out 2, and more, 1HD is a good choice. However, if it’s the ads that bother you, you should go for another option on the list. There are several genres to choose from, including fantasy, drama, action, and kids’ shows, but the prints vary. There seem to be more CAM prints compared to HD, which contradicts the website’s name. 

YoMovies

This website is the best for Bollywood fans and a perfect alternative to 123Movies. It gives you access to Indian or Desi movies, TV shows, and more. Yes, you will find even Hollywood shows that are dubbed in Hindi. The site offers a list of categories to choose from: Bollywood, Hollywood, English series, Hindi series from Netflix, Amazon, Viu, Zee5, and much more. You can also select from several genres like action, comedy, history, fantasy, and others. The list is further categorized as “Hot Series.” However, the site has a lot of ads, which is not the best for avid streamers. 

Soap2Day

Another website to watch free movies online is Soap2Day. It gives you the latest movies and TV shows to stream. You can select a show according to the multiple genres it has, according to country, TopIMDb, favorites, and more. There are different kinds of prints; HD and CAM, and the site comes with ads. Consider protecting your connection with FastestVPN. Connect to the best server according to your location. 

Paid 123Movies Alternatives

Now, we understand that most look for free movies online that the 123Movies free alternative sites above offer, but that’s not the safest option. For this reason, we also recommend opting for paid streaming services. They are:  

Netflix

Netflix is the best and premium 123Movies alternative. This service has gained billions of followers globally. This streaming app is a subscription-based service that gives you access to a large variety of libraries. You can find movies, TV shows, docuseries, standup comedy, and much more. Download it on your smartphones, Windows, or Mac. However, each library is geo-restricted according to the country you’re in. Connect with the best FastestVPN Netflix server and start streaming any Netflix library. 

Amazon Prime Video

Even though 123Movies offered a vast collection of TV shows and movies, they all violated copyright laws. Since then, streamers have been going for premium 123Movies alternatives, and Amazon Prime Video is one of them. It offers top-quality original content and numerous categories to choose from. You will need to create an Amazon account and subscribe to the service. Once you do, you’ll also be able to download content offline. All the shows on Amazon Prime Video are 4K, HD, and UHD. You can even rent or buy movies on demand. 

Hulu

Hulu is another great alternative to the 123Movies website. Just like Netflix, Hulu is also one of the oldest and biggest streaming platforms. It offers a large library of movies, TV shows, and Hulu Originals, with over 40 million subscribers in the USA. The reason why Hulu is one of the best is that it not only offers movies and shows but also offers live TV options with some of its subscription plans. However, Hulu is only accessible in the US, with a limited library available in Japan. To stream its content in other countries, you need a Hulu VPN and then connect to its US server. 

Disney Plus

If you’re more into old classic Disney movies and TV shows with a vast library of the latest content, live TV, and package deals, Disney Plus is the best. This is why Disney Plus is one of the best alternatives to 123Movies. It’s available in many countries, but the content library varies according to your location. If you’d like to access a particular regional Disney+ library, connect to the best FastestVPN streaming server.

123Movies Proxy Sites: Are They Safe to Use?

What are free movie proxy sites? Are there any safe proxies for 123Movies? In short, proxy sites are a lot like the original site but with different URLs or domain names. However, most proxies are not safe. Most of these sites promote ads to monetize their free websites. This could pose a major threat, spreading malware on your device. Plus, 123Movies is always changing its domains due to content piracy and restrictions. However, if you’d still like to know whether there are any 123Movies proxies, here are a few:

These websites are subject to change every few months due to the restrictions imposed on them. To save yourself from any hassle in the future, copy and paste these websites in the URL bar of your browser, and only bookmark those that work. As for the remaining ones, remove them from your bookmarks.

Safety Concerns and Legal Issues Surrounding Free Streaming Sites

Is 123Movies legal? No, it isn’t. Most free streaming sites contain thousands of pirated TV shows and movies. Piracy or copyright infringement is a punishable offense and can land you in trouble, as these websites have been taken down for a reason. This is exactly why so many 123 Movies alternatives have closed down, as copyright infringement is taken seriously worldwide. Plus, there are common risks like malware, phishing attempts, and other kinds of issues when you access free sites that also promote ads. This is why you need to be extremely cautious since free streaming site risks are at large. The best precaution you can take is to use a secure VPN. 

Using VPNs for Safe and Anonymous Streaming

Firstly, we don’t recommend accessing free streaming websites. However, if you are still going to access them, you need to use a VPN with it, specifically one that offers an Ad-Blocker feature. FastestVPN has secure servers that not only bypass geo-blocks but also encrypts your connection, allowing safe access to the best streaming content globally. This is why you need the best VPN for streaming. 

Best Practices for Secure Streaming

The best secure streaming practices make online activities safer to indulge in. Here are a few tips on how to go about it: 

VPN: Encrypts your internet connection and beyond. It protects your data, device, and more.

Antivirus software: Blocks potential malware, which is brought on by shady ads on free sites. With an antivirus for streaming on your device, you can practice safe movie streaming.

Ad Blockers: Prevents pop-up ads and trackers on.