There is no way to guarantee that any of the many Putlocker alternatives popping up all over the internet are legitimate or not. And since you’re looking for working Putlocker alternatives, we’ve written this guide to show you all the best sites that are currently available and guaranteed to work without injecting your computer with malware.
We’re producing this list after looking through several Putlocker alternatives.
Below, we’ve outlined the ones that work and won’t pose a great risk to your computer, assuming you are making use of an ad-blocker, an antivirus application and, preferably, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) app as well.
So, let’s take a look at some of the best Putlocker alternatives that you can find on the internet.
DISCLAIMER:
Security Gladiators in no way encourages or condones any kind of copyright violation or circumvention of restrictions. That includes streaming illegal content as some services can host both legal and pirated content. You need to do your own research to see if these services and content are legal in your own country. We suggest to always use a VPN while streaming or downloading anything from the web.Table of Contents
Top Putlocker-Like Site for Streaming Movies
Using the same “Putlocker” brand name, the most viable alternative to the classic Putlocker movie-streaming website is putlockers.bz. As mentioned before, there is no way to tell if this site comes from the same people that ran the original Putlocker website. In fact, we can’t even tell if this website has an affiliation with the original Putlocker website, aside from using its brand.
This Putlocker alternative offers a wide diversity of movies to users for free. Users can’t really upload content of their own to the website like they could with the old platform, but that is not a problem for the vast majority of users coming to the website. If there is a movie or TV episode out there that you would like to watch online, there is a high chance that you will find it on putlockers.bz, and for free.
The homepage and interface are clean and simple. There is a nice Putlocker logo right up front, and the developers of the site have made sure to have an easily identifiable search bar, making this online streaming website a highly effective one when it comes to searching for the top titles available. A lot of other free online streaming websites don’t give much attention to their search bar and, because of that, visitors are unable to access their full database of movies.
The other great thing about this alternative is that even if you don’t have a clue about what you want to watch next, it can still be a great resource for you. A “movies” tab takes you to a page full of the latest and the greatest movies on the market. And if you want to catch up on your most memorable TV series, then there is a separate tab for that as well. Each page has a brief synopsis about the content.
For people with a slow internet connection, this alternative offers movies at 480p as well.
But does that mean there is no HD or FHD content? The answer is that there’s no way to tell.
Before, the site had a sign-up page where users could register for a free account to watch HD content, but that option seems to have been removed. The same goes for the options regarding the quality of the video.
The site does show you a lot of ads, so make sure you have an ad-blocker installed on your web browser to avoid any intrusive or malicious ads.
Overall, putlockers.bz is a decent place to start your streaming experience. It’s also a widely popular competitor in the online streaming space, increasingly dominating in search traffic. But as you gather more information about Putlocker alternatives, we suggest you move away from it in place of a more established site.
Pros
- Effective search functions
- User-friendly and free
- Interface is modern
- Large database
Cons
- Some movie links don’t work and you can’t tell which one is which without clicking and waiting
- Ads
- Hidden ads
- No HD streaming in the latest update
Best Putlocker Alternatives to Stream Movies Online in 2023
Popcorn Time
This is one of the best if not the best Putlocker alternatives. There are very few streaming websites that can lay claim to the same level of popularity as Popcorn Time. In the world of free online streaming, Popcorn Time is on par with names such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
The reason for that is simple enough. Just like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, this streaming website has a ton of movies and TV series to offer to users through its massive library.
One other feature that almost no other good streaming website offers today is the download feature.
Any movie or TV series that you are trying to watch on Popcorn Time can be downloaded to your device. This way, you can watch movies and TV shows offline at the time of your choice in your home or while you travel.
The homepage has a decent interface and a lot of work has been done to improve the navigation options on the site. The sections do a good job of categorizing movies accurately, which saves visitors a lot of time, especially those who don’t know the exact movie that they would like to watch online but know what genres they’re in the mood for.
But if you’re uncomfortable using apps you’re not familiar with, we recommend using the regular desktop site. You can see Popcorn Time’s code repository on the dedicated GitHub page. The r/PopCornTime subreddit also has more information.
Do take note that in order to open up the category menu on a desktop computer, you will have to hover your cursor over a slightly disguised button on the left-hand side of the screen.
Apart from that, there are options to bookmark titles you like. Another button makes the preview screens smaller or bigger.
Pros
- Lots of movies
- Clean interface
- Modern
Cons
- Prompts the user to install an add-on
Popcornflix
Millions and millions of people around the world make use of Popcornflix as their primary destination for their favorite movies. Unlike some of the other streaming options, Popcornflix has experience. Its parent company is Screen Media Ventures LLC.
It has weathered multiple up and down cycles that any streaming service has to go through if it wants to survive in this hyper-competitive business. Popcornflix has sufficiently shown that it belongs to the list of the best Putlocker alternatives, and it has done that by offering a high-quality selection of the most sought-after movies and TV series.
Popcornflix’s library is a bit different from other streaming services in that it has lots of new movies as well as classics.
You don’t need to create any kind of account and there is no sign-up requirement to watch any type of content on Popcornflix. This enables visitors to get streaming as quickly as possible.
Popcornflix works great on small desktop machines and smartphone devices. It also works on Android and iOS.
Pros
- Simple interface
- All content on the homepage
- Useful content categories
Cons
- Some categories that appear on the top don’t have on-demand content
- Some content restrictions (use a VPN)
- Ads
Megashare
Without a doubt, Megashare represents one of the biggest and most easily-accessible online streaming service for which you don’t have to pay a dime. You can’t get a better deal anywhere in the market today. This particular site appears to be inspired by the original Megashare brand, which used to dominate the streaming scene for years until it closed in 2014.
This new Megashare site has a pretty user-friendly interface with a white theme, which is a departure from what the vast majority of streaming services (almost all of them use a dark theme for one reason or another).
Just like most of the other streaming options on this list, Megashare boasts a huge customer base. And appropriately, the service has a huge database of excellent titles to offer to its customers.
So if you have a fast internet connection with low ping rates, then you can expect to watch Megashare content in HD. If you don’t, then you will have to make do with SD content if you don’t want any buffering issues. Still, Megashare is a streaming service that caters users of different internet connection speeds rather well.
Another feature that we think deserves a mention is the subtitles feature. The vast majority of movies on Megashare have subtitles enabled. That is especially useful for people who want to watch international TV series and movies in different languages. Megashare also works well on smaller and more mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Pros
- The latest titles get pushed to the top
- Unique content categories at the top of the homepage
- Identifiable search function
Cons
- Tons of ads
- Hidden ads between movie title cards
- Some links do not open up movies or TV series (i.e., they are dead)
123movies
If there is one streaming service that genuinely wants to replace the giant vacuum left by the departure of Putlocker, then it is 123movies.
123movies is perhaps one of the very few streaming services that makes it a point to not only provide users with the best content there is but also provide users with good security, safety and convenience. You can’t beat that combination.
This is a user-friendly and convenient streaming site that doesn’t require users to sign up for an account to start watching.
For people who are on the lookout for the latest and the greatest that Hollywood has to offer, 123movies pretty much offers everything that you would want from a streaming site. It has the latest films and has an extensive index of TV series and movies.
Apart from that, we’ve also noticed that 123movies has a very well-organized movie section. Because of that, you always know which are the latest movies and TV series 123movies is offering. 123movies also provides users with the option of limiting their search to get quicker and more relevant results. You can use different criteria such as “Release Year,” “Last Added,” “Name” and “Most Viewed” to narrow down exactly what you’re looking for.
123movies also goes through the trouble of recommending users movies based on their watch history.
Pros
- Offers some less-than-popular content niches, such as anime
- Sharp filtering and sorting options available
- Huge movie database
- In comparison, a few ads
- The interface is modern and fast
Cons
- 123movies definitely needs to work on the search results returned from its search bar
SolarMovie
Another good Putlocker alternative is SolarMovie. It is not exactly a new streaming site, which is why it has such a massive array of TV series and movies available.
But the staff behind SolarMovie does not stop at a huge database. With regular updates, it’s increasingly growing each year.
SolarMovie’s performance is high in our books.
The user interface is not only easy to understand and follow but also responsive. It doesn’t matter if you have a smartphone or a desktop machine; SolarMovie will work on anything that supports a web browser.
Pros
- Good interface
- Reliable service
- Decent collection of new movies
Cons
- Sometimes does not work (again, use a VPN)
How to Use Putlocker Safely
The best way to use Putlocker or Putlocker alternatives is to use a VPN (which stands for Virtual Private Network) as you browse and watch TV shows and movies online. VPN software can provide you a safe streaming environment so you can browse securely and anonymously.
Good VPN services make use of an encrypted tunnel that protects your data so that no other website or streaming service can obtain your browsing data, behavior and history. It also masks your IP address so that your location and other identifiers are kept hidden from any outside party, including your internet service provider, online advertisers, surveillance organizations and hackers or other entities.
The second thing you need to do is to use an ad-blocker. This is a must-have considering the number of ads that streaming services like Putlocker usually present in a given browsing session. Adblock Plus is great, and so is AdGuard.
And while you’re at it, you should also install a script blocking tool such as NoScript or Script Blocker for Chrome. This is probably not something that you would want to do if you are just starting out with a web browser and/or streaming services, but it does provide you with advanced security and safety.
What most script blockers do well is to stop the execution of any JavaScript on your web browser, which protects your privacy. The only problem here is that if you do not know how to use a script blocker properly, then you can break a given website. So, just keep that in mind.
This is important:
Moreover, you should always stay away from any kind of “premium features” that streaming sites like Putlocker may offer you. If the site wants you to download their app, it’s better if you just avoid it. Don’t download apps that aren’t offered on any official app store, like the Google Play Store, Chrome Web Store, Apple App Store or Firefox Extensions Store.And the final tip is to only stream from Putlocker websites that are popular and have a good reputation.
FAQS
What Is Putlocker?
Putlocker is a streaming site that enables users to watch movies online for free. Several TV shows are also available. Most Putlocker websites have new movies as well as classic films. You just need to make sure that you have a fast enough internet connection to avoid buffering.
What Happened to the Original Putlocker?
You may have the original Putlocker website bookmarked via your browser. And yet you find yourself not being able to access Putlocker. This is because Putlocker has shut down.
Free online streaming sites like Putlocker shut down all the time, so there’s nothing out of the ordinary in this case.
The site’s domains have been seized many times over several years due to violations of copyright laws.
The U.K. police, with the help of the Intellectual Property Crime Unit, shut down Putlocker back in 2012 as well. But Putlocker managed to survive with a different domain. Now Putlockers.bz is the most common Putlocker domain available on the internet.
Is It Safe to Use Putlocker?
Putlocker is legal to access and mostly safe to access if you take all the precautions we have mentioned in this guide.
Don’t try to share any information or files on such streaming sites and keep updated on which Putlocker online streaming site is currently functional.
There are channels available on Reddit where users share the updated URL of all the legitimate Putlockers and Putlocker apps. You can cross-reference this information on different forums.
Is Putlocker Illegal to Use in the U.S.?
No, it is not. Putlocker (or more precisely, Putlockers and any Putlockers variation) is a streaming site that does not go through the trouble of hosting any content.
Note:
It makes use of links from third-party providers and then marks them as a “source” of various files.Why Is Putlocker Down or Offline?
If you are unable to access Putlocker, there could be multiple things you need to check to know for sure why is Putlocker down for you. Your internet service provider may have blocked any access to the Putlocker website, the website itself may be down or there might be geo-restrictions at play.
Where Is Putlocker?
Putlocker (or Putlockers, depending on whether you’re referring to all spinoff sites with the same name) is on the internet. It’s unknown who exactly is behind it and where they operate. You can access the website by inputting the URL www.putlockers.bz into the address bar of your web browser.