There are many sites online that promise free movies in high quality but deliver nothing but advertising and malware. For many years now, 123Movies has been a welcome exception, offering an ever-growing collection of movies to visitors from around the world.

But is 123Movies the best streaming site on the internet? Wanting to answer this question, we personally tested many sites like 123Movies that are available as of Dec 2019 and ended up with this list of top 10 alternatives to 123Movies where you can watch movies and TV shows when 123Movies is down or unreachable.

Before we get to them, let’s first explore what 123Movies is and what makes it such a great and popular streaming site.

What Is 123Movies?

First launched around 2015, 123Movies had nearly 100 million active users during its peak. Unfortunately for its owners and visitors, the site was shut down by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in March 2018, which sent ripples through the entire streaming community.

The original domain name of 123Movies (123movies.to) doesn’t work anymore, and the same for 123movies.is, which was a replacement domain name. Even though the original site is no longer active, the spirit of 123Movies lives on through various clone sites and mirrors (listed below).

The problem with 123Movies clones and mirrors is that their quality tends to be hit or miss—but mostly miss. You will encounter very intrusive ads, links leading to malicious sites, movies that refuse to load, and so on.

For this and other reasons, many former users of 123Movies have moved on other sites, and we suggest you at least explore the available 123Movies alternatives and decide if sticking with 123Movies is worth it.

Is 123Movies Legal and Safe?

The legality of 123Movies, as well as sites like 123Movies, is guided by local laws, and each country is different in this regard. In some countries, streaming is completely legal and not regulated in any way. However, there are also countries, such as the United States or Germany, where streaming is not legal.

If you want to be 100% sure that you’re not breaking any laws, make sure to consult a legal professional in your country or make an educated decision using available resources.

Keep in mind that it’s one thing to watch movies on 123Movies or similar sites in the comfort of your home for your own personal entertainment, and it’s something completely different to use a site like 123Movies for commercial purposes. The former might get you a slap on the wrist, but the latter can send you to jail.

Best 123Movies Alternatives

1. Putlocker

Putlocker is among the leading alternatives to 123Movies, and the two sites share many similarities. To start with, both Putlocker and 123Movies can be recognized by their green and gray color scheme and minimalist design. More importantly, both sites don’t contain too many ads that might otherwise ruin the user experience. What they do contain are thousands of movies and TV shows, all of which are accessible with the click of a button and from anywhere in the world. We like that Putlocker places a very prominent search bar right in the center of the page, making it very easy to find interesting content to watch.

2. Vumoo

Vumoo’s homepage may be very simple, but the unassuming front hides one of the largest collections of movies on the internet. Many people have already discovered this fantastic source of content, and traffic statistics suggest that most keep coming back for more. What so many people like about Vumoo, apart from its extensive selection of movies and TV shows, is its reliability. When you click on a movie, you can be sure that it will start playing without long buffering and frequent interruptions. The site itself is extremely snappy and loads fast even on mobile devices. Clearly, the people behind Vumoo know what they’re doing.

3. GoStream

Are you tired of seeing distracting ads on streaming sites? If so, this 123Movies alternative is perfect for you. Believe it or not, but GoStream allows you to watch movies for free and without traditional ads. Yes, there are links that lead to sponsored sites, but those are very easy to avoid even without an adblock. When it comes to content, GoStream has everything from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to childhood classics, and all you need to do to find something interesting is browse the constantly updated selection of recently released movies or use the search bar to find something specific.

4. Yesmovies

If you always say, “Yes!” to a good movie, Yesmovies will feel like a new home. The site allows users to rate movies, and ratings are displayed right on the front page, so you can see at a glance which movies are worth checking out and which are most likely just a huge waste of time. Most content is available in HD, but you can stumble upon the occasional CAM rip or SD quality release. Virtually all content on Yesmovies is available from multiple different sources, which is handy because the site doesn’t host anything on its own servers.

5. FMovies

Our list of the best 123Movies alternatives wouldn’t be complete without FMovies, one of the oldest and most respected streaming sites out there. Specializing in movies released since 2009, FMovies is a great place for finding fresh releases in high quality. What we really like about FMovies is the fact that the site’s movie player can be controlled using keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can press the space to pause your movie, enter or exit fullscreen using the F key, or seek back by 60 seconds by pressing the J key to watch an interesting scene again.

6. SolarMovies

If there was an award for the most polished streaming site, we’re pretty sure SolarMovies would get it. Indeed, SolarMovies feels like a premium site even though it doesn’t require even a simple registration. You can enter the name of the movie you want to watch, click on its thumbnail, and press play. Each movie page contains a brief synopsis, IMDb rating, duration, and other information to help you decide if you’ve made the right choice. SolarMovies also suggests similar content based on what you’re currently watching, making it almost too easy to end up on a several hours long binge.

7. GOmovies

GOmovies is one of the best places online to watch movies and TV shows without registration. The site has everything from action movies to horror flicks, and registered members can request content to be added on the site. If you’ve always wanted to watch the top 100 most popular movies on IMDb, you will be pleased to know that movies on GOmovies can be sorted according to their IMDb rating. That way, you can start from the best-rated movie of all time and work your way to the 100^th best-rated movie. If movies are not your thing. You can do the same with TV shows.

8. WatchFree

WatchFree is not as popular as most other streaming sites featured in this article, but it’s still a fantastic 123Movies alternative. Why? Because the site runs fast and features a broad selection of movies of all genres. Movies are sometimes available on WatchFree even before they appear on more popular sites, which goes to show that its admins are dedicated to making the site better. The only thing we don’t like about WatchFree are the annoying pop-up windows, which display when you click on a movie. Thankfully, there’s nothing easier than installing a pop-up blocker.

9. Popcornflix

Popcornflix is all about video entertainment, whether it’s movies, TV shows, or viral videos. Yes, viral videos. The site features content from FailArmy, The Pet Collective, and People Are Awesome, giving you something fun to watch when you don’t have time even for a single TV show episode—let alone a feature-length movie. Popcornflix updates its content every day and categorizes everything according to genre. New arrivals have their own category, so you can easily check what’s new and pick something interesting to watch without having to visit IMDb first.

10. Primewire

Primewire occupies the last place on our list because the site could desperately use a redesign. Compared with many other streaming sites, it looks quite dated and unpolished. That said, some users actually like the fact that Primewire is still using its original design instead of changing it every few years. At the end of the day, content is what matters the most, and Primewire doesn’t disappoint in this regard. The site even has curated playlists featuring everything from space movies to westerns to movies about slavery and much more. If you want to, you can even create your own playlist and share it with your friends.

Enjoy 123Movies Alternatives

Now that you’re familiar with available 123Movies alternatives, it’s time to kick back and discover new movies and TV shows. Keep in mind that streaming sites come and go, so don’t feel obliged to remain loyal to just one site. Instead, we recommend you keep several streaming sites in your bookmarks and switch between them as necessary.