What Happened to SnagFilms?

SnagFilms shut down in 2020, but there are still lots of other websites that stream free movies online

By
Stacy Fisher
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Stacy Fisher
Technology Educator
  • Emporia State University
Stacy is a professional technology educator with over 25 years' experience. She has published hundreds of articles, co-authored a book, and has appeared on national and local TV.
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Updated on October 5, 2022

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SnagFilms was a website that offered thousands of free films and even some free TV shows. Ted Leonsis launched the service in 2008, but it was shut down in 2020.

If you're looking for an alternative, you have loads of options. See our Best Free Movie Websites list for some sites that are like Snagfilms, or jump down to the bottom of this page for specific examples.

What Was SnagFilms?

SnagFilms let you stream movies and TV shows directly from their site. You could browse through genres like Award-Winning, Crime, Documentary, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Sports, Kids & Family, Politics, Thrillers, etc.

SnagFilms movie listing
Screenshot

There were also collections of movies—like Before They Were Stars, Athletes & Their Triumphs, History Lessons, and Youth & Education—so that you could find films that followed a similar theme.

SnagFilms was able to offer free documentaries through its partners, which included PBS, National Geographic, and filmmaker submissions.

Why Did SnagFilms Shut Down?

Most companies shut down due to lack of funds, and that seems to be the case with SnagFilms.

In April 2020, the company removed all the pages from their website, and the company's CEO left a simple explanation:

It has always been a difficult business proposition, and with the current economic crisis, an impossible one for us to continue.

Are SnagFilms' Movies Still Available?

Sometimes, when a movie website shuts down, you can still find its movies elsewhere. This is not the case for SnagFilms. While there is a SnagFilms YouTube channel, it no longer has any movies.

SnagFilms Alternatives

There are several free movie sites that you can use instead of SnagFilms. Many are like it in that they have high-quality movies and are accessible through a website, mobile movie app, streaming devices like Roku, smart TVs, etc.

Crackle is one example. There are similar genres for drama movies and comedies, and the site frequently adds new content. Here's more on Crackle for all the details.

Some other SnagFilms alternatives we recommend are Vudu, Tubi, and Freevee.

There used to be a SnagFilms YouTube channel that you could use to stream their movies there. Those have since been deleted, but if you like YouTube's video player, you'll be pleased to know you can also watch free movies on YouTube (totally legally).

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