5 Best Roku TV Streaming Apps (That Aren't Netflix)

A Roku TV is a great way to get plugged into the streaming ecosystem. Roku TVs have competitive pricing, and they allow you to download various streaming apps to get access to a myriad of content. Of course, you can use the essential Roku TV apps everyone else has, like YouTube or Netflix, but it would be a waste to stop there. The library of apps you can access through a Roku TV is quite expansive and includes standouts like Tubi, Pluto, Kanopy, Plex, and Roku's own Roku Channel.

If you check the App Store on your Roku TV, you'll find a myriad of unique streaming apps, many of which you can download and use for free. These apps run the gamut of content types, from movies to live television to original, service-exclusive productions like Roku's own Roku Originals. As long as there's room on your Roku TV's internal storage for them, there's really no reason not to get carried away downloading and trying every single app that catches your eye, starting with these.

After spending most of its early years facilitating easy viewing of other streaming services, Roku has branched out into offering its own streaming service in the Roku Channel. With a Roku login, which you already have if you're using a Roku TV, you can access a curated, seasonal selection of content from across the media spectrum.

The Roku Channel offers both live TV channels and on-demand movies and series, all for free. In the United States and Canada in particular, the Roku Channel also offers 24/7 live and local news broadcasts from the major networks like Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC. In addition to classic and new television and movies, the Roku Channel has managed to build up its own selection of completely original content that you can't find on any other platform, such as "Emeril Cooks," "The Spiderwick Chronicles," and the Emmy award-winning "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story."

For an extra bit of convenience, the Roku Channel also lets you link up your subscriptions to premium streaming apps like Paramount+, Discovery+, and MGM+ and access their respective content libraries within the Roku Channel app.

While most of the big-name shows and movies have been snatched up by the major streaming apps, that doesn't mean all of them have. In fact, more than a few of the biggest shows and movies from across entertainment history have found their way to Tubi's proverbial shores instead.

Tubi offers a hefty library of on-demand TV and film, all for free, though also ad-supported. There are tons of classic movies from across the spectrum of genres, like "The Godfather" and "Child's Play," as well as equally classic television like "The Twilight Zone" and "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" You don't even need an account to watch, though making a free one is necessary if you want to save titles to a watchlist.

Besides the on-demand programming, Tubi also has a large selection of live TV channels for you to browse, including all of the major news networks like ABC and Fox, sports channels, and dedicated channels for genres like comedy, horror, documentaries, and children's programming.

When the initial switchover from cable to streaming began, the binge model of viewing became the order of the day, with scheduled programming going by the wayside. If you miss scheduled TV, though, Pluto TV has worked to bridge the gap between traditional live television and streaming services.

Pluto TV's bread and butter is its large, rotating selection of over 250 live TV channels airing 24 hours a day. These channels cater to just about every entertainment niche you can think of, including news, sitcoms, classic shows, soap operas, true crime mysteries, content for kids, and more. There are even channels that only play certain shows and subgenres, like the "Cheers" and "Frasier" channel, or the "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" channel. You can also find existing content that has been dubbed in other languages, like Spanish and Japanese, as well as foreign shows with their original audio tracks and English subtitles.

Alongside its live TV, Pluto TV has a rotating library of on-demand programming, including movies from across the eras like "Grease" and "Top Gun", and television shows like "Hogan's Heroes" and "NCIS." As with the live channels, you can also find entire series of dubbed and subbed movies and shows, with a slightly greater subgenre selection in some cases, like the tokusatsu collection of live-action Japanese shows like "Ultraman" and "Kamen Rider."

Public libraries aren't quite the hubs of learning and knowledge they used to be, but they're still out there, providing valuable services to your local community. Of course, libraries aren't stuck in the dark ages; they've begun offering all kinds of modern services, including access to the Kanopy streaming app.

Kanopy is a streaming service that is partnered with libraries and universities all across the United States. If you have a library card or university login, you can access Kanopy free of charge and avail yourself of its services. Such services include a library of movies and documentaries from both the U.S. and elsewhere. You can find all kinds of classic titles, such as "Memento," "The Truman Show," "Parasite," and "Ringu."

Kanopy also has a dedicated library of children's programming, called Kanopy Kids, which includes various educational and positive shows and movies for the little ones. Since Kanopy provides its content through library partnerships, it's all provided without any fees or commercial breaks. As long as you have an active library card or university login, you can use Kanopy on your Roku TV unbothered.

One of the mildly annoying things about the streaming boom is that every bit of content across the entertainment landscape has been split up amongst the major providers. It can be a bit of a chore trying to keep track of which service has what show or movie, as well as remembering what you've already watched. Part of the Plex app's mission statement is keeping track of all of that for you.

The Plex app offers a healthy selection of both live TV and on-demand movies and shows, including plenty of classics like "Mars Attacks" and "Pulp Fiction." You can watch all of this for free, albeit with ads. However, in addition to that, Plex is also meant to serve as a sort of nexus for all of your other streaming activities. Plex allows you to maintain a unified watchlist of content from across nearly every other major streaming app, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and so on. Plex keeps track of the presence of shows and movies on other apps, so you can jump right from Plex into another service to watch what you want instead of browsing around.

Plex also serves as a convenient means for you and your friends to hold watch parties, offering simultaneous start and pause instead of needing to count down for joint viewing. You can even stream your personal media, like saved movies or television from your digital video recorder.