7 Best The TV App Alternatives Worth Knowing in 2026

No single streaming platform has everything, all the time. Having one or two alternatives in your back pocket means a temporary outage or a missing title never has to end the night. Here are seven worth knowing, with what actually sets each one apart.

• Xumo Play and Plex are the closest free alternatives
• Netflix offers the biggest paid, ad-free library
• HD Streamz and Pluto TV mirror the live-channel format
• Keeping one backup app covers outages on either platform

1. Xumo Play — free, ad-supported, 350+ channels

A free live-channel service with a large line-up across news, sports, movies and kids' programming. No subscription and no signup required for most of the catalogue, closely matching the no-friction approach of The TV App.

2. Plex — free hub plus your own media

Plex combines free ad-supported movies, shows and live channels with the ability to organise your own music, photos and video in one interface. It runs on phones, Smart TVs, consoles and computers.

3. Tubi — free movies and TV shows

Thousands of ad-supported movies and shows across a wide range of genres, with broad device support. A solid pick specifically for on-demand titles rather than live channels.

4. Netflix — paid, ad-free, large licensed library

A premium subscription with a vast on-demand library, offline downloads and no ads. The trade-off against a free option is obvious: you pay monthly, but you get a consistently licensed, high-production catalogue in return.

5. HD Streamz — free live sports and news, Android-focused

An Android-first live streaming app carrying sports, news and entertainment channels, free and ad-supported, closer in format to The TV App than to an on-demand library like Netflix or Tubi.

6. Pluto TV — free, channel-style live streaming

Organises free content into live, scheduled "channels" rather than an on-demand grid, which suits anyone who prefers flipping through something already playing over searching a catalogue.

7. Pikashow — free, Android APK, wide genre mix

A third-party Android app covering Hollywood and Bollywood films, series, anime and documentaries, free and aimed squarely at mobile users who want one app for a broad content mix.

New to The TV App itself? Start with what it actually is →

Comparing the pricing side by side? Read the free-vs-paid breakdown →

See The TV App's own channel and sports coverage before switching →

Which one should you actually pick?

For the closest match to The TV App's free, no-login live channels, start with Xumo Play or Plex. For a bigger on-demand catalogue and no ads at all, a paid service like Netflix is the better fit. Keeping one free alternative bookmarked alongside The TV App covers the gap on the rare day either one has an issue.