Kanopy Review: My Favorite Free Streaming Service in 2025

Streaming Smarter says: Kanopy is a totally free streaming service offered through many public libraries. It has more than 30,000 films. Kanopy is simply the best free streaming service for movies. You’ll see modern hits and classic cinematic landmarks. There’s an excellent children’s section, too. Best of all, there are no ads. None!

One important thing to know is that your library determines how many “tickets” you get each month. Most films cost two tickets to borrow for 72 hours. My library gives me 30 tickets a month. (Kids’ titles don’t cost tickets to view.)

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What Can You Watch with Kanopy?

You might think a library-connected streaming service would be dull, but Kanopy has a ton of crowd-pleasers.

Movies on Kanopy

This is Kanopy’s strong suit. It almost always has a big collection of Neon or A24 films, along with big hits from other studios.

At the time of this review, titles include “Anchorman,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Forrest Gump,” “Ghost,” “Good Will Hunting,” “I, Tonya,” “Moonstruck,” “Gangs of New York,” “Clueless,” “Seven Samurai,” “Parasite,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Mean Girls,” “Revolutionary Road,” “On the Waterfront,” “Dreamgirls,” and several “Mission: Impossible” films.

TV Shows on Kanopy

Kanopy’s TV library will appeal to people who like British dramas, but it falls short on Hollywood hits. Popular titles include “The Jetty,” “Vanity Fair,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “Bleak House,” “Blackshore,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Pride and Prejudice” (1995), “Quirke,” “Lonsesome Dove,” “Dragnet,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and “Sense and Sensibility.”

Kids Shows on Kanopy

Kanopy has a strong lineup of kids’ shows, and most are chosen for child development over mindless cartoon hijinks. Little ones can watch “Sesame Street,” “Reading Rainbow,” “Nature Cat,” “SciShow Kids,” “Stinky Dog,” “Bob the Builder,” “Molly of Denali,” “Baby Einstein: Manners Manor,” “Yeti Tales,” “Madeline,” “Rosie’s Rules,” and “The Adventures of Paddington Bear.”

There’s even a “Get Ready to Read” section with titles to help learn the alphabet, numbers, and new words. The animated read-along storybooks are also a nice touch.

What Streaming Devices are Compatible with Kanopy?

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Peter Gardner

Peter Gardner cut the cord in 2017. He’s Streaming Smarter’s resident sci-fi fan – his favorite films include “Blade Runner,” “Children of Men,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Gattaca.” His favorite live TV streamer is Sling TV and his favorite on-demand service is Max.