123Movies was a great source for free, high-quality movies from premium studios. However, the website and all its platforms were shut down in by authorities, and users can’t stop looking for the best 123Movies alternatives to watch Movies and Series online. This guide provides the best of the lot.
123Movies was launched in Vietnam in 2015, and it had nearly 100 million active users during its peak. The website was the go-to option for free movies and TV shows, and it operated under various platforms that included GoMovies, MeMovies, 123movieshub, and GoStream.
However, in March of 2018, the official 123Movies website (123movies.to) was brought down together with its other networks.
Why was 123Movies shutdown?
After the shutdown, the site’s homepage urged users to “respect filmmakers by paying for movies and TV-shows”. Before its shutdown, it was described by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as “the most popular illegal site.”
This is because 123Movies used to provide copyrighted content that should otherwise be paid for. Due to this, it was causing losses to producers and copyright holders.
To take it down, MPAA went as far as involving the US ambassador to Vietnam and presented a list of Online Notorious Markets, citing 123Movies in particular. The developers tried to move from domain to domain, but the site was eventually taken down in 2018.
However, even though the original domain (123movies.to) and its other networks were taken down, the spirit of 123Movies lives on through various similar sites and mirrors that have come up.
⚠ Stream with caution!
Considering the above, it’s important to take caution before you consider using any of the best 123Movies alternatives suggested here. Remember that your ISP is always monitoring and recording your online activities; this includes the websites you access. Apart from that, the servers where these movies are stored are usually not secure; they log all user information including your IP address.
If you decide to use a 123Movies alternative, we highly suggest that you use a secure VPN. The VPN encrypts your traffic to make it unreadable to the ISP and then changes your IP address to make you anonymous. From there, you will be streaming privately and securely, and so you won’t be surprised with a DMCA notice or a cease and desist letter.
The VPN I recommend
Surfshark is the most recommended VPN for streaming due to its many servers and super speeds, and so you can stream without buffering. To help you get started, we have managed to get a special discount for BestDroidPlayer readers, and so take advantage of it and stream safely. Your subscription will be eligible for a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Check out 15 awesome things you can do with a VPN
Best 123Movies alternatives
FMovies
FMovies is a highly rated 123Movies alternative, and deservedly so. The website is one of the oldest free streaming sites; it provides a huge collection of films from all top studios. These titles can be sorted in terms of genre, country, type (movies or TV shows), and IMDB ratings. There’s also a search button, and the search results can be filtered further using various elements.
The site has an organized interface that makes streaming easy; users can select the quality they want and even the server to stream from. You won’t need to have an account to watch, but you can create one for a more personalized experience.
Current main URL: www.fmovies.to
Solarmovie
Solarmovie is a very popular website, and it’s one of 123Movies best alternatives. The site has a clean and premium interface that makes it attractive and easy to navigate. On the homepage, you can quickly search for the title you’d like. You can also decide to go to the Movie/ TV Show section and filter by genre, country, IMDB rating, etc.
Once you click on a title, you can read its blurb, see IMDB rating, and even watch the trailer. You do not need to have an account to do all this, but creating one can help you get suggestions and even add a title to favorites. Overall, the site provides a huge catalog of movies and series and has a fantastic interface, so you need to check it out.
Current main URL: www.solarmovie.to
Yes!Movies
YesMovies is another of 123Movies best alternatives, and it comes with a simple and easy to use design. The streaming site has a huge database of movies and TV shows that is frequently updated.
YesMovies is easy to navigate as you can search for a title or look for one using the categories and filters provided. Once you open a title, you can then see the details and even an option to watch the trailer. One great thing about YesMovies is that it has significantly fewer ads than other sites, and this greatly boosts the experience.
Current main URL: www.yesmovies.ag
GoStream
If you are tired of the annoying ads that come with free streaming sites, then GoStream is your alternative. The site is one of the best 123Movies alternatives, and it allows users to stream smoothly, and you won’t need an adblocker (adblocker isn’t even useful in most streaming sites).
You can choose from a huge catalog of movies, although the database isn’t as rich as that of FMovies and other sites. Navigation is also easy thanks to the site’s minimalistic interface. GoStream lets you enjoy you enjoy movies in up to 1080p.
Current main URL: www.gostream.site
Putlocker
The main putlocker website came up in 2011 but was shut down by authorities in 2016. The site however has several mirror sites, and although it’s not known whether some of them are maintained by the original developers. Nevertheless, some of the popular ones work extremely well. One of these is putlocker.vip.
The site is well organized, and it allows you to stream almost any title for and in HD. Depending on the server you choose, you can select the quality of the video. Searching for a title is easy and can be done from the home page, and you can also look for one to watch using the various categories and filters provided.
Current main URL: www.putlocker.vip
123Movies Mirror sites
Of course, even after the shutdown, 123Movies wasn’t going anywhere. There are more than fifty mirror sites that have come up to soften the blow as well as try and replace the beloved site. However, some of these mirror sites are not anything near the original one and so you need to beware of sites that are simply misleading (to gain from ads) or may contain malware.
If you want the familiarity provided by mirror sites, we have done some digging up to get the best 123Movies mirror sites. The links below are currently working well and are safe to use as long as you have a VPN.
- 123movies.la
- 123-Movies.com
- 123movieshub.info
Some may be blocked by your ISP!
As mentioned before, the above sites are always under the watch of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and various other copyright agencies. Due to this, some of them are blocked in various countries together with their mirror sites.
To circumvent such blocking, you will need to start your Surfshark VPN app first and then connect to a server before opening the site. For faster speeds, you can connect to a server near you but in a different country where the site is not blocked. Once you do this, the encryption provided will hide your activities from the ISP, your change of IP address will make you anonymous, and the new server will circumvent ISP blocking as well as throttling.
Enjoy and stay safe!
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