Your library card is one of the best streaming deals there is. Most U.S. public libraries pay for Kanopy, Hoopla or both, which means you can stream movies and TV for free. Unlike Tubi or Pluto TV, there are no ads: the library pays the licensing fees, so you don't pay with your attention.
The catch is that each library sets a monthly limit on how much you can watch. Here's how both services work, what the limits look like, and how to get the most out of them.
What you need
- A library card from a library that subscribes to Kanopy or Hoopla. Check your library's website for "streaming", "digital" or "eLibrary". Many libraries let you sign up for a card online in a few minutes.
- The free app, Kanopy or Hoopla, on your phone, TV or streaming device, or use either service in a web browser.
- Your card number and PIN to link the app to your library.
If you're a college student or staff member, check your university too. Many universities offer Kanopy through the campus library, often with more generous access than public libraries.
If your own library doesn't offer either service, look at nearby library systems. Some large libraries offer cards to anyone who lives in the state, and some sell non-resident cards for an annual fee.
Kanopy: the film lover's streaming service
Kanopy is built around quality over quantity. Its catalog leans toward acclaimed independent and international film, classic cinema, documentaries and educational series, including a large selection of Criterion Collection titles. It's the free streaming service most likely to have the film a critic just recommended.
How the limits work: Kanopy uses tickets. Each time you start a new title, it uses a ticket from your monthly allowance. You can pause and come back to the same title without using another ticket. Your library sets how many tickets you get, and they reset on the first of each month.
Allowances vary a lot. In the library policies we checked for 2026, monthly Kanopy limits ranged from 5 tickets to 18. Some libraries also cap their total Kanopy budget, and when that runs out, streaming is paused for everyone until the next month.
Best for: film buffs, documentaries, foreign and classic cinema, and anyone who has run out of things to watch on the big streamers.
Hoopla: newer movies, TV, and much more
Hoopla is broader and more mainstream than Kanopy. Alongside movies and TV series, it carries ebooks, audiobooks, comics and music, all under one allowance. Its selection changes as licensing deals come and go, but it often has titles that are too recent for the free ad-supported services.
How the limits work: Hoopla uses borrows. Every movie, TV episode or book you check out uses one borrow from your monthly limit. There are no waitlists: if a title is in the catalog, you can borrow it immediately. Movies and TV episodes typically stay available for 3 days after you borrow them, music for 7 days, and books and comics for 21 days.
Many libraries cut their Hoopla limits in 2026 as costs rose. LA County Library dropped from 8 borrows a month to 5 in January, for example, while Detroit Public Library set its limit at 12. Check your own library's page for the current number.
Use BingePass for series. A Hoopla BingePass uses a single borrow to unlock a whole partner collection for a limited time. That's far better value than spending one borrow per episode.
Best for: recent movies, TV series, and households that also read or listen to audiobooks.
Kanopy vs Hoopla at a glance
| Kanopy | Hoopla | |
|---|---|---|
| Content focus | Indie, classic and international film, documentaries, Criterion titles | Mainstream movies and TV, plus books, audiobooks, comics and music |
| How limits work | Tickets: one per title you start | Borrows: one per title or episode you check out |
| Typical monthly limit | About 5 to 18 tickets, set by your library | About 5 to 12 borrows, set by your library |
| Viewing window | Pause and resume the same title | Usually 3 days for movies and TV |
| Ads | None | None |
| Waitlists | None | None |
How to get the most from your allowance
- Use both. If your library offers Kanopy and Hoopla, the limits are separate, so you get two allowances.
- Save tickets and borrows for things you can't get elsewhere. Before spending one, check whether the title is already free with ads on Tubi, Pluto TV or The Roku Channel.
- Use a BingePass for series instead of borrowing episodes one at a time.
- Start titles near the end of the month if you have tickets or borrows left, since unused allowance doesn't roll over.
- Don't forget physical media. Most libraries still lend DVDs and Blu-rays, usually with no monthly limit. They're a great way to catch shows that have left streaming.
- Get the kids a card. Many libraries issue children their own cards, which can come with their own allowance.
Library streaming and your paid subscriptions
Library streaming won't carry current-season shows, so it won't replace a paid service entirely. What it does is make the months between paid subscriptions much better. Pair it with the free ad-supported apps (see our Tubi vs Pluto TV vs The Roku Channel comparison) and a subscription rotation plan, and you only need to pay for one service at a time, for the months your shows are airing.
Before paying for anything, also check whether you already get a service through your phone plan, internet provider or credit card. For the full list of free options, see the best free streaming services.
Pay only for the months you need. Stream-Wiser maps your watchlist to release dates and tells you which single service to have each month, and when to go free.
Build my plan free →