Why Crackle? It’s totally free, available everywhere, and offers up some real gems.
Crackle is the rare exception to that rule: Sony’s service is 100% free, and it’s been that way for a decade now. No, Crackle doesn’t have the vast selection of Netflix or the speedy TV episode turnarounds of Hulu, but it’s fully ad-supported and it won’t cost you a thing.
So why don’t more people use Crackle? Why isn’t « Crackle and chill » a thing?
Well, the old adage « you get what you pay for » is largely true here: you’ll get more than nothing, which is what you’ll pay for Crackle, but its thin offerings are relatively light on quality content. Still, if you’re in a pinch and looking for something free and fun, it might suffice.
Here’s how to get started with Crackle on all of your devices.
In case you missed the multiple mentions above, let’s make it abundantly clear: Crackle won’t cost you a thing. It’s an entirely free streaming video service that is fully supported by video ads that run before and in the middle of content.
Crackle doesn’t even have a premium option that lets you opt out of commercial by tossing in a few bucks a month. Seriously, it’s free.
What kinds of ads can you expect on Crackle? When watching a TV episode, for example, you’ll usually see 30 seconds of ads upfront, and then normal commercial breaks in between. It’ll show something like « Ad 1 of 8, » which might scare you away from Crackle forever, but they’re often short – you’ll usually only see 2-3 minutes’ worth of commercials.
When watching a film, on the other hand, you’ll get the same 30-second kicker up front and then occasional artificial commercial breaks along the way.
While Crackle has no subscription, it does reward you for creating an account or logging in with Facebook: you’ll purportedly see fewer commercials overall.
Crackle is pretty much everywhere. It’s in your web browser, so you can watch it easily on a computer. It’s also on your phones and tablets, whether you have an iOS or Android device, a Kindle tablet, or even a Windows Phone.
It’s also on streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast, as well as smart TVs from Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizio.
Recent non-Nintendo consoles have it as well, including the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita and the discontinued PlayStation TV. It’s no surprise to see so much PlayStation support, given that Sony owns the service.
Crackle used to have a very underwhelming interface on some of its devices, especially mobile, but the service has recently rolled out a more modern aesthetic across the board. It’s stylish and sleek, although when I used it on PlayStation 4, the navigation felt a bit clumsy compared to something that feels as second nature as Netflix. But you’ll get used to it.
Really, those last two features really sell Crackle’s main appeal: it’s totally free to use, and you can access it from almost any modern device with rare exceptions.
Crackle therefore functions best as a no-cost alternative to pricier subscription services, and is an ideal way to take in some extra on-demand entertainment without paying for it, or help fill some gaps if you’ve decided to cut the cord from cable or satellite.
Crackle seems to puts its biggest focus on comedy and action content, with an array of shows and movies that fall into either category, and only bits and pieces of other genres alongside. If you’re looking for something that’ll make you laugh or get your blood pumping a bit, then you might find it here. It certainly won’t cost you anything to have a look.
Why choose Crackle over Netflix? To be honest, most people probably wouldn’t. Netflix has a dramatically larger pool of content that is increasingly made up of some of the best original shows today.
Crackle has a couple of original shows and the occasional original movie, but it’s like B-level cable fare at best – stuff you’d find on TBS, not AMC, FX or Netflix.
Also, when Netflix does feature classic TV series, it usually has all of the seasons – or at least all of the non-current seasons.
Crackle does offer some standout movies, but you’ll usually find a handful of acclaimed hits within a larger pool of forgettable junk.
Crackle appears to make updates monthly, pulling out some TV shows and movies while lightly refreshing the lineup, although the service’s original series always stick around. And if something is about to be removed, you’ll see a countdown note on its listing page.
