Telly TV Review: Free TV, Ads, Privacy and Alternatives

You must have heard about the free 55-inch TV people have been receiving. We understand that you have come to our page searching for a genuine and helpful product review. Nonetheless, it is entirely normal for you to be doubtful about Telly TV because, obviously, who would give such a product for free without expecting anything significant in return? Thus, this article provides an unbiased Telly TV review, and its pros, cons, alternatives, and more.

Updated October 2026. We corrected how Telly’s ads and terms work, added details from Telly’s privacy policy as reported by TechCrunch, updated Pluto TV and Tubi, and noted that Crackle stopped working in 2025. This article is based on published reporting and Telly’s website, not hands-on testing.

What is Telly TV?

Telly is an American startup led by CEO Ilya Pozin, a co-founder of Pluto TV. It offers a free 55-inch TV delivered to your home in exchange for watching ads, which appear on a second screen built into the TV. Telly also collects data about users and their viewing so it can target those ads.

Is Telly TV legit?

Telly TV Review: Should You Try This Free TV Or Not?

Telly is a real company, and it began shipping its TVs to its first customers in July 2023. According to TechCrunch, the TV has a 55-inch 4K HDR main screen, a nine-inch second screen below it that shows ads and widgets such as weather, sports scores and stocks, a built-in soundbar, and a built-in camera, sensors and microphone. As of October 2026, Telly’s website still describes the TV as free and invites visitors to reserve one through a sign-up form.

The catch is advertising and data. Ads run around the clock on the second screen, which can be dimmed but not switched off. To sign up, Telly asks for details such as your name, age, gender, home address and ethnicity, along with viewing habits and purchasing behavior. Telly’s terms let it ask for the TV back, or charge up to $1,000 to the card on file, if you break them.

However, some consider its privacy policies a red flag. The company can record your watch data, even your whereabouts. So, one must choose to access the free service with proper consideration. You can visit this Telly TV website to learn more about the product’s features.

When TechCrunch reviewed Telly’s privacy policy in May 2023, it listed data such as what you watch, your location (including precise geolocation), names, contact details, ages, zip codes, gender and ethnicity, plus inferences drawn from that data. Read Telly’s current privacy policy and terms before you sign up, because they may have changed since then.

Should You Try Telly TV?

You must be aware of the fact that everything has its own pros and cons. Likewise, Telly TV also comes with several benefits and drawbacks in its offerings. Thus, a detailed Telly TV review is mentioned below.

Pros of Telly TV

The 55-inch 4K TV itself costs nothing.
It includes a built-in soundbar, camera and microphone.
The second screen shows widgets such as weather, sports scores and stock prices.

Cons of Telly TV

The biggest concern with this free product is its privacy policy.
You must agree to share personal and viewing data, and breaking the terms can mean returning the TV or a charge of up to $1,000.
Ads run around the clock on the second screen, which cannot be turned off.

Also Read – Sportsurge Safety, Legality, and Legitimate Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to Telly TV?

Now that you have learned about this product’s pros and cons, you might begin to consider its alternatives. First, ask yourself: Do you wish to carry a whole box inside your home to stream free content? It takes up a lot of space, and we have already discussed Telly TV’s privacy concerns. Therefore, we have listed below some free apps that are very popular as Telly TV alternatives.

1. Pluto TV

Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported streaming service from Paramount, which became part of Paramount Skydance in August 2025. It is one of the best options for those looking to entertain themselves without spending money. It offers users access to live streams of popular networks such as Comedy Central, AMC, Nickelodeon, and MTV. Like Telly, it earns money from advertising rather than subscriptions, but it runs as an app on devices you already own. A detailed analysis of Pluto TV is written below.

Pros of Pluto TV

The first and foremost benefit of using Pluto TV is that it is absolutely free.
It provides users with an experience similar to that of cable.
Some of the most popular titles are available for viewers.

Cons of Pluto TV

Some people find it needing more new and updated episodes of the title.
It seems to have shorter versions of some of the most popular TV channels.
Lastly, there is no feature to record live-streaming content for later watch.

2. Tubi TV

This streaming service is another Telly TV alternative. Fox Corporation owns it through Tubi Media Group. Tubi TV is free and does not require users to pay additional charges; all that one needs to do is tolerate the ads shown. People can watch movies and shows licensed from major studios, along with hundreds of Tubi Originals, according to the company. Some of its merits and demerits are listed below.

Pros of Tubi TV

It would be evident by now that Tubi TV is free of cost.
In addition, it lets you watch content from renowned studios.
Tubi TV has a user-friendly interface.

Cons of Tubi TV

Some people find the available titles outdated.
One cannot determine the time of advertisements while streaming.

3. Crackle

Crackle was a free, ad-supported streaming service with a collection of series and movies. Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired it in 2006, and it was later owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment. That company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2024 and later moved to Chapter 7 liquidation. Cord Cutters News reported that Crackle stopped working, briefly came back in March 2025, and went offline again by mid-April 2025. Check whether it is available before relying on it; Pluto TV and Tubi are the more dependable options in this list.

Conclusion

To sum up, Telly TV has its own advantages and disadvantages. One needs to properly consider the actual cost of this free TV, which is compromising your privacy and security. Meanwhile, if you decide not to opt for Telly TV, this article has listed some of its best alternatives that might be helpful for you.

Telly TV Review: Should You Try This Free TV Or Not?