Free Movie & TV Search Online
A free movie and TV search engine: ratings, cast, posters, and summaries in one place — with a Watch direct button.
Search movies and TV shows
Try one of these to get started:
Free for normal use — 50 searches per day. Poster, year, and rating shown where the source provides them.
About this tool
About the Movie & TV Search
A movie and TV search tool answers the only question that matters on movie night: what should we watch? Type a title into this free search engine and get the essentials in one view — the poster, the plot summary, audience and critic ratings, and the full cast list, so you can judge a film before committing two hours to it. It covers both movies and TV series, which means one search settles whether that show your friend recommended is worth the binge.
Each result now includes cast details plus a Watch direct button that takes you straight toward streaming options, cutting out the usual tab-hopping between databases. Data comes from open movie and TV databases, with a TV-focused fallback keeping results flowing when the primary source is slow. Use it to settle trivia debates, build a watchlist from ratings, check who that familiar actor is, or find what to watch next based on what you already love — free, with no account.
How it works
Three steps to done
Type a title
Enter a movie or show name — partial titles work, so “Dune” is enough.
Browse the results
Compare posters, release years, types, and ratings to make sure you found the right title.
Open details
Follow “View details” for the full cast, synopsis, and more on the source page.
API parameters
The endpoint
The same search behind this tool is available as GET /api/v1/msearch.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
q | string | Yes | Movie or TV show title; partial titles work. Max 100 characters. |
response | JSON | — | { ok:true, provider, fallbackUsed, data:{ results:[{ title, type, year, rating, image, url, imdbUrl, watchUrl, cast }], tvOnly? } }. |
provider | string | — | “yatools” (movies + TV) or “tvmaze” (TV-only fallback). tvOnly:true marks fallback results. |
data credit | — | — | Fallback data is © TVMaze, licensed CC BY-SA — link back when reusing it. |
rate limit | — | — | 50 searches per day per IP. Exceeding it returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. |
Examples
Try it in code
// Search movies and TV shows
const res = await fetch(
`/api/v1/msearch?q=${encodeURIComponent("Dune")}`
);
const { data, provider } = await res.json();
for (const r of data.results) {
console.log(r.title, r.year, r.type, r.rating);
}
// provider "tvmaze" → data.tvOnly is true: TV shows only (fallback mode)curl "https://yatools-tan.vercel.app/api/v1/msearch?q=Breaking%20Bad"Use cases
Made for real work
Plan movie night
Check ratings and runtimes before committing two hours to a film nobody has heard of.
Identify a title fast
Half-remember a show from years ago? A partial title search usually finds it in seconds.
Research for content
Grab posters, release years, and ratings when writing reviews, articles, or video scripts.
Settle trivia debates
Look up exact release years and cast lists to end “wait, which year was that?” arguments.
Avoid the duds
A quick ratings check separates genuine hidden gems from well-marketed disappointments.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Where does the movie and TV data come from?
Results come from a movie and TV database index. When that index is unreachable, the tool falls back to TVMaze (CC BY-SA) data — in that case results are TV shows only, and the page tells you so.
Why do I sometimes only see TV shows?
That is fallback mode: the main index was temporarily down, so results are served TV-only from TVMaze. Movie results return automatically once the main index is back — no action needed.
Are the ratings accurate?
Ratings come from the source databases and shift over time as more people vote. Treat them as a useful guide for picking what to watch — not as a final verdict on quality.
Can I watch movies or shows here?
No. This is a search and discovery tool — the “View details” link takes you to the title's page on the source database for cast, synopsis, and more.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
Yes, it is free, and no account is needed — 50 searches per day keeps it fast for everyone.
Can I search movies and TV shows in one place for free?
Yes. One search covers both films and series, returning ratings, cast, posters, and summaries together — no account needed.
What does the Watch direct button do?
It takes you directly toward streaming and watch options for that title, so you go from deciding to watching without hunting across sites.
Related tools
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For developers
Use the Movie & TV API in your own app
One GET request returns posters, years, types, and ratings for any title — free for reasonable use.