Since 2011, Showtime has been sharing the adventures of the Gallagher family. Originally a remake of a popular British series, Shameless has evolved into its own being, a deeply American comedy about family and poverty. With a cast that includes William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Joan Cusack, and more, it’s easy to understand why Shameless has developed a rabid following. If you want to catch up but you’ve already ditched your cable plan, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to watch Shameless online, and some of them are even free if you’re quick. Sick of missing Shameless? Here’s how you can start watching Shameless without cable.

How to watch Shameless season 9 for free

1) Showtime

• Cost: $10.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
• Devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, LG TV, Samsung TV, Oculus, and iOS and Android devices

When you absolutely need Showtime right now, go directly to the source. Showtime Anytime is the premium movie channel’s own app, letting you watch the channel without needing to pay for another service first. There are cheaper ways to get Showtime, in theory, but they all require paying for a secondary membership first. If all you want is to watch Shameless right now, this is your best and most affordable bet.  

2) Hulu and Hulu with Live TV

• Cost: $5.99-$11.99 for Hulu (after one-month free trial) and $54.99-$60.99 per month for Hulu with Live TV (after a 7-day free trial). Showtime comes with a 1-month free trial, then costs $4.99 per month for the first three months and $10.99 per month afterward
• Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, LG TV, Samsung, Vizio, and iOS and Android devices

Hulu is a jack of all trades, a service that provides streaming on-demand TV and movies as well as featuring a streaming TV service. Hulu is already the best deal for people who miss first-run TV, so adding Showtime to your package feels like a no-brainer. Plus, Hulu is currently running a deal for Showtime that gets you service for $4.99 per month for the first three months. That’s a steal for Showtime. (Here’s the complete list of Hulu Live TV channels.) 

3) Sling TV

• Cost: $30-$45 per month ($10 off first month), Showtime is $10.99 per month (one week free)
• Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Windows, LG TV, Samsung TV, Oculus, AirTV Player, and iOS and Android devices

No service has pivoted to meet the needs of users who were sick of pointlessly massive cable packages than Sling TV. Offering users a selection of a la carte channel packages, Sling TV only charges you for the channels you want to watch. That includes add-on premium movie channels like Showtime. At $10.99 per month, Sling TV offers Showtime for the same amount as everyone else, but its streaming TV service is worth considering. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels.)

4) FuboTV

• Cost:$10.99 per month for Showtime ($5 off first three months) | $44.99 for your first month and $54.99-$79.99 per month for FuboTV 
• Devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, Samsung, iOS and Android devices

FuboTV is an international sports-focused streaming TV option, with a surprisingly robust package of entertainment channels that has only gotten better with time. It also has the best local TV coverage of any online streaming TV service. Since its introduction, FuboTV’s biggest weakness has been its lack of premium movie options. That’s changed with the introduction of Showtime to FuboTV. Users who want to watch Shameless and English Premier League should give FuboTV a look. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.) 

5) Amazon Prime Video

• Cost: $12.99 per month (after a 30-day free trial) for Showtime | $119.99 per year for Prime
• Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii

If you want to catch up on the U.K. version of Shameless, you’re in luck. Amazon is streaming it as part of Prime for free, but if you want the U.S. edition, you’ll need a Showtime subscription. Thankfully, Amazon Prime Video makes it easy to add your favorite movie channels right within the Prime Video app. Membership includes a seven-day free trial, so if you wait until the end of the season (or at least the first half), you can probably binge the whole thing for free.

6) YouTube TV

• Cost: $49.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial), Showtime is an extra $10.99 per month
• Devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, Sharp, Vizio, Hisense, Samsung TV, LG TV, iOS and Android devices

YouTube TV is an unsung service. It provides incredible streaming quality, great features like unlimited cloud DVR, and allows multiple people to stream on the same account at once. And, it’s charging just $10.99 per month for Showtime. That’s the cheapest option you’ll find in all of streaming.  

How to watch Shameless online, seasons 1-8

Netflix

• Netflix cost: $8.99-$15.99 per month (after a 1-month free trial)
• Netflix devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Google Chromecast, Playstation 3 and 4, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, LG TV, Samsung TV, Sony, Vizio, Sharp, Sanyo, Philips, Panasonic, Hisense, and iOS and Android devices

If you need to catch up Shameless, the cheapest and easiest way to do it is on Netflix, which has the first nine seasons of the show streaming. Along with Shameless, viewers get a subscription to Netflix and a host of other popular Showtime shows, including the legendary Dexter, not to mention the service’s unmatched collection of Netflix originals. 

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