"Friends" celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, so if you're looking for a nostalgic night in, pull up a La-Z-Boy as we explain how to watch "Friends" online from anywhere with a VPN — and potentially for FREE.
All 236 episodes of "Friends" are streaming now.
• FREE TO WATCH — TVNZ+ (New Zealand)
• U.S. — Max
• U.K. — Netflix
• Australia — Binge
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
NBC's hit sitcom ran for ten seasons with six core cast members: Monica Geller (Courtney Cox), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).
"Friends" won six Emmy awards and when the series finale aired on May 6, 2004, it was watched by a staggering 52.5 million Americans. The show is currently rated 8.9 on IMDb and treated fans to a reunion (of sorts) in 2021.
Whether you want to binge old episodes of "Friends", shed a tear over the late Matthew Perry, or just didn't get a chance to watch "Friends" in the Nineties, here's all the ways to stream "Friends" online for free.
Watch 'Friends' for FREE
How to watch 'Friends' online for FREE
The best FREE "Friends" streams are to be found in New Zealand, where TVNZ+ website and app let you watch seasons 1-10 for nada.
Just need to log in to your free account and binge away.
Abroad? Use a VPN to unblock TVNZ+ when traveling outside of New Zealand. Details below.
Watch 'Friends' online from anywhere
How to watch 'Friends' online from anywhere with a VPN
Currently in a country where TVNZ+ isn’t available? With the right VPN (Virtual private network), you can change your location and access geo-blocked streaming services... just as you would back home.
We've tested best VPNs and ExpressVPN is our choice. It's fast, secure and unblocks a ton of streaming services. Better yet, you can save a 49% off a 12-month plan.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're from the U.S. but visiting New Zealand, you'd set your location to 'New Zealand'.
3. Hey presto! Surf over to TVNZ+ and watch all episodes of "Friends" for free.
Where to watch 'Friends' online in the U.S.
Where to watch 'Friends' online in the U.S.
U.S. fans can watch "Friends" seasons 1-10 are on the Max streaming service.
Traveling overseas but want to watch "Friends" online for free? Try one of the best VPNs to access your usual streaming service, as if you were back at home.
Watch 'Friends' online around the world
How to watch 'Friends' online in Canada
Canadians can binge all seasons of "Friends" on Crave. Prices start from $9.99 per month up to $22, depending on the tier you opt for. There's also a limited number of episodes available for FREE on the CTV streaming service.
Not in Canada at the moment? Signing up to ExpressVPN will help you access your preferred streaming service when you're overseas.
How to watch 'Friends' online in the U.K.
Brits can stream "Friends" through Netflix. Plans start from £4.99 per month for the ad-supported tier.
Don't forget: Anybody visiting the U.K. from New Zealand can watch free "Friends" streams with a VPN. Full details above.
Watch and stream 'Friends' online in Australia
Aussies have two ways to watch "Friends" online: Binge (from $10/month) or Netflix (from .
You can also catch a handful of ever changing episodes for FREE on 10Play Down Under.
Remember: If you're visiting Australia from your home in New Zealand, you can stream all ten seasons of "Friends" FREE on TVNZ+ (just use ExpressVPN to change your IP address to N.Z. – simple!)
How to watch 'Friends' online in Europe
"Friends" streams on Netflix in most European countries. Prices vary, but plans start from €4.99 per month in Germany, €5.49 in Italy and €5.99 in France.
No matter where you are in the world, you can always use a VPN to catch up with "Friends" S1-10 via your usual streaming service.
All you need to know about 'Friends'
Who was in the main cast of 'Friends'?
The core six cast members of "Friends" were:
- Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green
- Courtney Cox as Monica Geller
- Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay
- Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani
- Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing
- David Schwimmer as Ross Geller
What happened to Matthew Perry?
"Friends" actor Matthew Perry struggled with alcohol and drug abuse for decades. Tragically, he died from the "acute effects of ketamine" on October 23, 2023.
Who was in the recurring cast of 'Friends'?
"Friends" had a number of cast members that appeared regularly but weren't part of the main group. These included:
- James Michael Tyler as Gunther
- Elliot Gould as Jack Geller
- Christina Pickles as Judy Geller
- Maggie Wheeler as Janice
- Paul Rudd as Mike Hannigan
- Jane Sibbett as Carol
- Jessica Hecht as Susan
- June Gable as Estelle
- Giovanni Ribisi as Frank Buffay Jr.
- Helen Baxendale as Emily
- Tom Selleck as Dr. Richard Burke
- Cole Sprouse as Ben Geller
- Jon Faverau as Pete Becker
Which notable guest stars appeared in 'Friends'?
"Friends" had it's fair share of big name celebrity appearances over the years, including:
- Bruce Willis
- Ben Stiller
- Winona Ryder
- Billy Crystal
- Susan Sarandon
- Charlie Sheen
- Danny DeVito
- Reese Witherspoon
- Anna Faris
- Brooke Shields
- Gary Oldman
- Kathleen Turner
- Helen Hunt
- Alec Baldwin
- Christina Applegate
- George Clooney
- Noah Wyle
- Hugh Laurie
- Brad Pitt
- Jeff Goldblum
- Freddie Prinze Jr.
What is 'Friends' about?
The official Warner Brothers synopsis reads: "This is a show about love and sex and careers and a time in life when everything is possible ... about the search for commitment and security ... and the fear of commitment and security. Most of all, it's about friendship--for when you're young and single in the city, your friends are your family."
How many episodes of 'Friends' are there?
"Friends" had a total of 234 episodes across 10 seasons. Depending on your streaming service, some two-parters my be listed as one bumper episode.
- Season 1 (1994-1995): 24 episodes
- Season 2 (1995-1996): 24 episodes
- Season 3 (1996-1997): 25 episodes
- Season 4 (1997-1998): 24 episodes
- Season 5 (1998-1999): 24 episodes
- Season 6 (1999-2000): 25 episodes
- Season 7 (2000-2001): 24 episodes
- Season 8 (2001-2002): 24 episodes
- Season 9 (2002-2003): 24 episodes
- Season 10 (2003-2004): 17 episodes
Are there any 'Friends' spin-offs?
After the main show's conclusion, spin-off "Joey" followed the titular character as he moved to L.A. to peruse his dreams of being an actor. Alongside Matt LeBlanc, the show starred Drea de Matteo and Paulo Costanzo as Joey's sister Gina and nephew Michael while Andrea Anders played neighbor and love interest Alex.
Despite having ambitions to follow in the footsteps of U.S. sitcom spin-off successes such as "Frasier", the show failed to find an audience and was axed after just two seasons.
The "Friends" spin-off is not currently streaming anywhere that we're aware of.
Is there a 'Friends' reunion?
"Friends: The Reunion" aired in 2021 as an unscripted TV special, hosted by James Corden, in which the cast members looked back at their time on the show, recreated classic scenes and met a range of celebrity guests.
The one-off episode is available to stream on Max in the U.S., Now in the U.K. and Binge in Australia. It's currently unavailable in Canada and New Zealand.
