SerienStream review

SerienStream (serienstream.to, formerly also s.to) is the best-known German-language site for watching TV series for free. It lists almost every series with German dubbing, many also in the original language with German subtitles, and new episodes appear shortly after they air. In March 2021 it became the first site blocked by the CUII, the blocking system of the big German internet providers.

What can you watch on SerienStream?

SerienStream is organised by series, season and episode. For each episode it lists several streaming hosts – such as VOE and Streamtape – with the language of each link (German dub, original with German subtitles or original audio). The site does not host videos itself: it links to these hosts, so if one link is removed you can try another. A free account is optional and only adds features such as a watchlist and marking episodes as seen.

Is SerienStream safe?

The site does not ask you to install anything, but the ads are aggressive: pop-up tabs and redirects, especially when you click the player or a host link. A few rules:

• use an ad blocker and close any tab that opens on its own;
• never download an “app”, APK or “player update” – SerienStream has no official app, and APKs that use its name can contain spyware;
• do not enter personal or card details on pages that appear after a click.

In the EU, watching streams from clearly illegal sources can itself be an infringement since a 2017 ruling of the EU Court of Justice, even though warning letters for streaming are rare. This is not legal advice.

SerienStream blocked: official domains and fake copies

On 11 March 2021 the CUII started a DNS block of s.to and serienstream.to for customers of Telekom, Vodafone and 1&1, later joined by O2. The operators moved to new addresses, which were often blocked as well. Today serienstream.to works, together with serienstream.cx, while the short s.to address no longer responds. Many sites with similar names – typo domains and “new s.to” pages – are copies or parking pages. Our SerienStream status page checks the official domains automatically, and our guide to fake clone sites explains how to spot copies.

SerienStream alternatives

If SerienStream does not open or a host link is dead, apps such as Stremio and Cloudstream can play series from several sources, and free legal services such as the ARD and ZDF media libraries or Pluto TV have many series in German. All tested streaming sites are in our streaming category, and our SerienStream alternatives page ranks them by score.

Our SerienStream verdict

SerienStream is the most complete free source for TV series in German: a huge, well-organised catalog, several hosts per episode and fast new episodes. The downsides are aggressive pop-ups, blocks in Germany and many fake domains. Use an ad blocker, stick to the official serienstream.to address and never install an app that uses its name.