Magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of amorphous Sm-Fe and Sm-Fe-B thin films are systematically investigated over a wide composition range from 14.1 to 71.7 at.% Sm. The films were fabricated by rf magnetron sputtering using a composite target composed of an Fe (or Fe-B) plate and Sm chips. The amount of B added ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 at. %. The microstructure, examined by X-ray diffraction, mainly consists of an amorphous phase in the intermediate Sm content range from 20 to 45 at.%. Together with an amorphous phase, crystalline phases of Fe and Sm also exist at low and high ends of the Sm content, respectively. Well-developed in-plane anisotropy is formed over the whole compositionrange, except for the low Sm content below 15 at.% and the high Sm content above 55 at %. As the Sm content increases, the saturation magnetization decreases linearly and the coercive force tends to increase, with the exception of the low Sm content where very large magnitudes of the saturation magnetization and the coercive force are observed due to the existence of the crystalline $alpha$-Fe phase. The coercive force is affected rather substantially by the B addition, resulting in lower values of the coercive force in the practically important Sm content range of 30 to 40 at.%. Good magnetic softness indicated by well-developed in-plane anisotropy, a square-shaped hysteresis loop and a low magnitude of the coercive force results in good magnetostrictive characteristics in both Sm-Fe-B thin films. The magnetostrictive characteristics, particularly at low magnetic fields, are further improved by the addition of B; for example, at a magnetic field of 100 Oe, the magnitude of magnetostriction is -350 ppm in a Sm-Fe thin film and it is -470 ppm in a B containing Sm-Fe thin film.