Demand and interest in anime has grown over 100% in the past few years, so it's no surprise that more and more streaming services are adding anime to their platforms, or even going as far to make anime originals of their own. As someone who's watched anime since I was a kid, it's been interesting, but also exciting, to see anime grow to such popularity and heights over the years.
With the acquisition of Funimation, Crunchyroll is the biggest and most recognizable streaming service that's dedicated to anime, but there are more anime streaming services that you'll want to check out as well. Before I get into the list, though, I want to talk about how I went about choosing the best anime streaming services and some tips for streaming anime!
How I determined the best anime streaming services
As an anime fan that has been watching anime since I was a kid in the 90's, I've watched a ton of anime over the years. I currently use, or have used, many of the streaming services on this list. Many I have been using for quite some time, so I've seen them evolve over time and how they've improved or not improved as well. All anime streaming services mentioned on this list are legal platforms.
If I didn't already have a subscription to any of these platforms, I went ahead and purchased one for a month so that I could use their platform, check for updates, new features, user-ability or streaming issues, etc. That being said, I personally watched anime on all of these streaming platforms to find out the pros and cons to using each.
In addition to my personal experiences, I also took into account the size of their anime libraries as well as the diversity of their catalogs. I took a look at whether or not they have a good variety of anime from different genres, whether or not they have more mature titles, how many exclusives they have, how many new anime do they get on average each season, if they have simulcast anime titles, a good selection of dub as well as sub anime, and more.
Anime is a beautiful medium that is colorful, full of detail, and there's a number of different art styles that animators have to recreate when adapting these series, so video quality is something I also took into account. Many times, they are also a cinematic experience, with incredible sound and music to experience, so I took audio quality into account too.
Of course, cost comes into play as well, so this will be taken into consideration. How good of a deal are each given their user experience and libraries? Value is definitely something that matters, but if you are someone who prefers the best experience over cost, other options may be what you are looking for.
So to recap, personal experience, user experience, video quality, cost, size and variety of their libraries, are the metrics I used to determine which of the anime streaming sites are the best. With this all taken into consideration, I found the following to be the best anime streaming services of 2022! I will update this post each year with new updates and new anime streaming services if they surface.
Tips for anime streaming
Since audio and visuals are such a huge part of the viewing experience when it comes to anime, it helps to have a good TV setup. It's definitely not a necessity if you are on a budget, but if you are someone who likes to have a more immersive experience, you may want to look into getting a good TV and sound system setup if you don't already have one. If you are limited for space for a full-on sound system or like a more minimalist setup, a soundbar is a great option.
I personally have a 55" Samsung 4K TV and the Sonos Arc soundbar, and even though they are minimal, they provide an incredible viewing experience. There are a lot of affordable options out there in terms of 4K TVs and soundbars go, so you don't have to splurge a whole lot to get a good setup. The same goes if you are watching anime on your laptop or desktop.
Another thing to keep in mind is that select anime apps are only available for download on certain devices. Most commonly, though, they are available on Xbox, PS4+, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android, Roku and Apple TV.
If you are wanting to watch anime on the go, you may want to use your phone or look into getting a Nintendo Switch. If you are looking to stream anime from home, though, you may want to look into getting an Xbox, PS4+, Roku or Apple TV. I will be sure to list what devices each app is available for download on below, so you can see if your device(s) is compatible.
Now, let's get into the best anime streaming services!
Where to stream anime
Hulu - Best if you stream TV shows, movies, and anime
Hulu may not be a strictly anime only streaming service, like Crunchyroll, but it has a lot of anime to browse in addition to other TV shows and movies.
If you are looking to stream normal TV shows and movies in addition to anime, Hulu is a good way to go, but if you are looking to stream anime exclusively, other platforms that are dedicated to anime, like Crunchyroll, are a better option, especially when you compare the cost of their monthly plans and anime libraries. Still, Hulu is one of the best anime streaming services, because they have a good library of anime to browse and they have some simulcast titles to watch as well.
Here's everything you need to know about watching anime on Hulu as well as the pros and cons to using their service!
Pros
- Has anime as well as other movies and TV shows, which some may enjoy
- Have some simulcast titles
- Simulcast shows go up the day after they release
- Offers a 30-day free trial for new users, which is longer than competitors
- Can cancel anytime
- Good user experience
- Has both subs and dubs of most series on their platform
Cons
- Anime leave their platform a lot in comparison to others
- No anime exclusives
- Serve few languages
- Plans are more expensive than others
Library size and selection
Hulu has over 300 anime titles on their platform to watch, which is more than Netflix has right now, but this number is always fluctuating. Much like Netflix, anime are leaving and coming to Hulu's platform all of the time, so this number is extremely variable.
That being said, at any given time, they have more anime on their platform to stream even in comparison to some streaming services that are dedicated to anime, like HIDIVE.
User experience
My experience with watching anime on Hulu over the years has been a positive one. The app has seen a lot of updates, so they do change things up more than most. I appreciate this, though, because it means that they are constantly working to improve their user experience.
The app is rather easy to use. They have an anime section in their browse tab that's easily accessible. You can browse from A-Z, their simulcasts, or popular anime titles. They don't have as much breakdown in terms of genres as others like Crunchyroll do, but they have a dedicated page for anime.
The video player on the app has all of the functionality I would look for or need. You can toggle subtitles on or off directly in the video player too, which is nice.
How much does Hulu cost?
Hulu has three different plans, Hulu with ads, Hulu with no ads, and Hulu with Live TV. They all give you the same access to Hulu's library, but their Live TV plans gives you access to 75+ channels, Unlimited DVR, Disney+, and live sports with ESPN+, in addition to the anime and more that's currently available on their platform.
There are two main plans, though, the Hulu with ads plan, which is $6.99 a month, and the Hulu with no ads plan, which is $12.99 a month. With most anime episodes being 20-25 minutes long, I did find their ad plan to be intrusive overtime, especially given that there were so many long breaks in-between such quick episodes. But, their ad plan is the most cost-effective of the three. The Hulu + Live TV is the most expensive of the three at $69.99 a month.
If you are just using Hulu to watch anime, the first or second plans are definitely the best. For viewing experience, though, the Hulu with no ads plan is my favorite, because you don't have any ads interrupting the episodes.
Hulu offers
Hulu offers a 30-day free trial for first time users. They have the longest free trial period out of any of the streaming platforms featured on this list.
Languages served
Right now, the anime on Hulu is only available to watch in English and Japanese. This is much less than other competitors, like Crunchyroll or Netflix.
What devices is Hulu on?
According to Hulu's site, the app is downloadable on Android and iOS devices, Android TV, Apple TV (4th generation or later), Chromecast, Echo Show, Fire Tablets, Fire TV and TV Stick, LG TVs (select models), Nintendo Switch, Mac and PC, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TVs, Vizio SmartCast TVs, Xbox, and the Xfinity Flex Streaming TV Box.
Don't know what anime to stream on Hulu? Check out the best anime on Hulu right now.
HIDIVE - Best for uncensored anime content
HIDIVE is an anime streaming service dedicated to bringing you uncensored anime content. Here's everything you need to know about watching anime on HIDIVE as well as the pros and cons to using their service!
Pros
- Have over 370 anime to browse
- Uncensored content available
- Cheap plan
- Unique DUBCAST feature
Cons
- Less anime exclusives
- Less simulcasts than other platforms
- User experience needs a lot of improvement
- App and site are riddled with bugs
- No offline viewing
Library size and selection
HIDIVE actually have a decently sized library of over 370 anime to browse from a variety of different genres, including action, comedy, drama, horror, romance, sci-fi, sports, supernatural, and more.
To give you an idea as to how much anime they receive each new anime season, I checked out their simulcast titles from the Spring 2022 anime season. A total of eleven new anime released on their platform in the Spring 2022 season, including Ya Boy Kongming!, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, The Demon Girl Next Door Season 2, and more. Thirteen new anime titles are coming to HIDIVE in the Summer 2022 season, including Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? IV, and Call of the Night.
As far as exclusives go, they are one of the weaker platforms on this list. Most of the anime they have exclusively on their site are OVA's, movies, and specials. Although, they did recently add one big Summer 2022 title, Call of the Night, which is only streaming on their platform. I have a feeling this will improve in the future as they gain more users and viewership, but as of now, they are having to fight against larger streaming services like Crunchyroll and Netflix for exclusivity.
User Experience
HIDIVE's video player has limited capabilities in comparison to it's competitors. The user experience on their app as well as their site needs a lot of improvement and their video player needs more functions, like a skip forward button.
In addition to being bug-ridden, the app crashes on occasion, which is something I have yet to experience with any of the other apps or sites on this list. There have also been times when I closed out of an episode and the app didn't save my place. HIDIVE has the most bugs of any of the apps on this list and they, unfortunately, also have one of the worst user experiences on this list.
Unique features
HIDIVE have a feature called DUBCAST, which gives you early access to dubbed versions of select anime on their platform. They added this new feature to complement their already existing subtitled simulcast titles. According to HIDIVE's site, "DUBCAST enabled shows will offer subscribers local-language dubbed versions within two weeks following the first simulcast".
The DUBCAST dubs are directly produced by HIDIVE, so they are different than the ones you would watch on other platforms. They are hit and miss in terms of the dubbing, but if you are someone who likes to watch dubbed anime and want access to select anime titles as soon as possible, this is a feature you may enjoy.
How much does HIDIVE cost?
HIDIVE only offers one plan, which you can pay for monthly at $4.99, or you pay for a year in advance and save 20% off the standard monthly subscription price. Their subscription gives you access to their DUBCAST feature, which gives you early access to dubbed versions of select anime, simulcasts, anime that are exclusive to their platform, and more. With a subscription, you can stream their anime on two devices at a time.
HIDIVE offers
If you have yet to sign-up for a HIDIVE account, you can get a 14-day free trial, which allows you to stream anime on their platform free for 14 days. Crunchyroll and HIDIVE have the same trial period length, but Hulu has a longer 30-day free trial.
Languages served
Most of HIDIVE's anime are available to watch in Japanese, English, Spanish (Latin American), and Portuguese.
What devices is HIDIVE on?
The HIDIVE app is downloadable on Android and iOS devices, Chromecast, Xbox One, Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire Tablet, and Roku.
RetroCrush - Best for streaming classic anime
RetroCrush is an anime streaming service for classic anime fans that has both free and premium viewing options. Here's everything you need to know about watching anime on RetroCrush as well as the pros and cons to using their service!
Pros
- Has a library of over 160 classic anime
- Free to use unless you want to purchase their ad-free premium plan
- The series on their platform are uncut and unfiltered
- Offers a 14-day free trial for new users
Cons
- No new anime titles, which some may not like
- Library is smaller than others
- Doesn't offer as many features
- Service is only available in US and Canada
- Video quality caps out at 720p
- Site and app has bugs
Library size and selection
RetroCrush has the most extensive library of classic anime I've seen with over 160 classic anime, like Astro Boy, City Hunter, GTO and Flame of Recca, on their platform, but there aren't any new anime titles on their site.
That being said, if you are a fan of retro series, RetroCrush is an incredible site to watch on, but if you are wanting to browse both new and old titles or are wanting to watch anime as they release in Japan, you'll want to look into one of the other streaming sties on this list.
Video quality
Since RetroCrush streams classic anime, their video quality caps out in some cases at 720p, but in most cases, it caps out at 480p. In comparison to the remasters you can find on other streaming services, like Akira, which you can stream now on Hulu up to 1080p, the video quality is not nearly as great as what you can experience on other sites.
Now, I will say that RetroCrush have a lot of series that you can't stream elsewhere and the video quality, for some, may add to the nostalgic nature and retro appeal of their platform.
If you are a stickler for video quality, though, and prefer to watch upscaled versions of these older series when they become available, you may not enjoy watching anime on their platform. As mentioned prior, though, they are the sole platform where you can stream many of these classic anime, and given the time period of which these series were made in, I can overlook the video quality more so than I can on other anime streaming sites.
Another important thing to note is that video quality is dependent on the device you are watching these series on as well as your internet speed. Internet speed can determine how quickly series buffer and what not, so this is something to consider as well.
How much does RetroCrush cost?
RetroCrush's anime are free to stream with ads, but if you want an ad-free experience, you'll have to purchase their premium plan. In addition to ad-free streaming, you get access to exclusive movies and series that are age-gated with their premium plan. You can pay monthly for the plan at $4.99, which would cost you $59.88 per year, or you can purchase an entire year of streaming for a discounted price of $49.99.
RetroCrush offers
Like Crunchyroll and HIDIVE, RetroCrush offers a 14-day free trial for new users. When you go to their homepage, there's also a pop up that shows up. If you sign-up for their newsletter via that pop up, they'll give you 20% off.
Languages served
Right now, RetroCrush's anime is only available to watch in English and Japanese. Some titles are only subbed, while others have sub and dubs available.
What devices is RetroCrush available on?
RetroCrush is downloadable on the Microsoft Store, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Plex, Chromecast, and Vizio.
Netflix - Best anime originals and streaming experience
Much like Hulu, Netflix is especially great if you are someone who likes watching anime as well as TV shows and movies. What gives Netflix an edge over Hulu, though, is their anime originals, which are the best in the market, even when compared to those found on Crunchyroll, the only other streaming platform that releases anime originals.
Here's everything you need to know about watching anime on Netflix as well as the pros and cons to using their service!
Pros
- Best anime originals
- Few streaming and buffering issues
- Least outages
- Nice selection of anime as well as other media
- Great functionality and features, like "Skip intro" feature
- Best recommendations feature
- Release select anime series or seasons in full on release day
- HD and Ultra HD viewing for select plans
- Some anime films have 5.1 surround sound
- Has both subs and dubs of most series on their platform
- Serve more languages than most
- App is downloadable on a lot of devices
Cons
- Search doesn't return expected results or all results in category
- Need special Netflix codes to browse select genres of anime on app
- No free trial period
- They are constantly increasing their monthly rates
- Most expensive plans
- Not all plans have HD viewing
- Anime leave their platform a lot
Library size and selection
Netflix has over 260 anime series and movies available to watch on their platform. Like Hulu, though, this number varies, because anime are leaving as well as coming to their platform all of the time. They have a lot of popular anime series, like One Piece, Death Note, and Hunter x Hunter, as well as originals to browse on their site and app.
While Netflix's originals are hit and miss a lot of the time, they still have the best library of anime originals. Even though Crunchyroll has originals, like TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You, Tower of God, So I'm a Spider, So What? and The God of High School, Netflix have more anime originals.
Even more so than that, though, they have more anime originals that are successful and good, like Dorohedoro, Great Pretender, Komi Can’t Communicate, Beastars, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Hi Score Girl, Violet Evergarden, Teasing Master Takagi-san, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Aggretsuko, Blue Period, Kotaro Lives Alone, and Devilman Crybaby to name a few. That all being said, they have the best anime originals you can watch.
User experience
Out of all the streaming platforms I've used on this list, Netflix has the best streaming experience. Not only do they have the best up time, but I've had the least streaming hiccups with Netflix in general. Over the many years I've owned Netflix, I've had few issues with buffering and the episodes load and play smoothly. The quality of the videos has always been great too.
The one thing that's a downside to Netflix's user experience is that it can be difficult to find and browse all of the anime on their platform. You have to use secret codes to find exactly what you are looking for a lot of the time, which is somewhat of a headache. In my opinion, they have the worst search, especially when you are trying to find anime to watch. Looking for those secret codes? Here are all of the Netflix anime codes you can search.
The one thing they do well, though, is offer you recommendations based on your previous likes and watch history. Usually, I ignore recommendations because they tend to be off, but there have been many times when Netflix has recommended me anime series that I actually wanted to watch.
One of the best things about Netflix's app, though, is that you can skip intros. This is a capability that other streaming services on this list do not have. I personally watch the intro on the first episode, or first few episodes I watch, but after that point, I like to skip it. If you like to do the same, Netflix is the only one on this list that has a "Skip intro" function.
Video quality
The video quality on Netflix depends on the type of plan you get. The video quality on Netflix is amongst the best when you get their standard or premium plans, which have HD streaming. They have little issues with buffering and load time in comparison to other sites.
Netflix stream their anime in HD (Standard and Premium plans) or Ultra HD (Premium plan only). Not many aside from titles like Sol Levante, which is the first-ever hand-drawn anime to be made in 4K HDR, are available to stream in higher quality, though.
How much does Netflix cost?
Netflix have three plans right now, Basic, Standard, and Premium. The Basic plan is $9.99 a month and it allows you to watch on one screen at a time. You get unlimited movies, TV shows, and mobile games with this plan. The Standard plan is $15.49 a month and it has everything the first to does, but it opens you up to HD streaming. And finally, the third plan is $19.99 a month and it opens you up to Ultra HD streaming.
Netflix's plans are the most expensive on this list. Another thing to note is that they are constantly upping their monthly fees.
Netflix offers
Netflix is not currently running any offers and they don't have a free trial period. This is definitely a negative, because of all of the other sites on this list offer a free trial period for first time users.
Languages served
It varies by anime, which languages are served. For instance, Demon Slayer is available to watch dubbed in English, French, Japanese, Spanish, and German or with subtitles in Arabic, German, Spanish, English, and French, whereas some, like Hunter x Hunter, are only available to watch in English or Japanese.
Their anime originals, though, are usually always available to watch in English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Crunchyroll is more consistent in releasing their titles in a number of different languages, but you can watch most of the anime on Netflix in a number of different languages as well.
What devices is Netflix on?
The Netflix app is downloadable on Android devices, iOS devices, Windows Phone, Apple TV, Chromecast, Portal, Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield, Roku, Hisense TVs, LG TVs, Panasonic TVs, Philips TVs, Roku TVs, Samsung TVs, Sanyo TVs, Sharp TVs, Sony TVs, Vizio TVs, PS Vita, PS3+, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, as well as a number of set-top boxes and blu-ray players that are listed on Netflix's site.
Don't know what anime to stream on Netflix? Check out the best anime on Netflix right now!
Crunchyroll - Best anime library and most simulcast titles
Crunchyroll is the indisputable giant of the anime streaming platforms, especially now that they've acquired Funimation and its library. Because of its extensive library of over 1,000 anime series and the variety of anime genres you can watch on their platform, Crunchyroll is the best anime subscription service.
Here's everything you need to know about watching anime on Crunchyroll as well as the pros and cons to using their service!
Pros
- Has the largest library of anime
- Most diverse selection of genres to browse
- Most simulcasts
- Simulcast episodes go up one hour after they air on Japan
- All premium plans offer an ad-free experience
- Have a 14-day free trial for new users
- Serve more countries and languages
- Can cancel anytime
- Their plan gives you access to some manga titles in addition to anime
- Select plans have offline viewing
- Good value for the price
Cons
- Prone to outages during high-streaming days, like the premieres of Attack on Titan
- Buffering issues
- App needs some improvement (App logs you out after each use on Xbox in particular, sign-in via code functionality doesn't work on app)
Library size
Crunchyroll have over 1,000 anime series and movies on their platform, and this number is constantly growing with the arrival of each new anime season. They have the largest anime library by far. To give you an idea as to just how large their anime library is, the second largest, HIDIVE, has just over 370.
As far as simulcast titles go, Crunchyroll added 43 new anime to their platform in the Spring 2022 anime season, including Spy x Family, Kaguya-sama Season 3, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2, Love After World Domination, and more. So far, they've announced 31 new anime titles for Summer 2022 and more are to be announced. They get the most new simulcast anime titles by far and they release each new episode one hour after they air on Japan.
So, in addition, to having the largest anime library out there, they also get the most new simulcast titles as well. Because of this, they are the best place to keep up with new anime releases as well as the best place to watch older or previously released anime series.
As far as their variety goes, Crunchyroll have one of the most diverse anime catalogs. They break genres down more than other anime platforms, so you can find what you are looking for easier.
Most anime streaming platforms have them broken down by action, comedy, romance, etc., but Crunchyroll break them out even further into demographics like shonen anime, seinen anime, and shojo anime as well as more specific genres and themes, like mecha anime, magical girl anime, harem anime, and slice of life anime. There's a little bit of something for everyone on Crunchyroll, especially since they have the widest variety of anime genres and anime titles to browse.
User Experience
Crunchyroll's user experience could use some improvement, but it still isn't as bad as a few others like HIDIVE. The homepage is relatively simple and uncluttered. You are greeted by popular anime, simulcasts, and new releases when you open up the app. The menu allows you to access your queue, where all of the anime you've started watching as well as those you have saved to your watchlist reside, history, browse, and settings.
The place they chose to put the different sub and dub options is rather odd, though. They can be found in the series' pages. It would provide a much better user experience if users could either set their preferred language or if they placed them in the video player underneath the toolbar, like Netflix does. Another thing is that they list the latest season of an anime at the very end, so you have to scroll through all the previous seasons (both sub and dub) to get to the latest. This is something that can be somewhat of a frustration with long-running anime series, like One Piece.
They have one of the best browse sections I've seen on an anime streaming site. They break things down by select genres and themes, including action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, harem, historical, idols, isekai, magical girls, mecha, music, mystery, post-apocalyptic, romance, sci-fi, seinen, shojo, shonen, slice of life, sports, supernatural, and thriller. They have more genres listed than most, which makes it easier to find what you are looking for.
The one thing I will say about their app is that there is no good way to browse new anime that comes out each season. The only way to keep up with this is via their popular anime section on the browse page, the new episodes list on the homepage, or the anime schedule that's listed on their website. It would be awesome to see a "What's New This Season" section somewhere on the homepage or in browse, so everyone can see what's new on their platform in one area.
In the video player, you can skip ahead or go back in an episode, you can pause or play, and you can skip forward or back an episode. They mark episodes as watched too once you complete them, which is nice. All pretty standard options for a video player, but theirs has better functionality than most.
Load time and buffering is something that is an issue on Crunchyroll as well. I've been using the app for many years and Crunchyroll, aside from HIDIVE, had the most downtime as well as the most issues with buffering.
On one particular day, when all other apps were working fine, it took Crunchyroll two minutes to load an episode and it wasn't until past the three minute mark that it reached full video quality. Even though they have their issues, though, Crunchyroll have become somewhat of a necessity for anime fans, especially now that they acquired their biggest competition, Funimation.
Video Quality
Crunchyroll is one of the best when it comes to video quality. Their episodes stream up to 1080p. When there aren't load time or buffering issues, Crunchyroll's videos are some of the most crisp and sharp I've watched.
How much does Crunchyroll cost?
At the time of this post, there are three Crunchyroll plans, Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan, and each level features new perks. The Fan tier of their plans, which is the cheapest and most basic of their plans, has no ads, unlimited access to their library, access to episodes that go up one hour after they release in Japan (simulcast anime titles), and full access to their manga library. This plan will only run you $7.99 a month, so it is the most cost effective of the bunch. The catch with this plan? You can only stream on one device at a time and you don't have access to offline viewing.
The second tier of Crunchyroll's plans, Mega Fan, which is $9.99 a month, has all of the same perks as the first and more. Where the first only lets you stream on one device at a time, this tier allows you to stream on four devices at a time.
You also get access to offline viewing, which allows you to sync episodes to your device and watch them without internet connection. This is especially great if you are traveling and it works especially well if you have a Nintendo Switch. On top of all that, you get first access to special Crunchyroll expo events and lotteries as well as a $15 off $100 coupon to use on the Crunchyroll store every 3 months.
And finally, the third tier, Ultimate Fan, which is $14.99 a month, includes everything the previous two do, but it has even more perks. Where the second tier, allows you to stream on 4 devices at a time, the Ultimate Fan Crunchyroll plan allows you to stream on six devices at a time. The Crunchyroll store coupon, which you get every three months, also increases from $15 off $100 to $25 of a $100 purchase. This tier is the only tier that includes an annual swag bag and access to an exclusive limited-run Hime Nendoroid figure.
If you are someone who doesn't shop the Crunchyroll store or care about limited extras, like swag bags or early access to events, the first plan is a great choice unless you are multi-person household that will be streaming their platform on more than one device. In that case, the second tier and above is more suited to you. If you are someone who wants the capability to stream anime offline, you will also want to look into getting the Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan plans.
Update as of July 18, 2022: Crunchyroll has announced they are reducing prices in almost 100 countries & territories.
Crunchyroll offers
If you have yet to sign-up for a Crunchyroll account, you can get a 14-day free trial. After the 14 days, your account will switch to a normal monthly billing cycle. It's great that they offer a free trial if you are wanting to give their platform a shot before committing to their cancel at anytime plan.
Languages served
Most of Crunchyroll's anime are available to watch in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Arabic, Italian, and Russian. Crunchyroll dub anime in more languages than most, which is a positive to using their site or app.
What devices is Crunchyroll available on?
In addition to streaming anime online via your desktop or laptop, you can download the Crunchyroll app on the following devices: Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices. You can also stream the anime on Crunchyroll via Roku and Apple TV.
Final Verdict: What is the best anime streaming service?
It definitely depends on what you are looking for. If you want the most extensive anime library, Crunchyroll has over 1,000 titles, which is a lot more than its competitors. If you want an anime streaming platform that gets the most simulcast titles, Crunchyroll is the best. Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu all have good audio and video quality, but Netflix has the best user experience. Best bang for your buck? I'm going to say Crunchyroll here. While they aren't the cheapest, they are affordably priced and they have the most anime to watch on their platform.
If you want to stream anime legally for free and don't want to pay for a premium plan, Tubi and RetroCrush are good options. Like classic anime? RetroCrush has a nice library of classic anime. Looking for uncensored anime content? HIDIVE is a good option.
Best overall, though? This award goes to Crunchyroll. They are the best anime streaming service, because they get the most new anime titles, they stream new episodes an hour after the release in Japan, and they have the most anime to stream on their platform. They also have great features, like offline viewing and access to their manga catalog, that others don't have as well.
As anime continues to grow even further in popularity, I'm sure more anime streaming sites will pop up over the years. I will continue to update this post with new services or updates and changes.
In other anime news, check out all of the new anime that is releasing in 2022!
