Japanese cartoons have improved a lot since their start in the 1960s. They became super popular worldwide in the 1980s and grew even more. Nowadays, more than half of all cartoons made worldwide are from Japan. They’re one of the most famous and easily recognizable types of Japanese entertainment around the globe.
Outside of well-known streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, we’ve compiled a list of services that cater to your passion for anime.
Some of these sites are restricted in various regions, and a few contain ads that might be malicious. Therefore, we recommend using a top-notch VPN like ExtremeVPN and an antivirus to protect yourself while streaming.
1. Crunchyroll
You’ll see this at the top of the list! Crunchyroll is a popular anime streaming service. It has one of the largest collections of online manga and East Asian dramas. It focuses almost entirely on subtitled content rather than dubbed content.
Right now, Crunchyroll has over 30,000 episodes from over 1,000 anime series. They often make new episodes available just an hour after they air in Japan. Crunchyroll offers over 200 East Asian dramas, about 50 manga titles, and many mobile games featuring anime themes.
In addition to these, they also offer anime. Additionally, Crunchyroll has a sizable collection of unique content made just for the website.
Pricing
- Free of charge with advertisements
- Fan: $7.99 per month.
- Mega-Fan: $9.99 per month.
- Mega-Fan: $79.99 per year.
You can access Crunchyroll from anywhere in the world, but the shows and movies available might vary depending on where you are. HBO Max subscribers can also enjoy a carefully chosen collection of Crunchyroll material.
Manga is available everywhere except in France, China, Japan, Italy, and Germany.
Dedicated Apps
Android, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and Amazon Fire TV dedicated apps.
2. Funimation
Funimation has around 800 anime movies and TV shows, which adds up to 15,000 hours of anime to watch. Crunchyroll streams movies at the same time as they premiere in Japan. After their Japanese release, these movies are quickly available internationally.
Some shows have also been released as “SimulDubs,” which means the dubbed version is available in the same week as the Japanese release. Funimation prioritizes dubbed content more than subtitled content.
Funimation is a partnership between Sony and a Japanese company called Aniplex. In August 2021, Funimation purchased Crunchyroll, the service above. Next on this list is Wakanim, another Funimation subsidiary.
Pricing
- Free of charge with advertisements
- $5.99 for “Premium”
- $7.99 for “Premium Plus” per month
- “Premium Plus Ultra” costs $99.99 annually.
Accessible
Funimation releases its content worldwide through various branches. Its content is under Funimation in Canada, the United States, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand. The company also distributes the content in many parts of Europe and Asia, like Wakanim.
Dedicated Apps
Apps designed for Samsung, Roku, LG, Android, Apple TV, Xbox, iOS, Chromecast, PlayStation, and Amazon Kindle.
3. Wakanim
Wakanim, a member of the Funimation family, specializes in locally adapted media for use in Europe. Its content has been dubbed into German, Russian, French, and English. Wakanim has a collection of slightly under 400 films and television shows.
Pricing
- Free of charge with advertisements
- 0€ per month
- 99€ for three months
- 99€ annually
Accessible
- In French: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Canada (Quebec).
- In English: Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland.
- In German: Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
- In Russian: Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Georgia, Saint-Marin, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, and a few other countries are listed.
Dedicated Apps
Apps developed specifically for iOS, Windows, Xbox, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and PlayStation.
4. HIDIVE
HIDIVE has successfully carved out a space in the anime streaming industry since its debut in 2017. However, its library may not be as widely available as other items. The content included has been carefully chosen.
Another entertaining feature is the ability to switch between censored and uncensored versions of the content you’re streaming using HIDIVE.
Accessible
Multiple places in the Americas, South Africa, Scandinavia, Ireland, the UK, and Oceania.
Pricing
- $4.99 per month
- $47.99 per annual
Dedicated Apps
Specialized apps for Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Xbox, Amazon Fire Tablet, and Amazon Fire TV.
5. RetroCrush
RetroCrush focuses on classic anime from the genre’s ” golden age, ” including TV shows and films from the 90s and even older. Its content spans several genres and is available in dubbed and subtitled versions.
Pricing
- Free of charge with advertisements
- $4.99 per month
- $49.99 per year
Accessible
Exclusive to the United States and Canada.
Dedicated Apps
Particular apps for Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast.
6. Tubi
Tubi has a decent variety of East Asian films and series. Even though anime isn’t their main focus, they include dubbed and subtitled anime. Additionally, Tubi has a good collection of K-Dramas available.
Pricing
- Free of charge with advertisements
Accessible
Availability varies by region but is available in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Australia.
