6 Best Streaming Services for Both New and Classic Anime

Anime fans no longer need to search countless libraries to find the new episodes of their favorite series. They can enjoy instant access to the top anime shows today. From the classic series Neon Genesis Evangelion to the recent blockbuster My Hero Academia, these streaming services offer a vast selection of anime content for their fans. Furthermore, some streaming channels allow you to watch simulcast episodes as soon as they launch in Japan.

Although anime streaming services constitute a small portion of the streaming market, yet, they have a broad range of options. The finest anime streaming services begin with a comprehensive collection of movies and series. You can easily toggle between watching the content with either the dubbed audio, subtitles or with the original audio and no subtitles. It all comes down to your personal preference. Besides these, the best premium subscriptions provide other features, such as simulcast view and offline streaming.

Some people prefer streaming services with a niche dedicated only to anime. At the same time, others go for a diverse range of content. Taking these into consideration, we’ve compiled a list of the finest streaming services available in the market today.

Best Anime Streaming Platforms Out There

Best in general: Crunchyroll

Best collection: Hulu

Best original content: Netflix

Best exclusives: HiDive

Best anime free streaming service (tie): RetroCrush

Best anime free streaming service (tie): Tubi

Best in General: Crunchyroll

Key Specifications

1. Base Price: Ads free; $7.99/month
2. Free Trial Month: Yes (for ad-free plans)
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: Yes
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or Both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Holds the most extensive anime collection
• Allows access to the new simulcast collection from Japan
• Some of its premium plans come with Crunchyroll events and store benefits
• Offers a free ad-supported plan

Cons

• Not every show has the subtitle and dubbed versions
• Free plan has a limited library with ads

Why did we choose it

Crunchyroll is the internet’s largest anime streaming library, enriched with more than 1,000 titles from both current hits to oldies. The ad-free plan starts with a minimum of $7.99 per month.

Users subscribed to this plan have complete access to the platform’s inventory along with the English-language digital manga. Moreover, subscribers can enjoy new anime episodes just one hour after they’re released in Japan. Crunchyroll’s most advanced plan is for $14.99 a month, which offers additional benefits such as offline viewing and the ability to stream up to six devices simultaneously. In addition, this tier unlocks access to Crunchyroll’s store and discounts related events.

New subscribers get a 14-day free period to evaluate whether or not they switch to premium packages. However, if you opt to read free manga, the ad-supported content, you will have limited access to Crunchyroll’s inventory.

Best Collection: Hulu

Key Specifications

1. Base Price: $7.99/month
2. Free trial Month: Yes
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: Yes
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Diverse content available for both vintage and current anime
• Library includes non-anime content as well
• Offers a free 30-day trial
• Possibility for at least two concurrent streaming

Cons

• Basic plan contains ads
• Absence of differentiation between sub and dub content

Why did we choose it

From slice-of-life stories to sci-fi mecha shows, Hulu holds a diverse selection of classic and current anime content. It provides a dual benefit for casual anime viewers. Since they can now watch non-anime shows without paying for another service, moreover, users can stream two movies or show together either they using an ad-supported ($7.99/month) or an ad-free plan ($14.99/month).

Subscribers to live TV ($69.99/month) can get infinite screens by paying an extra $9.99/month, which allows multiple family members to view different programs simultaneously. However, it’s wise to browse the service’s content library through a one-month free trial before subscribing.

One issue with the interface is the absence of proper differentiation between the dubbed and subbed episodes, which could be frustrating. Each series may have duplicate episodes available in both of these formats. Although the collections could be a bit unorganized, Hulu automatically streams episodes according to your selected sub or dub preference.

Best Original Content: Netflix

Key Specifications

1. Base Price: $6.99/month
2. Free trial Month: No
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: Yes
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Features highly acclaimed original content which couldn’t be found elsewhere
• Includes multiple subtitle and dubbing options other than Japanese and English
• Up to four people can stream simultaneously, based on your plan
• Excellent source of non-anime content as well

Cons

• Doesn’t provide a free trial

Why did we choose it

Netflix has gained popularity for its original series, such as Narcos and Stranger Things, and its library extends to original anime series without any doubt. Users can access the renowned originals here, such as Violet Evergarden and Beastars, which are not available elsewhere. Additionally, its anime series gives other audio and subtitle options besides just English and Japanese. This increases the accessibility for a broader range of audience.

Netflix’s basic ads-supported plan starts at $6.99 per month. However, users can opt to remove these ads by upgrading the plan to $9.99 or more per month. Speaking of simultaneous streaming, it provides two screens with a standard plan ($15.49/month) and four with a premium subscription ($19.99/month). The premium tier also includes additional benefits, such as the ability to stream shows up to Ultra HD. Since Netflix doesn’t offer a free trial, users must subscribe for at least a month to access its content.

Best Exclusives: HiDive

Key Specifications

1. Base price: $4.99/month
2. Free trial Month: Yes
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: Yes
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent genre selection, from thrillers to romance
• Affordable prices for ad-free plans
• Features exclusive content, such as subtitled simulcasts
• Proper categorization for sub and dub content

Cons

• Titles available are more niche-oriented as compared to other platforms
• Short list of content

Why did we choose it

HiDive holds a collection of over 500 exclusive anime titles, which makes it an independent website. Moreover, it has a combination of both dubbed and subbed simulcasts from Japan. Even though the library is expanding, there are still a dozen of exclusive anime titles which are worth watching. Moreover, you can get a wide range of genres ranging from romance to thriller, having both censored and uncensored content. The interface also simplifies the process of searching content through subtitles, genre, or audio.

Sign up HiDive to get a seven-day free trial. After the trial period ends, a monthly charge of $4.99 will apply to your account.

Best Anime free Streaming Service (tie): RetroCrush

Key Specifications

1. Base price: $4.17/month
2. Free trial Month: Yes (ad-free package)
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: Yes
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• All content is available for free.
• Livestream delivers an experience of Live TV
• Broad library for classic anime
• Filters your search and viewing preferences

Cons

• No recent addition to the content
• Limited Library

Why did we choose it

If you’re into retro themes, RetroCrush has over 200 classic anime episodes and movies available for free on its platform. Its content dates back to the Golden Age of anime, which mainly belongs to the 1980s but may also cover anything prior to the 2000s. The front page of RetroCrush features a live stream of programmed TV. However, we can select the titles as per our own choice. The ability to filter your results using subtitles, genre, or audio makes it easy to navigate through the interface.

RetroCrush contains ads, however, you can get rid of these through a $4.99 per month plan. This plan comes with a 14-day free trial period and provides access to both age-restricted and exclusive content.

Best Anime free Streaming Service (tie): Tubi

Key Specifications

1. Base price: Free
2. Free trial Month: N/A
3. Ad-free Subscriptions: No
4. Subbed, Dubbed, or both: Both

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Includes anime as well as non-anime entertainment
• Gives access to more than 200 new and old anime content
• Contains free ads supported plan
• There’s no need to register on it

Cons

• Lack of organized content
• Resolution is limited only up to 720p

Why did we choose it

Tubi TV would be a suitable option for individuals who do not prefer to buy a subscription. It’s certainly one of the best free streaming services, featuring more than 200 anime shows. While RetroCrush is limited just to the classic hits, Tubi offers a mix of both new and classic content. You can access its content even without registering for it.

Since all titles on Tubi are listed randomly, it’s difficult to find the episode you want to watch. Moreover, you can’t experience the finest quality of animation on it. It’s because the maximum resolution for Tubi TV is 720p. Despite these drawbacks, Tubi remains an excellent choice for accessing free anime content.

Methodology

We vetted the content libraries of more than 30 platforms to name the best anime streaming services for you. The highest priority was set for the range of anime titles available on each platform. However, we considered other features, too, such as the number of simultaneous streams and options for subtitles and dubbed versions.

Our team analyzed the number of anime series and movies available on each service, along with the compatibility of a platform with different devices. They also checked the subscription prices and the ad-free plans for each particular service.

Parting words

Although Crunchyroll’s extensive collection of titles is enough for anime fans to subscribe, the platform has additional perks as well. To start, stick to the free ad-supported plan to test the waters. Once you’ve tried out the free plan, you may consider switching to Crunchyroll’s paid subscriptions, which start from $7.99 to $14.99 per month. These premium plans give access to every title on the platform, including new simulcasts directly from Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Difference between Sub & Dub in Anime

Subs and dubs are methods to understand the language of the content. Since most of the anime comes from Japan, there’s a need to translate it into different languages. Subbed content gives the subtitles on the original voice acting. On the other hand, Dubbed content uses voice artists to replace the original dialogues with new dialogues of a different language. Subtitles help the audience to get the cultural nuances of content and provide solutions to individuals having hearing loss. Dubbed content, in contrast, works for the audience who needs a fresh interpretation of the original content. It also assists those who prefer watching anime without reading subtitles.

What happened with Funimation?

In 2021, Sony’s Funimation Global Group purchased Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion. After some time, Sony declared its intention to merge Funimation and Crunchyroll, with plans to transfer its exclusive content onto Crunchyroll. In the future, subscribers will stream similar anime on Crunchyroll, which was once found on Funimation.

Where can I get anime without ads?

Many streaming services provide anime without ads. However, you’ve to pay for most of their ad-free plans. For Crunchyroll, you can get rid of the ads by subscribing to its very first paid tier. At the same time, services such as Netflix and Hulu do not remove ads unless you pay beyond their basic plan. So be sure to read the plans thoroughly before subscribing.