Anime is one of the best forms of entertainment. Contrary to some people’s opinion that think anime is just for kids, there are anime content that is too explicit for children below 18. Now that the world has evolved from VHS, CDs, and DVDs to streaming online, anime lovers must also be able to stream all kinds of anime content. With this in mind, we have come up with a list of the some of the best anime streaming websites.
While some of these streaming websites are totally free. You have to subscribe to the premium plans before you can access all the exciting features of other streaming websites. Apart from that, most of these anime streaming websites are only available in some countries. What this means for anime lovers not residing in those countries is that they won’t be accessible to these websites.
In This Guide
Crunchyroll
The Crunchyroll anime streaming website was launched in 2006 by Kun Gao, James Lin, Vu Nyyen, and Bradon Oor, a group of University of California Graduates. From upcoming anime episodes to feature shows, anime news, and lots more, Crunchyroll is loaded with arrays of exciting entertainment features for anime fans. When you subscribe to the Crunchyroll premium plan you stand to enjoy quick episode releases 60 minutes after it is premiered in Japan. Not only that, the ad-free feature ensures that you get to enjoy anime without any ad interruptions. Crunchyroll is available in almost all countries of the world. Therefore you don’t have to worry whether you will be able to access it in your country or not. With that said, Crunchyroll has a 14 days trial period which allows you to have a taste before investing your money in the streaming service. Within 14 days you will be accessible to the offline viewing feature, stream full videos on up to 4 devices. Which seems like a fair deal to me. With Crunchyroll, you will be able to watch some of the best anime series like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Naruto, and many more. Lastly, Crunchyroll is available in over 180 countries.
Hulu
Although Hulu is quite known for streaming movies, TV shows, and animation. The collections of anime on Hulu can rival other top anime sites of HD quality. Some of the classic anime on Hulu are Dragon Ball Z and the English dubbed Akira. Before you can enjoy collections of anime on Hulu, you need to pay for the premium plan. Some of the features of the premium plan include ad-free, ad-support, and ad-free with the live TV option. However, there is a 30 days free trial period that allows you to have a taste of what you are paying for. One of the major downsides of Hulu is that it is not yet available in many countries. But with VPN services, you can enjoy Hulu irrespective of your current location.
GoGo Anime TV
GoGoAnime is the next on our list of the top best anime streaming sites. Just like Crunchyroll, you don’t have to worry about geographical restrictions with GoGoAnime. The anime websites provide Otaku a wide range of entertainment choices. These choices cut across collections of genres ranging from comedies to action anime series and movies which are always of high quality. One of the perks of GoGoAnime is that you can enjoy series dubbed and available in the English language. This means you won’t need to rely on subtitles before you can enjoy anime. However, there are non-subtitle anime versions that are suitable for those trying to pick up the Japanese language. With this anime streaming website, you will be able to access all anime series that is hosted by external sources. There are also Chinese subtitle options.
AnimeFreak
With AnimeFreak, Otaku gets to enjoy a collection of trendy anime films and series which cut across all genres. Not only that. If you are so big on comics, you will be accessible to arrays of the interesting manga. The alphabetical list function makes it pretty easy for you to search effectively. However, the pop-up ads can be pretty annoying. Apart from that downside, the website is an ideal choice for an anime lover.
AnimeHeaven
AnimeHeaven is quite reputable for being one of the most like anime streaming services. The site offers anime lovers the most sought-after (old and latest releases) anime series and movies for free. With AnimeHeaven, you don’t need to stream before you can enjoy anime. You can also easily download anime of all kinds of video quality. On this site, the genres are properly classified for easy identification. And the genre cut across mystery, thrillers, action, and many more. Also, there are anime titles on AnimeHeaven that have dubbed and the subbed categories.
Netflix
Netflix is unarguably one of the topmost streaming services in the world. On the streaming service, you will find a composite of Netflix and non-Netflix produced movies, shows, and documentaries. With that said, the anime section on Netflix is a composite of – futuristic sci-fi like Guilty Crown, Neon Genesis Evangelion, 7SEEDS, and many more. Anime series like One-Punch, Blood of Zeus, Blue Exorcist, and others. Don’t even get me started on the latest releases, feel-goodTV shows, Actions and Adventure, and other cool genres. The way the anime on Netflix are classified makes it quite easy for anyone to find their way around. All you need to get started is to subscribe to the Netflix premium plan.
AnimeDao
If you are looking for a streaming website that has tons of anime, then you should consider AnimeDao. The well-structured layout and the hassle-free interface makes it easy to use for all kinds of users. On the site, there is a list of new and old anime series. There is a Random button that provides a list of recommended anime in case you are indecisive about what to watch. All anime on AnimeDao comes with English subtitles both in HD and SD which can be played on all devices. Also, Otaku that don\’t really understand Japanese can enjoy the dubbed anime version. However, AnimeDao has two major limitations. The first is the site has pop-up ads that are likely to disrupt your streams. The other AnimeDoa only allows streams, you can’t download anime on a site like AnimeHeaven.
Soul Anime
The anime streaming website has a collection of over 3000 anime. It is available worldwide, so you don’t have to worry about getting a VPN service. With Soul Anime, you can enjoy subbed anime and dubbed anime versions for Otaku from English speaking regions. Unlike most anime streaming websites aforementioned, Soul Anime allows downloads of every anime on the platform. Also, there’s no limit to the number of anime you can stream for free. However, the ad pop-ups are likely to disrupt your streams from time-to-time.
9Anime
9Anime has all kinds of trendy anime available for streams. Within minutes of the official release, Otaku can also keep up with the latest episodes of their favorite anime series. 9Anime has two URLs – one is 9anime-tv.com and the other is 9anime.ru. However, 9anime.ru has a better user interface and a filtering feature that allows you to sort anime based on Seasons, Type. Genre, Year, Status, and Country. On the anime streaming website, you will find dubbed and subbed versions of anime episodes of standard quality.
Niconico
The video commenting option on Niconico makes it stand out from all other anime streaming websites. Here’s how the video comments work. When you comment on any video content, the comment is synced to be in the video during the playback time. What this does is give anime lovers a shared viewing experience. Making it easy for anyone to share and add videos on the site. Apart from the video comment earlier mentioned, the anime streaming website has other cool features like setting up a “my list” folder, manga, anime illustrations, and many more. The collections of anime on the streaming website are of high quality. One of the limitations of Niconico is Pop-up ads for the basic version. The anime streaming website is only available in the USA, Japan, and Taiwan.
Anime-Planet
The anime streaming service has a collection of over 4000 anime TV shows episodes. Anime-Planet allows you to search through series and movies by popularity, release date, user favorite, recent updates, and user tag. It has an anime recommendation section that suggests titles of contents. These suggestions are composed of contents suggested by other users, contents personally suggested, and all other related contents. On this anime streaming site, you can also add anime series to your official list which you can build up as your favorite. Otaku can also wide collections of manga and other light novels. However, there are perks to joining the Anime-Planet community. Some of these perks are access to reviews and news on anime. You also get to chat with other users on the anime streaming website. Also, Anime-Planet is compatible with almost all devices.
Viz
The anime streaming website was founded by Seiji Horibuchi in 1986. Viz offers Otaku a collection of latest releases and classic anime. With that said, Viz is commended for the infusion of Japanese pop in the U.S as it served as the primary plug for manga in the country. On Viz, you will find anime series like Death Note, Inuyasha, Naruto, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, and many more. It also comes with the English subtitle format for anime available on the anime streaming website.
Tubi TV
This anime streaming website has a collection of anime TV shows and movies of high quality. The anime of this platform cuts across all genres. You can also find both old, classics, and new anime releases. With Tubi TV you don’t have to worry about getting a premium plan – as the anime streaming website is totally free. Also, Tubi TV is accessible to multiple devices. Some of the limitations of the anime streaming websites are – anime are not grouped into categories on the website. Here, you have to watch out for pop-up ads while streaming every 15 minutes. And lastly, Tubi TV is only available in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
MyAnimeList
MyAnimeList is fast becoming one of the forces to reckon with among anime lovers. And this due to the wide selection of content the anime streaming website has. The awesomeness doesn’t end there, Otaku can enjoy anime reviews, group discussions, promotional videos, news, and other exciting features. MyAnimeList also gives anime lovers accessibility to alternative titles, characters, voice actors, opening/ending themes, production information, reviews, and ratings. Before you can have access to all the exciting features mentioned above you have to subscribe to the premium plan. However, the MyAnimeList premium plan is as affordable as $2.99 per month. Some of the features of the premium plan include profile bandage, no pop-up ads, expanded favorite section, and many more. But when you stream without logging in your user ID, ads tend to pop-up from time to time.