After video games, the next popular hobby is watching anime, with over 300 million people consuming anime content in some form or another. And, just like any content, there are many ways for you to consume content, either through paid sources or free sources. Yes, there are several free sources you can use to stream and enjoy your favorite anime. And no, we aren’t talking about the illegal ways to access anime.
Free anime services do exist, and we will be taking a look at the different websites that you can legally use to stream your favorite anime content. Let’s get started.
Do Free Anime Streaming Services Exist?
Yes, just like how there are many free and legal streaming services available for you to watch your favorite shows, movies, sports, and news and Live TV channels, there are numerous services you can use to stream anime, legally, of course. So, if you are on a budget and are looking for free ways to legally watch and stream anime, you’ve come to the right place.
Crunchyroll
One of the most popular websites for all things anime. This is one of the biggest anime platforms that lets you stream anime that is officially licensed from Japanese studios. Crunchyroll used to offer a free plan that let you stream and enjoy your favorite anime. You can still enjoy certain content for free, but only with a 7-day premium plan.
Crunchyroll used to be the go-to place for those who wanted to watch anime for free. Once Sony acquired Crunchyroll, the free ad-supported tier vanished into thin air as recently as two to three months ago.
Should you still check out Crunchyroll even though it just has a paid plan? Absolutely, if you want to stream the latest episodes just after they have been aired in Japan.
Check out the latest in anime only at Crunchyroll
Anime Planet
Anime Planet is an anime database that you can use to track what new anime shows or episodes are to be released, check out reviews from fellow anime viewers, and even look for recommendations and suggestions as to what anime you need to watch next.
You can also watch several anime shows if you have paid plans from Crunchyroll and HiDive. But, if you want to stream content for free, there’s a special Watch Anime Online section that lets you stream a few episodes of different anime right within the Anime Planet website.
Get the latest anime recommendations and reviews from Anime Planet.
RetroCrush
Looking to enjoy older anime shows and movies? RetroCrush is the place for you. You see, RetroCrush has a ton of shows from the 70s and 80s. RetriCrush lets you watch all the anime from its library via the free ad-supported plan.
Now, if you are looking for newer anime releases and shows, then RetroCrush is not the place for you. There’s also a Live TV section where you can watch different anime shows at different times of the day. The website has a simple UI that is easy to navigate. Now, if you don’t want ads, you can always choose the ad-free plan.
Stream legendary anime shows and movies only at RetroCrush.
Tubi TV
Now, this might sound like an odd suggestion, but trust me, it’s one service that lets you stream a ton of movies and TV shows legally for free. There is tons of content across all genres, including anime. If you check out the anime section on Tubi TV, you’ll find a ton of popular shows such as Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Naruto, Hunter Hunter, and tons of other shows that you can check out by yourself.
If you don’t live in the United States but want to check out Tubi TV, you can access it by using a VPN and enjoy the tons of free shows, movies, and Live TV channels that the service has to offer.
Check out Tubi TV for free anime.
Plex
Traditionally, a media server, Plex, has a large collection of movies, TV shows, and live TV channels that can all be accessed for free. This ad-supported service offers a decent selection of anime titles, but you won’t always find the latest or newest anime on Plex. The anime section in Plex will show you anime, cartoons, and other animated films and TV shows.
You can try to use a VPN to change your virtual location and check out what anime shows are available across various regions through Plex.
Stream select anime shows only on Plex for free
YouTube Channels
Yes, YouTube is also another great way to watch a lot of anime shows. There are dedicated YouTube Channels out there that regularly upload anime shows. YouTube needs no introduction. If you require an ad-free experience, you can always subscribe to YouTube Premium and enjoy an ad-free experience.
Here is a list of all YouTube Channels that upload anime legally to the YouTube platform
Pluto TV
Similar to Tubi TV, Pluto TV is a free streaming service that offers Live TV channels and on-demand shows and movies. With Pluto TV, you can choose to stream anime from 10 different live TV channels. Apart from the live TV channels, Pluto TV also has a decent number of on-demand anime shows that you can stream for free.
Now, if you don’t reside in the US, using a VPN with the region set to the US should help you access all the anime shows and live TV channels that you want- all for free.
Check out the best in anime for free via Pluto TV.
Shout-TV
Here’s a great way to access and enjoy anime for free. Shout-TV is an ad-supported platform that has hundreds of films and TV shows. Shout-TV has a decent number of anime titles that you can check out. There will be times when you will find specific anime appearing on Shout-TV whenever Shout! Studios get licenses to air them.
Shout-TV can be accessed on a variety of devices, including smart TVs, plug-in devices, and web browsers.
Get hold of free anime shows only on Shout-TV.
AsianCrush
As you guessed by the name, AsianCrush is a streaming service that offers a ton of Asian centric shows. From movies to dramas and even anime, you will find it all here. When it comes to anime, AsianCrush has several niche anime titles that you can stream all for free, but with ads.
Even with a small library of anime titles, AsianCrush is perfect for those viewers who want to move towards unpopular shows for a change.
Check out niche anime titles only on AsianCrush.
Closing Thoughts
So, what do you think about the free websites that legally let you stream anime content? Do you think there should have been more websites? Or, should Crunchyroll bring back ad-supported free streaming? Do these websites spark your interest, or do you simply switch to paid services like Netflix for all your anime streaming? Let us know in the comments section below.
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I dont think, Anime Planet counts in this list… Also any best watchlist tracking site for Anime like SIMKL.com MyAnimeList, etc?