Best Streaming Services for Anime (2026): Our Top Picks and Value Comparison

I’ve been using Crunchyroll a lot lately to watch the new episode of “Witch Hat Atelier,” and it is easily my favorite anime streaming service. I don’t normally opt for the dubbed versions of the episodes, but the ability to easily switch back and forth between the subbed and dubbed version gives my watch parties a nice fluidity. It’s really the main streaming service specifically for anime, so while they don’t have any content outside of anime, manga, and some video games, I’ve found that its library is expansive enough to satisfy a variety of fans, regardless of their preferred genre. I find that having no ads on even the lowest subscription tier improves my overall watching experience.

There has been some recent criticism about the quality of the subtitles, particularly for newer releases. I have personally not noticed any significantly awkward or incorrect translation issues (albeit I don’t speak Japanese) except for when my friend and I watched the movie “The Legend of Hei,” which was a confusing and frustrating experience. The source of this issue is unclear — some say the translation work is being outsourced to AI, others say the issue is relegated to older or less popular series, and still others argue that this is not happening at all — but ultimately I would still recommend a Crunchyroll subscription because of its huge catalog, constant influx of new content, and ease of use.

Popular titles: "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," "Fire Force," "Fate/Strange Fake," "MF Ghost" and "Trigun Stampede."

Netflix’s price hike and inclusion of a subscription plan with ads has been a hot topic as of late, but their anime collection is nothing to scoff at. While Crunchyroll has a wider catalog of anime, Netflix’s broader genre library means that the titles they suggest are usually bigger names. This may not be a selling point for a more hardcore anime fan, or someone who wants more niche subgenres, but I’ve found that Netflix’s selections are usually fairly popular and beginner-friendly, and their subscription feels less daunting than Crunchyroll’s because it’s not exclusively anime, so you’d still gain access to regular movies and TV shows with an account. I’ve also enjoyed some of the Netflix-exclusive releases, such as “Delicious in Dungeon,” “Violet Evergarden,” and “The Summer Hikaru Died,” which are unavailable on other services.

The biggest downside for Netflix is the constantly rotating selection. They don’t always renew the licensing to some series — meaning a lot of shows migrate on and off of the service over time. Oftentimes, I’ll start watching a series on Netflix only to have to finish it on another streaming service due to either the license running out or Netflix not having access to other seasons of the show. In the end, while I recommend Netflix for more casual anime viewers (especially if they are part of a household with various tastes), I think more hardcore fans should look elsewhere for anime-specific streaming services.

Popular titles: "Jujutsu Kaisen," "Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai," "Blue Lock," "Naruto" and "The Apothecary Diaries."

While I’ve never liked Hulu’s UI and navigation systems, I can admit that they have a decent selection of anime. Additionally, if you have the Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle or the Max Add-on, you get access to all the Studio Ghibli films. However, there is some uncertainty about the app, with some saying that it will eventually be absorbed into Disney+ and other partner services, so a few people are anxious about the future of the service, especially the standalone Hulu subscription plans.

Similarly to Netflix, I wouldn't recommend subscribing to Hulu purely for anime. While it has access to a lot of the popular series and good simulcasting, there isn’t a lot of focus on their anime catalog, so more hardcore fans will probably get disappointed with the limited selection. If you already have a subscription, it’s worth browsing their anime library to see if they have anything you might be interested in, but otherwise you’re better off using another streaming service.

Popular titles: "Naruto Shippuden," "Attack on Titan," "Bleach," "My Hero Academia" and "Jujutsu Kaisen."

HIDIVE is a fairly divisive anime streaming service. With its many exclusive titles and more underground picks, many users claim to keep a subscription just for the opportunity to rewatch their favorite shows. It’s fairly inexpensive for a streaming service, but it also has a lower influx of new titles and a slower turnaround time for dubbed releases. There have been a lot of complaints about the UI, especially with the app version. While testing it out, I personally wasn’t a fan of the plain UI (it felt like a lot of empty space and all the images seemed like they were the wrong size), but I had no real issues using it on either my phone or computer — likely due to the recent quality of life update and redesign.

I think the biggest hurdle to my experience was the genre of HIDIVE’s available anime. They seem to focus on a lot of fantasy, slice of life, isekai, and ecchi titles, which are categories I’m personally not particularly interested in. If you are a more hardcore anime fan or have a taste for anime in those genres, HIDIVE is worth giving the free trial a shot. For beginners or more casual fans, I wouldn’t worry about a subscription unless you feel like you’ve tired out other alternatives.

Popular titles: "Chained Soldier," "Farming Life in Another World," "The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior," "The Eminence in Shadow" and "Hero Without a Class: Who Even Needs Skills?!"

Tubi is an easily overlooked anime streaming service. Given that the platform is free, it’s easy to assume that its content library would be lacking, but I found myself pleasantly surprised while perusing their available media. While, like many streaming services, their catalog and licensing is always in flux, their variety is so expansive that anyone would be able to find something they’d be interested in.

A downside to Tubi is that there is no ad-free option, and streaming resolution is capped at 720p. Offline download is also currently unavailable, so for those who are travelling, or else want a more immersive watching experience, Tubi might be frustrating. In my experience, I found those to be fair trade-offs for the free access. While Tubi might not have exactly what you want, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to scour their catalog before purchasing a membership to a new subscription service, just in case!

Popular titles: "Yu-Gi-Oh!," "Hunter x Hunter," "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," "Death Note" and "Ghost Stories."

If you want other free alternatives for streaming anime titles, here is a short list of other options:

Crunchyroll Channel

The Crunchyroll Channel is a free 24/7 anime channel available on LG Smart TVs, Vizio Smart TVs, Amazon Freevee, and Roku. The lineup changes regularly, but some previously aired titles were: "Horimiya," "Ranking of Kings," "Moriarty the Patriot," "Psycho-Pass," "Arifureta," "Sugar Apple Fairy Tale," "To Your Eternity" and "Code Geass."

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is free television streaming service. Some previously aired titles were: "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," "Zeiram 2," "Talentless Nana," "The Demon Girl Next Door," "Sailor Moon," "One Piece," "Naruto," "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations," "Inuyasha" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!: Zexal."

RetroCrush

RetroCrush is a free streaming service (with available paid plans) focusing on older anime series, largely from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but with a few newer series. Its content library is relatively small, but some of its most popular titles are: "Fighting Spirit," "My Little Monster," "Astro Boy," "Aim for the Ace!," "Metal Skin Panic Madox-01," "Magic Knight Rayearth," "Boogiepop Phantom" and "Medabots."