Anime is a short form of Japanese animēshon, which translates to animation. While the genre is from Japan, it has spread to other countries, cultures, and languages. Detailed 2D animation, character designs, and color typically characterize the anime genre.
Anime film genres were never popular outside Japan but are now quickly becoming a global sensation. Many US studios and media streaming services today have anime movies and titles. This post lists the best free anime streaming websites, their features, and catalogs.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is only for informational purposes. Most free websites you’ll see here offer content without any legal rights. Hence, accessing such services might not be legal. To browse these websites safely, make sure you use a quality VPN such as ExtremeVPN.
Top 15 Best Free Anime Streaming Sites – Quick List
Running out of time? Here’s a quick rundown of the 15 best platforms to watch anime for free:
- KissAnime: One-stop shop for all anime categories.
- Anime-Planet: Gives you free access to a vast worldwide anime and manga database.
- GoGoAnime: It offers top manga titles for free on its platform, which is available worldwide.
- Anime Heaven: A worldwide free portal for anime content.
- 9Anime: Best free anime streaming service for original Japanese content.
- MyAnimeList: Enjoy an unlimited database of anime, manga, and animation content.
- Crunchyroll: Lets you watch your favorite subbed content.
- Chia-Anime: Free worldwide anime streaming website.
- AnimeSuge: Marketplace for anime and manga content.
- VIZ: Best for original Manga and English anime content. VIZ is famous around the United States for its best-selling comic magazines.
- AnimeFreak: Free anime streaming website available worldwide.
- Asian Crush: A great website only available in North America.
- AnimeTake: Best to stream free anime from anywhere.
- Soul Anime: Brings you a database of both subbed and dubbed anime content for free.
- Tubi TV: Completely free anime streaming website with an extensive library that includes manga, animation, movies, and regular TV shows.
15 Best Free Anime Streaming Sites – Detailed List
1. KissAnime
KissAnime, one of the top anime websites worldwide, is designed for ease of use. With features like thumbnail views and intuitive categorization on the homepage, you can quickly find your favorite anime. The option to select your category at the top of the homepage and then navigate to the anime list further enhances the user experience.
The website hosts thousands of videos; you only have to click on the thumbnail to start watching anime. Unfortunately, you cannot change the video quality, and pop-up ads interfere with your streaming.
2. Anime-Planet
Anime-Planet is one of the most exciting websites dedicated to the anime genre. It has some fantastic titles. The site lets you stream your favorite series, shows, and films online.
It will also provide top reviews and basic information about the videos you want to stream. Anime-Planet allows you to make friends, follow people, or have them follow you on the platform. You can join a community and create friendships with other users with similar interests.
3. GoGoAnime
GoGoAnime is a top-quality platform on the Internet where you can watch anime for free. The site updates the plot of your favorite anime of the season and even reviews it. The platform also provides high-quality videos and movies for Japanese genres.
You can also watch English animation series and use subtitles in different languages to understand what’s happening. There’s also a section on the website where you can watch high-quality unlimited movies on demand.
4. Anime Heaven
Anime Heaven is a free online streaming website with the latest and most popular animated cartoons and movies. You can download high-quality anime videos.
This could be your ideal choice if you want a website allowing you to download their videos for offline viewing or stream them online. However, as with free sites, AnimeHeaven displays ads when streaming content on it but you can always remove them using an ad blocker.
5. 9Anime
9anime is an online streaming website that plays ultra high-definition quality anime movies and series. It has some of Japan’s top anime and shows the release schedule for upcoming episodes.
The website has a feature allowing you to request and add content from your libraries. Also, the site has a category of episodes classified by respective genres for easy access. The site also displays the release shedules for the upcoming anime series and shows.
6. MyAnimeList
MyAnimeList ranks among the top free anime streaming sites with no adverts. The platform is popular among anime lovers because of its fantastic user interface. You can use the tabs to search for your favorite anime series or to access the easy, well-organized catalog.
You also get a short show description, which lets you know what you’re watching. Plus, MyAnime List shows you other information, including the popularity reviews ranking and the plot and characters of the film you’re about to watch. You get all these in HD quality with proper English subtitles.
7. Crunchyroll
Free
Easy interactive interface
Limited library in the free plan
Crunchyroll is a dedicated free anime site that features top films, including Yuri, Naruto, and Attack on Titans. The simplified interface allows you to navigate the categories and classify them by genre, season, and popularity.
You get lots of anime and other films, especially from Asia. You can watch manga, anime, drama, and action movies on the platform. If you want to remove the ads and enjoy more features, you can subscribe to the premium version for a small fee.
8. Chia-Anime
Chia-Anime ranks among the most popular anime sites on the Internet. It lets you watch the most recent anime movies easily. The website has a fantastic user interface that gives you a unique experience streaming your favorite content.
You can watch the all-time top anime series on the website and find new films. For instance, you can find famous titles such as Hero Academia, Co-Dragon Ball, and One Peace.
You can also allow notifications to receive the latest and most popular anime. Chia-Anime will keep you updated with the most recent news and releases.
9. AnimeSuge
AnimeSuge is one of the free anime websites whose popularity comes mainly from its vast collection of anime movies and series. The website allows you to have both subbed and dubbed versions of content.
The platform is different from other websites because it presents you with a clean, intuitive user interface. This means you can find the content you’re looking for easily and stream your favorite shows seamlessly.
10. VIZ
VIZ is an American anime publisher and streaming website, especially for the manga genre. The company publishes and distributes comic books and graphic novels throughout the United States. It has been operational for 30 years and is famous for providing anime in the English language.
You can watch the anime online on the website or through their mobile applications, which are available for every device. Because Manga is an ever-evolving artistic genre, VIZ offers talented individuals the opportunity to showcase their creative anime.
You can publish your anime content with VIZ and grow your anime community by posting your articles and reviews on the platform. That means you can also catch up with the posts and reviews for every title and know whether it’s worth watching.
11. AnimeFreak
If you want a free anime website that hosts all genres and titles without charging a dime, AnimeFreak is here. Although the interface is not as straightforward as Netflix or other premium applications, finding the movies you seek is still accessible.
You can get the videos in high-quality resolutions and enjoy a 24/7 live chat. The platform is free and available in all major regions of the world. Plus, you can build or join an anime community where you can review the latest titles.
While AnimeFreak may not have the best user interface, it serves the purpose of providing a platform from which you can watch anime on the internet pretty well.
12. Asian Crush
Die-hards of Asian movies and dramas will love the Asian Crush anime streaming website. Whether it is Chinese martial arts, Kung fu, or Japanese karate anime, you can find all of them under one roof.
Enjoy top-quality definition videos and the latest news updates from the Asian film industry on this platform. The site has an intuitive user interface with a filter search feature that allows you to find titles from different categories and genres.
Movie and anime content on the website is available in different categories, including popular films and many others. Asian Crush is also compatible with popular devices and platforms, including Firestick, Android, and iOS.
13. AnimeTake
AnimeTake provides a complete collection of movies, online anime series, and other content. The website provides you with proper organization and an easy user interface.
They categorize their content by popular movies, anime, TV shows, movies, and other genres. Every anime title has complete metadata to let you know what you’re about to watch. Users also get the latest notifications about new releases and when your episode airs. The alphabetical order of movies also makes finding the content you want easy.
14. Soul Anime
Free
Offers subbed and dubbed anime versions
Displays pop up ads
Soul Anime hosts more than 4,000 anime series that you can stream. As one of the world’s largest anime websites, Soul Anime allows you to watch content in high-quality resolution. And the episodes are updated every hour to ensure you don’t miss the latest releases.
While the user interface may look garish, the website is easy to navigate. You can easily navigate through the genre classifications to find the movies you’re looking for.
15. Tubi TV
Tubi TV provides users with an intuitive and comprehensive anime streaming platform where you can watch all the content you want. The website is free, and it typically relies on ad revenue instead of taking subscription fees from you.
The platform is based on and meant for the United States and works across all devices and operating systems, including iOS, Firestick, and Android. The site’s wonderful content catalog contains the top anime from Japan. Here, you can find Naruto, Attack on Titan, and other titles to watch for free.
Side-by-Side Comparison of the Top Anime Streaming Sites
| Site Name | Best for | Regions Available | Free trial | Rating | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KissAnime | One-stop shop for all anime categories | Worldwide | None | 4.0 | Free |
| Anime-Planet | Free Anime and Manga | Worldwide | None | 4.6 | Free |
| GoGoAnime | Free anime streaming | Worldwide | None | 4.0 | Free |
| Anime Heaven | Top online destination | Worldwide | None | 3.6 | Free |
| 9Anime | Manga and anime streaming | Worldwide | None | 4.3 | Free |
| MyAnimeList | Extensive Online database for anime content | Worldwide | None | 4.1 | Free |
| Crunchyroll | Anime and Manga | Worldwide, except in a few restricted places | 14 days trial (for the paid plan) | 4.7 | Both free and paid plans |
| Chia-Anime | Japanese anime online streaming | Worldwide | None | 3.7 | Free |
| AnimeSuge | Free anime online collections | Worldwide | None | 3.8 | Free |
| VIZ | Manga producer and distributor company | Worldwide | Seven days trial (for the paid plan) | 4.1 | Free and paid versions: from $1.99 |
| AnimeFreak | Free anime streaming | Worldwide | None | 3.4 | Free |
| Asian Crush | Asian and Japanese anime websites | North America | None | 4.0 | Free with ads |
| AnimeTake | A comprehensive collection of anime movies | Worldwide | None | 3.3 | Free |
| Soul Anime | Stream HD Anime | Worldwide | None | 3.1 | Free |
| Tubi TV | Free anime streaming | Worldwide | None | 4.7 | Free |
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Anime Streaming Service
Finding the best website to stream your favorite anime videos could be challenging. However, you can follow some tips to find a streaming service that perfectly fits your budget, device, and location. Here are some of these:
Pricing
How much does the anime streaming subscription cost you? Is it a complimentary service, or must you part of it with a considerable chunk of your money?
While not everyone is budget-conscious, most people normally want to know how much subscriptions to streaming services cost. Some of the best Manga and animation websites actually cost a fortune.
The few free top tiers will come with limited access and many pesky advertisements. On-demand streaming websites like Netflix and Hulu offer their services at an annual or monthly subscription fee. And, yes, the premium services are mostly better and safer than the free streaming websites.
Dubbed or Subbed?
Do you want to watch anime while reading the comments, or do you want the characters to speak in a language you can understand? Most anime and manga are usually in Japanese and, therefore, have to be translated into English or the language you want.
The subbed versions of manga and anime that are translated and only available in Japanese and have captions in English are the subbed versions. Fans who love subbed anime because they are more original, and he has compared them to the dubbed version.
The dubbed versions are those that have the characters speaking English. Enthusiasts of the (translated) dubbed version want to hear the characters speaking English. So you don’t have to struggle to read the captions.
Simultaneous Streams
If you want a subscription for a large household, you may want to look for streaming sites that allow you to connect to several devices simultaneously. For instance, Crunchyroll’s ultimate plan allows you to have six concurrent streams for every subscription.
Hulu and others may have limitations to the number of devices you can connect. If you have several members of your family who are fans of the anime genre, you should have a service that allows you to stream on different devices at a time.
Multiple User Accounts
If you get a streaming website that allows you to create multiple user accounts, you can organize your favorite anime more effectively. Crunchyroll, for example, only allows one user account per platform. However, other top-tier platforms will allow you to create multiple accounts, which will help you keep your preferences in place.
Parental Control and Guidance
Not all anime or animated videos are meant for children. As a parent, you need to scrutinize the movies, anime, and TV shows that your children are watching. Some of these animes may contain scenes of violence, graphic content, or even nudity that you don’t want your kids to watch.
Some platforms like Tubi have parental control features that empower guardians to select and limit the content children view.
Size of Content Library
The most important feature of an anonymous streaming website is its content library. So, the first thing you should look at is the size and organization of the content library.
Specifically, go to the anime category and check whether the videos have a rich scope of content. Also, make sure to check the time when these anime videos were posted.
Some platforms, such as Crunchyroll and Hulu, update their content daily to bring in titles the day after they are produced. Others take a little longer to upload content.
Also, consider how well-organized the content is and whether the user interface is intuitive enough for easy searching and interaction.
Which Anime Streaming Service is the Best?
The best streaming website conveniently fulfills your needs. Understand your budget and the size of the website’s library. Check the value that this streaming service is bringing to you.
If you are the only anime fan in your family or in the house, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a streaming service specially fashioned for the anime genre. But if you have so many other people who prefer other genres in the family, you want to find a streaming service that will allow you to create new accounts for each person.
But because this is about the best anime streaming website for you, we would automatically go with Crunchyroll because of its extensive collection of anime films. Crunchyroll has an enhanced content variety that includes dubs and VRV Indie cartoons.
Is it Legal to Watch Anime Online for Free?
Watching anime for free on the internet is legal, depending on the website or streaming service you’re using. Some of the free anime websites have official licenses that allow them to stream the anime in accordance with the law.
So, companies do not infringe on copyrights, even when streaming their content for free. But, some websites do not have a license for their stream content. These websites just scrap the internet for anime content and publish it on their websites without proper licensure. Such websites air the anime content against the owner’s copyright and may attract legal repercussions.
Therefore, it’s important to find out whether the website from which you were anime is legal. Copyright infringement in the United States can result in a fine of up to $250,000.
ExtremeVPN for Anime Streaming
ExtremeVPN stands out as the best VPN for watching anime safely from anywhere. The virtual private network strikes the perfect balance between speed and safety. With more than 6,500 servers around the world, ExtremeVPN lets you connect to a safe network where you can watch libraries from literally any region or country of the world.
The no-log policy also prevents the leak of sensitive data and browser traffic. If you are watching anime from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or any other service with geo-restricted content, ExtremeVPN will unblock them all.
You can stream confidently even on websites with suspicious pop-up ads and links because ExtremeVPN protects you from getting hacked or identified online.
FAQs
