Anime, as well as manga, define Japanese culture in animated, colorful ways. Hence, not only is it popular among the youth in Japan but has sustained its hold in entertainment and storytelling over the years among generations in this country. Today, anime has advanced in animation effects as well as from a storytelling perspective. Hence, it is catching on across other countries as well. As dubbing and subtitles help cross the language barriers, anime has a growing viewership in European and American countries as well. Hence, non-native Japanese viewers, today can enjoy the unique stories and actions that anime and manga series offer.
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There are certain anime websites that offer dedicated anime streaming services. Hence, they have become the go-to websites for anime fans of the western world. Here we list ten of the best anime streaming services and their distinct features.
At the time of choosing the best streaming service for anime, you need to consider certain factors. Firstly, it should be a safe viewing platform that does not bring malware to your devices. Also, HD quality anime with the latest updates and releases is something that all fans look forward to.
Here we look at the top 10 streaming services for anime fans, as of today, in 2021.
This is a go-to site for most anime fans as it has been around for a long time and with several beneficial features. For instance, there are little ads and you get to watch in high resolution. Hence, HD series of the different anime episodes are easily streamed on this site. Also, it is one of the sites where the latest releases are always updated. There is a search feature that helps you find anime by type, genre, and rate. Also, you can check the comments and ratings of other viewers. However, there is no option to download content from this site. All these aspects make it the best free anime streaming service.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: There is no subscription cost, either on the website or on the apps.
Supported Devices: You can view the website on desktop or mobile devices. Also, there is a dedicated app for Android and iOS devices.
This is another legal website that streams anime. However, to gain access to any series you need to opt for a premium membership. Once you pay for a subscription, you can enjoy the latest updates of your favorite anime series. Also, its content is accessible across most countries of the world.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: It is $7.99 per month for ad-free viewing and access to simulcast.
Supported Devices: You can view the website on your mobile browser as well as on desktop browsers. It also has a dedicated app for Android and iOS devices.
This is another anime streaming service that is available for worldwide viewing. It is a well-organized website that has tons of anime films and Manga series for anime fans. You will also find dubbed episodes, cartoon clips in English on this site. It is also possible to download content for free from this site.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: Content on this site is available for free viewing and free download.
Supported Devices: You can view this streaming service on your laptop or mobile device with ease. There is also a dedicated app for Android and iOS users.
This website is known to have a large following among anime fans. It has a popular, classic, and new series available here. You can also find dubbed versions of originals on this site.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: Content on this site is available for free viewing and free download.
Supported Devices: You can view this streaming service on your laptop or mobile device with ease. There is also a dedicated app for Android and iOS users.
This website is said to be home to anime dubs. Hence, for purists, it might not be the site for original content. However, this dubbed anime streaming service does make anime accessible to non-Japanese followers. Most of the content here is similar to Crunchy roll. It has a free version as well as a premium subscription option.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: A premium subscription comes for $5.99 per month.
Supported Devices: This website has a separate app for Android as well as iOS devices. It also has an application compatible with Xbox.
This is another popular international streaming service where you can watch popular anime shows. Not only can you watch some big-name productions of this category, but some are also Netflix originals as well. However, some latest or completed series are not found here. Also, you need to pay the nominal annual subscription rate to watch anime along with all your favorite TV series and movies.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: You need to pay an annual subscription price, about $8.99 which gets you to access popular anime shows as well as TV shows and movies.
Supported Devices: Netflix offers you compatible content that you can stream on all devices, whether it is your TV, desktop, mobile, or tablet.
Hulu is another streaming service, styled after Netflix, which offers TV shows and films as well. When it comes to anime, it offers a lot of content, also because of its tie-up with Funimation. However, you do need to pay for a subscription to the service. Also, it is a US-based streaming service. Hence, content is not available in other countries.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: The basic subscription plan comes at $7.99 annually while the premium plan is priced at $11.99.
Supported Devices: Hulu streams on TV as well as on desktops and is also available as an app. Hence, you can download the app and see it on your Android or iOS device.
This particular portal offers a large range of anime series, some dating back to the seventies even. It offers premium, high-quality content. However, it is best for streaming online only. Also, it is covered with ads and some are of inappropriate content.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: There is no subscription-based service here.
Supported Devices: You can stream this website on your desktop or mobile browsers. It also comes as an application for Android and iOS devices.
This is a bright, colorful site that many anime fans love. It also has some exclusive content that is not easily found on other websites. It has original as well as dubbed versions of many series.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: There is no subscription fee involved.
Supported Devices: The website streams smoothly on desktops as well as on mobile browsers. It also exists as an app for Android devices.
It offers a diverse range of anime series, of different genres. The website has an interface that is user-friendly and easy to navigate through. There are many dubbed anime versions as well.
Pros
Cons
Pricing Plans: The website offers content free of cost.
Supported Devices: Viewers can look up content on the site on their desktop as well as mobile devices. You can find an app for Android devices as well.
Name |
Paid/Unpaid |
Available on Mobile |
Content Available for Download |
9anime.to |
Unpaid |
Yes |
Yes |
Crunchyroll.com |
Paid/Unpaid |
Yes |
|
Gogoanime.io |
Unpaid |
Yes |
|
Funimation |
Paid/Unpaid |
Yes |
|
Animeseason |
Free |
Yes |
|
Netflix |
Paid |
No |
|
Hulu |
Paid |
No |
|
Animeheaven |
Unpaid |
Yes |
|
Animefreak.tv |
Unpaid |
Yes |
|
Animedao.com |
Unpaid |
Yes |
Okay now that we have gone through all the best 10 anime streaming services together, you should be able to make your own decision as to which one can be your best free anime streaming service if your budget is running low or you’re not a regular viewer so that a free platform is more than enough. If you are a frequent viewer or you are after some special anime originals that are nowhere to find except for those paid services like Netflix and Hulu, etc., then such a premium subscription could be your best streaming service for anime. Anyway, just choose according to your specific needs.
Also, apart from streaming your favorite anime online, there are times when you have to watch them offline. This is the time when you need to download those animes from the streaming services. However, as far as downloading is concerned, each streaming services come up with their own terms and conditions. If it is a free service, the download might be free too but sometimes the downloaded contents might be poor in quality. Those paid services, though, do offer downloads, too, but with too many limitations as well. So if you don’t want to be bound by their rules, then a 3rd party Netflix streaming downloader software is your best option.
i Free Download I Free Download
StreamFab Downloader is an all-powerful online video and music downloader suite that contains many independently working modules that are also sold separately. Depending on what anime streaming service you want to download anime from, this downloader has the correct module you are looking for. If you want to download anime from those free websites which are usually non-encrypted, then the YouTube Downloader module is what you need to choose; however, if you are interested in downloading streaming anime from paid streaming services such as Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Hulu, etc., then this streaming downloader offers specific module dedicated for each of the major paid streaming platforms, such as the Netflix downloader, Amazon Downloader, HBO downloader, Paramount Plus Downloader, Hulu Downloader, and many more. You just need to choose according to your streaming platform.
Feature Highlights of StreamFab Downloader:
i Free Download i Free Download
Now here we will take Netflix as an example to show you how to download streaming animes from Netflix with the help of StreamFab Netflix Downloader. If you are looking to download anime from those free anime streaming websites, then you can opt for the YouTube downloader module in the StreamFab Downloader suite.
Additional Tips: If the anime you are downloading belongs to a TV show, then this Netflix downloader will detect that and then offer you the chance to put all the episodes in that season, even the entire season to the download task. What a brilliant and resourceful idea!
What’s more, as mentioned earlier, this Netflix downloader can download streaming videos as either 720p or 1080p videos stored in MP4 format, however, that doesn’t mean you are totally stuck with 1080p for good. If you want higher resolutions such as 4K, then you can choose to upscale the downloaded MP4 videos from 1080p to 4K, with the help of DVDFab’s AI-driven video upscaling solution offered by the Video Enhancer AI product.
i Free Download i Free Download
There are many anime streaming services free that bring choices to anime fans. Hence, as per the kind of content or genre you are looking for, there are many streaming services available. However, most free services have lots of ads that interrupt initial downloads. Some also include ads of inappropriate content. Hence, to enjoy quality, ad-free viewing it is best to opt for a subscription plan at a streaming service of your choice.
Downloading the streaming anime for offline watching is also another way to avoid annoying ads. And in this regard, DVDFab’s streaming downloader series, such as the Netflix downloader we’ve shown you in this article, can help you download your favorite animes from Netflix. If you’re on other streaming services, just choose the module named right after the streaming provider you’ve subscribed to.
After downloading, you can also choose to burn the downloaded streaming animes to blank DVD or Blu-ray discs so that you can watch them on your home DVD/Blu-ray Player that is connected to your home theater system with the assistance of a DVD / Blu-ray authoring software. All in all, no matter what approach is opt for, online streaming, offline viewing on the go, or watching on your home DVD/Blu-ray player, there is always the right tool for you to binge-watch your favorite animes.