KissAnime was an anime-focused file streaming website that hosted links and embedded videos, allowing users to stream or download movies and TV shows illegally for free.[1][2][3] It was a sister site to a related manga viewing website, KissManga.[1][4][3] KissAnime was described as “one of the world’s biggest streaming anime websites”.[1]
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The best anime streaming services: Reviews & RecommendationsBest overall: Crunchyroll.Best for dubs: Netflix.Best for retro: RetroCrush.Best curated: HIDIVE.Best free: Tubi.
CrunchyrollOf the standalone services, Crunchyroll currently leads the pack with around 1,300 anime series, a library that has grown even bigger after absorbing Funimation and VRV(Opens in a new window).
AnimeLab is cost-effective on both monthly and yearly plans. Crunchyroll's Fan plan costs A$8 per month, which offers to stream on one device simultaneously. AnimeLab's premium plan costs A$7, which, unlike Crunchyroll, allows streaming on multiple devices simultaneously.
VRV's plan is more expensive than its competition's, but it comes with a lot more shows and movies through its different channels, which includes Crunchyroll's content, FYI. If you're interested in American and indie cartoons or you want it to be easier to find new shows, VRV beats Crunchyroll in both regards.
Because of its robust stable of content, Crunchyroll has become the global destination for anime streaming. Launched in 2006, the brand boasts over 100 million registered users and more than 5 million subscribers.
A former Crunchyroll rival, Funimation shares a lot of major titles with the anime giant. Where the two differ lies in their respective libraries. Funimation possesses over 13,000 hours' worth of content and claims the entire Dragon Ball Z collection. Crunchyroll has some, but not all of the popular franchise.
If you're on the fence about Crunchyroll or Funimation subscriptions, Hulu boasts more than 300 anime titles and is a prime stop to watch hits My Hero Academia, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan, Soul Eater, Bleach and more.
As a pioneer in streaming TV, Netflix has grown its anime offerings though it lacks the fresh installments and simulcasts of Hulu. Currently, there are dozens of Japanese imports on the platform as well as Netflix originals Castlevania, Yasuke, Cannon Busters and Devilman Crybaby.
A service for the 18 and older crowd, Hidive streams content to fans around the globe, including simulcasts. Not only will you find curated anime from all subgenres, but there's an assortment of live-action adaptations too.
In the anime community, the terms dubbed and subbed are used to describe the difference between a piece of content that streams in Japanese with subtitles or an English-dubbed (or other language) version. It's a matter of personal preference, but some fans like one type over the other.
Due to licensing agreements, some streaming providers' anime lineups will change. This also depends on which country you live in, as various content may only be available in Japan, the US, or other regions.
What Netflix is to streaming, Crunchyroll is to anime streaming. If you want the biggest library of titles, with a mix of both classic titles like Captain Harlock and new hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, you can’t do much better than Crunchyroll.
While we wait to see what the Funimation/Crunchyroll merger ends up looking like, Funimation remains the other biggest player in anime streaming. Though you can subscribe to both Funimation and Crunchyroll, there is enough library overlap that you’re probably better off picking one or the other.
If you want something more grown-up than the teenage-aimed action shows that other streamers focus on, HIDIVE is the service for you. This streamer prides itself on offering edgier or more cultured shows like Redo of a Healer and Elfen Lied, but also Made in Abyss and the earlier Lupin the Third seasons.
Enough about all these mainstream shows with clean animation and formula-heavy stories; take me back to the good ol’ days! If that’s you, then RetroCrush is your streamer.
Hulu’s anime hub, home to new simulcast anime like Attack on Titan and classic films like Akira . Photo: Hulu
At this point, do you really need someone to pitch you on Netflix? What you may not know, however, is that it has a pretty great anime library too.
If you are new to anime or simply don’t want to commit to a dedicated streaming service just for that medium, then consider Hulu. Rather than license exclusive titles to try and compete with other streamers, Hulu hosts a collection of shows and movies from Crunchyroll, Funimation, and even HIDIVE.
Due to licensing costs and issues, though, you won’t always get the latest or most complete series. Attack on Titan only has one of its three seasons, and anime not produced by Netflix tends to land a good while after release.
One thing Crunchyroll doesn’t have , however, is the full roster of Dragon Ball TV shows, with Funimation hosting Dragon Ball Z, Z Kai, Super, and GT alongside the original series (albeit only in the US). Like Crunchyroll, there's a free, ad-supported version or a premium subscription option with higher video quality.
Hulu signed a partnership deal with Funimation back in 2018, so you ’re getting a lot of the biggest Funimation shows to help pack out the catalogue here. However, much like Netflix, not all these seasons are complete, and it doesn’t have the breadth of a dedicated anime service.
There’s also some real prestige in Netflix managing to get the iconic 90s anime Neon Genesis Evangelion onto its service, which had been missing from any sort of streaming service for years (we expect it was expensive). Due to licensing costs and issues, though, you won’t always get the latest or most complete series.
Anime is no longer the niche proposition it was even a few years ago , thanks to the boom in online streaming expanding audiences for Japanese animation all over the world, and production ramping up to cater to those new viewers. Whether you’re a new recruit to anime TV series, love yourself some Studio Ghibli movies, ...
Honestly, Amazon doesn’t have that much going for it in terms of anime, especially since its Anime Strike platform closed down. There are however some brilliant feature-length anime films on the Amazon Prime Video service to stream like The Red Turtle or Your Name, and even Grave of the Fireflies (a Studio Ghibli movie Netflix doesn't have the rights to).
You can’t begin to talk about streaming anime without Crunchyroll. The American website has a vast catalogue of nearly 1,000 popular anime shows and films, – as well as manga and foreign drama – though it’s mostly subtitled rather than dubbed (when the original audio is replaced by US voice actors).
They are good . . . but if you’re an anime addict, or if you suspect you might become one, then you can get VRV for $10 and Funimation for $6. That’s $16 a month for more anime than you could ever possibly consume if you’re also a functioning and contributing member of society.
Craig is a long-time writer, presenter, and podcaster, and he now runs the Reviews.org YouTube channel, where he strives to be far more charming and presentable than he is in real life. Within the Reviews.org umbrella, he has accidentally become a streaming expert after covering the streaming wars for almost three years.
If Hulu and Netflix are for the casual fan, then Funimation is for the more serious anime obsessive. It’s more narrowly focused for anime fans. Funimation has got a deeper library than Hulu, tons of Dragon Ball content for instance, plus you get simulcast, so you don’t have to wait around for the next season of Fire Force to drop before you can watch it with everybody else.
It’s slightly different though. While both services provide both subbed and dubbed shows, Funimation holds a lot of exclusive rights to dubbed content while Crunchyroll is more of a destination for subbed stuff.
With the explosion of paid subscription sites like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, or Amazon Prime, it might seem impossible to enjoy free content online.
Not all of the platforms below are available worldwide. Most of them are limited to US and Canadian audiences. But there’s good news. You can still access these platforms wherever you are, with the help of a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
If you can’t access anime websites like RetroCrush or Crunchyroll, don’t worry. The workaround is simple. With a VPN and a little patience, you can watch your favorite anime in no time.
If you access legal anime sites, there are no risks involved. You’re not breaking any laws, so you’re free to enjoy as much anime as you want.
We don’t recommend you access unofficial streaming platforms. But if you do, at least stay safe while you’re at it. Here’s what you can do about that: