5 Best Crunchyroll Alternatives Right Now

Crunchyroll has been at the forefront of bringing anime from Japan to viewers in the US and other non-Asian countries. Its recent merger with competitor Funimation further secures its solid positioning, but even then, anime fans might still want more out of the platform. 

It has variety to be sure, but longtime users might note that many of Crunchyroll's original shows are animated from Korean manhwas as opposed to Japanese mangas, while many of its acquired titles are catered toward Western audiences as opposed to true-blue fans. 

If you want to get the most out of anime streaming, we've got you covered. Below, we list the best Crunchyroll alternatives currently available to satisfy your viewing needs.

Hulu is an on-demand service that is currently only available in US territories. You can get access to Hulu's on-demand content library for $7.99 a month with commercials, and $14.99 without. There's also an option to pay for an annual subscription starting at $79.99.

Price: $7.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV, Xbox

Netflix is an ad-free streaming platform that operates on a monthly, or annual, subscription. There are three pricing plans – Basic, Standard and Premium – and the one you choose will determine the number of devices that you can simultaneously use to watch Netflix, in case you want to share the account with someone else. There are three plans, though pricing differs from region to region. First up is the Basic plan, which allows you to watch on one device at a time. Upgrading to the Standard plan allows you to watch shows and movies, and download them for offline viewing, on up to 2 different devices at a time. The top-tier Premium plan lets you watch and download on up to 4 different devices, and comes with the options to watch videos in HD and Ultra HD. Once subscribed, you can watch movies and TV shows directly on your browser via Netflix.com. You also have the option of downloading the app on pretty much any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on computers using Windows XP or later and Macs with OS X Tiger or later.

Price: $6.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG TV, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Samsung TV, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

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RetroCrush is a free streaming platform fully dedicated to vintage anime. If you're a hardcore fan in desperate search of a discontinued series, a 90s classic, or an obscure show that practically no one has heard of, chances are you'll find all of what you're looking for and more in this treasure trove of a platform. RetroCrush gives you access to a number of shows without charge, but if you want to stream even more titles ad-free, you can opt to sign up for a premium account that costs $4.99 a month, with a free 14-day-trial. 

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, iOS, Roku, Website

Largely known as China's Netflix, iQiyi is a popular and wide-ranging streaming platform that hosts the best of East Asian content. Among its catalog are Asian blockbusters, Chinese variety shows, Japanese anime, and of course, Korean dramas. iQiyi also has multiple deals with studios all over the world, including Netflix, so it's able to stream global content to its Chinese audiences. 

Perhaps the best part about iQiyi is that it comes for free; no need to pay to see its plenty and diverse titles, although you will be subject to some ads. To avoid ads and avail of perks such as concurrent viewing and download privileges, iQiyi offers a VIP membership that costs $2 per month.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Website

Hidive focuses mainly on anime shows and films. Its offerings include classical anime, popular anime films and shows, as well as hidden gems of the anime world, put together for those who love anime and don’t want to wait for the releases of their favorite shows.

They add new content via simulcasts which means that you’ll be able to stream new anime shows online as they’re released in real-time. This service is great for anime lovers who don’t want to wait months for their favorite anime shows to be released on DVD. Hidive is an independent anime streaming company based in Texas that was launched in 2017.

Price: $4.99/month

Free Trial: 14 days

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Fire TV, iOS, Website, Xbox

Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.

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The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.

That's all from us for the 5 Best Crunchyroll Alternatives Right Now!