7 Best Free Legal Streaming Services for Anime

cord-cutting • September 2, 2023 • Staff

Japan has been providing us with world-class anime for decades. Some of the series you might have heard of are Dragon Ball and Naruto, as well as Studio Ghibli films from the early 2000s. Meanwhile, a much younger audience might have seen the most popular animes of today, like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

If you're just getting into the scene, the bad news is it's not easy to find good anime on streamers. Sure popular services like Netflix and Amazon carry some titles, but they're quite limited in reach and accessibility, which is why some fans resort to illegal sites to watch their favorite movies and series.

The good news is there are, in fact, a few streaming services that offer a multitude of anime choices legally and for free. You might need to sign up and register, but at least you can rest easy knowing you're watching with no strings attached and no penny spent. Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the best free legal streaming services for anime.

Peacock

Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options for paid subscriptions as well as a free plan. The free plan offers about 13,000 hours of ad-supported content, with the option to upgrade to premium for more access to content. The premium options include two plans: $4.99 a month or $50 a year for ad-supported; $9.99 a month or $100 a year for ad-free. With both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of the original NBC series. You'll also get next-day access to all the new episodes of ongoing NBC shows, and early access to talk shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on the air night. You can stream Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. But there is still no app available for Roku or Amazon platforms.

Go to Peacock

Price: $4.99/month

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Visio TV, Xbox

Pluto TV Live

Streaming services do not come cheap. But what if you can access live TV streaming services for free? Enter Pluto TV Live, a free live TV streaming service that lets you watch around 250 different live TV channels without even needing you to sign up. This Viacom-owned live TV service may not have as nearly as the popular cables you’re used to, but it’s enough to serve as a supplement to your needs for news, sports, and entertainment without spending a dime.

Go to Pluto TV Live

Price: free for 29 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Virgin Media, Vizio SmartCast, webOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Channel lineup: BBC Food, BBC Home, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg Television, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN, ET Live, Food TV, Fox Sports, Major League Soccer, MLB, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, Today, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WPT

Tubi

Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less than stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.

Go to Tubi

Price: free for 78 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox One

Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACC Digital Network, AFV Family, All Real, Baywatch, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, Brat TV, BUZZR, Caught in Providence, CBC News, Cheddar, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, Comedy Dynamics, Cosmos, Deal or No Deal, Dove Channel, El Rey, Estrella News, EuroNews English, Fear Factor, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Westerns, Forensic Files, FOX, Fox Deportes, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Gordon Ramsay, Heartland, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Grio, the NFL Channel, The Only Way is Essex, TMZ, TODAY All Day, Tubi Originals, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vice, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Weather Nation, Wipeout Xtra

RetroCrush

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.

Go to RetroCrush

Price: free for channels available

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

Pokemon TV

Pokemon fans will be glad to know that hundreds of Pokemon episodes, as well as films and specials, can be streamed for free on the Japanese anime's official streaming platform, Pokemon TV. You can download titles to watch offline (though they expire after a week) and, in case you've seen them all, the platform shifts them around so you can catch anything you've missed, old and new.

You don't need even to make an account to watch Pokemon TV, much less pay for it, making it an ideal viewing option for cord-cutters on a budget. It's also conveniently available on most devices, including smart phones, TVs, and of course, the Nintendo Switch.

Go to Pokemon TV

Price: free for channels available

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

iQiyi

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.

Go to IQiyi

Price: free for channels available

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

freevee

Amazon Freevee, or simply freevee, is a free, ad-supported streaming service powered by Amazon. It has a notable library of licensed titles and original shows, not to mention 24/7 live channels, plus it's easy to access since it runs on most if not all available devices. Although other free streamers have it beat in terms of range and variety, freevee is still a great option for newbie cord-cutters, especially since it already comes on most Amazon platforms.

Go to Freevee

Price: free for 36 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Echo Show, Google TV, LG, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: ABC News Live, Amazon Originals, Bosch, Confess by Nosey, Court TV Live, Criminal Minds, From Asia With Love, Hunter, Judy Justice, Jury Duty, Latino Vibess, LiveNOW by Fox, MLB, Neighbours, NHL FAST, OUTtv Proud, PGA Tour, Project Runway, QVC, Real Crime, Swerve Sports, Tastemade en Español, Teen Wolf, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Price Is Right: The Barker Era, The TED Channel, The Washington Post, Top Gear, Unsolved Mysteries, Unspeakable, USA Today, USA Today Sports, Vevo, Washington Post, World's Most Evil Killers, XITE

Peacock

Pluto TV Live

Tubi

RetroCrush

Pokemon TV

iQiyi

freevee

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