Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
In the US, Disney+ and Crunchyroll couldn’t be more different. Disney+ has everything for the general audience, whether that’s a hit movie from Marvel or Star Wars or an engrossing documentary from NatGeo. It goes without saying that you can also find countless cartoons and sitcoms from the Disney Channel there too. But things are a lot different if you have a VPN. Outside the US, Disney+ is home to a vast catalog of anime (which otherwise can be found on Hulu). It has Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Summertime Rendering to name a few. Of course, you can find double that in Crunchyroll, the premier (albeit niche) anime streaming service.
So which is better, Disney+ or Crunchyroll? If you’re an anime fan looking for versatility, Disney+ is better bang for your buck, especially if you have a VPN on hand. But if you’re a hardcore anime fan who has dollars to spare for a niche subscription, then Crunchryoll is a no-brainer. You can read more about how they stack against each other in our breakdown below.
| Feature | Disney+Our pick | Crunchyroll |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | $11.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Free trial | None | 7 days |
| Titles that pass our 7.0 IMDb / 70% RT bar | 64 | 38 |
| Try Disney+ | Try Crunchyroll free for 7 days |
We only recommend movies and shows rated at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. By that standard, Disney+ currently streams 64 qualifying titles, compared to 38 on Crunchyroll. Here are the picks our readers are watching most on each right now.
If you just want the lowest possible bill, here is exactly what each service’s cheapest plan gets you.
| Feature | Disney+ Basic | Crunchyroll Fan |
|---|---|---|
| Price / month | $11.99 | $9.99 |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 1 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1 |
| Profiles | 7 | 5 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | – |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | – |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| Get Basic → | Get Fan → |
| Disney+ 2 plans | Crunchyroll 3 plans | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Basic | Premium | Cheapest Fan | Mega Fan | Ultimate Fan | |
| Price / month | $11.99 | $18.99 | $9.99 | $13.99 | $17.99 |
| Annual Price | – | $189.99 | – | – | – |
| Streams at Home | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Streams Outside Home | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1, with Extra Member Add-on | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Profiles | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p | 1080p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | – | – | – |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo | Standard stereo | Standard stereo |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | – | – | – |
| Min. Speed | 5 Mbps | 5 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | |
Both services support most major devices. Here’s a breakdown based on the device apps each service lists.
| Device / Platform | Disney+ | Crunchyroll |
|---|---|---|
| Airplay | ✓ | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google TV Streamer | ✓ | Not listed |
| Nintendo Switch | Not listed | ✓ |
| PlayStation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roku | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xbox | ✓ | ✓ |
| Xfinity Flex | Not listed | ✓ |
| Xfinity X1 | Not listed | ✓ |
| and Xumo Stream Box | Not listed | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
“Not listed” means the service doesn’t list an app for that device; it may still work via casting or a browser.
Crunchyroll starts at $9.99/month, while Disney+ starts at $11.99/month. That’s $2.00 more per month for Disney+, or $24.00 more per year.
Before you pick either one, here is the drawback of each service, plainly stated.
Outside of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and family titles, the Disney+ catalog is thin for adults, and price increases have been frequent.
Crunchyroll is anime only, dubs often lag behind subs, and its back catalog has real gaps outside current simulcasts.
Is Crunchyroll cheaper than Disney+?
Yes. Crunchyroll starts at $9.99/month, while Disney+ starts at $11.99/month. That's a difference of $2.00/month, or $24.00 per year.
Do Disney+ or Crunchyroll offer a free trial?
Disney+ does not currently offer a free trial. Crunchyroll offers a 7-day free trial.
Are Disney+ and Crunchyroll the same company?
No. Disney+ is owned by The Walt Disney Company, while Crunchyroll is owned by Sony. They are separate, competing subscriptions.
Is Disney+ included with Crunchyroll?
No. Neither service includes the other: a Crunchyroll subscription does not give you Disney+ content, and vice versa. You need a separate subscription for each.
Which has more highly-rated titles, Disney+ or Crunchyroll?
By our curation standard (at least 7.0 on IMDb and 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), Disney+ currently streams 64 qualifying titles, compared to 38 on Crunchyroll.
Can I cancel Disney+ or Crunchyroll anytime?
Yes. Both Disney+ and Crunchyroll are month-to-month subscriptions with no long-term contracts. You can cancel either service at any time.
Great for kids: There’s no shortage of content for younger audiences, with all the major Disney hits a click away.
New theatrical releases: Although sometimes you have to pay an extra fee (usually of up to $30), a great perk of Disney Plus is Premier Access, which makes theatrical releases immediately available to stream on the platform.
Exclusive releases: Since it’s Disney, the catalog of popular TV shows and movies that you can't find anywhere else is huge.
The app: The Disney Plus app is so well-designed that in 2020, Apple named it the Apple TV App of the Year, and voted the best app of 2020 by Google Play users.
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