Crunchyroll raised prices again in 2026. But here’s the thing: it’s still the best place to watch anime.
The service now starts at $10 per month for ad-free streaming. That’s up from previous pricing. Yet it remains cheaper than most major streaming platforms while offering something Netflix and Disney Plus can’t match: same-day simulcasts of new anime episodes airing in Japan.
For fans who want to watch Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer the moment new episodes drop, Crunchyroll delivers. Plus, its catalog of over 40,000 episodes and 1,600 hours of content makes it the largest legal anime library available.
What You Actually Get for $10 Per Month
Crunchyroll now offers three paid tiers. All of them stream without ads.
The Fan plan costs $10 monthly. You get access to the entire catalog on one screen. Downloads work on one device. That’s it. Simple.
Mega Fan runs $14 per month. Now you can stream on four screens simultaneously. Offline downloads work on multiple devices. Plus, you get access to the Crunchyroll Game Vault and a 10% store discount.
Ultimate Fan costs $18 monthly. Six simultaneous streams. Crunchyroll Manga access included. Early event access. A 15% store discount. And exclusive merch opportunities.
The Fan tier works fine for solo viewers. But families or couples who watch together will want Mega Fan or higher. Meanwhile, the manga bundle packages streaming with manga access for $14 or $17.50 depending on your tier.
Simulcasts Make Crunchyroll Essential
Here’s what sets Crunchyroll apart from every other anime streaming service: same-day simulcasts.
New episodes air in Japan. Within hours, they’re available on Crunchyroll with subtitles. For popular shows like Attack on Titan or Mushoku Tensei, fans worldwide watch simultaneously. No waiting weeks or months for dubbed versions.
The service maintains a simulcast calendar showing exactly when new episodes drop. You can filter by free versus premium access. Language availability gets listed too.
This matters because anime culture thrives on community discussion. Fans want to watch, react, and discuss new episodes immediately. Crunchyroll enables that better than any competitor.
Yes, dubbed versions arrive later. But subtitled episodes hit the platform so fast that you can participate in global conversations about plot twists and character development while the episode is still trending.
The Massive Catalog Covers Every Era
Crunchyroll’s library spans decades. You’ll find classics from the ’80s and ’90s alongside 2026’s newest releases.
Popular titles available include:
- Attack on Titan: Final Season
- My Hero Academia
- Demon Slayer
- One Piece (English dub)
- Chainsaw Man
- Dragon Ball Z
- Naruto
- Mobile Suit Gundam
The platform hosts content from major studios like MAPPA and publishers including Kodansha. Plus, it occasionally streams OAD episodes—extra content usually only available on Blu-ray.
However, Crunchyroll doesn’t have everything. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War streams on Hulu. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a Netflix exclusive. Tokyo Revengers airs on HiDive. So you might need multiple subscriptions to watch specific titles.
Still, Crunchyroll’s catalog dwarfs most competitors. Its 1,600-hour library offers subtitled and dubbed versions in 10 languages across 200 countries.
Premium Accounts Unlock Music Streaming Too
Here’s a bonus most people miss: Crunchyroll includes music streaming.
Premium subscribers can watch music videos and 100-plus full concerts from artists who perform anime theme songs. The Sony partnership features Blue Encount, Super Beaver, Aki Toyosaki, and Yuta Hashimoto.
This isn’t a replacement for Spotify. But if you love anime openings and endings, it’s a nice extra that costs nothing beyond your subscription.
App Navigation Works Smoothly Across Devices
Crunchyroll’s interface feels intuitive. The home screen highlights featured titles with one-click viewing buttons. Age ratings, genres, and subtitle availability display clearly.
Scrolling down reveals Top Picks for You, followed by Continue Watching. Then Trending in the US, simulcast listings, and your personal watchlist. The layout makes sense.
The mobile app menu includes icons for home, lists, browse, simulcasts, and your account. Meanwhile, the TV app uses a sidebar for navigation. Both versions work well.
One standout feature: Crunchylists. You can create up to 10 custom lists holding 100 titles each. Think Spotify playlists but for anime. It’s perfect for organizing seasonal watches or thematic marathons.
The history feature tracks every episode you’ve started. So if you’re midway through three different Jujutsu Kaisen episodes, you can resume any of them from the history page. Continue Watching only shows your most recent stream.
Language Options and Subtitle Settings
Anime typically releases in Japanese with subtitles first. Dubbed versions arrive later.
When setting up your account, you select preferred languages for subtitles and the app interface. Content defaults to these settings automatically.
However, the mobile app lets you change audio mid-episode. Tap the gear icon, click audio, and switch between Japanese, English, Dutch, Spanish, or other available languages.
Crunchyroll’s calendar shows when specific language dubs premiere. Thumbnail images indicate whether content is subbed or dubbed. But there’s no dedicated menu filtering dubbed content separately—a minor annoyance.
The search function handles specific titles and genres well. But character name searches fall short. I tried typing “Deku” and got eight results, none of which were My Hero Academia.
Downloads and Streaming Quality
Downloads work reliably on the mobile app. A 23-minute Jobless Reincarnation episode downloaded in about two minutes. You can even download entire seasons with one click.
Streaming quality remained consistent across devices during testing. No buffering issues. Autoplay worked smoothly between episodes.
I tested Crunchyroll on web browsers, Roku Stick, iPhone, Android, Fire Stick, Apple TV, and Google Chromecast. The app supports iOS, Android, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Roku, Google TV, Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Windows.
One quirk: web users must manually expand to full-screen mode. It doesn’t happen automatically.
Parental Controls Finally Arrived
Crunchyroll previously lacked profile management and parental controls. Now you can create up to five profiles per account.
Each profile gets custom maturity ratings. Options include all audiences, PG, 12+, 14+, 16+, or 18+. Parents can restrict content per child’s age.
The service also added audio descriptions and closed captioning settings. But some users report missing closed captions during English dubs even when subtitles are toggled on. Japanese audio with foreign language subtitles works fine.
Unfortunately, there’s no brightness adjustment within the app. Users with light sensitivity issues need to adjust device settings manually.
What Crunchyroll Still Gets Wrong
Despite improvements, gaps remain. The service lacks some popular titles available on competing platforms. HiDive, Hulu, and Netflix carry exclusives you won’t find on Crunchyroll.
The search function needs work. Character-based searches produce inconsistent results. Genre filtering helps but isn’t comprehensive enough.
Closed caption availability during English dubs remains hit-or-miss. And the lack of in-app brightness controls frustrates users with specific accessibility needs.
Plus, while the catalog is massive, navigating it can overwhelm newcomers. Better curation tools would help casual viewers discover shows that match their interests.
Competitors Offer Alternatives Worth Considering
Crunchyroll dominates anime streaming. But it faces competition.
HiDive costs less at $5 monthly and carries titles Crunchyroll doesn’t have. Netflix produces high-quality anime originals like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Hulu streams Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Disney Plus offers some anime through its general catalog.
Free options exist too. RetroCrush and Tubi provide classic anime at no cost with ads. Crunchyroll itself now operates free ad-supported channels on Pluto TV, Roku, LG, and Vizio devices.
However, none match Crunchyroll’s combination of catalog size, simulcast speed, and premium features. If anime is your primary interest, Crunchyroll remains the top choice.
The Verdict for Different Types of Viewers
Casual anime fans might find cheaper alternatives sufficient. RetroCrush or Tubi offer enough content for occasional viewing.
But serious fans who follow multiple ongoing series need Crunchyroll’s simulcasts. Waiting weeks for episodes to appear elsewhere kills the community experience.
Families benefit from higher tiers with multiple simultaneous streams. The Mega Fan plan at $14 monthly supports four screens—plenty for households where everyone watches different shows.
Ultimate Fan subscribers get manga access too. If you read manga and watch anime regularly, the $18 tier bundles both for less than separate subscriptions would cost.
Beginners overwhelmed by the massive catalog should start with the Fan plan. Explore for a month. See if the selection justifies the cost before upgrading.
For diehard anime enthusiasts, Crunchyroll isn’t optional. It’s essential. The simulcasts alone make it irreplaceable. Plus, its catalog covers nearly every genre and era. You’ll run out of time before you run out of shows to watch.
Price increases sting. But at $10 monthly for ad-free access to 40,000 episodes, Crunchyroll still delivers exceptional value. Especially compared to general streaming services charging similar amounts for smaller anime libraries.
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