6 Best Anime Streaming Services in 2020

The Internet has revolutionized our everyday lives, giving us the ability to get any type of information, from any place on the planet. In addition, plenty could be said about its cultural impact as well. As you can imagine, this is also noticeable in the world of anime movies and TV shows. Before today’s media streaming services appeared, the only way to get anime was via legal as well as illegal anime VHS tapes and DVDs/CDs. However, today is a whole different story. That’s because you have streaming platforms that not only have sizable libraries of anime content - these also let you watch anime episodes hours after their availability in Japan. So, what are the best anime streaming services in 2020? Let’s find out!

In this overview, we’ll be checking two types of streaming platforms. First, we have niche options that only serve anime movies and TV shows. They mostly come with an affordable price, they’re present on plenty of devices, and they let you watch both subbed and dubbed content. Then, there are more comprehensive options that include additional types of content, many of which are the best streaming services overall. We’re sure that you want to spend your money wisely, which is why we’ve provided a wide range of options. It’s up to you to make the final call based on your anime preferences, needs, priorities, and your budget. So, prepare your credit card (or maybe not just yet - as we have some free options as well) and let’s find the best anime streaming service right now.

YES, YOU CAN WATCH ANIME ANYWHERE: In case you’re in the USA, you’re in luck, as all of the following services are operating in this country. However, in case you plan on traveling or if you live abroad, we recommend relying on a VPN. So, make sure to check out the best VPN services right now.

And now, here are the 6 best anime streaming services in 2020.

1. Crunchyroll

Type: On-demand video content & manga comics.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Windows Phone, PlayStation 3/4, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV.
Maximum Streams Available: 2 streams per 1 account (on 2 different devices).
Where You Can Stream: Available worldwide (please note that regional libraries can greatly vary in size).
What You Can Watch: Attack on Titan, Black Clover, Dragon Ball Super, One Piece, Naruto Shippūden, My Hero Academia, and more.
Required Internet Speed: 2.5Mbps recommended for 720p streaming; 5Mbps recommended for 1080p (full HD) streaming.
Ad-Supported: Ads available for those using a free account.
Price: Free (limited quality & ads); Premium priced at $7.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 14-day free trial.

We are sure that you’re looking for a streaming service that brings plenty of anime - and this is why we’ve placed Crunchyroll first on this list. It comes with more than 900 titles and over 25,000 episodes, so there’s truly plenty to watch. In addition, it comes with a sizable list of simulcast titles, available right after their premiere in Japan. With all of this said, we’re certain that Crunchyroll will make many of you happy.

Aside from offering a huge content library, this platform is present on pretty much any device out there. It also has its own online store, offering figurines and Blu-Ray DVDs. Also, you should know that Crunchyroll has recently decided to focus on subtitled videos, which is good to know if you like to watch the ‘original’ version of your favorite anime. All of this is available free of charge (with ads, and you’re limited to 480p), or you can unblock everything by getting this platform’s affordable subscription.

Finally, we’d like to note that Crunchyroll is available across the world. However, due to licensing rights, not all of its titles are available everywhere. This is why we’ve produced an article on watching Crunchyroll outside the USA, so make sure to take a look.

Pros

It offers an affordable subscription (can be tried for free as well).
You get close to 1,000 anime titles.
Plenty of platforms and devices are supported (via native software).

Cons

Not the most user-friendly Web interface.
It’s missing a recommendation engine.

2. Funimation Now

Type: On-demand movies & TV shows.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Chromecast, smart TVs.
Maximum Streams Available: 5 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
What You Can Watch: Black Clover, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, Cautious Hero, Plunderer, and more.
Required Internet Speed: 2Mbps for streaming in SD quality; 5Mbps for streaming in HD quality (up to 1080p).
Ad-Supported: Ads available for those using a free account.
Price: Free (with ads, limited quality); Starts at $5.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 14-day free trial.

When searching for the best streaming services for anime, you’ll often find Crunchyroll and Funimation Now competing for the first prize. However, even though both of these are hugely capable services, there’s one major difference here. A few months back, Crunchyroll has announced its plans to switch to subbed anime. Of course, this happened in an agreement with Funimation Now, which will switch to dubbed anime in the future. So, take your pick as per your preferences.

Funimation Now comes with highly polished applications, available on a wide range of platforms. This truly is an incredibly powerful streaming platform, allowing you to easily find something new to watch, track your favorite content, and dive into its vibrant community. In addition, it also includes an online shop selling figurines, DVDs, apparel, and more. You can get all of this for free, in a limited capacity (limited video quality and ads are included). To unlock everything and get rid of ads, premium subscriptions start at $5.99/month and go up to $99/year, giving you plenty of special perks.

Finally, let’s not forget that this streaming service is available in a limited number of countries. And also, there are content restrictions based on licensing rights. So, you’ll want to check our article on how to watch Funimation Now outside the USA.

Pros

It allows you to get started free of charge.
Highly polished applications, available on numerous platforms.
It provides early access releases as well.

Cons

Soon to transition to dubbed titles only.

3. HIDIVE

Type: On-demand movies & TV shows.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Fire Kindle, and Roku.
Maximum Streams Available: 2 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Available in more than 100 counties (please note that regional libraries can greatly vary in size).
What You Can Watch: Akame Ga Kill, Amagi Brilliant Park, Assassins Pride, Beyond the Boundary, Bloom Into You, Bodacious Space Pirates, and more.
Required Internet Speed: 1.5Mbps recommended for 360p; 2Mbps recommended for 480p; 3.5Mbps recommended for in 720p; 5Mbps recommended for 1080p.
Ad-Supported: No ads.
Price: Free episodes available; Premium priced at $4.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 14-day free trial.

HIDIVE comes as a product of Sentai Filmworks, a US-based company that licenses anime straight from Japan. With this said, it’s not surprising to see HIDIVE offering a sizable and diversified library of movies and TV shows. In addition, you’ll also find more than a dozen of simulcast titles, available right after their release in Japan. The titles you’ll find in this group include Assassins Pride, Bang Dream, Granblue Fantasy, Oresuki, and plenty more.

Among other important information, know that HIDIVE has the exclusive streaming rights to Legend of the Galactic Heroes. In addition, this platform is putting a focus on dubbed titles. And all of this is offered via native applications for pretty much any popular platform out there (sadly, there’s no PlayStation app right now). To get a taste of this platform, you can find a limited number of free titles. So, to fully unlock everything that’s on offer, you will need to go for its premium subscription (starts at $4.99/month). And finally, HIDIVE integrates with an online shop offering a huge number of interesting items, including limited edition items, box sets, DVD pre-orders, and plenty more.

Pros

It offers an interesting selection of dubbed titles.
You’ll find a nice range of exclusive titles, available on HIDIVE only.
It comes with an affordable subscription.

Cons

No free-of-charge subscription plans.
Slow buffering at times.

4. Hulu

Type: On-demand movies & TV shows.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, Nintendo, smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, and LG).
Maximum Streams Available: 2 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA and Japan.
What You Can Watch: Attack on Titan, Black Clover, Girls and Panzer, Toradora, Your Lie in April, Food Wars, One Punch Man, and many more.
Required Internet Speed: 6Mbps for streaming in HD.
Ad-Supported: Yes, the base plan is ad-supported.
Price: Starts at $5.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 7-day free trial.

Some of you will be surprised to see Hulu on our list of the best anime streaming services. However, the fact is that this platform has been trying hard to enrich its content library with different types of movies and TV shows. In addition, Hulu has partnered with Funimation Now a while back to bring both subbed and dubbed anime - and this partnership has produced amazing results.

Hulu can be a good solution for your entire household, considering that this isn’t a niche streaming platform. You’ll find a sizable list of movies and TV shows, in addition to Hulu’s original programming. You also get plenty of applications that come with a highly polished interface - one of the best in the world of OTT platforms. And also, you can get started for only $5.99/month (with ads), or upgrade to an ad-free plan (priced at $11.99/month).

To get additional information, we recommend turning to our Hulu review. And considering that we’re talking about a platform with limited availability, you’ll also want to check our article on the best VPN services for Hulu. Let’s also not forget to mention that you can combine Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for only $12.99/month.

Pros

A nice selection of anime movies and TV shows.
You get Hulu’s entire on-demand catalog, including the exclusives.
A suitable solution for your entire household.

Cons

It doesn’t get the latest anime titles as soon as possible.
Limited availability.

5. VRV

Type: On-demand movies & TV shows.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV.
Maximum Streams Available: 1 account per household (unlimited streams).
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA only.
What You Can Watch: Content from Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Mondo, Rooster Teeth, Cartoon Hangover, Nicksplat, and more.
Required Internet Speed: 5Mbps recommended for streaming in HD.
Ad-Supported: Ads available for those using a free account.
Price: Free (with ads, limited quality); Premium starts at $9.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 30-day free trial.

Next, we have something quite different that might appeal to those looking for additional content (something in addition to anime). VRV comes from the same company as Crunchyroll, and it provides access to anime, gaming, tech-related content, cartoons, and more. Upon its inception, it was advertised as the ultimate resource for ‘nerds’ - so, you might already see the targeted groups of users.

VRV isn’t a platform that hosts on-demand content. Instead, it connects you to other streaming platforms, at an affordable price. At the moment, it provides ‘channels’ such as Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Mondo, Nicksplat, and Rooster Teeth. All of this is available at $9.99/month - so, noticeably more affordable than buying subscriptions to these platforms individually. Considering that it brings two of the most popular sources of anime online, this seems like an easy decision.

The only problem is that you don’t know what’ll happen with VRV next. In the past, it provided channels related to e-sports, comedy, and horror (among other things). However, those channels somehow disappeared over time. And also, VRV is available in the USA only, which limits its range of potential users. However, you can learn how to watch VRV outside the USA by using a reliable and proven VPN application.

Pros

It brings huge value for its price.
Combines very interesting types of content, all hosted in the same place.
Polished applications, featuring a modern UI.

Cons

Its content can be unpredictable (in the long run).
Somewhat vague rules related to multiple streams.

6. Netflix

Type: On-demand movies & TV shows.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox One, Nintendo, smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, and LG), numerous set-top boxes, and more.
Maximum Streams Available: Up to 6 registered devices; Up to 4 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Available in more than 190 countries (please note that regional libraries can greatly vary in size).
What You Can Watch: Devilman Crybaby, Aggretsuko, SWORDGAI, B: The Beginning, Children of the Whales, Knights of Sidonia, and more.
Required Internet Speed: 3Mbps for standard-quality streaming; 5Mbps for high-quality streaming; 10Mbps for simultaneous HD streaming.
Ad-Supported: No ads.
Price: Starts at $8.99/month.
Free Trial: Start your 30-day free trial.

We’ll end our list of the best anime streaming services with Netflix. Of course, we’re certain that you don’t have to be introduced to this platform, considering that it’s perhaps the most popular option of its kind. However, you might be surprised to find Netflix in this article, and you might wonder about its connection to anime content. Well, let’s clear up your doubts.

You can be sure that Netflix knows the importance of attracting various groups of users. With this said, it started investing heavily in producing its original anime shows. At the moment, there are more than 40 original titles, including Devilman Crybaby, Back Street Girls, Bootleg Multiverse, Cannon Busters, Hero Mask, Last Hope, and plenty more. In addition, you’ll find plenty of non-exclusive titles as well - Castlevania, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more. As you can see, anime fans should be more than happy with this pick - and we haven’t even mentioned other types of content. If you’d like to learn more, we offer you our Netflix review.

Pros

Plenty of original titles and exclusives.
Surprisingly enough, it offers a huge number of anime titles.
High-quality applications, compatible with numerous devices.

Cons

Unpredictable content moderation.
Not the most affordable option.

Can’t Decide? We’ll Help You Find the Best Anime Streaming Service for Your Needs, Budget & Priorities!

We perfectly understand if you’re having a hard time deciding. There are so many amazing options out there, so let’s help you navigate your way through. Continue reading to learn more about our on-point recommendations.

Best All-Around Anime Streaming Service: If you’re looking for a platform with the biggest library of anime content, there’s only one pick - and that should be Crunchyroll. Even though it comes with some limitations, this one will get you pretty much any title that you want to stream. However, if you want to expand that library, we recommend checking out VRV - which combines Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.
Best for Streaming Subbed Anime: You should know that Crunchyroll has revealed its plans to switch to subbed anime in the future. There’s no deadline for when this process should end, but we can already see the first results of this transition.
Best for Streaming Dubbed Anime: If you’re into dubbed anime, there are plenty of options online. However, considering that Funimation Now has promised to switch entirely to dubbed anime, this one should be your pick. Another interesting recommendation would be HIDIVE.
Best Budget-Friendly Platform: Lucky for you, anime streaming services are quite affordable, speaking in general. The most affordable option right now is HIDIVE ($4.99/month). We also recommend you consider Hulu ($5.99/month), which brings much more than just anime - if you don’t mind watching some ads from time to time.
Best for Streaming in the USA: We have several options here. If you need just anime and nothing else, Funimation Now can be a good pick. In addition, Hulu is also available in the USA (and Japan) and provides access to other types of content as well. Of course, all of the anime streaming services mentioned in this article work in the USA, so you won’t have a problem no matter which one you pick.
Best for International Streaming: In case you plan on using an anime streaming service outside of the USA, we strongly recommend using a VPN application. This will help you get a US IP address, so you can access the platform you want, from any place on the planet. If you don’t want to use a VPN, your pick should be Netflix or Crunchyroll.

Dear anime fans, you've reached the end of our guide. We sincerely hope that you liked our recommendations for the best anime streaming service in 2020 and that you’ll find what you want. So, happy streaming - and remember to take regular breaks during your binge-watching sessions - as we all know how anime can be addictive, taking hours of your time in an instant.