What is Anime?

Anime (Japanese: アニメ), initially is referred to as hand-drawn or computer-made cartoons, originated from Japan. In Japanese, Anime is derived from the English term animation and is described as all animated creations, regardless of origin or style. Elsewhere, Anime is usually considered as animation work produced in Japan.

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The Japanese commercial animations started back in 1917. A characteristic art style appeared in the 1960s in artist Osamu Tezuka's works and spread in following years, forming a large local audience. Anime is shown theatrically, through television programs and the Internet. Besides original works, Anime are often versions of Japanese light novels, video games or comics. Anime is classified into several genres that focus on numerous broad and niche viewers.

Anime is a different medium with unique production methods that have been modified in response to evolving technologies. It blends graphic art, cinematography, characterization and other forms of individualistic and imaginative techniques. Anime production primarily focuses less on movement while more on visual settings and the use of different camera effects, such as zooming, panning and angle shots, compared to Western animation.

The anime industry comprises over 430 production firms, including major studios like Toei Animation, Studio Ghibli and Sunrise. Since the 1980s, the medium has also seen international success with the rise of foreign dubbed and subtitled programming.

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Anime content is viral for its fantastic action scenes, imaginative concepts and because they are quite relatable. In the last few decades, a significant surge in the number of anime fans is seen worldwide. Their strong storyline and diverse characters drive everyone's attention regardless of any age.

However, nothing makes anime lovers sadder than waiting for their favorite Anime to upload on some authentic and legal platform to watch Anime after their release. To solve this problem, we have come up with a list of the top 15 anime streaming apps, where you can enjoy your favorite Anime and also would be able to watch Anime offline. 

Whether it is about dubbing, subtitles, updates about the latest shows, device availability, or anything else related to Anime, we have it all here. 

If you are a passionate anime fan and looking for the full monty and active anime streaming apps, then keep reading!!!

1. Crunchyroll

Availability: iOS and Android

Price: 14-day free trial, $8 per month

Suppose you are a fanatic anime lover and you haven't used Crunchyroll before. In that case, you are missing out on a fantastic anime experience. This application is one of the most famous and authentic apps. It offers the world's most extensive collection of Anime that is popular among 50 million registered users.

Through this application, you will have the chance to explore 25,000 episodes of the most incredible anime series you can binge-watch. If watching doesn't satisfy your anime cravings, you can read its Manga Series or listen to anime music.

To download videos on this application, you need to create a VRV account, link your premium CR account to that, and then use the VRV app to download Anime for offline viewing.

Plus, this app includes news about upcoming anime shows as well as anime voiceover artists and animators. The good news is that it enables you to watch the latest episodes right after Japan's original release.

Most importantly, its user-friendly interface gives you easy access to your favorite animes. Supported languages English, Dutch, France, Italian, and more. You can search anime movies alphabetically, by popularity, or by genres. It supports various languages including English, Dutch, France, Italian, and more.

Best Anime on Crunchyroll: Attack on Titan, Bleach, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Black Clover, Sword Art Online, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Super, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Toradora.

Strengths:

• Huge anime library
• Some original series
• All tier support HD streams
• Manga and apparel store
• Various simulcast shows
• Free ad-supported account option

Weaknesses:

• No offline downloads
• Poor interface
• Few dubbed shows

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

2. AnimeLab

Availability: iOS and Android

Price: $7/Month for the premium package

AnimeLab is an excellent app for downloading (on the app) and playing anime movies offline. This app gives you the privilege to take great cinema along everywhere.

With Animelab, you can enjoy the most popular anime shows and movies directly from Japan without any delays. However, fans only from New Zealand and Australia can avail of this service. Don't worry; app developers are working their way to reach die-hard fans like you worldwide.

With a library now surpassing 50,000 titles covering 32 genres, this app is making its way to the top 3 free anime streaming apps. In addition to that, you can link your account with multiple devices like Samsung, Apple TV, Sony TV, Chrome cast and many more.

The Anime on this app is of HD quality. You can watch your favorite shows on a legal app without even having the difficulty of signing up. 

Its outstanding rating, i.e., 4.1-star review in Google Play Store, clearly depicts that users love this app. Plus, this app has more than a million users.

Best Anime on AnimeLab: Demon Slayer, One Punch Man S1 & 2, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Season 2, Gleipnir, My Hero Academia, Fruits Basket, Sword Art Online, BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.

Strengths:

• Good Quality Anime on Free Version
• Vast variety of Anime
• You can link it across devices

Weaknesses:

• The free version has limited content

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

3. Funimation

Availability:

• Android & iOS
• Windows
• Game consoles such as Xbox One, Xbox 360, Play Station 3 ,4 & Vita.
• Smart TV devices including Apple TV, Android TV, LG Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and Samsung

Price: 14-day free trial; $6 per month for the Premium and  $8 per month for the Premium Plus.

It is worth mentioning that Funimation was once a close partner of Crunchyroll. Both apps shared their libraries but parted ways a long time ago. It is a big distributor of dubbed Anime, which replaces Japanese voice acting rather than adding subtitles.

You can always count on Funimation for a dose of feel-good fun anime. This is a recommended legal anime site in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Moreover, you can connect it easily with multiple devices like Smart TV and simultaneously enjoy the shows on big screens and mobile phones.

Funimation offers a convenient search system through which you can search shows by genre.

Though it focuses mainly on nostalgic anime titles, you can dive into the good old times anywhere and anytime. It offers few latest options.

With Funimation, you can access anime movies from Japan without any delay. However, not all videos are available for downloading on Funimation.

Best Anime on Funimation: Attack on Titan, Fairy-Tail, My Hero Academia, Assassination Classroom, Mob Psycho 100, Yuri!!! On ICE, Dragon Ball (US only: including Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z Kai, and Dragon Ball GT)

Strengths:

• Several dubbed shows
• Excellent interface
• Offline downloads
• In-Depth search filter
• Various price ranges with a free service with ads

Weaknesses:

• No original shows
• No manga reader
• Dubs focus inhibits the overall library

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

4. RetroCrush TV

Availability: iOS and Android

Price: Free

Looking for a hidden gem in the anime industry, look no further than RetroCrushTV. This app is a home for old classic Anime. You won't find much of its library anywhere else, especially in America. This app offers all kinds of Anime from each genre with the English dub and English Sub Support.

Browsing is super easy because of its user-friendly interface and minimalist design. However, it does not have an option to adjust video quality on mobile and on its web version like many other free streaming services and caps resolution at 720p, or sometimes lower.

The most noteworthy aspect of this anime app is that it is entirely free and legal. This streaming service, dedicated to cool old favorites, displays age ratings for its content, alongside details like episode summaries and cast lists.

Best Anime on RetroCrush TV: Teacher Onizuka, Flame of Recca, Bubblegum Crisis, Fushigi Yugi, Ultra Maniac, Deltora Quest, Blue Seed, 1998's Devil Lady, 1979's Galaxy Express 999, and 1984's Urusei Yatsura and Many More.

Strengths:

• It's Completely Free
• Exclusive retro anime shows and movies
• Surprisingly infrequent ads

Weaknesses:

• Limited library
• Lacks community and accessibility features

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

5. Starz

Availability: iOS, Android and PC

Price: 7-days free trial period, 8.99$ monthly fee

Starz app is a decent option to stream anime. This app includes some of the most fantastic Anime in its series category.

The app allows the users to download the Anime on their mobile devices. So you would be able to watch them whenever you are free, any place, any time without the Internet's connectivity.

Moreover, this app offers a free trial period under which you would test the quality of services. After that, you are required to pay a nominal fee per month basis.

This app has an easy user interface and simple to use features. Also, the TV series and movie sections' layout, the rows of categories are similar to the interface seen with Netflix.

Best Anime on Starz: Martin Successor, Please Twins, Voltron, Digimon Frontier, The Third Robotech, Galaxy Angel Etc.

Strengths:

• Tons of movies.
• Fair price.
• Can download shows and movies to mobile devices.

Weaknesses:

• Not as many quality original shows as other services.
• Mobile App and Web interface sometimes stutter.
• Limited accessibility options.

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

6. VRV

Available:

• Android devices; OS v5.0 and above
• iOS devices
• Xbox One
• Playstation 4
• Chromecast
• Android TV
• Apple TV
• Fire TV
• Roku devices

Price: Free and $10 per month for the premium package

We try and pick out the less obvious and uncommon yet brilliant services, too. So, you can find a fantastic app you don't already know about and is less famous but useful. VRV is undoubtedly an all-around app for entertainment.

VRV provides you an opportunity to all the latest and most followed animes even without WiFi or internet connection. It offers free ad-supported content in 1080p to basic users.

It is considered as an excellent Kissanime alternative. It is an app that integrates several anime streaming services into one catalog for easy access among users and supports Subtitles.

Additionally, it is compatible with many devices and includes various streaming sites into a single catalog for easy access. With VRV, you also get to see shows from Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, HIDIVE, NickSplat, Cartoon Hangover, and Boomerang, etc.

Apart from that, VRV has a unique feature, i.e., daily challenges for various series fans.

Best Anime on VRV: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Critical Role, Yuri on Ice, RWBY, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Bravest Warriors, Yu Yu Hakusho, Attack on Titan.

Strengths:

• Offline downloads available
• Wide variety of shows
• A la carte pricing option
• Unlimited simultaneous streaming
• Content from different animation genres and channels

Weaknesses:

• Not great understanding of people
• Channels can go offline without any notice

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

7. AnimeStar

Availability: Android

Price: 100% Free

The app provides you with a significant number of free anime series and movies. It has a decent 4.1-star rating on google play store and its quality is improving day by day.

 It has a variety of anime series and a vast range of animated movies. A useful feature about this app is that you can have all the HD quality series without annoying ads between the videos.

 This streaming app's subscribers surpassed 70 million in 200+ countries. The application also provides suggestions regarding trending and popular shows on the app so that you never miss out on any amazing show.

Also, it has an interactive and simple user interface to ensure stress-free navigation.

Best Anime on AnimeStar: Naruto, One piece, Black clover, Boruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hunter x Hunter, Bleach, Yakusoku no Neverland, Fullmetal Alchemist, K-On, One punch man

Strengths:

• Free
• HD quality
• Infrequent Ads

Weaknesses:

• Downloading option not available
• Sign in issues
• Service unavailable error

Click here to download for Android

8. Hulu

Available: Android and iOS

Price: 7-day free trial followed by $6 for the basic plan and $12 for the premium package.

Stuck at home and struggling with what Anime to watch during the Corona Virus Pandemic? Search no more because Hulu has a wide range of anime shows at your fingertips. This is a legal service that will navigate you safely around the world of Anime so that you can enjoy the hidden anime gems within. 

Entertaining more than 36.6 million paid subscribers, Hulu has recently decided to launch a new version that will enable users to download the videos and watch them offline. Till then, you can try any 3rd party methods to download the Anime on your internal device storage.

Plus, you can also create up to 6 profiles to keep a record of your favorite shows and movies.

Hulu offers free services, but you'll have to deal with ads. You can opt for a subscription to remove them.

Dubbing and subtitle option shuffle between seasons- therein lies the rub, but if you don't mind it, it is a great option.

Best Anime on Hulu: Naruto, Akira, Afro Samurai, One-Punch Man, My Hero Academia, Fairy Tail, Kill la Kill, Sword Art Online, Grave of the Fireflies

Strengths:

• Cloud DVR

• Rich content

• suitable for many media streaming devices

Weaknesses:

• can be a little inconsistent

• A premium account for offline downloads is needed

• Fewer high-quality originals

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

9. CoNtv+Comics

Availability: Android and IOS

Price: free,  VIP AD free for $6.99 a month

Next on our list is CONTV, a fantastic anime streaming app as it offers thousands of great anime series and films to discover. It is a legal and legit App to watch anime movies and TV shows on Android and IOS.

Overall, the quality of the streams is decent. However, it may change dramatically, so it is not recommended to be used on big screens.

Moreover, the app has a very smooth and clean interface. Since it is a free app, it is supported by Ads, which are not that frequent. It also has various Anime covering genres like adventure, comedy, magic, space, etc.

Moreover, it contains thousands of anime and manga videos including movies, shows, series, drama, soundtracks, and everything interesting for anime fans. It has a simple UI and it is super easy to search shows either through the search bar or from the categories.

Best Anime on ConTv:

Ghost series, AD Police, Beelzebub, Beyblade, BeyWheelz, Blue Submarine, Ceres, Celestial Legend, Deltora, Digimon Adventure, Earl and Fairy, Ronin Warriors and many more.

Strengths:

• Regularly updated.

• Graphic novels are available.

• Wide range of kids collection.

Weaknesses:

• Limited content in the Free version.            

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

10. Tubi

Availability: Android and IOS

Price: 100% free

Tubi is a 100% legal app that offers unlimited streaming and does not ask for any credit card information or subscription. For this reason, it has become the world's largest free movie and television service and has surpassed 20 million monthly active users.

Although it is the most affordable option on our list, it offers some great anime shows and movies. This app primarily focuses on classic anime shows. Tubi's anime collection will take you back to your childhood since it offers various old yet most famous plays.

Moreover, it has an easy user interface that easily lets you find exciting stuff through the app.

Another essential feature of this app is its compatibility with different devices such as

• Smart TVs ( Amazon Fire TV/Stick, Vizio Smart TV, Roku)

• Streaming media players ( Chromecast, Comcast Xfinity X1)

• Mobile devices ( Android (smartphone/tablet), iOS (iPhone/iPad), Kindle Fire Tablet)

• Consoles ( PS3/4, Xbox One, Nvidia Shield)

But Tubi has one major drawback, i.e., it does not support offline viewing.

Best Anime on Tubi: Afro Samurai Resurrection, Naruto, One-Punch Man, Wicked City, Black Jack, Fate Stay Night and Mushi-Shi, etc.

Strengths:

• Absolutely Free

• Content from major film studios

• Intuitive app and web streaming option

Weaknesses:

•  

• Content library is a bit outdated

• Offline service not available

• No original content available

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

11. Netflix

Availability: Android and iOS 

Price: It has a 30-day free trial, $7 Basic, $9 Standard and a $12 premium plan per month.

Netflix is so surprisingly gripping that it will have you pondering a monthly subscription. All you want to get started is to install the Netflix app on your device and chose a plan that suits you, and then you are good to go. You can also search for your favorite Anime here and download it for offline viewing.

You can enjoy a 30-day free trial; after that, you must take a subscription to continue watching. You can also create up to 5 profiles for an account, and each profile works flawlessly on multiple devices simultaneously.

Undoubtedly, Netflix is a great streaming app for Anime and in general. Still, sometimes it lacks the latest Anime and the available options are quite ordinary and mediocre for the audience.

Plus, Netflix enables you to switch audio from Japanese to English audio for Anime and provides subtitles. Interestingly, more than 100 million anime lovers used Netflix in 2020.

If you are looking for a simple, legal, and safe user interface, Netflix can be a perfect pick.            

Best Anime on Netflix: Pokémon, Naruto, Your Lie In April, The Seven Deadly Sins, Knights Of Sidonia, LittleWitch Academia, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Blood of Zeus, Devilman: Crybaby, Aggretsuko, Bleach, Blue Exorcist, and (outside the US) Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and many more.

Strengths:

• Streaming is ad-free

• Offline downloads

• Physical media option

• High-quality content

• Great app and features

• Lots of original content

Weaknesses:

• Paid subscription

• Little or no information on changes to the content

• Small anime offering

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

12. HIDIVE

Availability: iOS and Android

Price: 14-days free trial; $4.99/month

Without a doubt, HIDIVE is another considerable platform for anime lovers, which offers you a great deal of anime series that will take your obsession to another level.

Despite its low rating, i.e., 2.3 on Google Play Store, it is being used by approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide. It also provides updates about trending anime series at the moment when you open your app.

HIDIVE is a legal app and has collaborated with Crunchyroll to give its users a substantial anime library. Moreover, it offers a vast variety of sub and dub series that you can watch at HD (1080p).

You can use HIDIVE downloader NX, which is capable of downloading videos from the HIDIVE streaming service.

It has a decent user interface and you can use this app on multiple screens simultaneously. This app keeps a good record and continuously updates its users about all the upcoming series and release dates next episode of your favorite series.

Best Anime on HIDIVE: Clannad, K-on, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Bloom into your dub cast, Release the Spyce, SNAFU

Strengths:

• The free version has a fairly good period.
• Exclusive Series
• Allows live chat.

Weaknesses:

• No easy double-tap feature to fast forward or rewind.
• It does not support the user's watching record
• Download option

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

13. YouTube

Available: Android and iOS

Price: Free and $12 for YouTube Premium

YouTube is another excellent app that is used to stream anime. You can download some of the shows on the app to watch offline as some creators allow downloading options while some restrict this action. In the latter situation, you can use apps such as Whytomate, Savefrom, Yt1s, etc., to download videos from YouTube. You have to copy the URL from YouTube and paste it on one of the apps mentioned above, and simply click the download button

Without a doubt, YouTube has been one of the most popular and trusted apps for streaming video sites for a long time. Tons of Anime is also available on YouTube.

Moreover, it also allows you to download your favorite anime shows and watch them offline. Brilliant quality and incredibly user-friendly interface are the best features of YouTube.

With YouTube, anime lovers can quickly access more than 10,000 anime shows without having to go through the trouble of registration.

YouTube is free with advertisements. However, if you opt to remove these intervals, you can subscribe to YouTube Premium for $12.

It is undoubtedly an excellent legal platform to watch Anime and listen to anime theme songs and soundtracks. It also suggests you Play similar ones or lead you directly to the next episodes.           

Best Anime on YouTube: Death note, Soul eater, Beyblade, Hajime No Ippo, Hellsing, and many more.

Strengths:

• Easy accessibility

• Wide variety of content

• You can save to view offline

Weaknesses:

• Frequent Ads on the unpaid version

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

14. MUBI

Availability: Android & iOS

Price: 7-day free trial; $10/month

If you haven't used this app before, this app can be your favorite Anime streaming - since it is a  great app when it comes to downloading and playing anime movies offline. You can easily download movies and shows on the Mubi app.

This app offers a 7-day free trial, which allows you to watch one movie per day. But with the premium subscription, you get access to all the anime titles across various genres.

With its dynamic movie lineup, it uploads new shows and movies every day. Mubi cares about its users; therefore, you will find some exciting and latest anime content on this app.

It comes with a brilliant design that enables you to review, rate and follow your favorite Anime and share it with friends. Moreover, it has a user-friendly interface and can use it on multiple devices simultaneously.

We promise you that you will discover some of the classic Anime in their itinerary. You can easily install the Mubi app from the official app store of Google and is 100 % authentic and legitimate content.

Best Anime on Mubi: Sword Of The Stranger, Perfect Blue, Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind, Metropolises, My Neighbor Totoro, Ghost In The Shell and Grave Of The Fireflies Etc.

Strengths:

• Extensive catalog of shows

• Community features

• 1080p streaming

• Offline downloads on mobile

Weaknesses:

• No support for multiple viewing profiles

• Limited closed captioning options

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

15. Amazon Prime Video

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: 14-day free and $9 per month

Last but indeed not least app on our list is Amazon Prime Video. It is an excellent anime streaming service developed by the largest e-commerce company in the current days to view your favorite Anime offline by clicking the download button available with the show title.

It allows you to download the Anime over WiFi and can easily watch it anytime later offline. Like Netflix, the service caters to the cravings of 150 million users around the world. Plus, Amazon prime users can share their accounts with up to 3 people.

 You will have to pay a very nominal subscription fee and you are good to go. This application is straightforward and easy to use; therefore, you can quickly find your favorite anime shows. Watch your favorite Anime in English, German, French, Japanese, Korean, and more.

This app's high spots are the quality of anime videos, the great collection of Anime, and that it is light on your phone's memory.

It is one of the highly-rated apps to binge-watch all the old and latest anime shows. Anime shows which do not receive many responses only last over a year. However, Amazon continues to invest and license in new exhibitions like Vinland Saga.

Talking about recent times, it produced a new version of Blade of the Immortal. This first anime series is only accessible on Prime Video and wasn't broadcast on Japanese TV.

Best Anime on Amazon Prime Video: Boy And The Beast, Mary And The Witch's Flower, Your Name, Grave Of The Fireflies, The Red Turtleare Akira, Cowboy, Flame Of Recca, Dororo, Inuyashiki, Re: CREATORS, Shingeki No Kyojin, And Steins; Gate, Among Many Others.

Strengths:

• Great content

• Offline viewing

• HD videos

Weaknesses:

• Must be paid for after the free trial

• Small library

Click here to download for Android

Click here to download for IOS

We make Anime streaming easy for you!

These are the 15 best anime streaming apps you can use to stream your favorite and Premium Anime for free.  Along with app descriptions, we have listed all the pros and cons of each app.

After reading this article, you can not only download Anime on your device but also watch the dubbed and subbed shows and movies offline whenever and wherever you want.

What do you think of our list? If you liked the article, don't forget to share it with your friends!