How much is Crunchyroll and is it worth it?

Crunchyroll is essential for anime enthusiasts, offering a premier Japanese animation and entertainment collection outside Asia. It boasts exclusive anime series, thousands of episodes, and unique productions, positioning itself as a critical platform for anime in the UK and the US. Subscribers enjoy access to popular shows like Hell’s Paradise and One Piece, quizzes, and the latest news from Japan. Crunchyroll’s varied membership options provide something for every fan, ensuring you’re up-to-date with the latest in anime. Here’s a guide to understanding Crunchyroll’s costs and membership benefits to find the perfect subscription.

You can sign up for the service at the link below:

Crunchyroll subscription plans and pricing

The streaming service has four plans, each with different perks. Here are the main differences and how to decide which plan is the best for you.

• Can I watch Crunchyroll for free?
  In short, yes. A free membership is usually the best choice for casual watchers and those just getting into Japanese animation. It allows you to stream most of the available content in standard definition. This membership is ad-supported, meaning you will encounter ads when watching anime. You must also be patient if you want to watch new episodes since they are not instantly available.
• Fan subscription
  Crunchyroll Fan removes all advertisements and grants you access to the entire catalog of anime and dramas. This includes simulcasts and simulpubs, so you can watch or read new content as soon as it comes out. The viewing experience is upgraded, too — with Fan, you can watch your favorites in 720p and 1080p resolution. However, you are limited to just one stream at a time. Finally, you receive 5% off select products at the Crunchyroll Store and free U.S. shipping on purchases greater than $75 or a flat-$7 from the Crunchyroll Store. The Crunchyroll Fan subscription costs $7.99 monthly, with a 7-day free trial.
• Mega Fan subscription
  This has everything in the cheaper Fan tier but increases the number of concurrent streams per account from one to four. You also get access to offline viewing of anime with this plan. Finally, you receive 10% off select products at the Crunchyroll Store and free U.S. shipping on purchases greater than $50 or a flat-$7 from the Crunchyroll Store.
  The Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription costs $11.99 monthly, with a 7-day free trial.
• Ultimate Fan subscription
  This tier has everything in the Fan and Mega Fan packages. However, this tier allows you to access up to six concurrent streams per account. Every year, you will also get a unique swag bag sent to you. You get 15% off select products at the Crunchyroll Store and free U.S. shipping on all purchases at the Crunchyroll Store. The Crunchyroll Ultimate Fan subscription costs $15.99 monthly, with a 7-day free trial.

Crunchyroll and Max

Max also has several anime shows from the Crunchyroll library to stream on its service (AT&T currently owns both services). You can stream about 20 to 30 anime titles on Max. This is meant to give those subscribers a taste of the Crunchyroll catalog and not replace it.

Is Funimation part of Crunchyroll?

Crunchyroll used to compete with Sony’s rival anime-centric streamer Funimation, but as of March 1, 2022, all Funimation content not already on Crunchyroll is being migrated to Crunchyroll.

In early December 2020, Sony announced that its Funimation anime division would acquire Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion. The deal was approved and finalized in 2021.

It was unclear how or even if the two services would continue to co-exist, but now they have been merged under the Crunchyroll banner. Funimation was entirely shut down on April 2nd, 2024.

Crunchyroll’s pricing will increase following the merger, with over 50 new titles available on the service.

Current Funimation paid subscribers can get 60 days of Crunchyroll Premium for free as part of the merger process.

Funimation automatically transferred existing subscribers to Crunchyroll, noting that the transfer “may vary depending on your specific payment platform, subscription type, and region.” To make matters worse, Crunchyroll won’t support the digital copies redeemed through Funimation.

Crunchyroll features

As we mentioned, the paid subscription tiers offer features like downloading shows to mobile devices. They also support more concurrent streams per account and discounts to the service’s merchandise store. The service also has its own news service for general anime announcements. You can upload your own picture or any image to be your profile. Paid members can also customize their profile page with different designs.

In addition to a redesigned UI, it adds features like recommendations based on your past viewing history. You can also create your own watchlist, along with custom lists that let you organize and label anime shows in any category. You can also pause a show and pick up where you left off from your three most recently watched shows.

Parental controls

Crunchyroll offers content for kids and more mature anime shows and movies for adults. As of this writing, only one minor parental control feature is available. Here’s how to enable it:

1. Sign in to your Crunchyroll account and then click on your Profile icon.
2. Tap or click on Settings in the menu.
3. Tap or click on the Video Settings option.
4. Finally, change the box under the Mature Content Filter box to show Hide Mature Content.

Remember that if your kids know your account and password, they can switch the controls back to showing mature content.

Compatible devices

The service is available on the following platforms:

• iOS phones and tablets
• Android phones and tablets
• Roku set-top boxes, streaming sticks, and smart TVs
• Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks, set-top boxes, and smart TVs
• Android TV smart TVs
• Sony PlayStation 3, 4, and Vita game consoles
• Microsoft Xbox One game console
• Nintendo Wii U game console
• Google Chromecast
• Web access via browser at Crunchyroll.com
• Windows 10 app

The service used to be available for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii consoles, but those apps have now been discontinued.

Catalog

So, if you are convinced and want to try Crunchyroll, what should you watch first? You’ll be happy to know that Crunchyroll offers both quantity and quality. From little-known cult classics to worldwide smash hits, it’s got something for everyone.

But what can you watch? Crunchyroll’s catalog consists primarily of anime series. It offers a lot of classic popular shows like One Piece and Gundam, but it’s also the best place to watch new releases online. You can access simulcasts: new episodes from top series are usually available to watch only an hour after they are broadcast in Japan. Don’t worry if you don’t speak a lick of Japanese. There are also some great anime movies on Crunchyroll, but the choices are slightly more limited. The same applies to Asian dramas since the list of available titles changes regularly.

You will find action-packed, long-running shonen favorites like Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and more. They are perfect for those who enjoy long series, thanks to most of these shows’ immense number of episodes. However, you can enjoy shorter action series such as One-Punch Man, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Attack on Titan.

Fans of fantasy, however, can check out the mysterious and captivating Mushi-shi anime. If you want to add a bit of romance into the mix, the recent The Ancient Magus’ Bride series is also a must-watch. Finally, we can’t recommend Yuri on Ice enough — a sports anime smash hit from 2016 that has captivated audiences since.

In 2020, the service started dropping all-new anime series that it produced or co-produced under the Crunchyroll Originals label. They have included shows like Tower of God, ONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You, and The God of High School, with more in the works.

Is Crunchyroll worth it?

If you are a hardcore anime fan, you should sign up for Crunchyroll, especially now that it has absorbed its main competitor, Funimation.

Crunchyroll’s library of classic and current anime TV shows is extensive, and you can watch much of its content for free, provided you can deal with commercials and low 480p resolution. Its paid subscription fees are reasonable, and you can eliminate ads and get higher-resolution videos. Finally, canceling Crunchyroll is simple and free of hidden fees and restrictions, so it’s low-risk for those who aren’t entirely sold and want to try it out.

Other FAQ

That’s our look at Crunchyroll. We will update this post with any new information as warranted.