Crunchyroll streaming service review: Price, features and content

Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll has always been a go-to destination for anime fans. A niche streaming service, Crunchyroll specialises mainly in anime series, subbed and dubbed, but also offers a vast collection of digital manga and anime-based mobile games.

Moreover, Crunchyroll hosts an online store with collectibles, media, clothing and accessories that will appeal to anyone with a passion for Japanese culture. Unfortunately, it ships from the US, so you may need to wait a bit to get your hands on your order.

In March 2022, Crunchyroll and Funimation have merged under the Crunchyroll brand, which means that Crunchyroll is now the ultimate platform for anime enthusiasts. Funimation will continue to add new episodes of ongoing series, but any new series will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll. You can find more details about what that means for subscribers in the dedicated section below.

Pros and cons

Crunchyroll price

Crunchyroll is completely free to use, with limitations.

You'll need to sign up for an account to watch most titles (as they come with age restrictions), but once that's done you can watch a wide collection of anime episodes for free, with ads. You can't access the entire library with a free account nor read manga.

If you enjoy using Crunchyroll and want to unlock everything the service has to offer, you can splurge on a paid subscription, which comes with extra perks.

Crunchyroll Premium

There are 2 types of Premium subscriptions that Crunchyroll enthusiasts can opt for: Fan or Mega-Fan.

With Fan, you unlock the entire library with no ads as well as get access to new episodes 1 hour after Japan and the collection of manga. It costs $10.99 a month but doesn't include offline viewing and you can only stream on 1 device at a time.

If that's not enough, Mega-Fan costs $13.99 a month and lets you stream on 4 devices at the same time as well as download content on your mobile device to watch offline. Plus, you get all that's included in the Fan subscription.

You can sign up for 12 months and save 16%. A Mega-Fan subscription for an entire year costs $139.99.

Crunchyroll/Funimation merger details

As of March 2022, Funimation and Crunchyroll have merged, so anime fans no longer have to pay for 2 separate services to keep up with their favourite shows.

The Funimation library is moving to Crunchyroll and any new shows will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll moving forward. For the time being, Funimation will continue to add new episodes of ongoing series. However, it is strongly advising subscribers to move over to Crunchyroll in March. Even better, eligible Funimation users get an extended 60-day free trial of Crunchyroll Premium. If that's you, you should have already gotten instructions for how to redeem the trial via email.

The downside? You can't log in to Crunchyroll with your Funimation credentials or transfer your watch history and queue just yet. However, given that Crunchyroll will become home to any new shows moving forward, it's best to make the switch sooner rather than later.

What content is on Crunchyroll?

Crunchyroll has a vast library of anime series, so there's no chance you'll run out of stuff to watch, even with a free account. One of the most popular anime on the platform is One Piece, which has over 900 episodes, all streaming on Crunchyroll.

Other notable titles include Attack on Titan, Dr. Stone, Hunter x Hunter, Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, Bleach, Dragon Ball Super and Fruits Basket – to name only a few. Following the merger with Funimation, even more titles will become available on Crunchyroll, like Cowboy Bebop, which was previously missing from the service. A few movies are available as well, though they might be hard to find since everything is listed under "Shows".

Crunchyroll content

Looking for a new anime series to watch? Check out the full Crunchyroll TV show library.

What can I watch on Crunchyroll?

Crunchyroll My Hero Academia

One of the most popular anime series to come out in recent years, My Hero Academia, is available to stream on Crunchyroll in its entirety. Even better, season 5 of the series is on the platform as well.

If you're unfamiliar with My Hero Academia, it follows a young boy with no superpowers who is training to be a hero. It's fun, earnest and offers a fresh spin on the superhero genre. All in all, it's easy to understand why it became a cult phenomenon.

Crunchyroll free trial

Crunchyroll offers a free 14-day trial for its premium membership tiers, including access to its entire library and simulcasts.

You have to give your personal information and credit card, and your subscription is automatically purchased at the end of the trial. If you decide the Crunchyroll Premium service isn't for you, cancel before your trial is up to avoid getting charged.

Crunchyroll features

With Crunchyroll's focus on Japanese pop-culture content, it could be a great streaming service for anime and manga fans.

Shows

Watch popular anime titles and live-action dramas included in its extensive library. But, possibly its most popular feature is its simulcasts, which allow you to access select new episodes within hours of their original broadcast.

Manga

With its Crunchyroll Premium accounts, you can read popular comics online and access the newest releases from Kodansha Comics with its simulpub feature.

Games

Crunchyroll Games brings anime games to your iOS and Android phone or tablet. It's fairly new to the gaming space and says it's working to bring on more games to its service for Crunchyroll users and beyond.

Crunchyroll devices

Crunchyroll works on a variety of devices, so you can watch your favourite anime on all types of screens. Here's the full list:

• Computer: PC and Mac
• Mobile devices: Apple iOS, Android and Windows Phone
• Game consoles: Wii U, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS5, PS4, PS3 and PlayStation Vita
• Smart TV, streaming player and other: Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV

How does it compare to Funimation and AnimeLab?

In Australia, Funimation and AnimeLab have merged. Moreover, Funimation has merged with Crunchyroll, so Crunchyroll is now the go-to platform for anime fans.

If you're new to the anime world, sign up directly for Crunchyroll since it will have exclusive series and the majority of the Funimation library moving forward. If you're using Funimation, switch to Crunchyroll to get access to the latest releases.

Both services come with free tiers and free trials, so give each a try and see which one is a better fit for you.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I cancel my Crunchyroll Premium subscription?

  Crunchyroll comes with no lock-in contracts, so you can cancel your account at any time. Once you're logged in, go to Account, hit the Cancel button and follow the on-screen prompts. If you don't see a Cancel button, you may have subscribed through a third-party service like iTunes or Google Play and you need to cancel your subscription from there.

• How much data does Crunchyroll use?

  Usually, an hour of streaming videos in SD quality can use up to 0.7GB per hour, while HD can burn through up to 3GB per hour. If you're worried about using up too much mobile data while streaming anime on Crunchyroll, a Mega Fan premium subscription includes offline viewing, so you can download episodes on a compatible mobile device.

• How do I set a Crunchyroll username?

  You will be able to set a username when you sign up for a Crunchyroll account. Simply choose the option you want to sign up to and follow the on-screen prompts, including setting a username. Pick carefully – your username is permanent, so you can't change it later on.

• How can I block ads on Crunchyroll?

  Unfortunately, you can't block video ads when streaming anime on Crunchyroll with a free account. You will need to upgrade to one of the premium plans for that. However, if you find browser or pop-up ads on the page annoying, you can use an ad blocker browser extension.