The popularity of anime websites worldwide is just undeniable. You only have to look at the overwhelming number of anime torrent sites and streaming apps like the FireAnime App on Firestick.
English-dubbed anime and those with Spanish subtitles? No surprise! Outside of Japan, where anime originated, the US comes second as the country with the most anime viewers, with approximately 13% of the American population hooked on this genre, according to a 2020 anime popularity survey. In Spain, about 17 million watch anime according to a 2021 report on anime viewers worldwide.
Ahh… Anime… love it, or hate it! Either way, our list of the best anime sites to watch all of the anime you want will make sure that you are always up-to-date with more amazing and iconic series coming out all the time.
These anime streaming sites have you covered whether you want to watch a brand new episode, or you are looking for the old classics.
Our selection criteria include vital features such as definition, streaming speeds, and added extras such as subtitles, which can be vital for watching in your native language.
A word to the wise: We strongly advise that you install and run an ad blocker and a VPN app such as ExpressVPN (our best recommended) before visiting these anime websites.
Crunchyroll may sound more like something you would eat, but it is actually a way to watch all the newest anime.
Episodes of the top anime shows become available on the site just hours after they come out in Japan, the home of anime and manga.
Compatibility is amazing, as you can install the app on so many devices such as iOS, Android, Apple TV, Xbox, Roku, and PS4, with no ads on any of these platforms. Over 30,000 episodes of shows including Attack on Titan and The Faraway Paladin.
You do need to pay for membership, “Fan” membership means you can access on one device, whereas Mega Fan means you can watch on up to four devices simultaneously.
Crunchyroll is not free, but for true anime lovers, this is one of the best, if not the best, anime sites to watch the world’s biggest collection of anime.
With a name like AnimeHeaven, this site is definitely promising a lot! So, does it really live up to the name?
AnimeHeaven is one of those godsend anime websites with thousands of hours of content to access without having to pay. However, you need to make sure you are protecting yourself and using a great VPN to hide your details.
The site has some annoying ads, which can pop up while you are navigating, but once you’re into the streams the site lets you watch – in high definition – without interruption.
The site has cool features and functions to find new shows. For instance, you can select “random” and it will find you a movie or TV show to watch. Endless fun!
KissAnime is another free streaming site with loads of anime for your enjoyment. It’s another that has a history of being taken offline and put back up on another “clone” domain. As mentioned earlier, we’ve already done the research and review of the best KissAnime alternatives for you.
With anime streaming sites like this, make sure you arm yourself with a VPN, preferably one that comes with an ad blocker. The ads can be a bit annoying, but this doesn’t necessarily have to stop you from using the site. It has a huge selection of anime choices including Demon Slayer, and options to watch brand new episodes as well as the old classics.
Most of the videos have multiple mirrors on different servers, so there is almost always a working stream. You can use the search function, look for your favorite by category or go to the “trending” tab to find anime episodes others are watching
9Anime is high up on our list of free anime sites to watch loads of anime. What makes the difference is that 9Anime has an amazingly neat and tidy layout, with a modern touch.
As well as an easy search function so you can find your favorite niche show, there are lots of charts including the most popular shows by day, week, or month. You can also filter between “Subbed” and “Dubbed” and either watch overdubbed or subtitled shows.
Familiar favorites can be found on the site, such as Naruto and Attack on Titan, but there are also loads of more obscure shows. You can even download the video itself to watch offline.
The “Suggestions” section under each show or movie even gives you hints on what to watch next (as if you don’t watch enough anime already).
VIZ is not quite as useful for anime lovers as it used to be. In 2020, users could access streams of a variety of different anime, including Naruto. Now, VIZ doesn’t have the same partnership with the streaming site Hulu, so you have to get external memberships to stream.
Still, VIZ does offer a great catalog of anime and shows you where you can legally stream them. If you don’t mind paying, this website is a good way of finding newly released anime. The site has an amazing community of fans to chat about anime, too.
Those who also love to read anime and manga can join “Shonen Jump” which also lets you read loads of anime in your browser for a small monthly price (currently $1.99).
Anime Planet is another one of the best anime websites with very cool features. It serves as a community hub for anime lovers, as well as a place to watch anime online.
This is such an amazing source to find anime as it has recommendations, lists of the best anime and trending episodes. Demon Slayer, Fruit Baskets, and many more are available on the site, with a chance to chat with like-minded people about your favorite shows.
To find the anime shows that are streaming on the site, you need to click “Watch anime online” on the top navigation to find the available selection.
We did find that some of the shows didn’t load on the pages they should have, and we got a message that “Crunchyroll failed to connect” and on some of the other sites we couldn’t see a video link. In some ways, it functions as a sort of IMDb for anime shows, so the selection could be better.
Funimation recently merged with AnimeLab, a popular service for streaming in the US, as well as other regions like Australia. The site features 15,000+ hours of anime content for you to enjoy, and you can either watch the videos with ads for free or pay for a premium plan.
Many people are geo-blocked from Funimation, so the best way to access it freely is by using (You guessed it!) a VPN and connecting via a server in a country where it is allowed.
Funimation has a neat layout and though there are ads, they are not spammy, compared to some of the other free anime streaming sites. Attack on Titan, The Promised Neverland and far more shows are available in HD on the platform, with subs and dubs both available for most shows.
github.com/XenTeckzX/FireAnime
FireAnime is available as an APK for android apps, so it’s not technically a website on its own. If you prefer ‘actual’ anime sites to watch your favorite shows, then head over to our post on 4Anime alternatives.
As for the app, it draws loads of anime streams from different sources to allow you to watch the latest drops, some of the best shows in Japan, and further afield. You can sort by categories including “latest subbed” and “latest dubbed” shows, and the app reliably loads top anime shows like “My Hero Academia” and “Attack on Titan”. Multiple servers are streaming most shows so it is unusual not to find the stream you’re looking for.
The ad annoyance is fairly minimal, but if you’re watching on the internet then it is annoying that you can’t just load up a site and start streaming.
AnimeFreak is one of those anime websites that keep moving domains. It suggests these are clones of the original site and that there might be some complaints about the site, so it is best to access it using your VPN to be safe.
Once in, you can access lots of hit shows including “One Punch Man.” There are lots of filters you can use to narrow it down to the anime you want to watch, sorting by year or by season.
It doesn’t seem as well-maintained as some of the other anime powerhouses on this list. Many of the streams we checked were patchy, with some failing to load, but those that we did find were in HD and either subbed or dubbed. It’s another option to find anime shows and movies, and it is easy enough to search for the content you’re hoping for.
Tubi is a free and legal service that has loads of content from MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount among other broadcasting partners. It even has some anime, so it is certainly one of our choices for websites to watch anime.
The site can afford to stay free because the videos are ad-supported. You will have to watch some adverts, but it is a small price to pay to be able to watch “Naruto” or “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” right?
Tubi is not available in Europe, due to privacy laws. As you probably know by now, the way around this is to use a VPN. You can do this within your browser, but there are other ways to stream Tubi. You can get it on Android and iOS apps, and it works on a number of devices and apps and you can even stream on a PS5, so make sure you get a VPN that works on that device, too, if you’re outside of the US.
AnimeDao is another of the free anime streaming sites that let you access loads of free anime, with a nice neat interface. Lots of similar websites hit you with loads of obnoxious ads as soon as you access them. That isn’t the case with AnimeDao. You might get some popups when you find the video you want, but it isn’t as much of an issue.
Many of the videos on the site have multiple versions streaming from different servers, so you’ll rarely find what you’re looking for. We found episodes of Tokyo 24-ku with seven different mirrors. We love the show and were tempted to test all seven, but the few we did check worked perfectly. Most streams are at least 1080P quality.
AnimeDao also has search functions to find the show you want and a “random” function. You need to provide your details and sign in to the site for this, which you might not want to do (privacy is important).
GoGo Anime is a site that allows you to stream a huge selection of different movies and anime TV shows, and is known for its awesome selection. Shows are sorted and organized by year and they go back to the 1990s. This is a gold mine for true anime lovers.
Some of the older shows aren’t in HD, but the fact they are available is very cool. There are hundreds of English dubbed shows, and subtitled shows. Check out their comprehensive “anime list” section, where every series is listed. It is more anime than even the most passionate anime lover could actually get through!
New episodes are quick to get uploaded, and you can check out the “new seasons” section for the very latest anime.
The ads on the site are nowhere near as garish and relentless as some alternative streaming platforms. Hours of uninterrupted viewing joy!
CONtv is a legal streaming service launched in 2015. It celebrates geek culture and has loads of content from Comic Con and of course, some anime, too.
Find shows like Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time, and Earl and Fairy on the site. They’re streaming in HD. This is a site that is supported by ads, so you will have to sit through some advertising before you dive into the content, but this is often a film trailer, so we can handle that.
Also, CONtv will nudge you to make an account… a lot. You don’t actually have to do that to watch anime if you don’t want to, just close the popup and navigate to the show you want to watch.
Outside the US? You know the answer… a VPN will let you connect as if you’re in America for hours of viewing fun.
There’s a little-known website out there called “Netflix” that you may have heard of.
Joking aside, for those looking for a way to reliably stream anime, Netflix is a great option. It’s not the cheapest way, but a lot of us know someone who may be willing to share those login details…
Anime on Netflix includes The Seven Deadly Sins, Howl’s Moving Castle, and DemonSlayer. You also get the benefit of thousands of hours of other shows and movies, all in HD or UHD platforms.
Netflix might not be the first name you thought of when searching for anime websites, but it is great for anime lovers. With a VPN, you can even access different geographical versions of the streaming service, meaning more shows.
For true anime lovers, Midnight Pulp is a real discovery.
This is the first of three sites by DMR, all serving anime lovers.
If you’ve gobbled up all of the current anime out there and want to dive into the history of the genre, there are series and movies dating back decades on the platform, all streaming in HD for free.
You can grab a premium account if you love it enough to pay to view without ads. Midnight Pulp doesn’t just have a lot of anime, it also has a ton of other Japanese movies and independent films.
The platform is available in the United States and Canada, but as we know by now, it’s available anywhere with a great VPN.
The library is great for those who want something refreshing and you can choose either subbed or dubbed content. Streams like Wicked City and Storm Rider: Clash of the Evils are among their most popular.
Asian Crush is another one of DMR’s anime streaming sites. As well as functioning as a website, it has its own app, and while Asian Crush focuses mainly on drama and Japanese TV, there’s a decent selection of anime on the site.
Not quite up there with Midnight Pulp, but there are still hundreds of subbed and dubbed Asian movies, easy to access, with very few ads and zero annoying popups. It’s worth including in your anime arsenal. You can also access the DMR channels on Roku, to make it even more simple.
Third in the awesome DMR network is Retro Crush, a site dedicated to some of the older, hidden gems of the world of anime.
It’s fascinating to dive back and watch shows from the 70s and 80s, and get an idea of how anime has evolved. Of course, as some of the shows are a little older, you might not get the same HD quality, but they are still subtitled or dubbed to enjoy in the English language.
Astro Boy is one of the dozens of great shows on there and is known to be one of the most influential shows in the history of anime.
This is a bit of a treasure trove, and though you won’t find the modern hits on there, you can stream hundreds of hours of awesome anime on Roku, or in your browser.
MyAnimeList is effectively an anime social network. It’s somewhere between Reddit and IMDb, but for anime!
On top of this, as you go through seeing the best-reviewed new and classic shows, there are many streams embedded. This means MyAnimeList is one of the websites to watch anime with the content right there on the site.
The only reason this isn’t higher up on our list is the fact that it can be tough to find some of the shows, and some of the streams aren’t reliable. For true anime lovers who enjoy the social side and discovering new shows, it’s worth adding MyAnimeList to your bookmarks, even if it doesn’t always have free streams.
If you want to access free streams of anime then sites including AnimeHeaven, Kiss Anime, and 9anime are all brilliant choices with lots of selection.
There’s a gray area, but it is generally accepted that with some copyrighted material, it’s illegal to upload it for others but not illegal to watch it. A lot of sites are totally legitimate and legal. If you’re at all worried, use a VPN to access the site anonymously.
Yes, most anime websites are safe. However, it’s good to be aware that there are some clones and harmful sites that may seek to steal your details or infect your computer with malware. Protect yourself with a VPN.
You can access a lot of the sites without a VPN, but to protect your details and connect to geo-blocked content, you might wish to use a VPN. It’s certainly the safest method of free streaming and gives you a layer of protection.
Anime lovers, we’ve got you covered. With the 18 amazing anime websites listed above, there is something for everyone, and loads of platforms for you to stream from. From the influential and historic anime shows to brand new episodes dropping weekly, there’s more anime than anyone could hope to consume, but we’ll give it our best shot.
