Good Apps For Watching Anime: Ultimate List

Anime has grown from a niche import into one of the biggest categories of streaming video, and the number of apps promising access to it has grown right along with it. The catch is that not every app actually delivers: some have shut down, some have merged into competitors, and some only carry a fraction of what their marketing suggests. Below is an updated, practical rundown of the apps actually worth installing in 2026, what each one is good (and not so good) for, and how to tell a solid option from a dead end before you download it.

What to Look for Before You Download an Anime App

A handful of factors separate a genuinely useful anime app from one that will frustrate you within a week:

• Library size and licensing: Some apps license only older or lower-profile titles, while others carry current-season simulcasts.
• Sub vs. dub availability: Not every title gets an English dub, and not every app labels this clearly before you start watching.
• Ad load: Free, ad-supported apps vary wildly in how often they interrupt an episode — some insert a short pre-roll, others break every few minutes.
• Offline downloads: Useful for commutes or flights, but usually locked behind a paid tier.
• Device support: Check that the app actually has a native app for your TV, streaming stick, or console, not just a mobile version.

Quick Comparison

App	Cost	Sub/Dub	Simulcasts	Best For
Crunchyroll	Free (ads) or paid tiers	Both	Yes	Largest overall library
Tubi	Free (ads)	Mostly dub	No	Zero-cost casual viewing
RetroCrush	Free (ads)	Both	No	80s/90s classics
Anime-Planet	Free	Both	No	Discovery and tracking
YouTube	Free (ads) or Premium	Varies by channel	Rare	Official clips and select full series

1. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the anime app most people end up on eventually. It carries an enormous catalog spanning current-season simulcasts, long-running shonen staples, and a growing back-catalog of both subbed and dubbed titles. The free tier is genuinely usable — you get a large slice of the library with ads — while the paid plans remove ads, add offline downloads, and in some regions bundle manga access.

Features:

• Extensive library: By far the largest legal anime catalog of any single app, spanning nearly every genre.
• Simulcast episodes: New episodes typically post within an hour of their Japanese broadcast.
• Multi-language subtitles: Support for several subtitle languages beyond English.
• Cross-device syncing: Watch progress carries over between phone, TV, and browser.

Worth knowing: the free ad-supported tier now lags a few episodes behind the paid tier for some simulcasts, so if staying current with a weekly series matters to you, factor that into whether the subscription is worth it.

Official Website: Crunchyroll

2. Funimation (Now Part of Crunchyroll)

This one comes with an important update: Funimation as a standalone app no longer exists. Sony, which owns both brands, folded Funimation’s catalog and user accounts into Crunchyroll during 2024. If you still have the Funimation app installed, it won’t receive new episodes — your library and watch history should already be accessible through Crunchyroll instead. We’re leaving this entry in because searches for “Funimation” are still common, and pointing that traffic toward a working alternative is more useful than pretending the app is still active.

What happened to its strengths: Funimation’s biggest draw was its deep English dub catalog, and that content is now part of Crunchyroll’s library rather than gone entirely. If you’re specifically hunting for a dubbed title you used to watch on Funimation, search for it inside Crunchyroll first before assuming it disappeared.

Official Website: Crunchyroll (Funimation catalog merged)

3. Tubi

Tubi is a genuinely free, ad-supported general streaming service that happens to carry a surprisingly deep anime section, mixing recognizable classics with titles you won’t find advertised elsewhere. There’s no account tier to upsell you into — everything on the platform is ad-supported, full stop, which makes it a reasonable first stop if you don’t want to commit to a subscription just to sample a series.

Features:

• Free access: No subscription tier at all; every title is ad-supported.
• Rotating catalog: Titles come and go as licensing deals change, so it’s worth checking back periodically.
• Cross-platform availability: Native apps for smart TVs, streaming boxes, phones, and a browser player.

Trade-off: the ad breaks are more frequent than on Crunchyroll’s free tier, and the anime selection, while decent, is a smaller slice of Tubi’s overall catalog rather than its main focus.

Official Website: Tubi

4. RetroCrush

RetroCrush fills a specific niche: it’s built entirely around anime from the ’80s and ’90s, the kind of catalog that mainstream apps tend to treat as an afterthought. If you grew up on that era, or you’re curious where a lot of modern anime tropes actually came from, this is the app that takes it seriously instead of burying it under new-release marketing.

Features:

• Classic-focused catalog: A curated selection of retro series and films you won’t easily find bundled elsewhere.
• Completely free: Ad-supported with no premium tier to push.
• Live channel: A scheduled, TV-style live stream for people who like to just leave something running.

Official Website: RetroCrush

5. VRV (Discontinued)

Another correction worth flagging: VRV, the bundle service that packaged Crunchyroll alongside channels like HIDIVE, was shut down by its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, back in 2023. You won’t find it in app stores anymore, and any old download links are dead. If you liked what VRV offered, the practical move is to subscribe to Crunchyroll and HIDIVE directly instead of hunting for a bundle that no longer exists.

Official Website: No longer available.

6. Anime-Planet

Anime-Planet works a little differently from the other entries on this list. It’s less a streaming app in its own right and more a legal discovery and tracking hub: it maintains detailed watchlists, community ratings, and recommendations, and links out to legitimate streaming partners for the actual video. If what you want is a place to log what you’ve watched, get recommendations based on your history, and track manga alongside anime, it’s genuinely useful — just don’t expect a built-in video player for every title.

Features:

• Tracking and community: Watchlists, reviews, and recommendations driven by an active user base.
• Manga coverage: Extends beyond anime into manga tracking, which most competitors don’t offer.
• Legal linking: Points to licensed streaming sources rather than hosting questionable copies.

Official Website: Anime-Planet

7. YouTube

Several studios and licensors run official channels that upload full episodes and movies for free, and it’s easy to overlook because YouTube doesn’t market itself as an anime platform. Channels tied to studios like Toei Animation, along with regional licensors such as Muse Asia for Southeast Asian audiences, post current and classic series legally, often with ads instead of a paywall. Availability is inconsistent — a series might be there in full one month and pulled the next as licensing shifts — so treat it as a supplementary source rather than your main library.

Features:

• Official channels: Content uploaded directly by studios and regional licensors.
• Free streaming: No subscription required; supported by standard YouTube ads unless you have Premium.
• Wide accessibility: Works anywhere YouTube already works, with no separate app to install.

Free vs. Paid, and Staying on Legal Ground

The free tiers of Crunchyroll and Tubi cover a lot of ground, but the trade-offs are consistent across every ad-supported app: more frequent ad breaks, no offline downloads, and sometimes a delay before the newest episodes post. A paid subscription mainly buys back your time and convenience rather than unlocking content you couldn’t otherwise see. If you watch casually, free is fine; if you’re keeping up with several weekly simulcasts or want offline downloads, a subscription pays for itself quickly. It’s also worth saying plainly that unofficial “free anime” sites not listed here typically run without licensing deals, carry malware-laden ads, and pay the studios and animators nothing. Sticking to the legitimate apps above means the people who made what you’re watching actually get paid for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there one app that has every anime series?
No. Licensing is split between companies, so even Crunchyroll, the largest single library, doesn’t carry everything. Expect to use two or three apps if you watch broadly across genres and eras.

Can I watch anime for free without ads?
Not legally, no. Every free option on this list is ad-supported. Ad-free viewing requires a paid subscription on the apps that offer one, such as Crunchyroll.

What happened to Funimation?
Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll during 2024 after Sony consolidated its anime streaming brands. Existing Funimation accounts and libraries were migrated over; the standalone app is no longer maintained.

Is VRV still available?
No. Warner Bros. Discovery shut it down in 2023. Subscribe to its former partner services, like Crunchyroll and HIDIVE, individually instead.

Which app is best for someone new to anime?
Crunchyroll’s free tier is the easiest starting point simply because of its catalog size and recommendation tools, but Tubi is worth trying too if you want to sample titles with zero commitment.

Bottom Line

Crunchyroll remains the closest thing to a one-stop shop, Tubi and RetroCrush cover the completely-free end of the spectrum, and Anime-Planet is worth keeping around purely for tracking and discovery even if you watch elsewhere. Skip searching for Funimation or VRV as standalone downloads — both have been folded into or replaced by the apps listed above, and knowing that now will save you a wasted search.