Crunchyroll Ending Free Ad-Supported Tier on Dec. 31
If you want to enjoy the world’s best anime streaming service without a paid subscription, your time is running short. Crunchyroll is killing off its free ad-supported tier on Dec. 31, 2025.
$7.99/mo.
Crunchyroll has three different paid tiers. The free ad-supported version was a great way for new viewers to get a taste of the wide and wonderful world of Japanese animation. Unfortunately, that option is ending. The announcement appears during ad breaks on the platform.
What Can You Watch with Crunchyroll?
The service has 2,000+ titles of groundbreaking anime. There are 50,000+ episodes overall.
Popular titles on the platform include:
- My Hero Academia
- One Piece
- Kailua No. 8
- DAN DA DAN
- Dr. STONE
- The Water Magician
- My Dress-Up Darling
- Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin
- Clevatess
- The Rising of the Shield Hero
- To Your Eternity
- Secrets of the Silent Witch
- TO BE HERO X
- Scooped Up by an S-Rank Adventurer!
- Dragon Raja: The Blazing Dawn
- New Saga
- Lord of Mysteries
Movies and shows are available in 12+ languages, and users have the option to watch with subtitles or dubbed in their native language.
Will There Be Any Way to Watch Crunchyroll Free in 2026?
Your option in the new year is to sample the service with a free trial. You can get 7 days free to enjoy the service without ads.
What Are the Paid Crunchyroll Subscription Options?
- Enjoy full access to Crunchyroll’s library.
- Watch new episodes shortly after airing in Japan.
Annual option is $79.99 (save 16%).
- Full access to Crunchyroll’s library.
- Download to watch on the go.
- Stream on up to 4 devices at once.
- Discounts in the Crunchyroll Store.
- Crunchyroll Game Vault access
Annual option is $119.99 (save 16%)
- Get access to Crunchyroll Manga.
- Stream on up to 6 devices at once.
- Download titles for offline viewing.
- Enjoy free access to Crunchyroll Game Vault.
- Larger discounts at the Crunchyroll store.
- Exclusive swag bag after your first year.
Annual plan is $149.99/year.
Are There Any Other Ways to Watch Anime for Free?
Yes, you can still enjoy free anime even beyond a free trial of Crunchyroll.
HIDIVE
HIDIVE is another paid anime library, but you can watch it with a free trial. It includes exclusive titles. Some of the popular titles include:
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon
- MADE IN ABYSS
- The Vexations of a Shut-in Vampire Princess
- Helck
- Tokyo Mew Mew New
- The Demon Girl Next Door
- My Gift LVL 9999 Unlimited Gacha
- Dusk Beyond The End Of The World

$6.99/mo.
AsianCrush
If you’re looking for a freemium option, you can stream plenty of free content on AsianCrush without paying. If you’d like to drop the ads, you can choose to play $4.99/month or $49.99/year. There’s a 7-day free trial for either premium plan. Of just stick with free! It’s up to you.
Titles include “Urusei Yatsura: Only You,” “Hells,” “City Hunter: Bay City Wars,” “My Little Monster,” and “Magic User’s Club!”

$4.99/mo.
Tubi
One of our top free services has a nice anime library with titles like “Storm Rider: Clash of the Evils,” “Terror in Resonance,” “Naruto,” and “Yu-Gi-Oh!”
RetroCrush
Looking for the classics? You can choose the totally free version of RetroCrush Anime or go for a premium version that has a 7-day free trial.
Either way, you get some knockout titles like “Astro Boy,” “Aim for the Ace!,” “Hajime no Ippo,” “Princess Nine,” “Yowamushi Pedal: The Movie,” “Samurai Troopers (Ronin Warriors),” “Ninja Robots Tobikage,” “Magic Knight Rayearth,” and “Flame of Recca.”

$3.99/mo.
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