The number of anime watchers is increasing with each passing day. There are more than 10,000 anime shows available out there. But even with the growing popularity of anime, it's hard to find good apps to stream anime on smartphones.
Many apps are either filled with intrusive ads, illegal, or don't work as intended. Fortunately, some services allow you to watch anime on your smartphone. Let's look at the best anime streaming apps for Android and iPhone.
1. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is popular among anime fans and receives over 20 million monthly visits. It boasts over 1,000 titles in its library with subtitles (for non-Japanese speakers). You can find popular shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, Dr. Stone, Black Clover, and many more.
The Simulcasts feature in the app lets you watch an episode's broadcast on the same day it broadcasts in Japan. Along with anime, Crunchyroll offers a vast library of digital Manga, making it one of the best apps to read Manga on iPhone and Android.
You can enjoy the content for free on Crunchyroll, but you'll have to face intrusive ads when watching each episode. However, you can get rid of them if you subscribe to one of its premium plans that start at $7.99/month and range up to $79.99/year. There's a free 14-day trial to decide if you should subscribe to Crunchyroll Premium.
Download: Crunchyroll for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
2. Netflix
Netflix needs no introduction since it's one of the best streaming TV services there is. It has an excellent, user-friendly interface and a great collection of movies and shows that include anime. There's a distinct anime section where you can find all the anime that Netflix offers.
The library isn't vast compared to other apps, but you can find many masterpieces like Death Note, Demon Slayer, Naruto, and many more. All the titles have subtitles, plus a few include English dubs. You can also download these shows and watch them later.
Netflix doesn't allow you to stream for free and nor does it have any ads. You'll have to opt for a subscription to stream anime or any other content. The basic plan starts at $9.99/month and goes up to $19.99/month for the premium plan.
Download: Netflix for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
3. Funimation
Funimation is another anime streaming app that boasts a library of over 800 titles, including many hard-to-find films. It offers dubbed and subbed shows and lets you customize the subtitles to your preference.
Furthermore, it includes popular titles like One Piece, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, and many more. Like Crunchyroll, you get the SimulDubs feature that allows you to watch dubbed anime on the same day it broadcasts in Japan.
Funimation provides free dubbed content, but you can only access subbed content with a subscription. Along with this, there are various reasons to subscribe to Funimation. The premium plans start at $5.99/month and go up to $99.99/year. There's a 14-day trial available if you want to decide which subscription plan is the right one for you.
Download: Funimation for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
4. VRV
VRV is more just than a streaming service in itself. It hosts different video content, including anime. You can select to watch content from three channels: Crunchyroll, Mondo, and VRV Select.
Crunchyroll channel hosts anime, while the other Mondo and VRV Select channels host a variety of content, including science-fiction, animation, comedy, and more. You can access Crunchyroll's anime library, including shows like One Piece, One-Punch Man, Punch Line, and more. Plus, it has a clean and easy-to-use interface.
You can access the content for free, but you'll have to face some unavoidable ads during the stream. However, if you subscribe for $10/month, you can get rid of the ads and access exclusive shows, offline downloading, and new episodes first. Also, VRV provides a 30-day free trial to test out the features before you decide whether to go with the premium plan or not.
Download: VRV for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
5. RetroCrush
RetroCrush is the right app for you if you're looking for classic anime. It provides a variety of old-school anime, and most of them didn't see a worldwide release outside Japan. Some notable titles in this app include Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel, Cybersix, Devil Lady, and many more.
On top of that, the app's interface is clean, minimal, and easy to use. It doesn't only provide vintage content but also some first-time dubbed releases. Moreover, you don't need to log in to start watching, but creating an account gives you the ability to curate your watchlist.
The best part about RetroCrush is that you can watch any show in their library for free. However, you'll see ads often, but they aren't as intrusive as on other platforms. Additionally, you can get RetroCrush Premium which provides an ad-free experience, access to exclusive titles, and multiple device streaming.
RetroCrush offers two Premium plans that cost $4.99/month and $49.99/year. There's also a 14-day free trial in case you want to try the platform first.
Download: RetroCrush for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
6. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is another popular streaming service with various TV shows and movies. Like Netflix, Prime Video also houses classic and new anime. When you search for anime, you'll get a list of all anime titles available on Prime Video.
Prime Video's library includes some renowned titles like Vinland Saga, Inuyashiki - Last Hero, Psycho-Pass, and many more. All of them include English subtitles, and a few have dubbed versions. Prime Video allows you to download and watch these shows offline, which is one of the many reasons why you should subscribe to Amazon Prime Video.
Amazon Prime Video doesn't allow you to watch for free. You'll have to get a Prime Video membership to stream content, or you can subscribe to Amazon Prime to avail shopping benefits, unlimited Prime Video, music streaming & reading books, and much more.
The Prime Video subscription costs $8.99/month, while the Amazon Prime subscription starts at $14.99/month and ranges up to $139/year. Students can avail Amazon Prime subscription at a discounted price of $7.49/month or $69/year.
Download: Amazon Prime Video for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
Stream Anime on Your Smartphone
Anime continues to gain popularity over time, and there's a reason for that. Anime presents a fascinating way of storytelling with fantastic animation. And because of its popularity, many more streaming services provide a vast list of classic and new titles in their library.
These apps are completely legal, so you don't need to worry about committing a crime. Also, some of these services have websites where you can watch anime online in case you like using a bigger screen.