25 Best Free Websites to Watch Anime Online (2023 Update)
Are you looking for some incredible websites to watch anime online for free in 2023? Do not fret, you are in the right place. And if you are concerned about their legality, then, you do not need to be dismayed, we’ve got you covered.
In this article, we will review the 25 best free websites to watch anime online this year. Additionally, you will finally understand, as you come to the end of the article, whether it’s fun to watch anime in subs or dubs. Sit back, relax and enjoy!
Free Websites to Watch Anime Online
1. Netflix
Wondering why Netflix is first on the list? Well, Netflix is a streaming giant, well-known to be home to tons of new and original anime titles.
It hosts a number of both subbed and dubbed versions of the latest and new anime in high quality. And did you know that it is now an exclusive home for anime titans like Death Note and Kaguya Sama? So exciting! Don’t you think?
Another interesting thing about Netflix is that it is available globally. Just imagine you can subscribe today for free and experience the delight of watching anime on this popular platform. Many might argue that Netflix may feel out of space on this free anime sites, but what they are forgetting is that it has much original anime and plans to release nearly 40 anime titles this year.
As an anime lover, you can get full-pack entertainment from the best anime on Netflix including Hunter x Hunter, Neon Genesis, Fullmetal Alchemist, Baki, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.
Website: Netflix.com
2. AnimeTake
Number two on our list of best free websites to watch anime is AnimeTake. It’s a free site oriented toward distributing anime series, both old and new. It has a humble and clean interface with many filters to narrow your search if you’re not sure what exactly you’re looking for.
Playback controls are limited, however, viewers can join various discussions in the comments. Currently, the most popular anime on the site are Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, and Hunter x Hunter.
The site offers both subbed and dubbed anime. Visually, you can choose between light and dark theme.
Website: AnimeTake
3. Crunchyroll
Are you looking for a website that is renowned for both old and new anime series and movies? Then, Crunchyroll is the way to go. It is celebrated for being one of the oldest players in the anime streaming game.
Known to be available to over 180 countries, Crunchyroll possesses licenses to some of the most popular anime and manga properties. The website is believed to have single-handedly been responsible for bringing this popular culture to the western audience. The website also provides fans with a store that offers exciting anime merchandise and the latest information on their favorite anime property.
With its clean interface and overall interactive platform, Crunchyroll is indeed one of the best free anime websites available online today. Though, a lot of content is restricted to certain regions. Most popular watched anime on Crunchyroll include My Hero Academia, Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Hunter x Hunter, among others
Website: Crunchyroll.com
4. Funimation
Do you prefer dubs over subs? Then Funimation has got you covered. It is another free anime streaming website that is famous for releasing English dubs of anime. The company was responsible for distributing some of the best anime such as Dragon Ball Z, Beyblade, and Pokemon in the west even before it was a streaming platform.
Today the platform is decorated with a zany interface that takes you wherever you want to go. Moreover, it boasts around 13000 plus hours of original content, and the anime titles are also categorized appropriately so that you can find what you are looking for. Even though most anime is free to watch on this website, you will have to buy a subscription to watch the latest episodes of an anime. Also, like other sites, Funimation is only limited to certain regions such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
However, despite the restrictions, there’s no quality cap so you can watch anime for free in high-quality in case you are in these regions and you always bypass the restriction with the help of a good VPN. Most watched anime on this website include Darwin’s Game, Dr. Stone, Yu Yu Hakusho, and The Rising of the Shield Hero
Website:Funimation.com
5. Gogoanime
Gogosmine offers a fantastic anime viewing experience to the frugal among us. It is ranked among the best free websites to watch anime online because of its high-quality streaming ability. Not to forget its ability to allow you to download anime.
Unlike most of the sites here, Gogoanime is available to almost all regions and it is well-known to be the home to almost all new and old anime properties known to anime fans. In fact, all the latest anime releases immediately find their way onto this platform without delay.
Furthermore, this free online website wins hearts with its convenient navigation system and its intuitive interface, along with a great catalog of anime titles famous all over the world.
Looking for your favorite anime title has been simplified with this site since titles are conveniently organized according to the alphabet, year and month of release, and popularity. With these, you can easily know which anime is trending.
Most watched anime on this website include Detective Conan, Pokemon (2019), Tokyo Revengers, Jahy-sama wa Kujikenai, and Boruto among others.
Website: gogoanime.pe
6. Anime Freak
Anime Freak is a legal online website that brings all kinds of anime titles to those who want them for absolutely no charge to your pocket. And even though the website leaves much to be desired in the interface department, it is still a serviceable platform to find good quality anime videos online.
Apart from the website’s amazing features such as the 24/7 live chat and the ability to choose anime from multi-source points and its swiftness to herald the announcement of new anime titles when they are released, there is not much else to the site.
However, you can get to choose from multiple source options when a particular source isn’t functioning. You can catch on the most popular watched anime on this site such as Detective Conan, One Piece, One Room Third Season, and Munou a Nana.
Website: Anime Freak
7. Chia-Anime
As far as free anime sites are concerned, Chia-Anime goes a little further in satisfying anime fans. Not only will you get a free platform to stream good quality anime and read clean manga titles, but Chia-Anime will also provide you with anime soundtracks as well.
What an amazing website! Additionally, the website’s interface is easy on the eyes and comprehensive to navigate through and you will find all the latest anime titles you want, old and new alike.
However, the site does deal with snail-paced loading speed. This site is oriented toward the hardest of anime fans, its service appeal to more than just people looking for fresh anime and manga content. You can watch your popular and most-watched anime on this site such as The Journey of Elaina, TONIKAWA Over the Moon, Getter Robo, and Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru.
Website: Chia-Anime. su
8. AnimeDao
Are looking for a website with the best free and fast anime streaming? Anime Dao has got you covered.
This website is committed to creating a community of online anime fans by offering easy access to free and latest anime content regularly. It has a simple and clean interface focused on the single goal of finding the right anime titles. It’s greatest advantage is the fact that loading speeds are somewhat faster than what we would expect to find on a free anime streaming service.
The website developers ensured that there is no confusion in finding your title by ensuring the anime titles are efficiently organized. Regardless of your preference, you can find both dubbed and subbed versions of anime here.
While not perfect, it is easy to use and will help you find any title you desire in the highest quality possible. This quality makes it stand out among the best free websites to watch anime online in 2021.
Most watched anime: Love Live, Yami Shibai, Tensei Shitara Slime, Black Clover, Shadowverse, Maoujou de Oyasumi, and Kingdom 3.
Website: AmineDao.to
9. TubiTV
Welcome into the world of TubiTV and home to an intuitive online platform that enables users to watch a huge gallery of content such as subbed and dubbed anime, Tv shows, and movies. And the good news is, it’s a 100% free streaming service that supports itself through ad revenue.
However, the site has several limited collections. For instance, you will not find your latest or famous titles on this anime website. But this should not be a show stopper, you can still stream videos between 360p -720p on TubiTV.
On the other hand, you will have access to captions and other ease-of-access controls while you watch.
Also, you can still dive into several Japanese collections – from classic blockbusters to brand-new shows airing weekly And one more best thing! you don’t have to sign up on TubiTV to watch anime online.It offers some titles free of charge and of subscription. Some of the most-watched anime on TubiTv include Toriko, Daddy Long Legs, Future Card Buddy, Attack on Titans, and Naruto among others.
Website: TubiTv.com
10. Aniplus
If you’re looking for more than simply a streaming service for anime, look no further than Aniplus. Aniplus is a whole community dedicated to Japanese anime and pop culture. You can stream the latest anime series as well as create your own content. You can even create an account. The selection of anime is somewhat humble but you can find many famous titles such as Fate, The Rising of Shield Hero, Steins Gate, and many others.
On the downside, the user interface is clunky and the navigation is not intuitive at all.
Website: Aniplus
11. Anime-Planet
Anime-Planet also falls in the category of one of the best free websites to watch anime online. The site is phenomenally interactive while being sophisticated and intuitive in its functioning. Further to its popularity with manga and news, Amine-Planet is also home to a variety of old and new anime streaming.
Moreover, the website is in partnership with notable paid platforms such as Crunchyroll and Hulu to bring over 45,000 legal, industry-supported anime episodes to its users for free. The platform provides an intuitive and interactive experience that makes anime and manga consumption all the more fun. Not forgetting that it allows you free access to a plethora of Anime and Manga titles.
It is a host to a big library of free-to-watch anime that includes the most-watched titles such as Naruto, My Hero Academia 5, The Dungeon of the Black Company, and ReLife, Hikari: Be My Light.
Website: Anime-Planet.com
12. Hulu
Hulu has one of the largest streaming galleries of content among premium satisfied platforms online that allows you to watch anime for free for one month. Unlike most free websites to watch anime online, Hulu is compatible with a variety of devices. You can get to play anime on any device you own including iPhone, Tablet, or laptop. It doesn’t matter.
Another thumbs up for this website is that it holds licenses to great titles coming from some most reputed anime studios in Japan. And if you are to believe the current rumors, there are also plans to include more anime titles as the current year comes to a close. Being home to a plethora of both old and latest anime, you can catch up on any of the popular anime anytime.
The most-watched anime watched on this platform include Attack on Titans, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Girls and Panzer, Toradora, and K-On.
Website: Hulu
13. Sidereel
Sidereel does not specialize in Anime, bit it does have them in its library. Sidereel offers shows, movies, and other content in general. It has clean UI with minimal distractions. Added bonus is the ability to create your own account to keep track of content that you love to watch.
The service is free, but it does have adds. These minor distractions are small price to pay for free content.
Website: Sidereel
14. CONtv
Earlier known as Viewster, CONtv has stood out as one of the best sites to watch anime online for free. And since it was rebranded in June 2020 as CONtv Anime it stayed that way.
As a fan of anime, I discovered that after the acquisition, the site has introduced a wide selection of anime series and movies for otakus that are available on the Web, Android, and iOS.
The Website is somewhat hard to navigate and you need to make a lot of confusing turns to access what you need, but hey, it’s free!
Another interesting fact about CONtv is that it offers a different library for different countries. However, to access ConTv’s best anime catalog which is the US one, you will need a VPN.
Most watched anime: Mononoke, Kite, Samurai Troopers, and Street Fighter among others.
Website: CONtv.com
15. Midnight Pulp
Are you a lover of action anime? Midnight Pulp is one free streaming service for anime that offers a great selection of action anime titles.
You don’t need to worry about the legality of the content and about the quality of the streaming service, the speeds are fast and decent. The website is funded by ads, so don’t be surprised to come across them. As far as the features go, Midnight Pulp offers basic features such as playback control, speed captions, and others. If you ever get bored of watching anime, the site has you covered with other content, free as well.
Most watched anime: Fatal Fury, KITE, Samurai Troopers, City Hunter, and Creamy Mami
Website: Midnight Pulp.com
16. Crackle
Crackle is owned by Sony and offers a free but smaller selection of anime. Most fans are familiar with the site. However, what you lose in quantity you will get in quality as the experience is ad-free and smooth. Crackle is not available outside of the USA, Canada, Australia, and selected countries in Latin America.
When it comes to the site itself, although ad-free, it does have its issues the first being the fact that you can’t access the anime in an intuitive way, the titles are scattered through other unrelated forms of media. You might go to invest a bit of effort before you find what you’re looking for.
But because it is a safer anime website where you can stream free and legally, one has to put up with some tradeoffs. Don’t you think?
Most watched anime: Fist Of The North Star, Blue Exorcist, Blood, and Viper’s Creed.
17. Asian Crush
Looking for some romantic and uplifting anime? Then, Asian Crush has got you covered. Asian Crush has a lot of similarities with Media Pulp and both sites are financed through ads. While watching anime on Asian Crush, you will get a few titles for free, in order to watch the latest titles however you will have to purchase a subscription.
However, the selection that you get for free is good enough so you don’t really need to spend any money on the service. The service is available on smartphones, has decent interface, and has some advanced features such as Night Mode.
Most watched anime: City Hunter, Samurai Troopers, KITE, Kyo Kara Maoh, Girl’s High, and Creamy Mami among others.
Website: AsianCrush.com
18. KissAnime
One thing that gets me going back to this website is its worldwide availability. I can stream my favorite anime from any country I visit. Imagine with KissAnime, you can access anime on this platform even from countries that traditionally banned anime websites.
Secondly, you will find all sorts of anime drawn from across various categories, including comedy, horror, sci-fi, action, and sports among others while the incorporation of embedded English audio and subtitles help you to understand each anime better. What’s more, the website lets you choose the video quality in which you’d want to watch or download your anime, ranging from 240p to 1080p. And to add icing to the cake, you don’t even need to create an account to start watching anime on KissAnime.
Most watched anime: 100% Teacher Pascal, I am Standing on 1,000,000 Lives, 18if, and March Comes in Like a Lion.
Website: KissAnime.com
19. Amazon Anime
Are you an Amazon Prime Member? Well, Amazon has got something for you. The Amazon Anime platform allows you easy access to a variety of animation videos and a broad range of subtitles absolutely for free.
As a Prime Member, you get access to Amazon’s high video quality, most of which are in HD and 4K. Moreover, the website supports animation in numerous languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, French, and German. The only drawback of this website is that, even though Amazon is available worldwide, Prime memberships are currently available only in 17 countries. And this means that you can only access anime on the platform for free if you reside in any of the 17 countries.
Most watched anime: Inuyashiki: The Last Hero, Kokkoku: Moments by Moments, Happy Sugar Life, and Pokemon Series among others.
Website: Amazon Prime Video
20. Zoro
Zoro is another magnificent free site to watch anime, you have access to both dubbed and subbed animes, with the content being refreshed and updated regularly. The site is safe, however, if you want to help out developers, you can consider donating.
Zoro features all the popular, classic, and current titles from all genres such as action, drama, kids, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and comedy amongst other.
You can stream anime in decent speeds and it has fairy clean interface and search function.
Most watched anime: One Piece, The Detective is Already Dead, Kingdom 3, and Remarks Our Life.
Website: Zoro. to
21. Niconico
Niconico allows you to stream anime for free if you’re not willing to pay for a premium sub, however in that case you’re going to be plagued with ads. When it comes to the user interface, it’s one of the worst I’ve ever seen but it’s simple enough and the service is free.
You can create an account to make your personalized anime list, as well as engage in an active community. The site has it’s own appstore as well if you’re looking for more related anime fun.
Website: Niconico
22. MyAnimeList
MyAnimeList is another free website to watch anime online this year. The site is free from ads and it is exceptionally well-known among fans due to its UI and its ability to assist clients with looking through their number one anime series.
MyAnimeList also provides users with access to the most popular and latest anime from various categories. In fact, the newest anime series such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu Season 4, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei among others are available on this website.
Most watched anime: Fullmetal Alchemist, Gintama, Shingeki no Kyojin, and Fruit Basket final season
Websites: MyAnimeList
23. Masterani
Masterani might be near our list of best sites to stream free anime, but I assure you, you will not be disappointed with its free selection.
Masterani offers anime for free in decent quality and decent quantities. It also has a pronounced social aspect, you can browse through forums, start discussions, and many more things that are not available on most other sites.
Most watched anime: Love Live, Fena: Pirate Princess, and Goblin Slayer.
Websites: masterani. one
24. AnimeLand
AnimeLand is the number 1 biggest anime dubbed site on the web. The site boasts to have a list of the best five anime series on its homepage.
As an anime lover, you can either watch anime videos in 480p, 720p, or 1080p quality. What’s more, you do not need to register or pay anything with this website. You can just visit the site and start watching your favorite anime for free. Most watched anime: Naruto, My Hero Academia, and Black Clover.
Websites: animeland.us
25. CartoonCrazy
To the anime lovers who don’t like watching while reading subtitles, here comes your savior. CartoonCrazy. CartoonCrazy offers dubbed anime and has a wide selection of it. If you’re concerned about the safety of the site – don’t be financed through ads.
Most watched anime: Re: Zero, The God of High School, Mira Royal Detective, Hazbin Hotel, and Ollie’s Pack.
Websites:CartoonCrazy
Is Watching Anime Online for Free Legal?
Watching anime online for free is legal. But the website must hold official licenses to stream anime shows online legally and provide their audiences the pleasure to watch them for free. You have to be sure that the streaming service you are using has a licensing agreement from the studios that produce the anime.
Is Anime Better to Watch Subbed or Dubbed?
Anime is better watched subbed than dubbed. This is because watching anime in the subbed version captures the originally intended emotion of the characters, which is often missing in the dubbed versions. And also, you will discover that most anime streaming sites might not have dubbed versions of your favorite anime, so subbed becomes your only option.
