Crunchyroll is one of the most well-known anime streaming services available. It has a ton of content subbed in seven different languages, and it even contains manga. While there is a free version, you can upgrade your experience and get better features with a Premium or a Premium+ membership.
This unlocks ad-free content and gives you the ability to watch new content faster. It also gives you a discount in the Crunchyroll store, enables HD videos, and gives you access to a larger library of new content. Premium+ unlocks even more.
So, which subscription is better? Let’s take a look.
The Main Differences Between Crunchyroll Premium and Premium+
The main differences between Crunchyroll Premium and Premium+ are:
- Crunchyroll Premium+ includes perks like goodie bags at conventions whereas Crunchyroll Premium does not.
- Crunchyroll Premium+ includes front-of-line access to conventions held by Crunchyroll, whereas Crunchyroll Premium does not.
- Crunchyroll Premium+ includes beta testing access to new features whereas Crunchyroll Premium does not.
Crunchyroll Premium
Crunchyroll’s Premium subscription lets you stream content without ads. Not only is it ad-free, but you also get access to new content sooner. It’s a significant upgrade over the freemium option and may be worth a look if you watch enough anime.
Features
Crunchyroll Premium enables many different features over and above the free version of the service, including:
- Access to all of Crunchyroll’s anime, manga, and Jdrama library
- New episodes with English subtitles an hour after they premiere in Japan
- New manga content immediately after release in Japan
- All episodes are available in HD
- Crunchyroll Store discounts
- All revenue from Premium subscriptions goes to the original creators
A lot of sites that you pay for will not direct your money back to the original creators, which many times results in the sites not being kept up or eventually getting taken down. Perhaps one of the most important benefits of paying for a subscription like Crunchyroll is that this won’t happen because all of the revenue goes back to the creators of the site.
Not only that, but for a nominal fee, you get to watch all the content you want without ads. That’s a nice feature because, while ads may not bother you much, when you pay for something, you should be able to get it ad-free. There are other subscriptions, like Hulu, that don’t get rid of the ads until you subscribe at a higher level.
If you wait anxiously every week for the latest episodes of your favorite anime shows, subscribing to Crunchyroll Premium may be worthwhile because you’ll get them a mere hour after they premiere in Japan. That means you won’t have to wait long and you won’t risk seeing any spoilers online.
If you read manga, you’ll also get these almost immediately after they’re released in Japan, so you can keep up on your reading.
All content you stream with a Premium subscription is in high definition, which is a significant step up from the free version’s standard definition. You won’t miss out on the best quality content, if that concerns you.
Also included in the Premium subscription are Crunchyroll store discounts. Get the best merchandise donning your favorite characters and franchises for cheaper than anyone else. If you want to show off your collection, this is the best way to do it.
Subscription options
You can subscribe to Crunchyroll Premium in three different ways. You can pay monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Of course, with a quarterly or a yearly subscription, you get significant discounts on your subscription.
With any of these options, you can cancel anytime. There’s no contract and you can try it risk free for 14 days first.
Crunchyroll Premium+
Crunchyroll Premium+ is for serious lovers of all things anime. If you want to be the first to see certain content and you want a lot of extra perks and privileges, this upgrade may be for you.
Features
While Crunchyroll Premium+ is a bit more expensive than the Premium subscription, it does include some more features you may enjoy. If you are looking to upgrade from your Premium membership to the Premium+, consider these additions to your plan:
- VIP Convention benefits like special goodie bags, exclusive events, and front-of-line placement for anything hosted by Crunchyroll
- Access to exclusive competitions
- Premium+ badge on your Crunchyroll profile
- Beta test early access for new features
If you truly want to get in on the ground level of the anime you love and what Crunchyroll has to offer, the Premium+ subscription is the way to go. You’ll get into exclusive events hosted by Crunchyroll, and you’ll be ushered to the front of the line every time.
If you do go to a lot of conventions, this subscription is well worth the cost because you’ll get exclusive goodie bags with posters and other fun things that no one else will get.
If you want to be a part of exclusive competitions held by Crunchyroll, you can subscribe to the Premium+ to get access no one else gets.
Everyone will see your exclusive Premium+ badge on your profile, and you can feel good about giving back to Crunchyroll to support the site and ensure that you always have access to the anime you love.
When Crunchyroll develops new features, you’ll be the first to test them out as a Premium+ user. You can try out these new beta features, get access to things no one else has, and give Crunchyroll feedback.
Crunchyroll relies on feedback from beta testers to improve the site, so if you want to be the first to see these new improvements, upgrading is the best way to do that.
Subscription options
Once again, you can subscribe for one month, one quarter, or one year. Each one is a progressively better deal, so the choice is yours. Crunchyroll claims you can cancel at any time, but some users have reported having problems cancelling on the longer term plans.
You can still get a 14-day free trial of the Premium+ features before subscribing, so if you’re curious to check it out, you can do so without paying a dime.
Alternatives
While Crunchyroll is one of the best, there are several alternatives you can consider if you’re not quite sold on what Crunchyroll has to offer. Here are some of the top alternatives for you to check out.
Funimation
Funimation is another one of the most popular anime sites around. The primary difference between Crunchyroll and Funimation is that Funimation focuses more on dubbing their content.
While all of Crunchyroll’s content is subbed, it may not always be dubbed in English. They are really good at getting content up quickly, which is why you’ll see shows uploaded only an hour after they premiere.
However, with Funimation, you’ll always get the content you want dubbed in English. The library isn’t as big, because dubbing takes time, but it’s worth it for users who care more about watching it in English without reading subtitles.
Funimation has a free version and a few subscriptions to choose from with upgraded features, so it’s worth checking out.
Kissanime
Kissanime has a huge content library, but they only offer a free version. Because there are no paid subscriptions, no money goes back to the original creators. Some people don’t feel great about this because they’re not supporting the anime community.
The anime on Kissanime is also of lower quality, much like the free versions of Crunchyroll and Funimation. You won’t be able to enjoy HD quality video if you use Kissanime, but you will get your anime for free.
Periodically, Kissanime requires you to prove you’re not a robot with Captcha technology, but it happens infrequently and it’s the price you pay for many free sites providing copyright content.
Some free subscriptions to anime, like Crunchyroll’s free version, have ads at the beginning, middle, and end of the episode. Kissanime does have ads, but they don’t appear during your watching experience. You’ll see them along the side of the screen instead, which does interfere with the appearance of their UI. It doesn’t look as nice, but again, it’s free.
FAQ
If you’re looking for the right anime streaming service for you, here are some frequently asked questions that may help you decide.
Is Crunchyroll Premium+ worth it?
For some, the Premium+ subscription is worth it because all of the features and extras appeal to them. They like exclusive treatment and access to brand new features and goodies. However, if you just want to watch anime or read manga, it may not be worth it.
The Premium subscription will give you access to new content sooner, it just doesn’t come with all of the same perks. It’s perfect for watching if that’s all you want to do.
Is Crunchyroll better than Funimation?
Crunchyroll is fantastic for those who want access to a large library and new content. If you don’t like to wait for new episodes to be released, Crunchyroll is the right choice because they post things almost immediately after they premiere in Japan.
Funimation, on the other hand, focuses more on making sure all content they post is dubbed over in English so you don’t have to read subtitles. That means that their library isn’t as big and they don’t get their content up as quickly, but you won’t ever have to worry about your content not being dubbed.
Is Crunchyroll illegal?
This is a big concern for a lot of people. Many free anime sites only get away with offering it for free because they’re streaming it illegally. The quality isn’t as good and they’re constantly at risk for being taken down. You could lose access to your anime at any time.
Crunchyroll is completely legal. Even their free subscription is legal because it’s supported by paying users at higher levels. You’ll enjoy all of your free anime, or the features of the higher subscriptions if you pay for it, and you won’t get in trouble or see Crunchyroll go down.
This is a huge benefit for those who want to watch legitimate versions of their favorite shows and have access to quality streams. All of the money you pay goes back to the original creators, supporting the community.
The Verdict
Crunchyroll is one of the best anime streaming services available. Whether you watch it for free or you pay for one of the upgrades, you’ll get all of the anime you could ever want to watch.
All revenue goes back to the original creators, which is a huge benefit to this service. If you want content in HD shortly after it comes out, choose the Premium subscription. If you want all of the perks of conventions and goodie bags over and above just watching your anime, choose the Premium+.
Both subscriptions offer several different payment options and are affordable, even at the monthly price. You’re supporting the anime community and ensuring that your money goes back into creating more of your favorite shows.
