Top 21 Free Anime Sites for Streaming and Downloading

Things have been hard for anime lovers as of late, as there are very few platforms where you can stream or download anime for free. Especially since the shutdown of several websites in certain regions, there’s a need to find a new lair where you can watch or download anime in peace.

21 Best Free Anime Sites

Hence, we’ve curated a list of the best 21 free anime websites that let you either stream or download anime without any issues. All of the websites listed in this are functional and working, though they may be geo-blocked in your area – NordVPN can help you access it with ease though.

How to Access Anime Sites Safely:

  1. Use Secure VPN: NordVPN,Β ExpressVPN,Β SurfsharkΒ for privacy.
  2. Install VPN App: Download and set up VPN software.
  3. Access Anime Sites: Safely stream and download anime content.
  4. Protect Your Data: Ensure security with a reliable VPN.
  5. Enjoy Free Anime: Watch your favorite shows and movies.

Top All-Time Free Anime Sites (Stream & Download)

Best Free Anime Sites in 2023

Keep in mind that these free anime websites are generally available in the US and Canada. If they are banned in your area, you can simply use NordVPN to bypass the block – it comes with a 30-day money-back policy. Let’s get started with the top free anime sites in 2023 for downloading and streaming anime.

1. Crunchyroll: Top Anime Website

Crunchyroll is a very well-known platform for streaming anime. It has a minimal interface and lag-free streaming servers. Most of the major animes such as One Piece, One Punch Man, Attack On Titan, Jujutsu No Kaisen, etc are available for free.

Crunchyroll
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality720P
β›”Ad-PopupsRare – None for premium users
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

However, the website does show advertisements every now and then. In order to get rid of the ads, you can purchase a premium subscription that comes with added benefits. It lets you keep track of everything you have watched, and also offers a watchlist.

Crunchyroll offers anime in various languages, such as English, French, Italiano, Dutch, etc along with subtitles.

2. Gogoanime– Best Free Anime Website

Gogoanime is undoubtedly one of the best free anime streaming websites out there. However, it has changed its domain name quite a few times as the website keeps being taken down every now and then. It offers thousands of anime out there, along with new releases in HD.

Gogoanime
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsOccasionally
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

Unlike other platforms, Gogoanime actually offers everything for free. It has great streaming speeds and multiple servers for streaming as well. The design of gogoanime is very elegant, in black and yellow. Additionally, it has sections for showing the top anime daily, weekly, and monthly.

You can also filter out new anime based on your preferred genre, such as Action, Magic, Slice of Life, Drama, Adventure, etc. Gogoanime is also available as a Kodi Addon, so feel free to grab it if you’re a Kodi user. The website does show a lot of ads, but they can easily be blocked by the Adblock extension.

3. KissAnime– New Episodes Everyday

After Gogoanime, KissAnime is definitely the next best website to stream free anime. It offers over 1M+ titles in all categories, from drama to action, horror, sports, and much more. The website also allows you to download and stream anime for free.

Kiss anime
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality240p – 1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsOccasionally
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

Additionally, you can stream based on your internet speeds. The options for streaming anime range from 240p to 1080p. The streaming servers of kissanime are lightning-fast, though they may not be compatible with all devices. It generally works great on laptops, PCs, MacBooks, etc. If you’re worried about the legality of using kissanime, feel free to check this out.

You can stream all anime subbed in English, and can also create a free account to keep track of what you have watched, and what you’d like to watch. There are many duplicates of KissAnime online, so always check the domain name to make sure you’re on the right website.

4. Funimation– Huge Anime Collection

Funimation is Sony-owned, and it offers free original anime content for a wide audience. Every anime has an English dubbed and subbed version, and the content is originally produced. It offers over 13K+ hours of original audio by trained voice actors.

Demon Slayer image
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsYes – None for premium users.
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

Funimation lets you stream anime in 1080P, however, it does show an advertisement every once in a while. It offers all of the major titles for free, and even lesser-known anime can be streamed. The website offers a very well-organized category system, as well as a premium subscription at $5.99 per month.

5. 9Anime– Dub/Sub Anime

9Anime is another top free anime website that offers anime in 1080p. It offers a sleek design that’s easy on the eyes, letting you watch your favorite anime in peace. It also offers filters for all anime that they host, making it easier to find your favorite anime or new titles.

πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsRare
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

Some people have doubts about using 9Anime, especially whether using it is legal and safe. Don’t forget that 9Anime also offers many categories such as ongoing, upcoming, most-watched, action, comedy, and much more. Additionally, you can also request anime on the 9anime community – they respond quite quickly.

6. AnimeDao– Best Free Anime Site

AnimeDao is another great anime streaming website for 2023. It offers high-quality videos, and fast loading speeds, and hosts massive anime content on their platform. You can enjoy every one of your favorite anime in English subbed/dubbed. Additionally, a dark/light theme is also provided for your convenience.

AnimeDao
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality240P to 1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsOccasional
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

AnimeDao also has a very sleek and minimal interface offering free content. While you may have to face some ads while watching anime, know that they can be easily blocked with the help of an adblocker. Additionally, alternative servers are also provided so you can stream on the fastest servers.

7. AnimeFreakFree Anime Streaming

AnimeFreak is an amazing free anime streaming website that hosts all of the popular anime titles as well as the new ones. On this website, you can stream anime in 1080P HD. It also offers a good collection based on latest episodes, Hot Anime, popular anime, etc.

AnimeFreak
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsRare
🌍AvailabilityWorldwide

AnimeFreak was recently sold in an auction, hence the link has been changed. Keep in mind that like other websites, you can request your favorite anime to the community in case it isn’t already on the website. They respond frequently and are quick with updates.

8. Soul-Anime -Free Anime (Multiple Genres)

SoulAnime was personally one of my favorite anime streaming websites. It offers more than 5K+ anime series and is frequently updated as new anime is released. The only drawback is its interface which can be slightly distracting to look at.

Soul Anime
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality720P to 1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

But on the bright side, it hosts a massive library of anime in both English subbed and dubbed. The animes are neatly organized into categories, allowing for quick navigation. It also lets you download anime, alongside streaming it.

9. Chia-Anime Best Anime, Manga, etc

Chia-Anime is yet another top anime streaming website. While it offers many anime, it also offers manga and soundtracks for anime. It is amazing in terms of providing high-quality anime as well as soundtracks, making it one of the best anime websites.

Chia Anime
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

With Chia-Anime, you can enjoy every anime without any buffering, as they have great anime streaming servers. You can also download anime to watch them later. Currently, Chia-Anime has over 500K+ anime titles available, including the latest and most popular ones.

10. Zoro -Top Free Anime Site

Zoro is yet another great free anime streaming website that hosts both subbed and dubbed anime. All anime titles, old and new are available to be streamed. The best part about this website is that there are no advertisements, so you can enjoy all of your favorite anime in ultra HD without any interruptions.

Zoro.to
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality360P To 1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsNone
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

They also maintain an active user community on Reddit, Telegram, and discord to upload the latest titles on users’ requests. Additionally, the design and interface of the website are very premium, and an added benefit of the platform is the Watch2Gether feature. With this website, you can watch any anime together with your friends.

11. AnimePlanet – Huge Anime & Manga Titles

Anime-Planet has an amazing anime collection of over 50000+ anime as well as manga titles for free. With an immersive collection of new anime episodes daily categorized neatly into comedy, adventure, action, and much more, you can enjoy this website for free in HD.

Anime Planet
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality360P To 1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsRare
🌍AvailabilityWorldwide

There is also an anime community available that helps you keep in touch with other anime lovers on the website. Additionally, you can also request your favorite anime if it isn’t already there. The website is also compatible with all anime platforms, so you can enjoy your favorite anime on all devices.

12. Hulu – 4k Anime Content

Hulu is a very popular anime streaming platform, however, it does require a subscription. On the bright side, you can play all anime seamlessly on all of your devices, including iPhone, Tablet, Laptop, and PC. The good part is that Hulu also has a legitimate license to the anime titles in Japan, so there are no issues legally.

πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality720P to 4K 60FPS
β›”Ad-PopupsNone
🌍AvailabilityWorldwide

With Hulu, you can stream high-quality anime in 4K without any buffering. It also offers a free trial so you can enjoy your favorite anime for 30 days and then get a refund. Keep in mind Hulu may not be available in some regions, so you may have to use a VPN for Hulu.

13. Tubi TV – Best Free Anime TV

TubiTV is another free anime streaming website as well as TV. It has a massive library of all the old anime classics as well as the latest anime series. All of the anime is provided in high-quality, and you do not need a subscription to stream them for free.

Tubi
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality720P
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

TubiTV is also compatible with all devices, working seamlessly even on Android and iPhones. Additionally, you can bookmark movies and TV shows so you can watch them later. It syncs your favorite shows and movies across all devices as well.

14. Netflix – Top Anime Platform

Yes, Netflix also offers anime. The good thing about Netflix is that it actually has a license to stream anime to different countries, hence it is a very safe choice if you’re worried about the laws and regulations. Not to mention, you can stream anime in 4K on Netflix.

Netflix Anime
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality4K
β›”Ad-PopupsNone
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Japan Library with NordVPN

Now, most of the anime on Netflix is currently available in Japan. However, you can easily access Netflix Japan with the help of a reliable VPN like NordVPN. Feel free to check out our best VPNs for Netflix so you can watch all anime.

15.AnimixPlay– Dedicated Anime Site

AnimixPlay is one of the best free anime streaming websites that offer both subbed and dubbed versions of anime. There’s also a category on the homepage for Sub, Dub, All, Followed, and popular anime. AnimixPlay offers a lot of customization for anime lovers.

πŸŽ₯Streaming QualityVaries
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityWorldwide

The interface of this website is very sleek, and it also offers all of the upcoming anime titles and episodes with their Schedule option. Additionally, there’s also a random anime button through which new anime lovers can watch random anime to get started.

16. Myanimelist.net (MAL)- Huge Manga & Anime Collection

MyAnimeList is an all-in-one anime website for all anime and manga lovers out there. It is widely used and very popular. It offers neatly categorized categories for everything, from upcoming anime to all genres of anime. The website looks more like a news page for anime lovers, but that’s mainly because it is an amazing forum from where you can get your new anime recommendations.

Myanimelist image
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P HD
β›”Ad-PopupsOccasional
🌍AvailabilityUSA, Philippines, India, UK, Canada, Australia, and many more

MAL is a one-shop-stop for all anime and manga lovers out there. It also lets you stream anime, though there are ad popups every once in a while. Overall, just the information provided on this website is tremendous, as it has almost every anime out there.

17. AnimeTake– Anime in High Quality

AnimeTake is yet another high-quality anime streaming website. It has a sleek design and offers a categorized list of anime series as well as movies. The website is very easy to access and stream anime on. You will also get notified of every new anime release on this website.

AnimeTake
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsVery Frequent
🌍AvailabilityWorldwide

While it is free to stream anime on this website, keep in mind that you might have to see some annoying ads. On the bright side though, all of the anime titles are available in subbed and dubbed English. There’s also a play next button so you can binge-watch your favorite series.

18. AnimeLab– Latest Aired Anime (Sub/Dub)

AnimeLab is one of the most popular anime streaming websites where all of the latest Japanese anime is available right after its release. It has also collaborated with multiple anime websites, so they have many different servers for watching anime in HD. Every anime is subbed and dubbed, and support for all device platforms is provided.

AnimeLab
πŸŽ₯Streaming QualitySD to HD
β›”Ad-PopupsRare
🌍AvailabilityAustralia, New Zealand (Use VPN)

The website seems very premium, especially with its sleek design and navigation. It offers thousands of newly added anime episodes every day. While the ads can be annoying, it is a small price to pay for this website, as it has pretty much every anime out there.

19. AnimeHeaven– Classic Anime Collection

AnimeHeaven is another great website for anime lovers out there. It offers a premium collection of cartoons and anime in high definition. It also contains all of the major old-school anime, as well as the new, up-and-coming anime.

AnimeHeaven
πŸŽ₯Streaming QualitySD to HD
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityGlobal

Every anime on this website is available in both subbed and dubbed versions. You can also use the search filters, as the animes are neatly categorized into genres such as drama, action, mystery, thriller, comedy, and much more. There are very few ads, but they can get annoying.

20. WatchCartoonOnline.com– Cartoon Anime

WatchCartoonOnline offers endless anime and cartoon series. It is very popular among cartoon anime lovers, as it has everything available, from Pokemon to other endless classics of the era. This website also offers a sleek categorization feature that can be used to navigate easily.

Watchcartoononline
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityGlobal

Though the website is free, you will be shown ads every once in a while. Nonetheless, it is a decent website if you are looking to get into old-school cartoon anime classics. It lets you stream anime in HD, and the ads can be blocked with Adblock.

21. MasterANI– Best HD Free Anime Site

MasterAni is another top free anime streaming website that only provides 1080P HD anime. On this platform, you can find much popular anime series that can be navigated with the help of advanced search filters. Additionally, you can also download anime in HD.

Masterani
πŸŽ₯Streaming Quality1080P
β›”Ad-PopupsFrequent
🌍AvailabilityGlobal

You may face some advertisements when streaming on MasterANI, but it is worth it as you get to watch the latest content in HD.

Is Watching Anime For Free Legal?

It’s completely legal to watch anime from official sites or any legal sources where the uploaders own the copyrights. There is nothing bad in watching free anime online but if they don’t own the rights, use a VPN to avoid any legal issues.

What is the difference between Anime and Manga?

To make this clear and to put an end to the question simply the answer is.
Manga: Japanese comic book graphics
Anime: Japanese Animation

On which devices can I Watch Anime?

There is no such limitation for devices if your device is compatible and capable of streaming content. Then you can use any of them like Android Phones, Apple iPhones, tablets, laptops, PC and TV, etc.

What are the features of a good free anime website?

To recognize a website as a good anime site, you need to know a few things.
1. Anime Website should have numerous categories, genres, etc.
2. New anime should be released quickly.
3. Community section to request an anime.
4. Secure browsing without viruses and not too many ads.

What are the best free anime sites without interruption?

Above all the mentioned sites are the best free anime sites to watch anime online for free. Here are the quick best free anime sites.
1. Crunchyroll
2. Funimation
3. GogoAnime
4. Amazon Anime
5. Soul-Anime
6. Chia-Anime

Why anime is so popular nowadays?

Anime is very popular because of its depth of connecting (grow along with viewers) visuals to the audience with well-suited stories for everyday lifestyles that once dream about.

Crunchyroll vs Funimation which is the best site?

On comparing the anime titles (dubbed) and simulcast releasing time Funimation dominates Crunchyroll. But when it comes to subtitles, the catalog of anime titles Crunchyroll dominates Funimation. So the deciding factor will depend on your choice.

How to Stream Anime on Firetvstick/Fire TV?

These anime sites may have different functionality specific to the platform. But free anime streaming sites work absolutely fine on PC, Amazon Fire TV. Users can jailbreak a firestick using 3rd party apps to stream Movies, Shows, and more.

Where to watch anime in high quality?

Most of the above sites allow you to stream in 1080P and some even in 4K. But it depends on your internet speeds & the streaming server. If your speeds are poor, try using a VPN to unblock your full speeds to stream in high quality without interruptions.

Wrap Up!

There you have it, the top 21 websites for streaming anime online, for free. All of these websites can easily be accessed with the help of a reliable VPN like NordVPN – especially the ones that are blocked in your region. Enjoy watching your favorite anime online, for free!

About Shafi Shaikh

I'm Shafi, a cybersecurity expert revolving around everything related to digital privacy and freedom. I was born and raised in the middle east, which probably explains my interest in both. I also review the most reliable VPNs to ensure their reliability. I joined VPN Helpers as I felt it was the right spot to advocate for digital freedom while also actually providing ways to achieve it to the general public. From providing unbiased and honest VPN reviews to tools that help protect your privacy, VPN Helpers does it all.

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