5 Best Anime Streaming Apps for Android

Japanese anime shows are popular even outside the country and around the world. While there is a great treasure trove of anime available to watch, the lack of proper and legitimate apps to stream them has always given the pinch. Right now, there are far too many anime apps for Android. Majority of them are loaded with ads (how could they offer you free content) which often put your experience and data at risk.

You can find anime shows on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, but the collection is limited. These platforms are aimed at audiences from all backgrounds and around the world. The most avid and hardcore fans are always looking for dedicated anime streaming apps for Android phones that do one thing and do it well. Allows you to search, discover and stream anime shows.

Let’s start.

1. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is one of the most popular anime streaming apps for android users. There are over 1000 shows to choose from, but there’s just one problem. Ads. A recent update pushed by the team broke the streaming experience.

You will find old anime classics like Naruto that you will enjoy if you are new to the world of anime. There are also many new shows that you can stream. One of the coolest parts of this app is that it offers a huge library of (digital) Mangas that you can read without paying extra.

Crunchyroll comes with a 14-day free trial, but has a subscription model. I recommend that you subscribe and get rid of the ads. The monthly subscription will set you back $ 9.99 but you can opt for an annual subscription of $ 79 which turns out to be cheaper than paying monthly. There is also a news section to keep you up to date.

Download Crunchyroll

2. Funimation

Funimation is free to use the anime app that works on Android and iOS, but Crunchyroll is taking the lead when it comes to platform support. Funimation is popular because it has a large catalog that is not locked behind a paywall. This means ads, but they’re tolerable if you have a little patience.

There is also a subscription model to remove them if you don’t, but it is not required. Otherwise, you can pay as little as $ 5.99 per month for the subscription. Because Funimation is the official broadcaster of some anime shows and a major distributor, some shows are not available on other platforms.

Note that the latest version of the app broke the UI, which is often late and stutters at the time of writing. I’m sure the dev team will fix it soon. While Crunchyroll allows you two simultaneous streams, Funimation plans can allow you to enjoy up to 5 simultaneous streams.

Download Funimation

3. HIDDEN

HIDIVE offers a small but growing collection of anime shows that you can stream simultaneously to anywhere in the world. This means that the animated show will be available for you to stream as soon as it airs on one medium. It is also broadcast on other platforms. This means it will be available on TV and the web almost simultaneously.

HIDIVE has a neat and functional user interface that works great and will remind you of premium streaming apps like Prime or Netflix. There is a lot of exclusive content available that you won’t find elsewhere. You can pay $ 4.99 per month or $ 47.99 per year for the HIDIVE subscription.

Download HIDIVE

4. VRV

VRV is an anime streaming app to rule them all. A VRV subscription will give you access to Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Mondo and a few more. This makes it one of the more affordable subscriptions on the list, priced at $ 9.99 per month. It also makes VRV’s heaven for anime lovers who can’t get enough of it.

Note that anime isn’t the only content in VRV streams. There are other good things, but let’s stay focused. You can explore this part on your own. I recommend you cancel Crunchyroll and get it. You will have enough content to last a while.

A free version of the app is also available. However, it is ad-supported.

Download VRV

5. AnimeLab

AnimeLabs is a very popular anime streaming app for Android. Compared to other anime apps infamous for their sluggish UI and overblown ads, AnimeLabs is a breath of fresh air. The fans developed it and for the fans. This makes a lot of sense and explains why it doesn’t run into the same issues as its competition.

AnimeLabs has a decent collection with classics and popular anime shows like DragonBall Super, Naruto, and One-Punch Man, among others. The good thing about this anime app for android is that it is completely free but ad supported. Ads are also not intrusive in nature and will not ruin your streaming experience. You can remove the ads and watch any shows you want in HD for $ 7 per month.

Download AnimeLab

Anime on the go

There are plenty of anime apps available on Android and even iOS platforms, but the real issue is legitimacy. Most of these apps are not legal and steal content without consent or legal contracts. It also explains why so many anime apps disappear from the Play Store every year and new ones keep appearing in their place. One thing you shouldn’t cut down on with these apps is the availability of exclusive spin-off movies.

I would recommend that you go with legitimate apps that have partnered with the studio and have the right to distribute their content. You will not only have a better experience, but also the simultaneous streaming of shows and movies.