Since you are looking for the best anime streaming sites, I am going to assume that you absolutely love watching anime. And as the popularity of anime has exploded in the past couple of years, as it has gained a solid foothold in western countries, a number of anime sites have popped up to give us a chance to watch anime online whenever we want.
There are several streaming websites, that come with a premium subscription, that allow you to watch your favorite anime easily. However, it is possible that the anime you want to watch might not really be available for streaming in your region due to licensing limitations.
I have faced this issue several times on sites like Crunchyroll, and this is one of the reasons why a ton of people either have to use a VPN when streaming anime online or use other free anime streaming sites. And it’s not just one website because almost all the legal anime streaming sites will have geo-restrictions because of licensing limitations and some shows might be available in your locations while some may not.
This is one of the main reasons why hundreds of free anime streaming sites are popping up all over the place. But if you are thinking that you can watch anime online on these free sites safely, then you would be wrong because not all of these websites are safe for regular usage.
This is the reason why I have created the list below where you can find the best anime websites to watch your favorite anime online without any issues. I have created a list of the legal streaming sites for you, along with a list of the free streaming sites in case you can’t find any anime you want to watch on the other sites. So, let’s begin!
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Best Anime Streaming Sites of 2022
1. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is one of the best websites to watch anime online, and it is one of the most popular legal anime sites right now!
They have a huge collection of popular shows like Naruto Shippuden, One Piece, Attack on Titan and more. And they also have several of the newly released shows that you might want to watch. The best part about being on a site like Crunchyroll is that you will be able to watch ongoing anime shows as soon as they are aired because a lot of recent shows are simulcast on the website.
Apart from the anime shows, the website also has a huge library of popular as well as latest manga. So, if you want to read them instead of watching the anime, you can do so as well.
The site does allow you to watch certain anime shows for free, as well as a few of the recent episodes of newer shows, but there will be tons of ads in those videos. So, it’s better to get a premium subscription to get rid of the ads and enjoy seamless streaming. There’s also a free trial available, so check it out before becoming a paying member!
2. Muse Asia
This is unlike the other anime streaming sites on this list because it is a YouTube channel where you can find all the episodes of the popular as well as your favorite anime shows.
And it’s not just some YouTube channel that uploads the shows illegally because Muse Asia is a completely legit content and one of the best places to watch your favorite anime shows without paying a single cent.
At the time of writing this article, the channel uploaded episodes of anime shows like The God of High School, No Guns Life Season 2, Monster Girl Doctor and more as soon as they were released. And that’s not all, as there are also complete episodes of popular shows like That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime and more!
If you haven’t heard about this channel, then you definitely need to have a look at it because it’s undoubtedly one of the best places to watch anime for free, and that too legally.
3. Ani-One
There’s also another channel on YouTube called Ani-One which is similar to Muse Asia as it also allows you to watch new, trending as well as popular anime shows for free!
It might not be as popular as Muse Asia is and might not have as many popular shows as it does, but it still is a great place to enjoy anime without worrying about paying a dime. While writing this list, I could see that the channel was uploading episodes of The Millionaire Detective Balance, and there are also complete episodes of shows like No Game No Life on the channel that you can watch for free.
So, make sure you check out this particular channel as well because these two YouTube channels are probably the only places that won’t charge you a monthly fee to watch new episodes of your favorite shows.
4. Funimation
Funimation is yet another website that you absolutely need to know if you like to watch dubbed anime. However, that’s not all because you can find subbed anime on the website as well.
But the biggest caveat of using Funimation is that it is only available in the United States. However, if you live in the US, then there’s no better place to watch anime than this particular website as it has a huge collection of some of the best anime shows of all time, along with the newly released ones.
There’s a free trial available that allows you to take the service for a test ride before you signup as a paying member. Also, the fact that you can stream anime anywhere – on PC, on your Android or iOS device, on consoles like Xbox One and PS4, on devices like Chromecast and Roku, and many other device – makes it worthy of purchase.
5. Netflix
I am sure you might be surprised to see Netflix on this list because people around the world mostly use it to watch movies and TV shows, which are not anime. However, let me assure you that Netflix has an ever-growing library of anime shows that you don’t want to miss.
All the popular anime shows like The Seven Deadly Sins, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, Hunter x Hunter and more are available on the platform. However, there might be some geo-restrictions on many of these shows as they might be available for streaming in one country but not in some other country.
Other than such titles, Netflix also produces exclusive anime shows that have gone on to become really popular in the past few years. Shows like Devilman: Crybaby and Aggretsuko are some exclusive anime shows on Netflix, and the platform also has exclusive rights to popular shows like Ajin: Demi Human, Violet Evergarden and more that allows only them to stream them outside Japan.
With an ever-growing list of titles, I am pretty certain that Netflix is one of the best anime streaming sites of 2022, and you should totally get yourself a subscription!
6. AnimeLab
AnimeLab is another popular choice that you should know about when you want to watch anime online legally. Not only is the site pretty well-maintained, it’s also got one of the biggest collections of shows among all the sites mentioned here.
But, just like other anime streaming sites, this one too is geo-restricted as it is available in only Australia and New Zealand. If you live in any country other than these two, you won’t be able to signup or stream anime on the website. However, it’s not really that bad because you can use a VPN like ExpressVPN to bypass the geo-restrictions and gain access to their huge library.
The site has all the popular shows that you’d want to watch, and they keep on adding newer ones as soon as they are released. What’s more, you can find both subbed and dubbed anime shows on the platform.
7. Anime-Planet
Unlike most of the anime sites mentioned above, Anime-Planet offers you free anime streaming and yet it is completely legal. The site has a huge library of thousands of episodes online that can be streamed legally, and totally free!
It’s really interesting to know that a free anime streaming site could be legal, but Anime-Planet is proof that it is possible. The reason behind it being absolutely free is that the website has partnered up with other streaming services like Crunchyroll and others.
Apart from being a streaming site, it is also a great place to join like-minded people as there’s a pretty active forum on the site and a community that you’d want to join. Plus, it allows you to find all you need to know about the anime shows that you are interested in, and you can even create a watchlist on the platform and do much more by just creating a free account.
8. HIDIVE
Here’s another one of the top anime streaming sites that you should probably check out if you love watching anime and don’t want to use the free sites to watch them!
HIDIVE has a huge database of anime shows, both the popular ones as well as the recently released ones, and it also has a huge collection of episodes that you can watch for free. And this is also one of the few websites which allow you to stream uncensored anime content, so if you are a fan of ecchi & adult anime shows, then you might want to check HIDIVE out.
The streaming site has a pretty cool subscription system that allows you to become a member for just $4.99 a month, but it also offers a 30-day free trial so that you can check out the website before paying anything.
Best Free Anime Streaming Sites of 2022
9. 9Anime
If you’ve been watching anime for years now, long before there were so many official streaming services, then you would definitely know about 9anime because it is one of the most popular anime sites online.
The site allows you to stream anime for free and it’s got a pretty impressive collection as well as you can watch popular shows like One Piece, Demon Slayer, Black Clover, Dragon Ball Super, Naruto Shippuden and more; but there are also shows that were released just recently.
One of the best features of 9anime is that it allows you to request shows in case they don’t already have it. This allows you to get a chance to watch any anime show on the site, no matter how underrated or obscure it may be.
10. Gogoanime
Gogoanime is the website that you want to visit if you watch the latest anime shows and want to check out the recent episodes that were released because the site shows all the recent updates right on their homepage.
The site, like most of the other free anime streaming sites, have several ads but they are not that obstructive that you’d not be able to enjoy watching your favorite anime series.
Apart from showcasing the recent episodes of ongoing anime shows, the site also has an entire page dedicated to listing every single anime on its platform in alphabetical order. And there’s also a page where you can find a list of the most popular titles of all time.
So, if a little bit of ads don’t bother you, then do check out Gogoanime because it will allow you to watch anime online in the highest quality possible.
11. AnimeHeaven
Of all the free anime sites that I have listed in this article, I found AnimeHeaven to be the cleanest when it comes to user interface. There’s advertisements for sure, but the content overshadows the ads and you can choose the anime that you want to watch with ease.
On AnimeHeaven, you will find all the latest episodes of ongoing anime shows on the homepage of the old website. This means that if you are currently watching any new anime, you will be able to catch up with the latest release easily. On the homepage of the new website design, you will see a search box that you can use to instantly find any anime shows without wasting any time.
Plus, they have separate pages where they list the most popular titles, the ongoing series, all the anime movies as well as the dubbed anime shows. You can explore these pages to find out new titles that you’d be interested in.
12. AnimeFreak
AnimeFreak is yet another awesome website where you can stream anime online without paying a single dime. Plus, it is pretty well-designed and well-maintained that allows you to watch your favorite shows without any issues.
The site is designed in a way that you won’t have to spend a lot of time finding the title you are looking for because the homepage lists down all the latest episodes of the ongoing series allowing you to watch them within minutes. But if you want to watch a show that’s already aired and completed, then you can use the search function to find out the title instantly.
Moreover, AnimeFreak has a complete list of all the anime shows on its platform on a separate page, and it also has separate pages where you can find ongoing shows, most popular shows, as well as seasonal shows.
And you can even browse the anime titles according to their genre so if you are interested in only the action genre, you will be able to find action anime easily.
13. Masterani
Masterani was one of the most popular free anime streaming sites for years, but the official site went offline sometime during the last year. I personally never used this website, but it was indeed quite popular among anime lovers all around the world.
Even though the official site is dead, there are other websites that are trying to carry its legacy forward and one of the best ones right now is Masterani.one!
This particular website has the cleanest user interface and what I really loved about the site was that there are no annoying ads at all. There are no pop-up ads, slider ads or banner ads at all. I did find a small ad banner in the video player, but it’s so small that you can ignore it and it won’t bother you.
Since there are no ads on the site at the moment, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t consider it one of the best anime sites right now. But I am pretty sure that by the time you are reading this, they might have added a few ads to the site.
Which Are Your Favorite Anime Streaming Sites of 2022?
So, we have reached the end of the article after letting you know about all the best sites to watch anime online!
I have listed down all the most popular anime sites where you can watch anime online legally. These premium sites are the best places to watch your favorite anime shows because they are legal and there will be no ads to disturb you in between the streaming.
However, I have also listed some of the best free anime streaming sites as well just in case you are unable to find the anime that you want to watch on official streaming sites.
I highly recommend you to use the official websites and pay for the content you consume and show your love and support to the anime industry.
That’s all for now! Do let me know which of the above anime sites is you favorite. Also, drop your comments below if you’ve got any suggestions or feedback for me that will help me improve the content on this site.
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