Top 17 Anime Websites To Watch Anime For Completely Free Online

From its origin in Japan, anime has surged in popularity in recent decades and has captured millions of hearts around the world. 

Anime is unique, with storytelling, beaming visuals, and broad genres ranging from romance to sci-fi. Because of this, anime has gone from being a niche interest to a global phenomenon. 

As demand for more access increases for anime content, so does the need for accessible platforms for enjoying captivating series and movies.

The internet has completely revamped the way people approach media consumption, and that very much includes anime. 

Fans eager to engage with this multifaceted medium will also continue referring to free anime websites as a means of satiating their desires without a financial burden. 

Such platforms would grant them a wide choice of content-from classic series to recent releases and make this genre so much more accessible than before.

In this article, we will review the top 17 online anime websites where you can watch anime for free. 

The following free anime websites are your gateway to thousands of hours of entertainment, from action-packed arcs to lighthearted comical moments-be it an otaku or just about to be one. 

We shall delve into each platform’s features, strengths, and unique offerings that best helps you find the perfect anime streaming websites to suit your taste.

But it is essential to research and look for sites that are trustworthy for streaming anime free of charge. 

Drawing from a very large pool, it is essential to find which sites can pinpoint quality streams, varieties of libraries, and user-friendly layouts that will surely be equivalent to an end. 

Our list helps iron out these crucial components for the best anime websites, combining these key points to guarantee a pleasant and hassle-free experience.

Criteria for Selection

Before we discuss our list of the top anime websites, let’s examine how such selections were made. 

In fact, our selection looked into some key areas of evaluation to ensure we recommend nothing but the best anime websites for online streaming, free of charge. These include:

1. User Interface: We selected sites with intuitive designs. Their layouts are easy to navigate, making the experience enjoyable.

2. Diversity of Content: The extensiveness of the library in terms of depth and breadth was a factor, constantly swaying towards sites offering variety in genres, series, and movies.

3. Streaming Quality: We considered the option for the quality of the video on offer; hence, we leaned towards those sites that stream in HD.

4. Accessibility: Ease of access, in terms of minimum difficulty in registering and capability across devices, played an important role in our selection.

5. Update Frequency: We checked the frequency with which the libraries are updated regarding new releases and episodes.

6. Legal Status: Not all free streaming sites operate within full legal capacity; where possible, we’ve included those offering legitimate free content.

With these factors in mind, let’s examine the top 17 best anime websites to stream anime free online.

Top 17 Anime Sites To Watch Anime Completely Free Online

Free anime streaming comes in wide varieties for anime enthusiasts. Our list is quite varied regarding different types of anime websites where you can watch your favourite series and movies without spending a single penny, from well-established websites to some hidden gems. 

Each of these sites offers something unique to cater to the different preferences and needs of anime fans worldwide.

1. Crunchyroll

  • Features: Crunchyroll is one of the best-known and widest anime streaming services. It surely has one of the most impressive libraries of classic and modern anime titles, which makes it fit virtually every fan’s taste.
  • Best for: What Crunchyroll does best is simulcasts, often streaming new episodes just hours after they air in Japan. It’s a great choice for those interested in keeping up with current airing shows.
  • Extra Advantage: Crunchyroll has a premium subscription, but the free tier will allow users to access an impressive fraction of its library. The site also has a manga section, which enables watching popular manga titles right next to anime. 

2. 9anime

  • Features: 9anime’s ease of navigation and vast availability of anime series have won it many hearts. Depending on preference, it allows the viewer to switch between subbed and dubbed versions of many series.
  • Best for: With high-quality streaming and an expansive array of genres, 9anime is ideal for those who want variety in anime-from the more action-oriented shonen anime to heartwarming slice-of-life series.
  • Navigation: This site’s categorization is nice, and the search functions allow users to easily find their desired anime or browse through new titles by their genres, release years, and popularity.

3. Gogoanime

  • Features: Gogoanime is one of the most famous anime sites. It boasts an impressive library and a simple interface. New episodes and other series are added regularly to update the site.
  • Best for: Gogoanime, a free anime streaming website, is best for viewers who like simplicity and straightforwardness when it comes to anime viewing. Its huge database comprises both very popular and less famous anime.
  • Community Aspect: Many of the shows will have comments and ratings left by users, so at least you will feel like there is some sense of community and perhaps know which series are more popular and worth your time.

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4. AnimeDao

  • Features: One great feature of AnimeDao is its sleek design focusing mainly on quality streaming. The quality of videos varies, which one can change manually to meet the internet connection specifications.
  • Best for: Due to its rapid loading time without any choppiness, AnimeDao would be great when someone wants to watch the most popular movies and anime series continuously.
  • User Experience: Since the website design is minimalistic, it is less distracting for viewers, hence allowing them to have much focus on viewing their anime selection.

5. Kissanime

  • Features: Kissanime is a stalwart in the anime streaming community. It boasts an exhaustive library of episodes dating back several decades in anime history. This site is updated daily to provide access to the latest releases.
  • Best for: Kissanime is ideal for viewers who love exploring classic anime as much as new releases. Its large archive makes it a haven for finding older series that might be unavailable elsewhere.
  • Community Engagement: This platform often includes user reviews and ratings to keep viewers updated on what to watch next.

6. Masteranime

  • Features: What makes Masteranime stand out from other websites is its community engagement power. The website allows unlimited streaming, but there are also forums and discussion boards through which fans can reach out to each other and share opinions about a particular series.
  • Best for: It suits those interested in sharing thoughts, analysis, and recommendations of different anime series.
  • Organization of Content: Masterani has a very organized library and tagging system, making finding new anime through specific themes or genres a lot easier.

7. Tubi TV

  • Features: Tubi TV is a free ad-supported streaming service. It is a great legal way to watch anime. While its anime content is not as great as on some sites that fully specialize in anime, this service offers a broad selection of movies and series, as well as other content genres.
  • Best for: Tubi TV should suit casual anime viewers who are into other genres, too. If you do not want to subscribe and want to stream legally, then this is your best pick.
  • Accessibility: The website and the app of Tubi TV can be accessed easily on several devices.

8. AnimeHeaven

  • Features: AnimeHeaven provides many anime titles that one can stream without creating an account. Thus, ease of access and a wide range of choice make it so popular among anime fans.
  • Best for: Hence, this site is suitable for viewers who prefer immediate and accessible access to a wide range of anime content without wasting effort on creating an account.
  • Content Updates: AnimeHeaven constantly updates its library with newly released content, so users always have something new to watch.

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9. CartoonCrazy

  • Features: Even though it’s called CartoonCrazy, the amount of anime content besides Western cartoons is quite big. People say this has one of the most mobile-friendly website designs and can easily allow its users to view anime on smartphones and tablets.
  • Best for: CartoonCrazy offers a special blend that will work for viewers interested in both anime and Western animation. That is one reason it differs greatly from most other anime-specific sites. The platform’s streams are also high quality for most of its content, hence offering decent viewing on multiple devices.

10. Animefreak

  • Features: Animefreak now offers a more user-friendly experience with its renovated library and no-registration policy. The site is quite minimalistic but straightforward to use, and you can quickly navigate to the anime content.
  • Best for: This platform will also come in handy for users who would like to keep up with the latest episodes of continuing series.
  • User Support: Features that support user comments and ratings help Animefreak most often provide a sense of community among its viewers.

11. Animixplay

  • Features: Animixplay is neat and free of ad clutter. It provides quick access to the stream and even download options for offline viewing.
  • Best for Animixplay provides an excellent user experience for visitors and the download capability, making it one of the ideal websites to visit for viewers who prefer a minimalistic feel while watching and can download episodes to be viewed at a later time.
  • Content Discovery: Its well-organized categories and recommendations make finding more anime that fits personal preference easier.

12. Anime Planet

  • Features: Anime Planet offers a large-scale database of anime along with community features, so it’s more than just streaming; rather, it’s a way to gain full insight into various anime series and their characters.
  • Best for: This site is intended for anime lovers who like to delve deep into the anime world, get elaborate information on shows, and connect with other fans.
  • Legal Streaming: Anime Planet collaborates with legal streaming sites, hence it’s one of the best options for those who want to give back to the industry but still enjoy free content.

13. AniWave

  • Features: AniWave is renowned for its clean user interface and HQ streams. This site offers a seamless experience with minimal ads and easy navigation.
  • Best for: Viewers who prefer streaming quality and an ad-free viewing experience. Its library includes old classics and new releases. 
  • User Experience: The site’s minimalistic design, coupled with quick loading, helps offer a smooth and entertaining session of anime viewing.

14. Animeland

  • Features: Animeland stands out by its focus on dubbed anime content. That makes it a source for viewers who want to see anime in English or another language.
  • Best for: Animeland is best for dubbed anime lovers or first-time viewers who may find it difficult to keep up with subtitles. The website’s layout is neat, and with minimal ads, viewing will be a pleasure.
  • Variety of Content: Even though it specialises in dubbed content, Animeland does have a selection of subbed anime for varied tastes.

15. Chia-Anime

  • Features: Chia-Anime website has an extensive library of anime series and movies, recognized for their high-quality clips and full episodes. The site regularly updates with new content.
  • Best for: This is ideal for viewers who wish to quickly access hot titles and enjoy shorter anime clips with full episodes.
  • Navigation: Chia-Anime has a very minimal design, making the process of finding and starting to watch wanted anime not complex.

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16. AnimeTake

  • Features: AnimeTake has an extensive collection of anime series and movies. The clean interface, without any distractions, guarantees a good streaming experience on the site.
  • Best for: These extend to several libraries covering various types and eras of anime, hence recommended for viewers who are stereotypical lovers of different kinds of anime content.
  • Content Discovery: The site’s categorization feature is helpful for finding new anime releases by genre, year of release, and popularity.

17. AniWatch

  • Features: Aniwatch offers a vast library of anime series, movies, and original video animations, covering various genres like action, romance, and fantasy. The platform supports multiple languages with subtitles and dubbed options. Users can track their viewing progress, create personalized watchlists, and engage in community discussions through comments and ratings. The site also features a user-friendly interface with adjustable video quality (480p to 1080p) for optimal streaming based on internet speed.
  • Best for: Viewers seeking a comprehensive anime experience with a wide selection of titles and community interaction.
  • Legal Stream: Aniwatch is a free streaming service that focuses on providing accessible content while maintaining a safe browsing environment by minimizing harmful ads.

18. Zoro Anime

  • Features: Includes genres like shonen, romance, and horror. Options for various internet speeds. Easy navigation and search functions. Download episodes for offline access. Multiple languages and adjustable settings.
  • Best For: Anime enthusiasts seeking a free, comprehensive platform to watch and interact with a community of fans. Zoro stands out for its commitment to user satisfaction and regular content updates

Tips for Watching Anime Online for Free

While digging through free anime websites may be an exciting journey, here are some of the key points that one should remember while browsing to make sure safety and enjoyment are a guarantee:

Differentiating the sites into legal and illegal streaming sites is very important. 

Some legal websites include Crunchyroll and Tubi TV, among others, operating with proper licensing agreements that ensure your viewership goes toward supporting the anime industry. Most of the websites allow access to both free and paid content.

Illegal sites, on the other hand, are pretty gray areas, as they are so inviting with their huge libraries. 

Using them, however, doesn’t directly support the creators; even more so, there’s a chance it might get you into some trouble with the law. They don’t have as much reliability or an assurance of quality as legal platforms.

When at all possible, please utilize legal streaming options to support the industry and the continued production of high-quality anime. Most legal sites allow free tiers that provide substantial access without a subscription.

Ad-Blockers and Pop-ups

If you go with free anime sites, ads and pop-up windows might disturb you. Sometimes, these are necessary, as they represent the primary source of revenue for specific websites. 

However, to improve your viewing experience, you can install ad-blocking extensions in your browser, such as uBlock Origin or AdBlock Plus.

Be careful with pop-ups on the most minor reputable sites. Avoid clicking suspicious advertisements or download buttons that might take you to harmful content. 

If a popup appears, carefully close it, making sure you click the proper close button and not an advertisement masquerading as one.

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Safe Browsing Practices

To help you keep safe while browsing around anime websites, here are some general tips for staying safe online:

1. Always use updated antivirus software to protect against malware.

2. Be wary of a website asking you to download additional software or browser extensions to see content.

3. Make good use of VPNs for added online security and privacy.

4. Do not give out your personal information or credit card data to sites you do not know.

5. Let your browser and OS automatically update so that you have the latest security patch.

These will enable you to enjoy your anime watching with reduced possible risks from online streaming.

Conclusion

The world of free anime websites offers fans an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the vast and captivating universe of Japanese animation without any financial barriers. 

From major websites like Crunchyroll to those smaller, more niche platforms that would cater to more specific tastes, there’s something out there for virtually every type of anime fan.

From our listed top 17 anime sites to watch anime free online, one notices the variety and the ease with which anime streaming is available today. 

Whether you’re looking to catch up on the latest simulcasts, classic series, or a website with a strong focus on community, there is a website to suit your needs.

Keep in mind that as you begin streaming anime, you need to make sure you navigate legally and safely. When at all possible, support the anime industry by using legitimate platforms and always being aware of your online security. 

The world of anime is large and continuously growing; these free anime websites act as a gateway into hours of entertainment, storytelling, and cultural exploration.

So, fire up your preferred device, pick a platform from the list below, and dive into the colourful, emotional, and action-filled world of anime. 

Reacquaint yourself with some classic favourites or discover new ones on these free anime streaming sites that promise to be your ticket to an unforgettable anime experience. Happy watching!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are these anime websites legal to use?

Free anime streaming sites vary in legality; while some, such as Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Tubi TV, offer legal free tiers with proper licensing, many others exist in this gray area. It’s always preferred that one prioritizes the legal option so you are contributing to the anime industry.

2. Is it necessary to make an account on these websites to watch anime?

While some require an account for full access, others allow streaming content without registration. Sites such as AnimeHeaven, GogoAnime, and 9anime mostly give access immediately without an account.

3. Can I download anime episodes from these sites for offline viewing?

Some, like Animixplay, allow downloading options. However, not all free anime websites offer this capability. If download options are available, you must consider the copyright issue and should be wary of any download as far as legitimacy or safety is concerned. 

4. How do I keep my device safe using free anime websites?

Also, to enhance safety, update your antivirus software regularly, use an updated browser, avoid suspicious ads, and do not click on them. You may consider using a VPN. Use only the known anime websites, and be watchful when giving too much personal information on sites you don’t know well.

References

  • guru99.com: 17 Best FREE Anime Websites to Watch (2024)
  • nanowerk.com: Watch Free Anime Online: 25 Best Anime Streaming Websites

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Oluchukwu Ikemefuna
Oluchukwu Ikemefuna

Oluchukwu Blessing Ikemefuna, a talented content writer from Anambra, Nigeria, found her writing passion in secondary school. Holding a degree in Biological Sciences from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, she specializes in blog writing across technology, finance, healthcare, education, and lifestyle sectors. With strong research and SEO skills, Oluchukwu creates engaging content globally. Her work aims to inspire and engage authentically while driving action. Outside work, she enjoys travel, reading, and movies as she grows as a skilled writer.

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