Crunchyroll vs Netflix: Which streaming service is better for anime fans?

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Anime, once a niche interest found mostly online, is becoming increasingly popular. Market research from Spherical Insights suggests the UK anime market will expand by over 10% between 2025 and 2035.

Finding anime used to mean spending hours searching Reddit, but now you can easily find both popular and lesser-known series on major streaming services.

Anime is more popular than ever, and with so many streaming services available, it’s become a challenge to figure out which one offers the best selection for fans.

Most people agree that Netflix has a stronger anime selection compared to general streaming platforms, but Crunchyroll focuses entirely on anime and offers a wider, more specialized library.

To help anime fans decide between Crunchyroll and Netflix, we looked at things like how much each service costs, how many anime titles they offer, and the quality of their video streaming.

  • Sign up to Netflix
  • Get a seven-day free trial at Crunchyroll

Jump to:

  • Crunchyroll vs Netflix: Variety
  • Crunchyroll vs Netflix: Quality
  • Netflix vs Crunchyroll: Price
  • Crunchyroll vs Netflix: Our verdict

Crunchyroll vs Netflix: How much variety is there?

When choosing a streaming service, what’s most important to you? Are you looking for a little bit of everything, including some anime, or a service that really focuses on a huge selection of anime?

If you prefer this first choice, Netflix might be perfect for you. It has popular anime series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Your Lie in April, Naruto, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, plus a wide variety of TV shows, movies, and documentaries from around the globe.

Crunchyroll offers a much larger anime library, which is expected since it focuses exclusively on anime streaming.

Crunchyroll offers a huge library of over 1,000 shows, from popular classics to hidden gems.

You can also watch new episodes of popular series as soon as they’re released in Japan. Keep in mind, though, that this platform is dedicated to anime, so you won’t find mainstream TV shows or movies here.

  • Sign up to Netflix
  • Get a seven-day free trial at Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll vs Netflix: what is quality of shows like?

Streaming quality might not seem important to all viewers, but it can really affect how you enjoy shows, particularly anime which has a lot of intricate details.

The streaming quality on Netflix varies depending on your subscription plan. The Standard with Ads and Standard plans both let you watch in Full HD (1080p), but the Premium plan unlocks Ultra HD (4K) with HDR and spatial audio for a more immersive experience.

As a Crunchyroll user, I’ve noticed it’s a bit harder to get specifics on their video quality. Unlike some other services that list exact resolutions, Crunchyroll uses three settings: highest quality, moderate, and data saver. It’s not as clear-cut, but they do offer different options to suit your connection and preferences.

Choose ‘Highest’ for the best possible video quality. ‘Data saver’ uses less data, making it ideal for slower internet connections. ‘Moderate’ offers a good compromise between quality and data usage.

Crunchyroll automatically adjusts video quality based on your internet speed. Because of this, we can’t provide precise details for each video setting.

  • Sign up to Netflix
  • Get a seven-day free trial at Crunchyroll

Netflix vs Crunchyroll: What is the better price?

A major difference between the two streaming services is how their membership levels and pricing compare, and what features each level offers.

Netflix offers three different membership plans, each with a different price and set of features. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Standard With Ads (£5.99 a month): ad interruptions, Full HD (1080p), watch on two devices simultaneously, download on two devices, no extra members allowed
  • Standard (£12.99 a month): ad-free, Full HD (1080p), watch on two devices simultaneously, download on two devices, one extra member allowed
  • Premium (£18.99 a month): ad-free, Ultra HD (4K) + HDR and spatial audio, watch on four devices simultaneously, download on six devices, two extra members allowed

Unlike some other services, Crunchyroll offers two subscription plans, and both are completely ad-free. Here’s a breakdown of what each plan includes:

  • Fan (£5.99 a month): watch on one device at a time, offline viewing, 5% discount at Crunchyroll store
  • Mega Fan (£6.99 a month): watch on four devices at a time, offline viewing, 10% discount at Crunchyroll store, access to Crunchyroll Game Vault

Crunchyroll offers better value for money when you compare prices. Its most expensive plan is only £1 more than the least expensive plan on Netflix.

  • Sign up to Netflix
  • Get a seven-day free trial at Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll vs Netflix: Which streaming service should anime fans sign up to in 2026?

Both streaming services offer advantages, but one stands out when it comes to affordability and the variety of anime it offers.

Crunchyroll is the best choice for anime fans. It’s the biggest streaming service dedicated to anime, offering everything from well-known shows to more obscure titles. Unlike Netflix, both of Crunchyroll’s subscription plans are ad-free, and even the pricier one costs half as much as a standard Netflix membership.

A Crunchyroll membership offers more than just anime streaming. Members also receive discounts in the Crunchyroll store – 5% for Fans and 10% for Mega Fans – on items like figures, DVDs, manga, and other merchandise.

Netflix is a great option for newcomers to anime, offering many popular series. Plus, it has lots of other shows and movies if you want to watch more than just anime.

If you want lots of anime, without ads, and at a good price, Crunchyroll is your best bet.

  • Sign up to Netflix
  • Get a seven-day free trial at Crunchyroll

Authors

Joanna Magill

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2026-04-13 14:35