Published on: March 26, 2024 Updated 3 times since publishing
Short on time? Here’s the best free anime streaming site in 2026:
- Tubi. Has the largest library of any free and legal anime streaming site, is pretty easy to use, and doesn’t require you to create an account. It carries a wide range of anime from vintage 70s shows to modern favorites.
While there are many free anime streaming platforms, a lot of them are illegal sites or have other issues like slow speeds, poor quality, or limited libraries. They’re also frequently packed with annoying ads and may even contain malicious links.
So, I compiled this list of the 6 best anime streaming sites to help you find the right platform to watch your favorite series. Additionally, this article addresses common concerns about the safety of free anime streaming sites and provides expert advice on how to stream anime more securely.
Pro Tip: Using a VPN is the best way to protect your online privacy while streaming anime. My favorite is ExpressVPN — it works with all the streaming sites I recommend and offers excellent speeds and strong security. Reliable VPNs don’t log your online activities, but we still strongly recommend following all applicable laws and regulations. It’s against the law to stream unauthorized copyrighted content, and at SafetyDetectives, we don’t encourage violating copyright laws.
Editor's Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
6 Best Free Anime Streaming Sites in 2026
1. Tubi
Tubi is the #1 free anime streaming site with an extensive library of nearly 200 titles from as far back as the 1970s up to the 2020s. Its offerings include popular anime like Pokemon, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Naruto, as well as classics like Ghost in the Shell and Lupin the 3rd.
The site doesn’t really have a filtering function, but its search function works well, and it’s otherwise very intuitive to navigate. I also like that you don’t have to create an account to use it.
Tubi is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, LATAM, and Mexico. Its library may differ slightly depending on where you’re located.
2. Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee has a good selection of popular anime shows and movies online. Don’t expect to find any recent releases, but there are plenty of good anime titles on it to keep you occupied, including popular titles like Hunter X Hunter, Death Note, Yu-Gi-Oh, as well as older shows like Black Jack and Ranma 1/2.
To start watching, you’ll need to get yourself an Amazon account, then navigate to the Anime category and look under Freevee: Movies or Freevee: TV shows — the other titles in the category aren’t free. You’ll have to endure a few ads while watching, but this is a small price to pay for free anime content.
Amazon Freevee is only available to people located in the US.
3. Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a great free anime streaming site that’s available in many countries, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Latin America, and Australia. You can watch anime on the site without making an account, but the interface is pretty cluttered. Also, it’s inconvenient that the site auto-plays media while you’re browsing (and you can’t turn it off).
The number of shows can vary significantly from country to country. For example, its UK library is scarce, whereas the US library is very diverse.
4. RetroCrush
As the name of the site suggests, RetroCrush is a site dedicated to older anime titles, so don’t expect to see any recent releases. However, it’s an excellent place to watch anime classics as it includes plenty of well-known titles that are well worth watching, including Death Note, Yu-Gi-Oh, Great Teacher Onizuka, and Hajime no Ippo. I also really like that you can watch everything on the site without making an account.
Its search function makes it easy to find what you’re looking for, but it’s a little annoying that it auto-plays anime while you’re browsing the site.
RetroCrush is only available in the US and Canada.
5. The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is an excellent free and legal anime site for people in the US. It has a large library of over 100 titles, which includes popular shows like Naruto, Death Note, InuYasha, Case Closed, and Hunter X Hunter.
I like how it allows you to watch entire seasons for free, so long as you don’t mind getting a few ads. You’ll also have to create an account to use it, but once in, the site is easy to navigate. It shows you every anime’s age rating, and there’s a search function if you’re looking for a specific title.
6. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is one of the biggest English anime streaming sites, but its free offerings are pretty slim. You can find just about any popular anime on it, including anime from the current season. However, most series only allow you to watch the first 3–5 episodes for free, and there are some series that don’t have any free episodes. This means that, at best, Crunchyroll is a good site for previewing series you think you might be interested in.
This site is available worldwide, the shows you can watch may differ from country to country. You also need to create an account to use it.
Are Free Anime Streaming Sites Safe?
Here’s a quick guide to streaming anime safely:
- Choose a legal free anime streaming site. You can refer to my list of the best free anime streaming sites.
- Download & install a VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN. Get the VPN for the device you want to stream on, launch the VPN app, and then connect to a server. Now all of the data you send and receive is encrypted and nobody can see your real IP address.
- Download & install an antivirus. Norton is the best antivirus for streaming anime. If you accidentally download malware, an antivirus will remove it from your device.
- Start streaming your favorite anime. You’re all set! You can now securely watch anime on free anime streaming sites.
Not all of them. A lot of free anime streaming sites host copyrighted anime content, and streaming anime on a site like that may be considered copyright infringement and could get you into legal trouble. This is why I only recommend free alternatives for streaming anime that are legal.
Free anime streaming sites often lack the security that their paid counterparts offer. For example, most of them are filled with pop-up ads, some of which may be malicious, meaning, you may get exposed to all kinds of malware. Many of them also collect user data and may share that information with third parties (like advertisers).
I recommend using a VPN with these legal anime streaming sites if you value your privacy. A VPN makes sure nobody sees and intercepts your data — not even your ISP or government would be able to spy on your anime streaming activities. My favorite VPN for streaming anime is ExpressVPN — it’s fast, secure, and user-friendly, plus it works with 100+ streaming services and comes with an excellent ad blocker.
To keep yourself safe on free anime streaming sites, I also recommend practicing good internet safety habits. Don’t click on suspicious pop-ups or banner ads (these are often gateways to malicious websites or software), avoid downloading files from unknown or untrusted sources (malware is often disguised as legitimate files), and consider getting a reputable antivirus program (I recommend Norton) to quarantine and remove any threats that do manage to get onto your device.
Editor's Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best place to watch anime for free?
Tubi is the best place to watch anime for free legally. It has the largest library of any free anime streaming site with almost 200 titles from the 1970s all the way up to the 2020s. Tubi is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
Are free anime sites illegal?
Some free anime streaming sites, like the ones on my list, are completely legal.
However, there are many free anime streaming sites on the internet that host copyrighted content without authorization from the copyright holders — these sites are illegal, and watching anime on them could get you into legal trouble. Most places in the world only target the owners of illegal streaming sites and not the users. But in countries with strict copyright enforcement, you might face fines or worse penalties for streaming content from these sites.
If I use a VPN, will it slow down my anime streams?
Not if you use a good VPN. While it’s true that all VPNs will reduce your speeds slightly because of the extra time it takes to encrypt your data and to route your internet traffic through the VPN server, good VPNs maintain fast enough speeds that you’ll hardly notice a difference compared to your regular internet speeds, even when streaming in HD.
What’s the best VPN for streaming anime?
ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN for streaming anime. It works consistently with all major anime streaming platforms, has super-fast speeds for buffer-free streaming, includes user-friendly apps for all operating systems, and comes with a dedicated router app and smart DNS tool to make it easier to watch anime on the big screen.
Editor's Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
