Anime Streaming Free Trials in 2026

The anime streaming landscape in 2026

The Crunchyroll / Funimation consolidation

The single biggest change in anime streaming over the past three years was the Sony-led consolidation of Crunchyroll and Funimation. Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021 for $1.175 billion, then began merging the Funimation streaming catalogue into Crunchyroll throughout 2022 and 2023. In April 2024, Funimation's standalone streaming service shut down entirely and remaining subscribers were migrated to Crunchyroll accounts. Polygon covered the migration in detail including the controversies around lost digital purchases.

For trial-shopping in 2026, the practical effect is that there is now essentially one major mainstream anime streamer (Crunchyroll) with the largest catalogue of subbed and dubbed current-season simulcasts, and one independent alternative (HIDIVE) that has chosen not to merge and continues to license a niche-focused catalogue. VRV, which had bundled Crunchyroll, HIDIVE and several Cartoon Network niche channels into one subscription, also folded its standalone tier into Crunchyroll in 2024.

Crunchyroll: 7-day trial, simulcast-focused

Crunchyroll runs a 7-day free trial in mainstream anime. The trial applies to both the Fan tier ($7.99 per month, ad-free streaming, one device, no offline downloads) and the Mega Fan tier ($11.99 per month, four simultaneous streams, offline downloads on mobile). The Ultimate Fan tier at $14.99 per month adds two more simultaneous streams and merchandise discounts but is typically not what trial users opt into.

The 7-day window reflects Crunchyroll's primary value proposition: same-day-as-Japan simulcast of current-season anime. The trial gives you enough time to follow a weekly episode of every simulcast title in the current season plus some back-catalogue depth to evaluate the breadth. Sign up at crunchyroll.com/welcome. The cancel flow is one of the cleaner ones in streaming: Account, then Membership, then Cancel, three clicks total, with no retention dark patterns.

Crunchyroll's content gaps relative to historical Funimation strength are most visible in older dub catalogue. If you specifically want classic Dragon Ball Z dubs, older Naruto dub episodes, or other content that originated on Funimation, check the Crunchyroll catalogue before committing. Sony has been steadily migrating titles but some are still in limbo for licensing reasons.

HIDIVE: 7-day trial, niche catalogue

HIDIVE is owned by AMC Networks (the same parent as AMC, Acorn TV and Shudder) through its Sentai Filmworks subsidiary. The service runs a 7-day free trial at $7.99 per month. The catalogue is smaller than Crunchyroll (around 500 series versus 1,000+) and is editorially distinct. HIDIVE leans into niche genres including ecchi, slice-of-life, isekai, and the more adult-oriented titles that Crunchyroll has historically avoided. It also carries exclusive simulcasts of a handful of current-season titles each season that are not on Crunchyroll.

For an anime fan with broad tastes, HIDIVE is complementary to rather than competitive with Crunchyroll. The back-to-back stacking strategy (Crunchyroll trial for 7 days, then HIDIVE trial for 7) gives 14 days of free anime streaming covering both mainstream simulcast and niche catalogue. The HIDIVE signup is at hidive.com; cancel via Account, then Subscription, then Cancel.

Tubi and RetroCrush: free ad-supported

Tubi (owned by Fox Corporation) has built one of the largest free ad-supported anime catalogues in the US through licensing deals with Sentai Filmworks and Discotek Media. The catalogue runs older content rather than current-season simulcasts; expect classic shounen, older isekai, and back-catalogue across genres rather than this season's Crunchyroll headliners. The service is fully free with no signup required, ad-supported via roughly 8 to 12 ads per 24-minute episode. Watch at tubitv.com/genre/anime.

RetroCrush specializes in older and classic anime exclusively. Catalogue includes pre-2000 titles like Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock, Robotech, and Akira's original-OAV-era contemporaries. The service is free, ad-supported, and runs across most smart TV platforms. For fans of golden-age anime specifically, RetroCrush fills a gap that Crunchyroll and HIDIVE largely don't cover because their licensing focus is on current and recent content.

Netflix anime: no trial, but worth knowing about

Netflix has built one of the most significant anime original libraries outside of the anime-specialist services. Notable originals include Devilman Crybaby, Castlevania, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Beastars, Pluto, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and the Yasuke series. Netflix also holds exclusive English-language licenses to a meaningful number of titles including the global rights to some of the high-budget Studio MAPPA productions.

The trial problem is that Netflix has not offered a US free trial since October 2020, and there is no exception for the anime category. To sample Netflix anime requires either a paid subscription, a carrier bundle (T-Mobile Go5G Plus, Verizon myPlan), or an extra-member add-on through a family member's Standard with Extras plan. Full coverage of Netflix trial alternatives is on the Netflix free trial page.

Hulu and Max anime libraries

Hulu has a modest but real anime library (notably the simulcast rights to a handful of titles including the simulcast of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War). Hulu discontinued its standalone 30-day free trial in June 2026 (covered on the Hulu free trial page), so to sample its anime library inside the broader subscription you now pay from day one ($11.99/mo with Ads) or rely on a carrier perk such as T-Mobile's Hulu on Us. With Hulu's trial gone, Amazon Prime's 30-day trial is now the longest single trial in major US streaming.

HBO Max carries a handful of Studio Ghibli films (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle and others under the licensing deal that began in 2020). The Studio Ghibli catalogue is a meaningful draw for one-time viewers but not a replacement for a Crunchyroll-style ongoing anime subscription. Note that HBO Max no longer offers a free trial -- see the HBO Max page for the cheapest ways to watch.

How to stack anime trials sensibly

A practical anime-trial stacking sequence for a new viewer in 2026: Start with Crunchyroll's 7-day trial during a season transition (the start of January, April, July or October when new simulcasts launch). Follow the opening episodes of every current-season simulcast that interests you. Move to the HIDIVE 7-day trial for the next week, with a watch list of HIDIVE-exclusive titles pre-loaded. That is 14 days of free streaming and a real evaluation of both services' catalogues.

From there decide whether either or both earn the $7.99 to $11.99 monthly fee for your viewing habits. Most anime fans who watch more than one or two current-season simulcasts will find Crunchyroll's annual price ($79.99 for the year) is the cheapest reasonable option. Tubi and RetroCrush remain useful permanent free backups for older content. Hulu no longer has a standalone trial as of June 2026, so the broader on-demand TV library now means paying from day one or using a carrier perk.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• British TV streaming free trials for BritBox and Acorn TV (similar niche-streamer model).
• Documentary streaming free trials for adjacent specialty streamers.
• Hulu free trial page for the broader on-demand library option.
• Free trial calendar 2026 sequences anime trials month over month.
• Back to the main StreamingFreeTrial.com comparison.

Anime service trial terms verified as of June 2026. Crunchyroll runs a 7-day trial; HIDIVE's 7-day trial has been stable since the AMC Networks acquisition.