As of today, when it comes to anime sites online, anime fans find themselves between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, subscription-based platforms demand steep monthly fees, while on the other hand, the majority of free anime streaming sites are illegal. Consequently, it also poses risks to one’s privacy and data security.

Nevertheless, amidst this dilemma, there is still hope to experience the captivating world of anime without breaking the bank or compromising your online safety. A handful of safe, legal websites exist that provide free access to a wide range of anime content. The only trade-off? You will have to bear with a few advertisements (ads) along the way.

So, stay tuned with us till the end as we explore the 5 best FREE anime streaming websites that are safe, legal, and active at the time of writing.

1.   Tubi

Tubi Website

Created by Farhad Massoudi and Thomas Ahn Hicks in 2014, Tubi tops our charts for the 5 best FREE anime streaming websites. Unlike many other free anime sites online, you can watch your favorite anime movies and series at full HD quality on Tubi.

In its giant roster of 50000+ movies and TV shows, Tubi also showcases some of the most popular anime such as Bleach, Naruto, My Hero Academia, and Attack on Titan. As such, it has a classical catalog of 1000+ anime shows that can be watched in both dubs and sub-versions.

Presently, Tubi is only available in the US, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand. It is a legal anime streaming site that attracts a lot of people. In February 2023 alone, Tubi recorded the highest viewership ever of 64 million people!

2.   Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll Website

Crunchyroll bags the second place and was founded by Vu Nguyen along with 3 other graduates from the University of California in 2006. To date, it remains one the best FREE anime streaming websites. Being a safe and legal site, Crunchyroll hosts over 1000 popular anime titles that get updated within 1 hour after they air in Japan.

Although its free version incorporates ads, these are very few when compared with other sites. At Crunchyroll, you can watch your favorite shows in full HD. Its UI provides a seamless and immersive experience, allowing viewers to enjoy their favorite anime in both subbed and dubbed formats.

Currently, Crunchyroll has 60+ million registered users and about 2.6 million subscribers. It does not feature any harmful ads and also has a premium plan for viewers that comes with exclusive perks, such as no ads.

3.   Anime-Planet

Anime Planet

Securing third place, Anime-Planet was founded by Kim Cameron back in 2001. Since then, it has grown enough to become one of the 5 best FREE anime streaming websites. Presently, Anime-Planet boasts over 10000+ anime shows on its site.

It is a safe and legal website that has partnered with the likes of Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Viki. Although it has ads, none of them are malicious. Anime-planet implements a user-friendly interface, thus enabling its users to navigate through its website with utmost ease. It also supports HD quality streaming options and allows its users to watch in both dub and sub versions of their favorite anime shows.

4.   Funimation

Funimation Website

Coming fourth, Funimation is yet again one of the 5 best FREE anime streaming websites. It was founded back in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga and his wife in Silicon Valley.

Funimation boasts a large collection of anime movies and series. Just like every other anime online site in the article, Funimation is also a safe and legal website. It is available in a large number of countries including the USA, UK, Canada, and Brazil. Funimation enables its users to stream content in HD along with the option of English dubbed or subbed versions. It has both paid and free plans for its users. Although the free version of Funimation shows ads, none of them are harmful or redirect users to malicious sites.

Moreover, Funimation also has a user-friendly interface that lets you browse by genre, popularity, or release date. You can also create an account to sync your list and continue watching across devices.

5.   Pluto TV

Pluto TV concludes our list of the 5 best FREE anime streaming websites. Pluto TV is not just another anime site online; it is a paradise for all anime lovers. It was founded by Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin, and Nick Grouf back in 2013 and is currently available in 24 countries.

Pluto TV offers a large library of anime titles, including classics like Naruto Shippuden, Bleach, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Sailor Moon, as well as newer hits like Black Clover, Boruto, and Dr. Stone. It has 500+ anime titles in its catalog, and you can watch them in both dubbed or subbed versions.

Because it is both legal and free to watch, Pluto TV is ad-supported, meaning that original creators get their rightful credit.

Conclusion

This is our list of the top 5 best FREE anime streaming websites that are also legal at the same time. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us and let us know in the comments below.