What Crunchyroll Premium includes

Crunchyroll Premium is a paid tier of the anime streaming service Crunchyroll. It removes ads from the video player, lets you watch new episodes the same day they air in Japan (called "simulcast"), and gives you access to the full library of older shows. The basic Premium plan costs $11.99 per month in the United States, though the price varies by country.

Without Premium, you can watch some shows and movies for free, but with ads interrupting every few minutes and a delay of one week before new episodes appear. Premium also includes offline read on some titles, which means you can save episodes to your phone or tablet and watch them without an internet connection.

Crunchyroll also offers a higher tier called Crunchyroll Premium+ (sometimes called "Fan" tier), which adds early access to new episodes, manga reading, and game discounts. That tier costs $14.99 per month. Both tiers come with a 7-day free trial before you are charged.

Key Takeaways

  • Crunchyroll Premium removes ads and gives you same-day access to new episodes, with prices starting at $11.99 per month in the US.
  • You can read episodes to watch offline on most titles, and the service works on phones, tablets, computers, and some smart TVs.
  • A 7-day free trial comes with every new Premium subscription, and you can cancel anytime before the trial ends without being charged.
  • Crunchyroll Premium+ costs $14.99 per month and adds early episode access, manga reading, and game discounts on top of the standard Premium features.

How to start a Crunchyroll Premium subscription

Go to crunchyroll.com or open the Crunchyroll app on your phone or device. If you do not have an account yet, create one with an email address and password. Once you are logged in, look for the "Upgrade" or "Subscribe" button, usually near the top of the page or in the menu.

You will be asked to choose between Premium and Premium+, then enter a payment method. Crunchyroll accepts credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal. After you enter your payment details, your 7-day free trial begins when ready. You will not be charged until day 8 unless you cancel before then.

If you already have a free Crunchyroll account, you can upgrade to Premium without creating a new account. Your watchlist, favorites, and viewing history stay the same.

Devices where Crunchyroll Premium works

Crunchyroll Premium streams on most devices: iPhones and iPads, Android phones and tablets, Windows and Mac computers, and web browsers on any computer. It also works on smart TVs through apps on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The offline read feature (saving episodes to watch without internet) works on the mobile app for iOS and Android, but not on computers or smart TVs. Downloaded episodes stay on your device for 30 days before they expire, even if you keep your subscription active.

Canceling or pausing your subscription

You can cancel your Crunchyroll Premium subscription anytime through your account settings. Log in, go to Account Settings, find the Subscription section, and select Cancel Subscription. Crunchyroll will ask you to confirm, and you will lose access to Premium features at the end of your current billing cycle — not when ready.

If you cancel during the 7-day free trial, you will not be charged at all. If you cancel after the trial ends, you keep Premium access through the end of the month you paid for. There is no penalty for canceling, and you can restart a subscription later if you want to return.

Crunchyroll does not offer a pause or temporary suspension option. Your only choice is to cancel and restart later, or to keep paying through months you do not use it.

Shared accounts and simultaneous streaming

Crunchyroll's terms of service say that each account is for one person's personal use and should not be shared. However, the service does allow multiple people to watch from the same account at the same time on different devices — there is no limit on how many simultaneous streams you can have.

In practice, many households share one Premium subscription among family members. Crunchyroll has not enforced the single-user rule the way some other streaming services do, but this could change. If you want a separate account for each person in your household, you would need separate subscriptions.

Comparing Crunchyroll Premium to other anime services

Crunchyroll is the largest anime streaming library in English, with over 1,500 titles. Other services carry anime too: Netflix has a growing anime section, Hulu streams some anime with a subscription, and Funimation (which Crunchyroll acquired in 2021) is being merged into Crunchyroll. If you watch only a few specific shows, you might find them on Netflix or Hulu cheaper than a Crunchyroll subscription.

Crunchyroll Premium's main advantage is same-day simulcast access to new episodes and the sheer size of the back catalog. If you watch anime regularly or want to keep up with current seasons, Premium usually costs less per show than buying individual episodes or renting DVDs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Crunchyroll Premium in countries outside the US?

Crunchyroll operates in most countries, but the price, available shows, and features vary by region. Some countries have different pricing tiers, and some shows are not available in all regions due to licensing. Check crunchyroll.com for your country to see current pricing and what is available where you are.

What happens to my account if I do not pay?

If your payment method fails or is declined, Crunchyroll will try to charge it again over the next few days. If payment continues to fail, your account reverts to the free tier and you lose Premium features. Your watchlist and history are saved, so you can upgrade again later without losing your data.

Does Crunchyroll Premium include manga?

The standard Premium tier does not include manga. Only Crunchyroll Premium+ ($14.99 per month) adds manga reading. The manga library includes thousands of titles, and you can read new chapters as they are released.

Can I gift a Crunchyroll Premium subscription to someone?

Crunchyroll does not sell gift cards or gift subscriptions directly through the website. However, you can purchase a gift card from third-party retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, and the recipient can use it to pay for a subscription. Check the Crunchyroll website for a current list of where gift cards are sold.

Is there a student discount for Crunchyroll Premium?

Crunchyroll does not offer a direct student discount. However, some student discount services like UNiDAYS or Student Beans occasionally offer Crunchyroll deals. Check those platforms if you have a valid student email address, as offers change throughout the year.