After years of streaming content from illegal websites, do you feel tired?
And now want to make a smooth transition to legit anime streaming website? Even though such sites require monthly subscription fees, you don’t have to use chrome extensions that can hinder your privacy.
Besides, if subscription fee is your biggest concern, there are dozens of options for you to select.
And this is where anime streaming sites such as Hidive and Crunchyroll comes into the picture. They are some of the budget oriented websites you can opt for.
However, when it comes to buying their monthly subscription, which one is better?
Let’s find out:
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Which One is Legal?
First and foremost, let’s establish that both Hidive and Crunchyroll are legitimate anime streaming services. If you’re looking for a way to legally stream your favorite Japanese or Korean animated series, these two sites provide excellent options!
Both sites are legal streaming services that are available in the United States. Both also have an extensive catalog of Japanese animation titles, which include popular series like Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online and more.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Better Content
Both Hidive and Crunchyroll have a focus on Japanese anime series, though Crunchyroll also has a few Korean shows.
Hidive is more international than its competitor, with content from Australia, Canada and France in addition to Japan. They also provide subtitles in French and Spanish alongside English.
Crunchyroll has been around longer than Hidive (since 2006), but the service is still new enough that it doesn’t have as many subscribers as other streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Subscription
If you’re looking for a free anime streaming service, Hidive is your best option. The free tier doesn’t come with any ads and allows you to save your list of shows (though not in as much detail as Crunchyroll).
But if you want to watch more than one episode of a show at once or keep more than 60 episodes on your list, then Hidive will require a paid subscription.
Crunchyroll has both a free and premium tier, but only the premium tier will let you save your list.
The free version limits how many shows can be added at once and prevents users from adding them later on in their queue either—they must wait until the next day or week before watching again.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Original Access.
Both Hidive and Crunchyroll have original content. In fact, since 2018, Hidive has been producing their own anime series. Currently, they have 12 original shows on the service with one more coming in 2020.
Their most recent series is “Penguin Highway” which follows a girl who helps penguins find their way home after being separated from their families during a harsh winter.
Crunchyroll also produces original content including two animated movies: “Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days” and “Seven Deadly Sins: Prisoners of the Sky” as well as several original shorts that can be viewed on their official website under the name of Crunchyroll Originals.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: User Experience
Both sites are very easy to use and have a similar layout, making it easier than ever to find what you want. They also both have simple interfaces and user experiences. You can find everything on the homepage, including new releases and shows that are currently airing.
Hidive even has a separate section for anime! Each show will have its own page, where you can see all the episodes available for streaming on that channel, as well as links for streams in other languages (Japanese with English subtitles). If there’s any specific information about the show itself or its dubbing team, it’ll be here too.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Simulcasting Support.
The most important thing to know about both Hidive and Crunchyroll is that they offer anime simulcasts, which are shows that are released on a streaming service at the same time they air in Japan.
This means you can watch your favorite anime as soon as it airs in Japan, instead of waiting months or even years for an official dub or release date!
Both services have several great titles available for free, but they also offer paid memberships with additional perks and features.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Download Support
You can download episodes on either app.
You can download episodes on the Hidive app, but you cannot do so with Crunchyroll. If you want to watch downloaded episodes offline, you need to use the Hidive app.
However, if you have a device that supports downloading content (like a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One), then it’s possible to watch downloaded content through the Crunchyroll app as long as your subscription includes HD viewing mode (and most do).
If you like watching anime on your phone and tablet while traveling or commuting home from work, then downloading episodes may be a good choice for reducing load times and increasing comfortability during extended viewing sessions.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Pricing
Both sites have ads playing as you watch your show in the website browser, but you can remove them with a paid subscription.
- To get rid of ads on Crunchyroll, subscribe for $6.95 per month (or $11.95 for three months or $59.99 annually). You’ll still see some ads at the beginning and end of shows, but they won’t interrupt your viewing experience anymore.
- To get rid of ads on Hidive, subscribe for $7 per month through their website or through Apple TV ($5/month) or Roku ($3/month). You’ll still see some ads at the beginning and end of shows, but they won’t interrupt your viewing experience anymore
You will get access to more content and features by paying $3 more per month for Hidive than you would with Crunchyroll’s premium options.
Some people may prefer this better content and user experience overall, while others might not need or want these bonus features, especially if they’re only using the site for free anime episodes.
Hidive vs. Crunchyroll: Which One is Better?
Hidive is a better choice for people who want a wider selection of anime, because it has more shows available at any time than Crunchyroll does. It also offers more original content that’s exclusive to their service instead of being available elsewhere like on Netflix (if it’s not already).
Hidive is also ideal if you’re looking to watch your favorite shows in HD format without ads—Crunchyroll offers some titles in HD but not all of them; this isn’t always possible due to licensing restrictions from third parties like Funimation or Sentai Filmworks holding onto certain rights (meaning only some episodes are available).
Conclusion
Both Hidive and Crunchyroll are legal anime streaming services.
This means you no longer have to use a premium VPN service for downloading and streaming your favorite anime shows.
However, they’re not exactly the same when it comes down to their features, content library (or lack thereof), user experience, and price points.
If you’re just looking for something that will give you access to new episodes as soon as they air on TV overseas then Crunchyroll will suffice if your budget isn’t huge or if you only want one service in particular.
On the other hand though if you want more bang for your bucks then Hidive could be just what the doctor ordered!
