If you’re anime fan, probably you’ve already heard or used Crunchyroll, one of the biggest streaming platforms of the niche. In a surprising move, the company has announced a change that will impact all of its non-paying users, revealing that it will discontinue its free plan ( which is ad-supported) on December 31, 2025, marking the “end of an era” for viewers who relied on the free access to a part of its catalog. After December’s last day, the entire library will only be accessible through one of the platform’s paid subscription tiers.
This not so welcomed decision has been appearing as a notification to users who are still currently using the free plan. The message highlights that “ad-supported streaming ends on December 31, 2025,” encouraging the non-paying viewers to subscribe in order to secure continued access without interruptions and advertisements.
Crunchyroll Ad-Supported Streaming ends December 31
byu/AnyAssociate1036 inCrunchyroll
Crunchyroll has been making gradual restrictions to its free offering in recent years, reducing the number of series available without payment; But some well-known anime titles have remained accessible on the free tier up to this point.
Examples include Beast Tamer, Blue Lock, Bocchi the Rock!, Bungo Stray Dogs, Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, Chainsaw Man, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, The Daily Life of the Immortal King, Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, Golden Kamuy, Lycoris Recoil, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch of Mercury, My Dress-Up Darling, Ranking of Kings, The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World, Soul Eater, Spy x Family, Vinland Saga, and Yona of the Dawn. These and remaining series that were previously available with ads will soon shift permanently to paid access.
Two Monthly Subscription Choices
Once the free plan is removed, the users will have two monthly subscription choices, both including a seven-day free trial (for new members). The most basic one, called Fan plan, is priced at $7.99 per month, providing full access to the complete streaming catalog without ads.
For users that want a bit more features, there’s the Mega Fan plan, which costs $11.99 per month, offering additional benefits like simultaneous streaming on up to four devices, the option to download episodes in HD quality for offline viewing, and access to Crunchyroll Game Vault, the company’s gaming service.
This transition represents a considerable shift in Crunchyroll’s business strategy, aligning the platform more closely with fully premium streaming models. In other words, all viewers will need to subscribe if they wish to continue watching anime on the service after the announced deadline.
Filed in . Read more about Video Streaming.
