Crunchyroll vs. Hulu in 2024 – 7 Things You Need To Know (2024)

Choosing a new streaming service is never easy, especially since there are so many options out there for cord-cutters. If you’re comparing Crunchyroll vs. Hulu, we’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll take a look at each one of these services, break down their differences, and help you decide which one may be right for you. Let’s get into it.

Here’s a quick overview of Crunchyroll vs Hulu

Let’s start with Crunchyroll. This is an anime-focused streaming service that launched way back in 2006. It mostly has anime shows and movies, though it does have some East Asian dramas and also includes access to a surprisingly large library of manga comics. It’s got more than 5 million subscribers, and is definitely a top choice for streamers who like anime.

Hulu probably needs no introduction. It first launched in 2007, and it has more than 45 million subscribers. That makes it one of the most popular streaming services in America. Hulu started out by airing shows from networks like NBC, but it has dramatically expanded its licensed content library and has lots of original shows and movies, too.

Crunchyroll’s free—and still cheaper when you pay for it

Source: Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll wins in pricing for a simple reason – it’s free. If you don’t mind ads and being locked out of certain shows and episodes, you can use it for free.

Hulu also loses out to Crunchyroll when it comes to premium plan pricing. All 3 of Crunchyroll’s paid, ad-free plans are cheaper than Hulu’s only ad-free plan. Given its more diverse content library, it makes sense that Hulu costs more – but the fact remains that Crunchyroll is still cheaper.

Hulu’s free trial is longer

When it comes to free trials, Hulu beats out Crunchyroll. With Hulu, you can get a totally free 30-day trial of the ad-supported or ad-free membership, and see if you like the service. Crunchyroll has a free trial, too, but it’s only 14 days long.

You should note that both services do require you to enter your credit card information. And if you don’t cancel before your free trial ends, you’ll be charged for a full month’s membership. If you don’t want to pay, make sure you cancel Hulu or Crunchyroll before your membership ends.

Hulu’s got more to watch

Hulu has a more diverse lineup of content – from top network shows and reality shows to cable dramas, prestige TV, original movies and shows, and more. It even has a large amount of anime with its own hub dedicated to it. You can watch titles like Chainsaw Man, Black Clover, Fruit’s Basket (2019), Hunter x Hunter, Sailor Moon, Spy x Family, and much more.

Still, Hulu doesn’t beat Crunchyroll when it comes to anime. Crunchyroll has 1,000+ anime series, with new episodes airing just an hour after they go live in Japan. It’s still a good choice for big anime fans.

What to watch on Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll pretty much exclusively has anime in its library. You’ll be able to watch thousands of anime shows and episodes, as well as some related anime movies. It has also expanded to have some live-action dramas from East Asia, though this lineup is still limited compared to its anime library. Most of its shows are licensed from Japan, but Crunchyroll has produced a handful of exclusives, too, like Shenmue. Some of its top shows include:

• Attack On Titan
• Demon Slayer
• One Piece
• Sword Art Online
• My Hero Academia

What to watch on Hulu

Hulu has about 2,500 titles in its library, spanning from network shows and reality TV to sitcoms, drama, prestige TV, blockbuster movies, and so much more. In the past, it primarily focused on licensed content, but over the last decade or so, it’s invested in some highly-popular original shows like The Handmaid’s Tale. Some of its top titles include:

• New Girl
• Pen15
• Bob’s Burgers
• Fargo
• The Bear

Hulu’s home theater experience is better

Hulu wins on this front, since it offers up to 4K support, HDR10/HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and 5.1 surround sound. Support for all of these features depend on the show or movie you're watching, of course.

On the other hand, Crunchyroll only has 1080p and stereo sound support. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Most anime shows are aired in 720p or 1080p, and are only mixed to support stereo sound, so you’ll still have a good viewing experience.

You can download more shows with Crunchyroll

Source: Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll wins when it comes to offline viewing, since it has slightly better features. With Crunchyroll, you can download up to 100 episodes in total. They expire after just 7 days, or 48 hours after you start playing them, but you can refresh this timer simply by connecting to the internet. However, this is only available to Mega Fan or higher users.

Hulu is slightly more restrictive. With their no-ads plan, you can download most of your favorite shows and movies to an iOS or Android device for later viewing. You can have up to 25 downloads across 5 devices at any given time. Unwatched downloads are saved for 30 days, but after you start playing an episode or movie, the download will expire after 48 hours.

Hulu supports more devices

On device support, Hulu outpaces Crunchyroll, since it supports slightly more devices. Both services support the most popular streaming devices, though, including:

• iOS and Android
• Web browsers
• Amazon Fire TV
• Roku
• Apple TV
• Chromecast
• PlayStation/Xbox/Nintendo Switch consoles

However, Hulu supports most smart TVs, some set-top boxes, and even some internet-connected Blu-Ray players. It’s pretty much available on any internet-connected device, so you have a few more options. Still, either service will offer plenty of device support for your most frequently-used streaming devices.

Crunchyroll offers more simultaneous streams

Hulu’s default simultaneous streaming policy loses them the win here. You can watch on 2 devices at once with either plan.

While the Crunchyroll Fan plan only lets you stream on one device at a time, you can get 4 streams with the Mega Fan plan and 6 with the Ultimate Fan plan. The Ultimate Fan plan costs the same amount as Hulu’s ad-free plan, which only gets you 2 streams, making Crunchyroll the clear winner.

Our takeaway: Hulu’s got the best blend of features

Hulu is a better overall choice for most cord-cutters. You can watch tons of amazing original shows, recently-aired TV, blockbuster movies, and even a fairly large selection of anime, new and old. There’s something for everyone, which means it will be better for the majority of people.

Crunchyroll is still a good streaming service, but it’s mostly for hardcore anime fans who want to watch shows that aren’t available anywhere else, and who want to keep up with recently-aired episodes straight from Japan. But if that’s not you, you’re probably better off with Hulu.