The anime industry is a constantly evolving landscape, and this is true not only when it comes to the popularity of anime franchises and genres but also how people consume them. While the way in which fans viewed anime in the early 2000s and into the 2010s was far more scattered, this has become far more centralized in the 2020s, with now only two major options available for Western audiences to stream legal, anime-focused content: Crunchyroll and HIDIVE.

Needless to say, there are plenty of other sites on which to legally stream anime in the West, including Disney+, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime, but Crunchyroll and HIDIVE -- owned by Sony and AMC Networks respectively -- are the only two big platforms left standing that are dedicated primarily to anime. However, the two subscription video-on-demand services are quite dissimilar in many respects, including how they market themselves to viewers and what kinds of anime titles they tend to license.

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How Do Crunchyroll and HIDIVE Compare in Terms of Overall Costs and Offerings?

In comparing Crunchyroll with HIDIVE as far as core offerings go, it quickly becomes clear why the former is commonly thought of as the undisputed king of anime streaming. The site gives viewers a choice of three tiers: Fan ($7.99/month), Mega Fan ($9.99/month) and Ultimate Fan ($14.99/month). All tiers provide unlimited and ad-free access to Crunchyroll's full catalog, although the number of devices that can be streamed on at a time differs, and with the increase in prices come various other perks, such as store benefits and exclusive merch opportunities. Crucially, Crunchyroll advertises that it has a library of more than 1,000 titles comprising over 30,000 episodes, making it by far the largest anime-specific streaming service not just in the West but in the world.

In stark contrast, HIDIVE has a much narrower offering, albeit also a considerably less expensive one. Viewers have a choice of paying either $4.99/month or $47.99 for a yearly subscription -- making it roughly half the price of Crunchyroll per year if one were to purchase 12 months of even Crunchyroll's cheapest option. However, as HIDIVE contains approximately 500 anime shows and movies, the library is also a lot smaller. On the plus side, although Crunchyroll subscriptions come with a lot of bells and whistles, including an English-language manga catalog, numerous East Asian dramas and even a newly-added music section, HIDIVE's less crowded interface may make the site more navigable and easier on the eyes.

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What's the Difference Between Crunchyroll and HIDIVE When It Comes to Anime Series?

It may come as no surprise that although Crunchyroll has a truly massive anime library that includes anime titles of all genres and demographics, it often focuses on more conventional series, especially major shonen action/adventure shows that come with already-hefty fanbases. For example, the likes of Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Dragon Ball are all Crunchyroll-licensed franchises, and the service claims the lion's share of new titles that are released in Japan every season, particularly those with large mainstream appeal.

Meanwhile, HIDIVE, with its more streamlined anime viewing options, bills itself as having a "curated" and "tailored" catalog. Rather than focusing on sheer numbers, its titles are generally less shonen-oriented and often more mature in terms of content and lack of censorship. The site also stocks plenty in the way of not only contemporary highlights but also classic and more niche offerings. For instance, subscribers can view such diverse series as the original Lupin III, The Big O, Nana, Flip Flappers, Bloom Into You, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Food Wars! and Made in Abyss. HIDIVE doesn't miss out entirely on big seasonal hits either, with the platform picking up at least a couple of new and exclusive shows each quarter -- including Spring 2023's runaway success Oshi no Ko, to the surprise of many fans.

Crunchyroll Is for Dedicated Seasonal Viewers, HIDIVE for a More Bespoke Anime Experience

For many viewers outside of Japan, particularly those who like to keep up with the newest and hottest titles on a season-to-season basis, Crunchyroll has become the be-all and end-all of anime streaming. There's certainly no beating the platform in terms of its size, and there likely won't be another site that can top it in numbers any time soon -- if ever. On the other hand, for more casual viewers, those seeking a lower-priced alternative, or fans who appreciate less mainstream or conventional content and more variety in target demographics, HIDIVE may well be the better option thanks to its somewhat outside-of-the-box approach to anime streaming and licensing.