Anime-Planet is a popular anime and manga recommendation and streaming website that provides a platform for fans to discover, rate, review and watch/read their favorite anime and manga series. With its vast database of anime and manga titles, many fans are drawn to the website to find their next favorite series. However, as with any online service, questions about its legality and safety have been raised.
In this article, we will explore the question of whether Anime-Planet is legal and safe to use.
What is Anime-Planet and is it Legal?
Anime-Planet is not just an anime streaming site but is, in fact, an anime and manga recommendation database that allows fans to track the anime and manga they have watched or read. Founded in 2001, it has become a popular platform among anime and manga fans for discovering new series and interacting with other fans through its forums.
When it comes to the legality of streaming anime on Anime-Planet, the site is completely legal. Unlike some other anime streaming sites that operate outside the law by hosting pirated content, Anime-Planet operates within the confines of the law. The site does not host any content itself but instead provides links to legal streaming services like Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Is Anime-Planet Free?
One of the great things about Anime-Planet is that its database of anime and manga titles is completely free to use. Fans can browse the site and create lists of the anime and manga they have watched or read without paying a dime. This makes it a valuable resource for the anime enthusiasts who want to keep track of their favorite series and discover new ones without much hassle.
In terms of streaming anime and reading manga on the site, there are many titles that can be accessed for free. Anime-Planet provides links to legal streaming services like Crunchyroll which offer a wide range of anime series for free. Similarly, the site also provides links to legal manga reading services like Lezhin and Bilibili Comics, which allow fans to read manga and webtoons. It is worth noting that not all anime and manga titles are available for free. Some titles may require a third-party subscription in order to access them.
How Does Anime-Planet Make Money?
Anime-Planet is a free-to-use site, which raises the question of how they are able to sustain their business model. The site makes money through a combination of harmless ads and user donations.
Like many other websites, Anime-Planet displays ads on its pages to generate revenue. These ads are usually targeted towards anime and manga fans and are designed to be non-intrusive.
In addition to ads, Anime-Planet also accepts user donations. The site allows fans to contribute to the site’s upkeep by making one-time or recurring donations. These donations go towards maintaining the site’s servers and covering other operating costs.
Should I Use Illegal Alternatives?
Many fans of anime and manga may be tempted to turn to illegal alternatives to access their favorite series that are not available on Anime-Planet. However, there are many reasons why using these illegal alternatives is not recommended.
While it is true that some illegal streaming and manga reading sites offer a wider selection of titles, they come with many risks. These sites are often riddled with malware and other security risks that can compromise the user’s device and personal information. Additionally, using illegal sites can result in legal consequences, as accessing pirated content is illegal in many countries. It is important to remember that the site only offers legal and safe streaming and reading options. Anime-Planet provides links to legal streaming and reading services and encourages fans to support the creators and publishers by watching and reading their content through official channels.
Can’t Find Your Favorite Show on Anime-Planet? Here are some legal alternatives!
Netflix
Netflix is a widely recognized streaming service that offers a wide range of content, including TV shows, movies, and anime. With a constantly expanding library of licensed anime titles and original anime productions, Netflix has emerged as a major player in the anime streaming market. The platform has been expanding its anime collection in recent times, offering a diverse selection of genres and themes to cater to the viewing preferences of its users.
Price:
You can enjoy Netflix with ads for 6.99 USD per month. The basic, standard and premium plans cost 9.99 USD, 15.49 USD and 19.99 USD respectively.
Hulu
Hulu is a legal streaming service that offers a wide range of content, including TV shows, movies, and anime, exclusively for viewers in the United States. With an extensive collection of classic and contemporary anime series, the platform provides both dubbed and subtitled options to cater to the preferences of its audience. In addition to anime, Hulu also offers a variety of other popular TV shows and movies for viewers to discover.
Price:
You can enjoy Hulu with ads for 7.99 USD per month. Alternatively, you can pay 14.99 per month to get rid of ads.
Crunchyroll
If you are an anime, manga or Asian drama enthusiast, you might already be familiar with Crunchyroll, a legitimate streaming platform that offers a broad range of options to fans worldwide. The platform offers access to over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes, including both current releases and classic favorites, making it one of the most extensive anime streaming services available today. Crunchyroll provides both free and premium subscription options, so regardless of budget, users can find a plan that suits their needs.
Price:
Free with ads. The cheapest Crunchyroll subscription costs 7.99 USD while the most expensive one costs 14.99 USD per month.
How to Use a VPN to Watch Crunchyroll Anywhere in the World
This method works on both desktop PCs and mobile phones or tablets.
- Purchase (or start a free trial) of a VPN. I can confirm that NordVPN works for this purpose.
- In the settings, choose the appropriate location. Crunchyroll is available in the US and Canada, for example.
- Fire up the VPN and wait for it to do its magic.
- Once you’re connected, navigate to your streaming service of choice.
- Enjoy!
Please note that if your library doesn’t update to reflect the country you selected in your VPN, you may have to clear the cache first and try again.
I’ve had no trouble using this method, and I still use NordVPN to watch anime from various countries’ libraries daily.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime Video is a legitimate streaming service that offers a varied assortment of TV shows, movies, and anime content to its global audience. The platform boasts a wide selection of popular anime titles, with both dubbed and subtitled options available. Its extensive anime library and user-friendly interface have made Amazon Prime Video a popular choice for anime fans looking to legally stream their favorite series.
Price:
14.99 USD per month. You may also need to purchase some shows individually.
Funimation
If you’re an anime fan based in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Ireland, you may already know about Funimation, a prominent legal streaming service that provides access to anime content in these regions. Funimation offers a vast library of titles that includes classic series and the latest releases, available in both dubbed and subbed formats to cater to the viewing preferences of its users. Interestingly, Sony, the parent company of both Funimation and Crunchyroll, has recently disclosed that the two services will be merged into one under the Crunchyroll brand.
Price:
Some shows available for free. Subscription costs 7.99 to 9.99 USD per month.
YouTube
YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform that hosts a variety of content, including anime. While the majority of anime content on YouTube is uploaded by users without the proper licensing, there are also official channels that provide legal anime content for free. These channels are only available in certain regions, typically those where licensing agreements have been established.
Price:
Free!
Want to watch anime? Click here to read our detailed “Where to Watch” articles!
