Crunchyroll dropped the hammer today: every subscription plan is getting more expensive starting March 4th, and this time nobody’s safe. The $2 increase hits all three tiers, Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan, punching anime fans right in the wallet at a time when streaming services are already bleeding subscribers dry.
The world’s biggest anime platform confirmed that the basic Fan plan jumps from $7.99 to $9.99 monthly, marking the first increase for this tier since 2019. Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan plans are getting bumped up too, going from $11.99 to $13.99 and from $15.99 to $17.99 respectively.
For current U.S. subscribers, the new pricing kicks in on their next billing date after March 4th, while international subscribers will also feel the sting soon, though the complete list of affected territories hasn’t been announced yet.
What are you actually getting?
Crunchyroll’s trying to soften the blow by throwing in some upgrades fans have been asking for. The biggest one? The Fan plan now includes offline downloads on one device, something previously locked behind the pricier tiers. It’s a welcome change for anyone who travels constantly or deals with spotty internet connections.
They’re also promising app updates with features like multiple profiles, teen profiles with parental PIN controls, and the long-overdue ability to skip intros and credits. It all sounds nice on paper, but let’s be real, most of these should’ve existed years ago considering what the competition’s been offering.
For those willing to commit upfront, Crunchyroll launched a limited-time annual Fan plan at $66.99, which breaks down to roughly $5.58 per month. Not a bad deal if you’re already planning to binge simulcasts all year long.
The timing couldn’t be worse
This price hike comes at a rough moment for Crunchyroll. The platform’s been catching heat for low-quality subtitles, new season release issues, accusations of using AI for translations, and more recently, mass cancellations of pre-orders following their controversial Right Stuf buyout.
Fans aren’t exactly thrilled, and now having to pay more for a service many feel has declined in quality is just pouring gas on the fire.
The competition isn’t sleeping either. Netflix recently announced an exclusive partnership with studio MAPPA, the team behind Jujutsu Kaisen, to produce and distribute anime originals, which could seriously impact Crunchyroll’s future catalog.
Meanwhile, other platforms are investing heavily in anime content, eating away at the orange giant’s dominance.
Crunchyroll still owns the crown as the undisputed king of anime streaming with the most extensive catalog out there, but this price increase lands when they need to keep subscribers happy the most
Only time will tell if the promised improvements justify squeezing an extra two bucks out of millions of fans every month.
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