Table of contents
Bilibili is better if you want a free option, live in Asia or South Asia, and enjoy donghua, Asian dramas and community features like danmaku. Crunchyroll is better for the largest English-dubbed anime catalogue in the Americas and Europe – but it ended its free ad-supported plan on December 31, 2025, so it now needs a paid subscription.
Bilibili vs Crunchyroll at a Glance
| Bilibili | Crunchyroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes – many classics and community videos | No – free tier ended Dec 31, 2025 |
| Paid plans | Standard / Premium (price varies by country) | Fan, Mega Fan, Ultimate Fan |
| Strongest regions | Southeast Asia, South Asia | Americas, Europe |
| Donghua (Chinese anime) | Large selection | Small |
| Asian dramas & short dramas | Yes | No |
| English dubs | Some | Large dub library |
| Community features | Danmaku, comments, live streams | Comments |
| Android APK / TV app | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
Price and Free Access
This is the biggest difference in 2026. Crunchyroll moved fully to paid tiers after ending its free, ad-supported plan on December 31, 2025. Bilibili still lets you watch a large part of its catalogue free and offers optional paid plans – see Bilibili Premium explained for features and example prices.
Anime Library
Crunchyroll has the bigger catalogue of Japanese anime overall, especially with English dubs. Bilibili's international app lists more than 2,000 licensed titles and stands out for donghua (Chinese animation), Asian dramas and short dramas that Crunchyroll does not carry. Both offer simulcasts of popular seasonal shows, though which titles you get depends on your country.
Subtitles and Languages
Bilibili supports English plus 28 interface languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese – a big plus in South and Southeast Asia. Crunchyroll also offers several subtitle and dub languages, with its strongest coverage in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. Learn how to switch Bilibili to English in this guide.
Apps and Devices
Both have Android, iOS and TV apps. On Android, you can install Bilibili directly with the official Bilibili APK, and there is a dedicated Bilibili TV APK for Android TV and Fire TV.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Bilibili if…
- You want to watch anime free
- You live in Asia or South Asia
- You like donghua and Asian dramas
- You enjoy danmaku and live streams
Choose Crunchyroll if…
- You want the biggest English dub library
- You live in the Americas or Europe
- You are happy to pay monthly
- You want every big Japanese simulcast
Many fans use both: Bilibili for free classics, donghua and community, and a paid service for specific simulcasts.
