Crunchyroll users threaten to “cancel” after price hikes & complications

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Crunchyroll‘s price increases started today, March 4th, for current subscribers. Although there’s a valid reason behind the changes, many anime fans are upset and are considering or have already canceled their subscriptions.

Crunchyroll is making some changes to its service starting in 2026. They announced last December that they would be removing their free, ad-supported viewing option, and this change took effect on January 1st, 2026.

In February, Crunchyroll announced it would be increasing its subscription prices by $2 for all plans—Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan. Current US subscribers will see the new prices on their next bill.

These changes are happening because the platform is adding original games, a new manga section, and more anime. However, users haven’t reacted positively to the announcement.

Crunchyroll price hikes sparks backlash

Now that Crunchyroll’s prices are almost as high as Netflix’s (ranging from $7.99 to $24.99 a month), many subscribers are considering canceling, particularly due to reported problems with how the service works.

For context, the new prices are as follows: 

  • Fan Tier – Increase from $7.99/month to $9.99/month
  • Mega Fan Tier – Increase from $11.99/month to $13.99/month
  • Ultimate Fan Tier – Increase from $15.99/month to $17.99/month

This marks the first increase in the Fan Tier subscription price in the US since 2019. The company previously adjusted other plans – Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan – earlier this year in 2024.

Despite these issues, people are actively canceling their subscriptions. One user posted on X, saying they were canceling multiple subscriptions due to the price hikes, while another explained they were canceling because of increasing prices and the fact that Crunchyroll relies heavily on subtitles and often doesn’t work well.

One person commented that they recently canceled their Crunchyroll subscription because of these changes, saying it wasn’t worth the cost anymore since the service was removing anime. They also anticipate future price increases.

Crunchyroll is raising its subscription prices today. Here’s how the changes break down:

Fan Tier: Increasing from $7.99 to $9.99 per month.
 Mega Fan Tier: Increasing from $11.99 to $13.99 per month.
* Ultimate Fan Tier: Increasing from $15.99 to $17.99 per month.

— ScreenTime (@screentime) March 4, 2026

One user strongly stated they would never return to the website, complaining that it only offers a small fraction – around 30 to 50 percent – of currently airing anime, and many older shows have been removed. They believe anyone still using the site is wasting their time.

I’ve seen some chatter online about problems with how anime gets translated, and people are bringing up Dead Dead Demon’s as an example. Apparently, the English subtitles weren’t very accurate, and a lot of fans weren’t happy about it.

One user expressed strong dissatisfaction with Crunchyroll, stating that the company seems to be intentionally disrespecting its customers. They specifically cited a disappointing anime adaptation of ‘Dead Dead Demon’s’ as a reason for canceling their subscription.

Many people have commented on how easy or difficult the service is to use, and this has been a frequent topic of conversation on the Crunchyroll subreddit.

A Crunchyroll subscriber recently pointed out the inconsistent way episodes are organized into seasons, asking why it’s so difficult to follow. Another user agreed, noting it’s particularly frustrating for longer anime series like One Piece.

Why are Crunchyroll’s seasons like this, they couldn’t have made it more inconsistent??
byu/luluciee inCrunchyroll

I’ve been seeing a lot of other fans complain about similar things – getting through to customer support is apparently a real pain, and some people are having trouble even getting the app to load on their TVs. Plus, everyone’s noticing the price increase, which stings. On top of all that, so many of us are hoping Crunchyroll will bring back some of the older, classic anime shows we love. It would be amazing to see those added to the library!

One user complained that the $18 monthly price wasn’t justified, especially since older anime wasn’t included in the subscription. Another user agreed, stating that if prices are going up, the service should add more classic anime, not just focus on new releases.

A third added, “Raising costs but not improving their products.”

Piracy debate resurfaces among anime fans

Similar to past price increases for streaming services, we’re seeing a lot of discussion about illegal downloading, even though Crunchyroll is actively trying to encourage viewers to use official platforms.

Recent figures released by the Japanese government indicate that illegal downloads and copying of anime and manga cost the industry around $38 billion this year.

In recent years, Crunchyroll has been working to fight online piracy of anime and manga. They’ve been collaborating with industry organizations and legal authorities to shut down websites that illegally stream anime or distribute manga.

ACE, a worldwide group fighting online piracy and backed by companies like Sony (who owns Crunchyroll), Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, recently closed down several websites that illegally streamed anime.

I used to hit up sites like Zoro.to and AnimeDao – and a bunch of others run by the same people – to watch anime. Seriously, they were huge, pulling in millions of viewers every month.

To help prevent illegal downloads, the company has been working to release shows internationally closer to their original Japanese air dates.

Anime and manga piracy reportedly cost Japan $38 billion in 2025, up from $13 billion in 2022

— TopMob (@TopMob) January 28, 2026

Recent price increases have led anime fans to revisit the issue of illegal downloads, with one person succinctly stating that it’s a problem with how anime is delivered, not with the anime itself.

Someone else pointed out that the company is raising prices despite offering poor service. They claim unofficial streaming sites actually have better interfaces, video players, and translations, and that the company was even caught using AI for subtitling.

While some have criticized the change, others see it positively. One person commented that maintaining the current fan level at $10 is reasonable.

Someone else commented that they were surprised it took so long for the price to increase from $8, since most other subscriptions have raised their prices several times in the last two years.

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2026-03-04 14:20