Funimation streaming review: Product, price and features
A trusted name in anime gets in the game with its $5.99-a-month streaming service.
Funimation’s streaming service offers a number of anime titles under three service plans. While there are many titles available and lots of options for how much you stream, many users prefer rival service Crunchyroll for its bigger library and faster subtitle releases.
Details
| Service type | On-demand streaming |
|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Pricing starts at | $5.99 |
| Lock-in contract | No |
What's in this review?
Funimation pros and cons
Pros
- Free, ad-supported version available
- Trusted US anime brand since the 90s
- Large catalog of anime shows and films
Cons
- Competitor Crunchyroll has more options and is more popular
- Users often complain of problems with the app, the site crashing and other glitches
What features does Funimation offer?
Funimation offers a number of features, including a large library, exclusive content, a large store and faster subtitle dubbing.
Funimation’s library
The vast catalog includes both films and television shows, but it’s not as large as its competitor Crunchyroll, which has a mammoth 950 streaming selections and many niche options. Funimation’s library is mostly focused on nostalgic fair.
Exclusive content
If you’re looking for certain options that you can’t find anywhere else, you may find it here. For example, Funimation owns exclusive rights to Dragon Ball. That means it’s the only place you can legally stream it.
Online store
Funimation’s online store has a vast catalog of videos, collectibles, apparel and toys. It offers exclusive sales to subscribers for items that you can’t find anywhere else.
Ultrafast dubbing
Get quick and easy access to dubs with Funimation. Though it does offer subtitles as well, its focus is on releasing dubbed titles.
What devices is Funimation compatible with?
Watch Funimation’s entire catalog on your browser or on a number of other platforms. The $5.99 Premium service offers 2 simultaneous streams, while the $7.99 Premium Plus service offers 5 simultaneous streams.
- Smart TV devices
- Amazon Fire TV
- AndroidTV
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- LG Smart TV
- Roku
- Samsung
- Other devices
- Amazon Kindle
- Mobile devices
- Android
- iOS
- Gaming consoles
- PS4
- Xbox One
How much does Funimation cost?
Paid streaming with Funimation starts at $5.99 a month, with options to pay annually ($59.99 a year). The cost increases to $7.99 monthly for its Premium Plus option or $79.99 for a year. Finally, serious subscribers can utilize the Premium Plus Ultra option for $99.99 per year.
| Name | Pricing | Ad-free | Simultaneous streams | Download for offline viewing | Members-only offers | Free shipping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium |
| When and where available | 2 | No | No | No |
| Premium Plus |
| When and where available | 5 | Yes | Yes | Orders $20+ |
| Premium Plus Ultra |
| When and where available | 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Free trial
All Funimation plans come with a 14-day free trial. Sign up with your email and credit card information. Funimation will charge your card if you decide to continue to use the service after the trial is up.
Funimation’s free streaming service only requires your email. It includes ads and offers less content.
Are the Premium Plus or Premium Plus Ultra plans worth it?
For $2 more per month, Premium Plus offers more simultaneous streams than the Premium plan, while also offering many of the benefits of Premium Plus Ultra. This makes it probably the most worthwhile option. You should only consider Premium Plus Ultra if you think you’ll use the extra perks – like free shipping on all orders from the store, an annual anniversary gift and two free rentals per year.
What can I watch on Funimation?
Funimation offers a few exclusive options, most notably Dragon Ball. However, it offers most of the same content as rival streaming service Crunchyroll, which has more titles.
Funimation focuses on some of the more nostalgic choices, and it also has the fastest updates in terms of dubbed anime, so if this is your preference, it might be a perfect match.
How much data does Funimation use?
According to its website, Funimation requires a streaming speed of 2Mbps for SD and 5Mbps for 720p and 1080p to avoid buffering.
If you have buffering issues or you want to use less data, the simplest answer is to lower the video quality. If you have Premium Plus or Ultra, you can also download content to watch later.
Compare streaming services
If you’re looking to learn more about other streaming services, check out our Internet TV page to find the right service for you.
Frequently asked questions
Review by
Kelly Waggoner
kelly.waggoner@finder.comKelly Waggoner is the US editor-in-chief at Finder. She's worked with publishers, magazines and nonprofits throughout New York City, including ghostwriting a how-to on copyediting for the Dummies series. Between projects, she toys with words, flips through style guides and fantasizes about the serial comma's world domination.
Expert review
Unfortunately, Funimation’s options are somewhat limited beyond the scope of dubbed anime and Dragon Ball. Many anime fans prefer subtitled works, which allow them to hear the original voice actors and still understand what’s happening. What’s more, they have a faster turnaround because they require less work.
However, subtitled options — and more titles in general — can be found on Crunchyroll for $7.99: the same price as Funimation’s Premium Plus.
All in all, there’s a reason why Crunchyroll is more popular … although if you want quick access to dubbed content, you might consider getting both.