Key Takeaways: Best VPN for Crunchyroll

• Crunchyroll has the most content in its U.S. library, but you need a U.S. IP address to get access.
• The best VPNs for watching Crunchyroll are ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Windscribe.
• If your VPN doesn’t unblock Crunchyroll, you should either delete your cookies, swap servers or switch to another VPN.

While there’s plenty of anime on Netflix, Hulu and other streaming platforms, few others have as many shows as streaming service Crunchyroll. It’s touted as one of the best places to watch anime. Even though the Crunchyroll library is expansive, many shows are limited to the U.S.

Like many streaming platforms (check out our list of best VPNs for streaming), Crunchyroll uses geoblocks to prevent copyright issues. The good news is you can use a virtual private network (VPN) to unblock Crunchyroll from anywhere around the world, but not just any VPN can do that.

Our team has tested more than 50 VPNs over the years, and we only trust a secure VPN to protect ourselves online. The best VPNs in the world not only unblock streaming sites but also have fast speeds, top-tier security, and don’t keep logs. Below are our five best Crunchyroll VPN services.

The Top VPNs for Crunchyroll

What Makes the Best Crunchyroll VPN?

The best Crunchyroll VPNs must let users watch Crunchyroll and bypass all geoblocks. Of course, they should also keep you entirely anonymous online. Our list is as follows:

1. ExpressVPN — The best VPN software around
2. NordVPN — The fastest VPN with many features
3. Surfshark — VPN with unlimited simultaneous connections
4. Proton VPN — Privacy-friendly free VPN
5. Windscribe — The best free VPN

All VPNs change your IP address once you connect to their VPN servers in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean they’re all secure. The best VPNs for unblocking Crunchyroll prevent other entities like hackers and internet service providers (ISPs) from getting your IP address while keeping you anonymous online. It’s also best to search for VPNs that adhere to a no-logs policy.

Some users enjoy streaming anime from their mobile devices, and having a mobile-friendly VPN is necessary when using the Crunchyroll app.

Finally, besides the ability to stream Crunchyroll securely, the best VPN for the job should have no lags or buffering. All VPNs will introduce slowdowns, but the fastest services allow for HD streaming and you’ll barely notice the difference. Thus, speed is another criterion to consider.

The 5 Best VPNs for Crunchyroll

We’ve confirmed that all five VPNs on our list can unblock Crunchyroll. Read on to discover which VPN service you prefer and start streaming Crunchyroll from anywhere across the world.

1. ExpressVPN

More details about ExpressVPN:

• Pricing: $6.66 per month (15-months plan)
• Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: expressvpn.com

We consider ExpressVPN to be the best VPN, and it also functions well for Crunchyroll streaming. Besides its excellent connection speeds, ExpressVPN implements state-of-the-art security for all users, with the best VPN protocols, encryption protocols and DNS leak protection to prevent cybercriminals from tracking you or your activity.

The interface is user-friendly and only takes a few minutes to get used to. The server list has a search bar to find your preferred U.S. server locations. Once connected, you can watch Crunchyroll content without switching back and forth between servers. Our ExpressVPN review covers this powerful VPN in detail.

Maximum Security

Whether you’re watching Crunchyroll or browsing the web, threats are all over the internet. ExpressVPN has its speedy Lightway protocol, but you can also select popular ones like OpenVPN and the mobile-friendly IKEv2. All of them are paired with the best encryption protocols available.

ExpressVPN is expensive, especially its monthly plan, though you can save by purchasing the six-month or 15-month subscription. They all have a 30-day money-back guarantee, and mobile users can enjoy a seven-day free trial without entering payment details.

ExpressVPN Plans

• Unlimited GB
• 8
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan, 6-months plan

1-month plan

$12.95/month

6-months plan

$9.99/month

$59.94 billed every 6 month

Save 22%

15-months plan

$6.66/month

$99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 48%

2. NordVPN

More details about NordVPN:

• Pricing: $3.48 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: nordvpn.com

As you can tell from our speed comparison article, few services can compare to NordVPN’s download speeds. Therefore, buffer-free streaming is possible when you’re connected to any of its U.S. VPN server locations. What’s more, it’s usually cheaper than ExpressVPN while being packed with features; that is, unless you buy the monthly plan.

NordVPN’s mobile UI could use some work, especially because you can’t select individual servers on the go. Each VPN subscription from Nord supports six simultaneous connections, so your family and friends can stream Crunchyroll or access other platforms. For more details, visit our NordVPN complete review.

Double VPN Servers

NordVPN has several specialty server types, including double VPN, which sends your internet traffic through two servers in different countries. The double VPN combinations include one to the U.S., providing extra security. You don’t need double VPN active at all times because it does introduce more lag, but you gain extra protection. Running traffic through two servers can also make it more difficult for Crunchyroll to block you.

You’ll save more money by subscribing to NordVPN for one or two years, especially if you only want to stream Crunchyroll. The Standard plans are enough because they have the full VPN experience, while the Plus and Complete plans aren’t necessary for unblocking Crunchyroll. All plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, and there’s a seven-day free trial for Android users.

30-days money-back guarantee

Basic

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 6
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$12.99/month

1-year plan

$5.74/month

$68.85 billed every year

Save 55%

2-year plan

$3.48/month

$83.43 billed every 2 years

Save 73%

Plus

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 6
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$13.99/month

1-year plan

$6.86/month

$82.35 billed every year

Save 50%

2-year plan + 3 months

$3.99/month

$107.73 billed every 2 years

Save 71%

Complete

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 6
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$15.99/month

1-year plan

$9.36/month

$112.35 billed every year

Save 41%

2-year plan + 3 months

$5.99/month

$161.73 billed every 2 years

Save 62%

3. Surfshark

More details about Surfshark:

• Pricing: $2.29 per month (two-year plan + two months)
• Free plan: None, 30-day money-back guarantee
• Provider website: surfshark.com

If you’re looking for a bargain VPN loaded with valuable features, we recommend Surfshark — a newer service that fares well against the other top VPNs. Its streaming performance is on par with ExpressVPN and NordVPN and it can unblock BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video and more. You can watch Crunchyroll with Surfshark running on your PC or smartphone.

In addition, Surfshark’s generous subscriptions allow for unlimited simultaneous connections, so the whole village can stream anime on multiple devices using one Surfshark account. A premium Crunchyroll subscription makes buffer-free streaming in full HD easily achievable. Our Surfshark review has everything you need to know.

Dynamic MultiHop

We mentioned double VPN for NordVPN earlier, but Surfshark has taken this feature to a new level with Dynamic MultiHop. Instead of using predetermined server pairs, you can create your own presets because every server is a candidate for dynamic multi-hop. Doing so lets you enjoy a decent connection while getting improved security, and the extra layer of security prevents Crunchyroll from detecting your VPN usage.

Surfshark is one of the most affordable VPNs. The monthly plan is costly, but we like the cheap one-year and two-year plans, especially the latter, at a price of just $2.29 per month. 

30-days money-back guarantee

Surfshark Starter

• Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $185.40 for one year, $370.80 for two years
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan + 2 months

1-month plan

$15.45/month

1-year plan + 2 months

$3.22/month

$41.86 billed every year

Save 79%

2-year plan + 2 months

$2.29/month

$59.54 billed every 2 years

Save 85%

Surfshark One

• Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $191.40 for one year, $380.80 for two years.
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$15.95/month

1-year plan

$4.09/month

$49.08 billed every year

Save 74%

2-year plan

$3.19/month

$76.56 billed every 2 years

Save 80%

Surfshark One+

• Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $215.40 for one year, $430.80 for two years
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$17.95/month

1-year plan

$6.49/month

$77.88 billed every year

Save 63%

2-year plan

$4.97/month

$119.28 billed every 2 years

Save 72%

4. Proton VPN

More details about Proton VPN:

• Pricing: $4.99 per month (two-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes; limited to 3 server locations
• Provider website: protonvpn.com

As the data required to watch Crunchyroll can rack up quickly, Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Crunchyroll. Proton VPN’s free plan doesn’t have a data limit, though you can only access servers in the U.S., the Netherlands and Japan. Fortunately, this limitation isn’t an issue for those who only want the full Crunchyroll catalog.

Besides being a premium free VPN service for Crunchyroll, Proton VPN can also unblock many other platforms, like Netflix and BBC iPlayer. Since it’s based in Switzerland, this VPN is backed by some of the best privacy laws. European security company Securitum put Proton VPN’s no-logs policy to the test, and the audit results show that there are no issues with the open-source code. We cover this VPN in greater detail in our Proton VPN review.

VPN Accelerator

Proton VPN has a unique feature that claims to boost your VPN connection speeds up to 400% in specific conditions. The VPN accelerator runs several VPN protocol processes on each server, making use of the multiple cores in the processors. The more speed you have for streaming anime, the better your experience will be.

Proton VPN’s free plan has enough features to unblock Crunchyroll, but we aren’t big fans of how much the paid subscription costs. Even the two-year plan doesn’t save much compared to the monthly plan. However, you gain access to the NetShield ad blocker and its paid servers, which tend to be faster because fewer users are connected to them.

30-days money-back guarantee

Free

• Unlimited GB
• 1
• Yes

FREE

Plus

• Unlimited GB
• 5
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$9.99/month

1-year plan

$5.99/month

$71.88 billed every year

Save 40%

2-year plan

$4.99/month

$119.75 billed every 2 years

Save 50%

5. Windscribe

More details about Windscribe:

• Pricing: $5.75 per month (one-year plan)
• Free plan: Yes; 15GB data limit
• Provider website: windscribe.com

Windscribe is another of our approved free VPNs for Crunchyroll, and is one of the best free VPN services. It has a generous free plan that comes with 11 free country locations, including three servers in the U.S. Thanks to using the strongest VPN and encryption protocols, each server is also optimized for streaming while keeping you safe. One disadvantage is only having 10GB of data per month (15GB if you tweet about Windscribe) if you don’t pay for a plan.

However, creating a flexible subscription is possible because Windscribe only charges $1 a month to access a single server. You can select any U.S. paid server, and get unlimited data for another dollar. A plan like this will cost a minimum of $3 a month, which is convenient if you only want to stream shows. Our Windscribe review will show you what else is in store.

R.O.B.E.R.T. 

R.O.B.E.R.T. is Windscribe’s ad-blocker and content-filtering tool. Free users can block ads, malware and other website categories like gambling, porn and clickbait sites. Blocking ads and trackers also adds the benefit of making pages load faster.

Windscribe has a free plan, a Pro plan lasting for a month or a year, and the flexible subscriptions we mentioned earlier. Unlike other leading VPNs, Windscribe only has a three-day money-back guarantee, but the free plan has enough to give you an idea of the full experience.

3-days money-back guarantee

Free

• Up to 15 GB free with email confirmation and Tweet
• 15GB
• Unlimited

FREE

Pro Plan

• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

1-month plan

1-month plan

$9/month

1-year plan

$5.75/month

$69 billed every year

Save 36%

Crunchyroll Unblocked: How to Stream Crunchyroll From Anywhere

Unblocking Crunchyroll is easy enough — just follow these steps to ensure a secure VPN connection. For this tutorial, we’ll use ExpressVPN as the example, but other VPNs operate much the same way.

1. Register or Purchase a VPN Subscription

   Register for an ExpressVPN account. After that, select and purchase one of the paid plans.

   

2. Download and Install the VPN Client

   You can download the PC client on the ExpressVPN website. The mobile apps are available on the Apple app store and Google Play store.

   

3. Connect to a VPN Server

   Launch the VPN on your device and select a U.S. location, then click on the big power button. You’ll now be able to unblock Crunchyroll.

   

4. Go to Crunchyroll

   Head to the Crunchyroll website on your PC or open the Crunchyroll app on a mobile or smart device.

   

5. Search for Geoblocked Anime

   Type the name of a U.S.-exclusive anime like Spy X Family and see if it appears on the list. If so, click on it and start watching.

   

Crunchyroll Free Streaming: Is It Possible?

Crunchyroll has one free tier and three paid plans, with the former available for everyone with a verified account. The free account lets users enjoy some anime with ads, but they can’t watch many of the newest titles and simulcasts. Older content remains available to watch for free.

Starting in early 2022, after being acquired by Sony, Crunchyroll announced changes to ad-supported viewing on free accounts. While older content remains available, any new shows and simulcast content from spring 2022 is no longer accessible to free users. This makes free accounts nearly useless for new shows.

Free users can only watch seasonal samplers — a small selection of the newest anime with the first three episodes unlocked. These episodes will come with ads and are only temporarily available. After a certain period of time, all users will have to pay to watch these episodes and others.

Free Trial

Crunchyroll offers a 14-day free trial for its Premium plan subscriptions. The trial includes all the latest anime releases available on Crunchyroll, plus the manga collection and offline viewing. It’s possible to download some episodes if you’ll be disconnected from the internet for a while.

Users with a free trial also get to watch anime without ads. Episodes that have just been released in Japan will be ready for your eyes quickly, with some added to the episode list as soon as an hour after first launching.

It’s possible to cancel the free trial at any time within 14 days, and you can still enjoy the benefits until the trial officially ends. However, unless you plan to binge-watch anime until unholy hours, two weeks isn’t enough to get the full Crunchyroll experience.

Crunchyroll VPN Isn’t Working: Troubleshooting Guide

There are times when you may find yourself blocked from Crunchyroll even while using a VPN. Don’t worry, as there are still ways to solve the problem. Most commonly, your cookies may have betrayed you, or Crunchyroll has caught on to the IP address you were using.

Error 1015 is the standard response from Crunchyroll to users who were discovered using VPNs. If you see it, try the solutions below.

1. Delete Cookies

Crunchyroll requires cookies to function, and will ask you to accept them when you visit the site. If the cookies show a different location than the one you’re using when connecting to a VPN server, Crunchyroll will block you.

The good news is that you can easily delete the cookies on your browser, especially if you go to the “settings” menu and look for the “privacy” or “security” tab. This should be the first course of action if you suddenly can’t unblock Crunchyroll.

Once you delete your cookies, try using your VPN and server again.

2. Switch Servers

Should wiping your cookies not help, the next best solution is to try other servers. Look for a different server within the U.S. to maintain access to the full library.

3. Change Your VPN

Unfortunately, there are times when VPNs simply get outsmarted by Crunchyroll’s anti-VPN security. The best solution here is to switch to a different VPN; the five we listed are almost always effective at bypassing Crunchyroll’s defenses.

Since two of the VPNs we listed are free and let you access Crunchyroll, you always have a backup option you can access without spending anything.

You can usually resume watching Crunchyroll with a VPN if you delete cookies, and most premium VPNs don’t struggle to unblock this streaming service. However, having more than one VPN on hand is still prudent in case one fails.

Final Thoughts

Crunchyroll is a top-tier streaming service offering anime and manga to verified users, though it’s possible to watch content with lots of ads even without logging in. It has many popular anime titles and some lesser-known ones, but to access the full library, it’s best to have a U.S. IP address.

We tested five popular VPNs and found them capable of unblocking the U.S. library. They are: ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Windscribe. The last two are free to use but have different limitations. These VPNs not only unblock Crunchyroll, they have some of the best security to keep you anonymous online.

If you’re craving to watch more artistic narratives from Japan, you can refer to our guide where to watch anime for free.

What VPN do you prefer to use when watching Crunchyroll? Do you have other VPNs you recommend? Let us know what you think in the comments section. Thank you for reading.

FAQ: Best VPN for Crunchyroll

• Does VPN Work With Crunchyroll?

  Yes, VPNs can work with Crunchyroll, but you need the best ones to guarantee access.

• What Is the Best Region for Crunchyroll?

  The U.S. is the best region for Crunchyroll due to its library having the most content.

• What Free VPN Should I Use for Crunchyroll?

  You can trust Proton VPN and Windscribe for Crunchyroll because our tests prove they unblock the U.S. Crunchyroll library easily.

• How Do I Bypass Region Block on Crunchyroll?

  You can bypass Crunchyroll’s region locks by connecting to a VPN server in a region with the content you want.