Ever been in the middle of an intense JoJo's Bizarre Adventure episode or trying to skip Naruto Shippūden's flashbacks when your Wi-Fi decides to quit? As a dedicated anime fan, I've often found myself staring at Crunchyroll's loading wheel, hoping for the next scene to load.
If you're like me and don't always have reliable Wi-Fi, especially while commuting or traveling, I understand the frustration. That's why I've found ways to download Crunchyroll episodes on PC to avoid those buffering woes.
Nope. Let's clear up the confusion: Crunchyroll does offer downloads, but only if you're in the Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan tier, with mobile devices like Android, iPhone, iPad, and Switch (NOT Switch 2!).
Plan | Fee | Download | Device Amount |
---|---|---|---|
Free Trial |
0 |
❌ |
1 |
Fan |
$7.99/mo $79.99/yr |
❌ |
1 |
Mega Fan |
$11.99/mo $119.99/yr |
✅ |
4 |
Ultimate Fan |
$15.99/mo |
✅ |
6 |
If you're on a PC or Mac, you're out of luck. The desktop website and app don't support offline downloads, no matter how many times you refresh the page or update your browser.
Why the snub? Crunchyroll's official stance is all about "content protection" and licensing agreements. In plain English: it's easier to control downloads (and prevent piracy) on mobile apps than on open desktop systems. Frustrating? Absolutely. Logical? Kinda, if you're a copyright lawyer.
But I reject it! These third-party tools I discovered can help us download Crunchyroll episodes on our laptops or desktops. Check them out!
Hold on before you get into practice. You can only enter the next section by agreeing that all the downloads of Crunchyroll anime with these methods are only for personal entertainment, educational purposes, making movie clips, or other reasonable purposes. Distributing or selling to any third party violates the copyright policies of Crunchyroll. Did you just nod? Then let's move on.
So, you're a PC user who wants to download anime for offline viewing on Crunchyroll, without jumping through a million hoops or risking sketchy software. Enter StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader: the tool that finally gives desktop fans the download button they deserve.
Bulk download Crunchyroll episodes on PC in 1080p with AAC 2.0 audio, no ads, no fuss, no expirations, no device limit.
Check out this tutorial to start downloading anime from Crunchyroll with StreamFab.
Download & Install StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader following the setup instructions.
Open StreamFab, select Crunchyroll in VIP Services and sign in with your credentials.
Use the built-in browser to find your favorite anime. Play it. Pick your preferred video quality and subtitle language.
Hit the download button and watch the progress bar fill up. Episodes are saved to your PC for offline viewing.
Currently, there is a Crunchyroll Downloader available on GitHub, but it’s not our main focus today, as it only supports Windows 10/11. Instead, I’d like to introduce Anime Downloader NX by AniDL. This Crunchyroll downloader not only supports Windows but also supports Linux and macOS, offering better flexibility across platforms. And good news, it has a web GUI version so that you won't have to face the evil command lines.
However, to download DRM-protected Crunchyroll episodes, you have to manage to get the DRM-related files by yourself. That would be pretty hard if you had never been involved in it before. I can't spoil too much here, because the related topics typically the you-know-who.
I don't know exactly how it should be operated, so I just took the official guide here, but in simple and direct words, hoping you can figure it out. The following guide is based on the multi-downloader-nx-windows-gui.7z in Releases.
Install 2 dependencies first, ffmpeg 4.0.0 or above, and MKVToolNix 60.0.0 or above. Then get the fit version from the Releases page.
Run the aniDL.exe in the extracted folder. Fill in the info required, such as your account (for authentication) or the episodes you want to download from Crunchyroll.
Now, click on Add to Queue, type the title name in the search bar, and adjust the audio and video quality, specific episodes you want, etc., to start.
Click Start Queue to begin downloading. If it warns you of DRM issues, please refer to its official guidance on its GitHub page.
If you frequently play mobile games, you might already know that Android emulators allow you to run mobile apps on your PC. This same approach applies when you want to download Crunchyroll episodes onto your computer. Simply choose an emulator to run the Crunchyroll app on your laptop and take advantage of its official download feature.
Just taking this one as an example, not a personal recommendation. You can pick anyone you prefer. Some of the Android emulators are not compatible with DRM very well, so you may encounter random bugs or issues while using the official download function on the Crunchyroll app within them, which makes the download success rate pretty lame.
If you don't care, then check this simple guide here to learn how to download Crunchyroll episodes on PC like you usually do on mobile devices with emulators.
Install the Android emulator on your computer. Launch it. Then find and download the Crunchyroll app from its built-in Google Play.
Run the app and log in to it with your account, which should be a Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan tier. Move to the titles you want to download.
Click the download button and wait until the downloads are finished. Then you can watch them with the emulator.
If you find my introductions on these Crunchyroll downloaders are not clear enough, you can take a look at this sheet to learn their pros and cons quickly and make a smart choice.
Downloaders | StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader | Anime Downloader NX by AniDL | Android Emulators |
---|---|---|---|
System |
Win, Mac |
Win, Mac, Linux |
Win, Mac |
DRM-available? |
✅98.9% success rate |
❌extra manual operations |
❌weak compatibility |
Quality |
1080p+AAC 2.0 Stereo |
720p, 1080p+Original Sound |
720p, 1080p+Original Sound |
Format |
MP4, MKV |
MP4 |
Encrypted |
Speed |
6-7mb/s |
3-4mb/s |
2-4mb/s |
Subtitle |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
Bulk Download |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
Auto-download |
✅ |
❌ |
❌ |
You now know how to download Crunchyroll episodes on PC, but you may not know which episodes on Crunchyroll to start downloading with. So, I list the top anime on Crunchyroll this year, totally based on my own opinion. So, don't be so serious, take it as a snack.
Yes. You can download and watch them for personal entertainment. However, behaviors such as distributing or selling are strongly disallowed due to copyright laws. So, enjoy the episodes just by yourself.
Yes. All 3 methods mentioned above can download subtitles and dubs with the anime together. In particular, StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader supports auto-selecting the subtitles in the matching language.
If you've made it this far, you're clearly as passionate about anime (and as allergic to buffering) as I am. Downloading Crunchyroll episodes on PC isn't just about convenience—it's about reclaiming your right to binge-watch, spoiler-free, wherever and whenever you want. With tools like StreamFab Crunchyroll Downloader, you can finally build your own offline anime library, no Wi-Fi required.
So go ahead, grab your favorite shows, settle in, and let the marathons begin. Your future self (and your sanity) will thank you.
Your ultimate choice to download videos from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube and other sites.
Your ultimate choice to download videos from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube and other sites.