12 BEST Sites to Watch Cartoons Online FREE
Hannah Roberts
Cartoons are one of the unforgettable memories of any child. Cartoons are drawn or animated illustrations rendered in a semi-realistic or unrealistic fashion. The cartoons can help children learn some of the important life lessons and educate them about several things in a fun and effective way. However, some younger people also like to watch cartoons no matter the stage of their life. Everyone has their own list of favorite cartoons.
Some of the greatest old cartoons are not available on television, or they are streamed on specific channels at specific times. However, you can watch all your favorite cartoons online anytime at your comfort on the below-listed websites.
Here is a list of top websites for watching cartoons online, including popular features and website links. Read more…
Legal Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Guru99 doesnโt own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any of these sites/apps, tools, or services. The page contains some unverified listings, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. Guru99 does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due diligence if you use any unverified sites, apps, or services; only content is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media access. We do not encourage illegal downloads of any copyrighted content, hence use only legal methods to watch them.
Best sites to watch Cartoon Online: Top Streaming Websites!
| Name | Types of available Cartoons | Need to Sign Up | Geo locations | Free | Working | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crunchyroll | All types of animations | Yes | Worldwide | Yes | Yes | Learn More |
| Hulu | All types of animations | Yes | USA | Yes | Yes | Learn More |
| YouTube | All types of animations | No | Worldwide | Yes | Yes | Learn More |
| Nick | Animated cartoons archive | No | Worldwide | Yes | Yes | Learn More |
| Fox | Animated cartoons archive | Yes | Worldwide | No | Yes | Learn More |
1) Crunchyroll
While conducting my evaluation, I noticed that Crunchyroll.com is perfect for watching anime shows. You can browse this site to enjoy your favorite cartoons or animation series for free. It also allows you to add reviews to the animation series you have recently watched.
Features:
- On-Demand Cartoons: It is one of the best sites to watch cartoons online, with a deep classic and modern catalogue mix spanning shลnen action staples, slice-of-life shorts, and recent simulcast releases right next to vintage subbed series, making the library breadth feel genuinely cross-generational.
- Cartoon Games: Crunchyroll allows you to play your favorite cartoon characterโs game with interactive features. I was able to access games like One Punch Man, Street Fighter-Duel, Sushi for Robots, etc.
- Free Streaming: This platform helps you watch cartoons online for free.
- Social Sharing: I could share cartoon videos on Facebook and Twitter easily.
- Language Support: Supported languages include English, Dutch, French, Italian, and more, ensuring broad accessibility.
Pros
Cons
2) Hulu
While reviewing Hulu, I particularly appreciate its unlimited instant streaming of current and classic cartoon shows. This cartoon streaming application allows you to watch cartoon videos on your TV, smartphone, laptop, and tablet.
Features:
- Largest Cartoon Library: I tracked stream stability across a week of evening sessions and the player held a consistent ad-friendly playback experience without forced mid-episode reloads, which is what made the streaming quality stand out in my testing on both fibre and tethered mobile connections.
- Offline Viewing: It helps you download thousands of titles to watch offline at your convenience. I could easily download cartoons like Adventure Time, Gumball, Teen Titans Go, etc.
- Live TV Channels: This online cartoon streaming platform offers live TV with 65+ top channels.
- Device Compatibility: You can watch cartoons on all devices, such as smartphones- both Android and Apple, laptops, PCs, etc.
- Personalized Experience: It provided me with a personalized TV experience tailored to my preferences.
- Need Sign Up: Yes, sign-up is required to access the content.
- Free: No, the service has a free trial for a month on the lowest plan and 3 days on the higher plan.
- Available Cartoons: All types of animations are available for viewing.
- Working: Yes, the platform is fully operational and reliable.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.hulu.com/network/cartoon-network-84334a00-8787-41c2-8be9-e0a3922edd7c
3) YouTube
During my research, I explored YouTube’s capabilities for streaming and sharing cartoon series and videos. You can access all kinds of cartoon videos from desktop PCs, tablets, mobile phones, and laptops.
Features:
- Free Access: I could access various types of cartoons on YouTube free of cost. It helped me find original classics like Tom and Jerry episodes and Looney Tunes and the latest trending kids’ shows like Cocomelon, Paw patrol, etc.
- Resolution Support: It supports multiple video resolutions according to your needs. I could access videos up to 1080p and even 2160p/4k for some.
- Animated Content: You can find animated films and random creative cartoons.
- Vast Database: It offers a massive database of cartoon videos that anyone can watch for free.
- Resolution Flexibility: You can watch your favorite cartoons in all resolutions.
- Engagement Features: Allows you to like and share your favorite cartoon videos.
- Cartoon Types: All types of animations.
- Sign Up Requirement: No
- Free: Yes
- Working: Yes
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.youtube.com/
4) Nick
I analyzed Nick and discovered it is great for streaming an enormous variety of cartoons. This platform for watching cartoons online offers a wide range of animated cartoon videos that can be played on different devices.
Features:
- Wide Range of Cartoons: It offers a wide range of Nickelodeon cartoons to enjoy online. I could access all the latest shows like Monster High, The Patrick Star Show, The Loud House, etc. It also offers classics like Spongebob Squarepants, Rugrats, CatDog and more.
- Educational Content: Nickelodeon provides educational shows for children that enhance their thought processes. It helps them learn the alphabet, science, and math in a fun manner. For example, Dora The Explorer, Bubble Guppies, Blue Clues, The Backyardigans, etc.
- Access Events: I could also watch the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards live and enjoy all the performances by top celebrities every year.
- Contests and Prizes: It lets you participate in contests and win exciting prizes.
- Schedule Check: It helped me easily check for my favorite cartoon show’s schedule.
- Cartoon Types: Animated Cartoons Archive.
- Sign Up Requirement: No
- Free: Yes
- Working: Yes
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.nick.tv/
5) Fox
I tested Fox and noticed that it is perfect for watching free cartoons online in HD. It helps you enjoy surfing various kids’ programs, and you can easily find the best cartoons on Fox.
Features:
- Content Variety: This site provides cartoons for kids and adults. It offers a wide range of cartoons for grownups, such as The Simpsons, Krapopolis, Family Guy, etc. Fox also allows users to watch some of the cartoons for free without hidden costs.
- Mobile App: It offers an official app to watch cartoons on mobile devices, ensuring portability. I found it quite easy to use and liked how easy its navigation was for locating my favorite shows.
- TV Connectivity: It allowed me to connect it to my TV to watch cartoons and Fox shows.
- Sign Up Requirement: No need to sign up, it provides immediate access to content.
- Cost: Free access is not available for all content, some shows require payment.
- VPN Support: Supports VPN, ensuring privacy and security while streaming.
- Cartoon Types: I discovered that it features a vast archive of animated cartoons for diverse tastes.
- Functionality: The service is currently operational, offering consistent streaming performance.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.fox.com/
6) Vudu
I investigated Vudu and received a great way to access free animated content without any SignUp. The best thing about this app is that you only need to pay for what you are watching.
Features:
- Frequent Updates: This cartoon app offers many free titles that are updated every week, providing fresh content regularly.
- Customizable Arrangements: I could arrange my favorite cartoon shows according to genre, characters, and period for a personalized viewing experience.
- Cloud Storage: Vudu allows you to connect with a cloud-based digital locker to keep all your cartoon movies in one place.
- Wide Range: It enables you to watch various cartoon movies according to your choice, ensuring diverse options.
- Need Sign Up: I had to sign up to access the features.
- Free: The service is not free and requires a subscription.
- Supports VPN: The platform supports VPN usage for additional security and access.
- Type of Cartoons: The available cartoons are primarily animated, catering to various tastes.
- Working Status: Yes, the platform is operational and accessible for use.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/collection/content/Cartoon-Network/23774
7) DisneyNOW
Throughout my review, I was impressed by DisneyNOW’s ability to stream cartoons, web series, movies, and animation directly to my TV. You just need a Chrome cast device attached to your TV to play it on a larger screen.
Features:
- Multilingual Support: You can watch your favorite content in multiple languages, enhancing the viewing experience. I could access shows in English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, etc.
- Kids’ Channels: It allows kids to watch their favorite cartoon channels, making it a family-friendly platform. I could access shows from A to Z, and it includes channels like Disney Junior, Disney XD, Original Disney Channel, etc.
- Live TV: This feature allows you to watch live programs.
- Disney Games: It enables you to play various types of Disney character games, offering additional entertainment.
- HD Quality: This cartoon streaming app offers HD-quality content for a superior viewing experience.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://disneynow.com/all-shows
8) Cartoon Network
I particularly appreciate Cartoon Network for its ease of access to cartoons. You do not have to register or pay any extra cost to watch your favorite cartoon shows online.
Features:
- Free Streaming: Cartoon Network is one of the few official sources still streaming a slice of its current and back-catalogue library straight from the studio. As an official source it carries original episodes โ PowerPuff Girls, Tom and Jerry, Mayhem, and Rumble Bee โ exactly as the studio backed and aired them, with no third-party re-encoding layered on top.
- Different age groups: I like that it offers content for different age groups, such as toddlers, pre-teens, and teens. It includes educational content for children, like We Bear Bears, and other downloadable curriculums.
- Device Compatibility: It offers a responsive user interface, allowing me to watch my favorite cartoons on any device.
- Easy Search: Users can easily search for their favorite cartoons from the video tab.
- Cartoon Library: Any cartoon produced and aired by the Cartoon Network channel is available.
- Sign Up Requirement: No.
- Free: Yes.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.cartoonnetwork.com/
9) Sidereel
I reviewed Sidereel and found it great for watching cartoons online. You can use this website to access different cartoon episodes, reviews, ratings, and show schedules. This site also offers free animated shows and web series.
Features:
- Showtime Finder: It helps you easily find showtimes, airdates, and more for cartoons. I could also find shows using the networks option on various channels.
- Genre Search: Filtering on Sidereel is much sharper than it first looks โ I could narrow the catalogue by studio, language, release year, and genre at the same time, which made categorisation feel deliberate and surfaced everything from older Hanna-Barbera vault titles to recent dubs and subs in a couple of clicks.
- Episode Alerts: I received episode alerts for popular cartoon series, ensuring I never miss a show.
- Show Tracking: You can also track your selected shows on this website, making it easy to follow favorites.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.sidereel.com/tv-genres/cartoons-and-animations
10) Supercartoons
In my opinion, Supercartoons is one of the best sites for watching 1500+ classic cartoons online for free. It helps you watch old, animated Disney, Looney Toons, and many more from the site.
Features:
- Classic Cartoons: The library mix lives up to the name โ vintage Tom & Jerry, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Popeye, the full Flintstones run, plus Tweety and Sylvester sit side by side with newer episodic uploads, so the classic and modern catalogue mix on a single site is genuinely wide.
- Cartoon Categories: It is one of the best free cartoon watching website that provides cartoons in different categories like series, characters, and studios. It allowed me to watch movies of popular cartoons like Tom and Jerry, Donald Duck, Pink Panther, etc.
- Device Compatibility: This site helps users easily stream cartoons on any device.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.supercartoons.net/
11) South Park
Throughout my assessment, I was impressed by South Park’s extensive offerings for watching animation series. It allows you to watch award-winning animation shows and episodes. South Park Studios also has a special feature that allows you to watch episodes and stream cartoon shows.
Features:
- Critically Acclaimed Shows: It helps you enjoy critically acclaimed, award-winning cartoon shows packed with unforgettable adventures. I could access different South Park events such as South Park: The Return of Covid, South Park: Joining the Pandeverse, etc.
- Multi-Language Support: This app offers cartoon series in different languages, catering to diverse audiences worldwide. I could access it in English, French and Spanish.
- South Park News: Here, you’ll get the latest news about South Park shows, keeping you updated on new episodes and events.
- South Park Games: This platform allows you to play games related to South Park characters, enhancing your fan experience. I was mighty impressed with the interactive South Park games.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://southpark.cc.com/
12) Boomerang TV
According to my review, Boomerang TV is a great option for watching full-length cartoon movies in HD quality. It allows you to watch your favorite cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, X-Men, and many more.
Features:
- Trial Offer: You get a one-week free trial option that offers you a risk-free way to explore content. During this period, I could watch any show I wanted, such as The Looney Tunes Show, Mr Bean, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, etc.
- HD Movies: This cartoon website allowed me to watch full-length cartoon movies in HD quality, ensuring an immersive viewing experience. I watched movies like Huckleberry Hound and Garfield, etc.
- Device Compatibility: Supported devices include Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku, ensuring broad accessibility.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.boomerang-tv.ca/
Which Free Cartoon Sites Are Geo-Restricted โ and How to Access Them Safely
Not every cartoon site listed above streams cleanly worldwide. Geo-restrictions are licensing fences, not piracy walls โ many free platforms only have rights for specific regions, so the player simply refuses to load outside those countries. Knowing which sites lock by region helps you pick the right access strategy.
- Hulu โ US-only. Outside the US it serves a region block on every cartoon URL.
- Cartoon Network โ fragmented by country. The US site, India site, and EMEA site each carry a different slice of the catalogue.
- DisneyNOW โ US-only with a cable-provider sign-in required.
- Fox โ primarily US-targeted; Canadian and UK viewers see a smaller catalogue or a block.
- Boomerang TV โ US, Canada, UK, AU coverage with a paid trial; other regions are locked.
- YouTube, Crunchyroll, Supercartoons, Sidereel, South Park โ broadly worldwide with per-title regional blocks rather than full site blocks.
The safe way to bypass a region block is a reputable VPN that routes your connection through a supported country, plus an account in the destination region where the site requires sign-in. Always check the site’s terms before doing this โ some platforms throttle or terminate accounts that surface from VPN ranges.
How to Tell a Legitimate Free Cartoon Site from a Sketchy One
Free cartoon sites churn constantly, and the bad actors look superficially similar to the legit options. Use this red-flag checklist before you stream from any site you do not recognise:
- Check for an HTTPS padlock and a real domain. Legit sites use a stable domain that has been around for years. Sketchy clones often live on look-alike domains with extra characters or unusual top-level domains (.cc, .pw, .gg, etc.) and rotate URLs every few months.
- Inspect the ad density. Legit free sites typically run one pre-roll, optional mid-roll, and a sidebar banner. Sketchy sites trigger pop-up ads, redirect ads, “your computer is infected” fake alerts, and tab-jacking pop-unders on first click.
- Look for forced downloads. If a site insists you install a “video player”, a “codec pack”, a “browser extension”, or any executable to watch a cartoon, close the tab. The major free legit sites stream straight in the browser.
- Test the search and category pages. Legit catalogues return clean, accurate results. Sketchy clones serve fake thumbnails that redirect to unrelated content, gambling sites, or adult landing pages.
- Read the About / Contact page. Legit operators publish a real company name, an editorial policy, and a working contact form. Sketchy sites either have no About page, or paste boilerplate copied from another site.
- Check the player itself. Real players let you scrub, adjust quality, and switch captions. Sketchy embed players are usually a single low-resolution stream with a button that triggers a paid survey or a “create account to continue” gate the moment you try to fast-forward.
- Cross-reference the site name on a search engine. Read recent reviews from the last few months. Free cartoon sites that have turned malicious typically pick up Reddit, malware-warning, or hosting-provider complaint threads quickly.
When in doubt, stick to the official broadcaster sites (Cartoon Network, DisneyNOW, Nick), the platform-backed catalogues (Hulu, YouTube, Crunchyroll), and the long-running free archives covered in this article.
Why a Solid Ad-Blocker and Reputable VPN Make Free Cartoon Streaming Safer
Free streaming sites pay their bills with ads, and the cheaper the ad inventory, the more aggressive the ad networks become โ pop-unders, redirect chains, malvertising, and fake “your Flash is out of date” prompts all show up on lower-tier free sites. A modern content-blocker stops the worst of this before it ever reaches the player, which keeps the browsing experience usable on sites like Supercartoons, Sidereel, and the official Cartoon Network catalogue.
A reputable VPN handles the second risk layer. It hides your IP from sites that log it for advertising, lets you reach the geo-licensed catalogue your subscription was meant to cover when you travel, and makes traffic on a public Wi-Fi network safer to stream over. The combination โ content blocker plus a paid no-logs VPN โ turns free cartoon streaming from a “use at your own risk” experience into something closer to the official-app experience without giving up the free catalogue.
What is an anime website?
Anime websites are an online collection of various animated movies, cartoons, and TV shows. It allows you to browse and find anime of various categories like action, horror, adventure, and more. Many such sites also allow you to filter anime by season, year, quality, and language.
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Verdict
In this review, I introduced you to some of the best sites to watch cartoons online for free. Each of them offers unique features and caters to different preferences. To help you decide, I have summarized their highlights.
- Crunchyroll is perfect for watching anime shows. You can browse this site to enjoy your favorite cartoons or animation series for free.
- Hulu provides an extensive library of classic and current cartoon shows with an ad-free experience and offline viewing options.
- YouTube is a versatile video streaming platform on which you can watch a variety of cartoon videos for free. It supports multiple resolutions and community interactions.
