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Max vs Crunchyroll

Side-by-side comparison of the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy of Max and Crunchyroll.

Max logo
Max
Streaming
★★☆☆☆
Below average for users

The service provides some useful privacy controls and account-level deletion/correction options, but those are outweighed by mandatory arbitration, auto-renewal without guaranteed reminders, no-refund billing, broad tracking of interactions, and broad sharing for advertising and partners’ own purposes.

Max is a mainstream streaming service with standard recurring-billing terms, broad service flexibility, and a relatively data-heavy privacy posture. It offers account-based access, household sharing limits, and user controls for access, correction, deletion, marketing, cookies, and some ad targeting, but it also permits extensive tracking, personalization, affiliate sharing, and dispute resolution through individual arbitration rather than court.

Points of interest

  • negative ●●●●● terms
    Mandatory arbitration waiver

    Most disputes must go through individual arbitration instead of court, and you waive class actions and jury trials. This significantly limits how users can challenge problems collectively.

  • negative ●●●●○ terms
    Auto-renewal without reminder

    Subscriptions and trials convert and renew automatically, and Max says you may not get a reminder before a free trial or promotion ends unless law requires one. Users need to track deadlines themselves to avoid charges.

  • negative ●●●●○ terms
    No refunds or proration

    If you cancel, access continues only through the paid period, but fees are generally not refunded and there is no prorated billing. This makes mistaken renewals or mid-cycle cancellations costly.

  • negative ●●●●○ privacy
    Extensive behavior recording

    The privacy policy allows recording detailed interactions such as clicks, scrolling, keystrokes, typed text, chats, and voice communications. This goes beyond basic account data and can feel highly intrusive.

  • negative ●●●●○ privacy
    Sharing for others' marketing

    Max may share information with unaffiliated third parties and business partners for their own marketing, advertising, or other purposes. It offers opt-outs, but the default data-sharing scope is broad.

  • negative ●●●○○ terms
    Broad service changes

    Max can change pricing, features, content availability, device support, downloads, and stream limits, sometimes without notice. The practical service you sign up for may shift over time.

  • negative ●●●○○ privacy
    Cross-service ad tracking

    Max and third parties use cookies, pixels, SDKs, analytics, and ad tech to track activity over time across apps, websites, and devices for advertising and measurement. This supports interest-based advertising on and off the service.

  • positive ●●●○○ privacy
    Access, delete, correct data

    Users can access, correct, or delete information through their account, and some state residents may have additional rights. This gives users a practical way to manage at least part of their personal data.

  • positive ●●●○○ privacy
    Ad and cookie opt-outs

    The policy provides ways to opt out of marketing messages, targeted advertising, cookies, and precise location collection. These controls are meaningful, even though opting out may reduce features.

  • positive ●●○○○ terms
    Clear cancellation path

    The terms clearly state that you can cancel anytime and explain where to do it, including account settings or your third-party provider. That is more transparent than burying cancellation mechanics.

Documents

Crunchyroll logo
Crunchyroll
Streaming
★★☆☆☆
Below average for users

Crunchyroll offers some user-friendly privacy rights and cookie controls, plus EU cancellation rights, but these are outweighed by mandatory individual arbitration, class-action and jury-trial waivers, low liability caps, broad unilateral service/account control, auto-renewal and free-trial conversion, and extensive tracking/advertising-related data use and sharing.

Crunchyroll’s legal terms are fairly standard for a subscription streaming service but lean business-protective. It uses auto-renewing subscriptions, broad service discretion, mandatory arbitration, and strong liability limits. On privacy, it collects extensive usage and device data and supports analytics, personalization, and advertising with third-party sharing, but it also offers consent controls for non-essential cookies, access/deletion/portability rights where available, and states it does not use solely automated decisions with legal effects.

Points of interest

  • negative ●●●●● terms
    Mandatory arbitration waiver

    Most disputes must go to binding individual arbitration, and users waive class actions and jury trials unless they opt out quickly. This can make it harder and less economical to pursue claims.

  • negative ●●●●○ terms
    Liability capped very low

    Crunchyroll disclaims warranties and limits what users can recover, reportedly to the greater of $50 or six months of fees, with claims due within one year. In practice, this sharply reduces remedies if the service causes loss.

  • negative ●●●●○ terms
    Auto-renewal and trial conversion

    Subscriptions renew automatically, and free trials become paid plans unless canceled before the deadline. The terms also say they may not remind you before a trial ends unless law requires it.

  • negative ●●●●○ terms
    Can terminate for any reason

    Crunchyroll says it may suspend, limit, or terminate accounts for any reason or no reason, sometimes without notice. If termination is for breach, prepaid fees may be lost without refund.

  • positive ●●●●○ privacy
    Privacy rights available

    Depending on local law, users can request access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, and consent withdrawal. These are meaningful controls for managing account and tracking-related data.

  • negative ●●●○○ terms
    Unilateral service changes

    The company can modify terms, pricing, features, and content availability, and continued use counts as acceptance. This gives users limited leverage if the service changes after signup.

  • negative ●●●○○ privacy
    Extensive tracking and ad targeting

    Crunchyroll collects broad account, device, usage, viewing, and location data and uses cookies and partners for analytics, personalization, and interest-based advertising. It may also match identifiers like email or phone with third-party ad platforms.

  • negative ●●●○○ privacy
    Broad data sharing

    Personal data may be shared with affiliates, Sony group companies, service providers, ad partners, promotion partners, authorities, and transaction counterparties. That broad ecosystem increases downstream exposure of your data.

  • positive ●●●○○ privacy
    Cookie consent controls

    For non-essential cookies and similar technologies, Crunchyroll says it will seek consent where required and offers a consent tool to change preferences later. That gives users some control over analytics and ad tracking.

  • positive ●●●○○ privacy
    No significant automated decisions

    The policy says it does not use fully automated decision-making or profiling that has legal or similarly significant effects. That reduces risk of major account outcomes being decided solely by algorithms.

  • positive ●●○○○ terms
    EU 14-day cancellation right

    EU residents get a statutory cooling-off cancellation right with a prorated refund request through support. This is a useful consumer protection, though limited by region.

Documents

Comparison is based on each service's published Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Read the source documents linked above before relying on any specific clause.