Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common malignant disease. The developing of economically sustainable and available agents for the treatment of BC is required. Purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA) has been shown to have antitumor abilities. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential role of PSPA in BC treatment. CCK-8 assay was used to assess the viability of BC cells. Flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cell apoptosis and cell-cycle distribution. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were performed to determine the expression of the target genes. The results of this study revealed that PSPA reduced the viability of BC in a dose-dependent manner. The MMP collapse was aggravated by the PSPA treatment. The apoptosis rate was higher in the PSPA groups than that in the control group. The expression of the pro-apoptosis genes, including cleaved caspase-3, Fas, Fasl, Bcl-2-associated X proteins (Bax) and anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl-2) was induced and decreased by PSPA, respectively. The cell-cycle progression was suppressed by the presence of PSPA. The activation of the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway was suppressed by PSPA treatment during BC treatment. The PI3K/Akt signaling was closely related to the antitumor effect of PSPA in BC. The present study provided evidence regarding the treatment of BC and enhanced the understanding of the potential role that PSPA plays in cancer prevention.