The best Trakt alternative depends on how you track. Want hosted auto-tracking from Plex, Kodi or Emby? Simkl. A friendly, social TV diary? Serializd. Want to own your data? Self-host Movary for films, or Yamtrack, Scrob or Ryot for everything. Only care about films? Letterboxd. Want a free “what next?” list from your Trakt history? goodrecmovies.
Last updated: October 2026
What changed at Trakt
- January 2025: free accounts were capped at 100 watchlist items, 100 collection items, and 2 lists of 100 (announcement).
- June 12, 2025: all VIP renewals moved to the standard price, ending legacy rates (announcement).
- February 27, 2026: the free watchlist and per-list caps rose to 250. Trakt also published a free-vs-VIP limits table, for example 10,000 vs 20,000 for ratings and 5 vs 100 personal lists. Some limits were marked "not enforced yet" (announcement).
- VIP price today: $5.99/month or $59.99/year (US App Store in-app purchases, apps.apple.com). Plex Sync and Streaming Sync are VIP features (trakt.tv/apps).
TV Time has shut down. It stopped working after July 15, 2026 (TechCrunch), so it's no longer an option. If you saved your export, Trakt or Serializd can take it, and goodrecmovies accepts a saved TV Time CSV on a best-effort basis.
Trakt alternatives at a glance
| Service | Best for | Movies / TV | Free tier | Trakt import | Scrobbling (Plex/Kodi/Jellyfin/Emby) | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simkl | Hosted auto-tracking, anime | Both + anime | Yes; PRO $34.99/yr, VIP $34.99 per 6 mo, Lifetime $249 | Yes (listed importer) | Plex (webhook, needs Plex Pass; Tautulli workaround), Kodi add-on, Emby | Web; mobile apps not confirmed |
| Serializd | Social TV diary | TV only | Fully free (optional Patreon) | Listed (unverified) | None found | iOS, Android, web |
| Movary | Self-hosted film diary | Movies | Free, open source (MIT) | Yes (import/export) | Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Kodi | Self-hosted web |
| Scrob | Self-hosted Trakt-style tracker | Both | Free, open source | Yes (Trakt/Simkl connect) | Jellyfin, Plex, Emby (webhooks), Kodi add-on | Self-hosted web (PWA) |
| Yamtrack | Self-hosted, every media type | Both + anime, books, games and more | Free, open-source (AGPL) | Yes, including periodic auto-import | Jellyfin, Plex, Emby | Self-hosted web |
| Ryot | Self-hosted media + fitness | Both + more | Free, open-source (GPL) | Yes | Jellyfin, Plex, Kodi, Emby | Self-hosted web |
| Letterboxd | Social film diary | Movies | Free; Pro $19/yr, Patron $49/yr | Not built in (Letterboxd links a third-party Trakt-to-Letterboxd tool) | No | iOS, Android, Apple TV, web |
| goodrecmovies | Suggestions from your Trakt history | Movies and series | Free (Google sign-in to import); optional Pro | Yes: ZIP or JSON, with movie and show history, ratings and watchlist | No (web only, no episode progress) | Web only (installable web app) |
Self-hosted features are as described in each project's own README or site. We haven't tested them.
The picks
Trakt: when to stay
It's still the broadest tracker for movies and TV. It has official iOS, Android and TV apps, a big third-party app ecosystem, and Plex and streaming sync on VIP.
- Stay if: you use those integrations and the limits fit your library.
- Look elsewhere if: the free caps or the VIP price don't work for you.
Simkl
Simkl tracks TV, anime and movies. Free users can import from 20+ services, Trakt included (simkl.com/apps/import).
- Media servers:
- Plex: the webhook marks an item watched at 90% and needs Plex Pass. Tautulli is a free workaround (simkl.com/apps/plex).
- Kodi: the add-on marks an item watched at 70% by default (docs).
- Emby: there's an integration (simkl.com/apps/emby).
- Pricing (October 2026, simkl.com/vip): PRO $34.99/yr, VIP $34.99 per 6 months, Lifetime $249. PRO is free if you visit 20+ days a month.
- Pro: the closest hosted swap for Trakt's auto-tracking, and it handles anime well.
- Con: Plex auto-tracking needs Plex Pass or the Tautulli workaround.
Serializd
The "Letterboxd for TV": track shows, rate episodes and seasons, keep a TV diary and follow friends. It's completely free, with optional Patreon support. It runs on web, iOS and Android (serializd.com). It imports from TV Time and lists a Trakt import (unverified: that page wasn't re-checked).
- Pro: the warmest community and diary experience for TV.
- Con: TV only, and we found no media-server scrobbling.
Movary (self-hosted)
A self-hosted movie diary with stats. It imports and exports history from Trakt, Letterboxd and Netflix, and it auto-logs plays from Plex, Jellyfin, Emby or Kodi. It's MIT-licensed, and its author describes it as "experimental (but usable)" (GitHub).
- Pro: you own your film history, and it takes both Trakt and Letterboxd.
- Con: movies only, and you run the server.
Scrob (self-hosted)
An open-source tracker that syncs with Jellyfin, Plex and Emby through webhook scrobbling, with two-way watched state. It also has a Kodi add-on. Other features are Trakt and Simkl import and push, lists, follows on your instance, and an installable PWA (scrob.app).
- Pro: a full Trakt-style setup on your own hardware.
- Con: you take on the self-hosting work, and the community is only your instance.
Yamtrack (self-hosted)
Tracks movies, TV (by season and episode), anime, manga, games, books and more. It integrates with Jellyfin, Plex and Emby. It imports from Trakt, Simkl, MyAnimeList, AniList and Kitsu, including periodic auto-imports. Open-source (AGPL) (GitHub).
- Pro: one self-hosted home for every media type.
- Con: no public social layer.
Ryot (self-hosted)
"Roll your own tracker": media tracking plus fitness logging. It imports from Trakt, Goodreads, MyAnimeList and more, and auto-tracks via Jellyfin, Plex, Kodi and Emby. Open-source (GPL) (GitHub).
- Pro: very broad and actively maintained, with the latest GitHub release in August 2026.
- Con: more than most people need for TV tracking.
Letterboxd (films only)
The best social film diary. Pro is $19/yr and Patron is $49/yr (letterboxd.com/pro). There's no built-in Trakt import, but Letterboxd's own help page links a third-party Trakt-to-Letterboxd tool (importing data).
- Pro: an unbeatable film community.
- Con: no TV tracking.
goodrecmovies (suggestions, not a TV tracker)
Import your Trakt history free, ratings and watchlist included. goodrecmovies is a catalog of well-rated movies and series, so you browse the good ones, not the filler.
- How to import: upload your Trakt ZIP or JSON export at goodrecmovies.com/import. Files can be up to about 4 MB, and it takes about 2 minutes from start to finish. It's free with a Google sign-in, as listed on /pricing, and re-importing never creates duplicates.
- What comes over: your movie and show history, your movie and show ratings, and your watchlist. Titles are matched by IMDb id first, then by title and year.
- What doesn't: watch dates and review text. Only titles in our catalog can match. When the import finishes, you get a summary and a list of anything that didn't match.
- What you get: personalized suggestions from your history, Taste DNA (a free teaser, full on Pro), your imported watchlist, reviews, friends and a feed, and Match night (
/movie-night). - Pro: turns your Trakt history and ratings into a free “what next?” list.
- Cons:
- It's not a TV tracker: there's no episode progress and no scrobbling.
- It's web only, with no native app.
- Only titles in our catalog match, so some of your history won't come over. The unmatched list shows you which.
- There's no diary and no custom lists.
FAQ
What's the best free Trakt alternative? Serializd for TV, since it's fully free. If you can run a server, try self-hosted Movary, Scrob, Yamtrack or Ryot. Simkl's free plan covers imports and core tracking.
Which alternative scrobbles from Plex? Simkl does, with a Plex Pass webhook or Tautulli. So do the self-hosted Movary, Scrob, Yamtrack and Ryot.
Can I take my Trakt history with me? Yes. Simkl, Movary, Scrob, Yamtrack and Ryot all list a Trakt import, and Serializd lists one too (unverified). goodrecmovies takes your Trakt ZIP or JSON export, with movie and show history, ratings and watchlist.
Did Trakt change its free plan? Yes. Caps arrived in January 2025, and in February 2026 the free watchlist and per-list caps rose to 250. VIP renewals moved to the standard price in June 2025.
Is there a Letterboxd for TV? Serializd.
Is Trakt still worth it? If you rely on its apps, its Plex and streaming sync, and its stats, often yes. Check the current free limits against your library first.