Trakt alternatives, and what changed in 2026
Trakt is the most established TV tracker and the usual answer for people who want scrobbling and a public API. People look elsewhere mainly for the interface, the paid VIP tier, or because they want something simpler. TV Time was the most common alternative until it shut down on 15 July 2026.
What Trakt does well
Automatic scrobbling from Plex, Kodi and Emby is the feature nothing else matches - mark nothing by hand and your history fills itself. It also has a genuine public API, so your data is portable in a way most trackers do not allow.
The trade is complexity. Trakt assumes you want lists, ratings, calendars and social features, and the interface reflects that. For someone who only wants to know what to watch next, it is a lot of product.
- Automatic scrobbling from media servers
- Public API and full data export
- Deep list and rating features
- VIP tier for some functionality
What the alternatives give up
Almost none of them scrobble. If your watching happens through Plex or Kodi and you want it recorded without touching anything, Trakt remains the answer and switching will cost you that.
TV Time was the main simpler option and closed on 15 July 2026, when its parent refocused on AI products and subscriptions covered only a fraction of server costs. That removed the obvious recommendation for people who found Trakt too much.
How to choose
If your watching is on a media server, use Trakt. If you watch on streaming services and tick episodes by hand anyway, the scrobbling advantage does not apply and simpler tools do the job with less to configure.
Whichever you pick, check that it exports. A tracker holding several years of history with no way out is the situation TV Time's users found themselves in.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trakt free?
The core tracker is free. Some features sit behind a VIP subscription.
What replaced TV Time?
Nothing directly. It shut down on 15 July 2026, and its users have largely split between Trakt and newer, simpler trackers.
Can I move my history between trackers?
From Trakt, yes - it has a full export. From platforms that have already closed, only if you exported before they went dark.