AniList vs Kitsu: Which Anime Tracker Should You Use?
AniList has active development and a large community. Kitsu's apps were removed in 2024 and development has stalled. Here is what each does and what to use today.
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Update (2026): Kitsu is effectively inactive. The Android app was removed from Google Play in April 2024. iOS availability is now unclear. Web development stalled in early 2025. New users should choose AniList.
This page covers what both trackers offer, how they compare when Kitsu was active, and what current users on each should do now.
What to look for in an anime tracker
The right tracker depends on what you want to get out of logging your watch history. A few criteria worth thinking through before comparing apps.
Statistics depth. Some trackers show basic counts. Others break down your watch time by genre, score distribution, and activity year by year. If understanding your own taste through the numbers is part of the point, this matters significantly.
Community size and reviews. A large community means more detailed reviews before you commit to a series, more active forums, and better seasonal discussion. Smaller communities can still be valuable, but the difference in signal is real.
Streaming links. Some trackers tell you what to watch and leave finding where to watch it as your problem. Others surface streaming sources directly. This is a convenience feature, but a meaningful one depending on your setup.
Manga tracking. If you read manga alongside watching anime, you want a tracker that handles both well, with a single profile covering your full history.
API and data portability. Third-party apps, scripts, and custom dashboards often depend on API access. Export quality matters too, both for switching apps later and for personal backups.
Mobile experience. If you track from your phone more than your browser, the mobile app deserves its own look rather than judging the web version alone.
AniList
AniList is the most widely used anime tracker, and the statistics system is a significant reason why.
The interface is clean and fast. Add a series, mark episodes watched, score it, move on. The scoring system is flexible: choose between a 10-point scale, a 100-point scale, or a smiley-face system depending on what you prefer. Advanced scoring, which lets you rate dimensions like story, characters, and animation separately, is available for users who want that granularity.
The statistics view is the part people remember. Open your profile and you can see total watch time, score distributions across your whole collection, breakdowns by genre, by format, by release year, by studio. For someone who has been tracking for years, this builds a genuine portrait of their taste. Few other tracking apps go anywhere near this deep.
The community is large and active. Seasonal charts show everything currently airing, which is useful for anyone trying to keep up with what is new. The follow and activity system exists, but the experience is built around personal profiles rather than a community feed. Reviews and recommendations are present, but AniList is primarily a tracker with social features, not a social network that tracks.
AniList’s GraphQL API is open and well-documented. A healthy ecosystem of third-party apps, scripts, and integrations is built on it. Data export is available as XML from account settings.
There are no streaming links. AniList tells you what to watch and records what you thought of it. Finding where to stream is left to you.
AniList is free. No paid tier. The service runs on a voluntary supporter program.
AniList suits: viewers who want the most detailed analytics available, users who rely on third-party tools built on the API, and anyone who wants the largest community for seasonal charts and reviews.
Kitsu
Status: Effectively inactive as of 2026
Kitsu was built around a more social model than AniList. The interface centered on a feed showing what people you follow were rating, completing, and starting. Streaming links were integrated throughout. Drama tracking covered live-action Asian dramas alongside anime, which AniList still does not.
That is the past tense version. The current situation:
The Android app was removed from Google Play in April 2024. iOS availability is now unclear. Web development stalled in early 2025. The removal of Stripe integration from the codebase in 2026 suggests the paid Patron tier has ended. The web tracker still functions but is not being actively maintained.
If you are currently on Kitsu: Export your data now via Kitsu’s account settings and import into AniList while everything still works. AniList accepts the same XML format. Your watch history, statuses, and scores transfer cleanly.
If you are choosing a tracker: Do not start on Kitsu. AniList covers the core use case (anime and manga tracking, statistics, community) with active development and reliable mobile apps.
Want all of it in one place? Achriom tracks your anime alongside your books, films, music, and TV shows, with an AI librarian that finds the threads between them. That is the part no single-format tracker can do.
Try Achriom free →AniList vs Kitsu: at a glance
| Feature | AniList | Kitsu |
|---|---|---|
| Anime tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Manga tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Drama tracking | No | Yes |
| Streaming links | No | Yes |
| Statistics depth | Detailed | Basic |
| Community size | Large | Medium |
| Social feed | Limited | Central feature |
| API access | GraphQL, open | REST API |
| Mobile app | Yes | Android removed (2024), iOS unclear |
| Scoring options | 10-point, 100-point, smiley | 10-point |
| Data export | Yes (XML) | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free (Patron tier likely ended) |
Which should you use?
Choose AniList if:
- Detailed statistics are a core reason you track at all
- You use third-party apps or scripts built on the API
- You want the largest community for seasonal discussion and reviews
- A clean, fast list-management interface matters more than a social feed
Do not start on Kitsu. The Android app was removed in 2024, iOS availability is unclear, and development has stalled. If you are already there, migrate to AniList now.
Consider Achriom if:
- You also track books, albums, and films alongside anime
- You want an AI librarian that connects your anime taste to your broader media library
- You care about cross-media threads: the novel a series adapted, the album that shares its atmosphere
Moving from Kitsu to AniList
Given Kitsu’s inactive state, this is the more likely migration in 2026.
Go to Kitsu’s account settings and export your list. AniList accepts that format via its own Import section (account settings, then Import and Export). Your series, statuses, and scores should transfer. Check a few entries after importing to confirm the data landed correctly.
If you have an AniList export and want it elsewhere for backup purposes, the XML format is also accepted by several other trackers. But there is no strong reason to move FROM AniList in 2026.
The honest answer
AniList is the choice for new users in 2026. The statistics are more detailed, the community is larger, the API ecosystem is more developed, and crucially: it is still being actively maintained with reliable mobile apps.
Kitsu had real strengths (streaming links, social feed, drama tracking) that AniList still does not match. But those features are not accessible if the app is not running on your phone and development has stopped.
If you are on AniList and considering switching to Kitsu, do not. If you are on Kitsu, export and migrate to AniList before the web tracker’s reliability degrades further.
Common questions
Can I move my anime list from AniList to Kitsu?
The import works, but migrating to Kitsu is not recommended in 2026. Kitsu is effectively inactive: Android app removed in April 2024, iOS unclear, development stalled. If you want to switch trackers, there is no strong option better than AniList right now.
Which has better statistics, AniList or Kitsu?
AniList has significantly more detailed statistics. It tracks your total watch time, genre breakdowns, score distributions, and activity by year. Kitsu offers basic counts but they are less comprehensive. AniList is the clear choice for analytics.
Does Kitsu have streaming links?
Kitsu integrated streaming links when it was actively developed. As of 2026, Kitsu is effectively inactive with apps removed and development stalled, so the reliability of these integrations is unclear.
Is AniList bigger than Kitsu?
AniList has a significantly larger and more active community. This gap has grown as Kitsu’s development stalled. More users means more reviews, seasonal discussion, and recommendations on any given series.
Does AniList track manga?
Yes. AniList tracks both anime and manga with the same detailed statistics and rating system. This covers the core use case Kitsu also offered.
Which is better for anime beginners?
AniList is the better choice for beginners in 2026. Kitsu is not recommended given its inactive state. AniList has active development, reliable mobile apps, seasonal charts, and a large community for reviews and discussion.