# Best Kitsu Alternatives in 2026 for Tracking Anime **Published:** November 4, 2026 **Author:** Achriom **URL:** https://www.achriom.com/blog/best-kitsu-alternatives > The best Kitsu alternatives in 2026: Achriom, MyAnimeList, AniList and Simkl compared, plus how to bring your Kitsu list over by username in a minute. **Tags:** comparison, guide, anime --- **The best Kitsu alternative depends on what you are missing.** If you want your anime on the same shelf as your movies, shows and books, that is Achriom, and it imports your Kitsu list from your username. MyAnimeList is the pick for community scale, AniList for an anime and manga list with an open API, and Simkl for automatic tracking. Kitsu's own status page showed its website and API running on November 4, 2026. The open questions are about the apps, and about getting your list somewhere it will stay put. That is what this post covers. ## What is going on with Kitsu Kitsu's status page lists the website, the legacy API and the GraphQL API as operational, with list imports from AniList and MyAnimeList listed too. The same page lists its iOS App Store and Google Play monitors at 0.000% uptime. A search of the US App Store for Kitsu turned up no Kitsu app. On GitHub, the server code got commits as recently as June 2026. The mobile app repository's last commit is from September 2024 and the web client's is from February 2025. So the service is being kept up, and the app side has gone quiet. Check the store for your phone before you build a routine around an app. A list on Kitsu can sit there fine. Keeping a second copy somewhere else costs you a minute. ## Moving your Kitsu list Achriom imports Kitsu by username. Open Import, choose Use Kitsu instead, enter the name, and your anime list arrives with statuses, episode progress and ratings. Use a public Kitsu list. Switch on "Keep it updated" and Achriom re-syncs it daily, so a few weeks of using both while you settle in is fine. One limit: the Kitsu import brings your anime list, not your manga, so manga entries stay on Kitsu. (AniList's import does bring manga too.) Once the list is in Achriom, it is yours to take anywhere: the whole library exports as CSV, and anime exports as MAL or AniList XML. That is the route to MyAnimeList or AniList if you decide you want one of them instead. The [MyAnimeList export guide](/blog/how-to-export-your-myanimelist-data/) covers the MAL side in detail. ## Quick comparison | App | Tracks | Best for | |-----|--------|----------| | Achriom | Anime, manga (web), movies, shows, books, albums, podcasts, games | Anime beside everything else, Kitsu import by username | | MyAnimeList | Anime and manga | Community scale, official app | | AniList | Anime and manga | Open API, manga beside anime | | Simkl | TV, anime and movies | Automatic tracking | *Last checked 4 November 2026.* ## Achriom **Best for:** Anime as part of everything you watch and read Achriom holds your anime next to your movies, shows, books, albums, podcasts and games. You can ask the librarian about all of it in plain words, such as what to watch if you loved Mushishi and The Remains of the Day, and it answers from your whole library rather than one medium. An anime-only app can show you what you rated Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. In Achriom that rating sits beside everything else you have logged, so a question can draw on all of it. ![Mushishi (2005)](/blog/assets/best-kitsu-alternatives/mushishi-tv.jpg) ![The Remains of the Day (1989)](/blog/assets/best-kitsu-alternatives/the-remains-of-the-day-book.jpg) ![Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023)](/blog/assets/best-kitsu-alternatives/frieren-beyond-journey-s-end-tv.jpg) **What it does for a Kitsu user:** - Imports your Kitsu anime list by username and can keep it updated daily - Anime, manga (web), movies, shows, books, albums, podcasts and games in one library - Half-stars or scores out of 10, notes, a did-not-finish shelf and full export, all free - Private by default, with a public profile when you want one, plus follows and shareable reviews, lists and a diary; follower counts stay private - Free with no item limit and 10 librarian messages a month; Pro is $9.99 a month or $99 a year for 200 messages **The limitation:** There is no seasonal airing chart, no airing alerts and no automatic episode logging.

Bring your Kitsu list over in a minute. Enter your Kitsu username and your anime lands next to your movies, books and albums. Free, no item limit.

Import from Kitsu →
## MyAnimeList **Best for:** Community scale and an official app MyAnimeList's About page calls it the world's largest anime and manga database, with fans from over 200 countries and, in its words, over half a million users a day. It has an official iOS app, listed on the App Store as MyAnimeList Official, which covers episode and chapter updates, seasonal anime, friends' scores and group chats. For the full set of options, see the [MyAnimeList alternatives guide](/blog/best-myanimelist-alternatives/). **What it offers:** - Reviews, recommendations, forums and clubs on the site - An official iOS app with seasonal anime and friends' scores - Anime and manga tracking in one list **The limitation:** Free use comes with ads, and it covers anime and manga only, so your movies and books need a second home. ## AniList **Best for:** An anime and manga list with an open API AniList says its sites are free to use and ad-supported, with donations covering server and development costs. Its API documentation describes access to over 500,000 anime and manga entries, including characters, staff and live airing data, and says the AniList and AniChart websites run on that same API. It tracks manga as well as anime. For more detail see the [AniList export guide](/blog/how-to-export-your-anilist-data/) and the [AniList vs Kitsu comparison](/blog/anilist-to-kitsu/). **What it offers:** - A documented open API that other tools build on - Anime and manga in one list - Live airing data in its API **The limitation:** It tracks anime and manga only, so movies, books and music live elsewhere. ## Simkl **Best for:** Automatic tracking across anime, TV and movies Simkl's documentation says it is designed to automatically log TV shows, anime and movies in one dashboard, with a browser extension that detects viewing on Netflix, Crunchyroll and Hulu, and one-click imports from AniList, MAL, Trakt and IMDb. Its App Store listing adds a next-episode view and alerts when new episodes air. If logging by hand is the part you keep dropping, this is the one that does the work. The [Simkl alternatives guide](/blog/best-simkl-alternatives/) and [Simkl VIP breakdown](/blog/simkl-vip/) cover what it costs and what it leaves out. **What it offers:** - Automatic logging from streaming services - Anime, TV and movies in a single history - Episode alerts on its iPhone app **The limitation:** It tracks watching only, so books, music and games are not part of it. ## Which should you use? **Use Achriom if** anime is one thread of a wider taste. You read, you listen, you watch live-action, and you want one library that sees all of it. The [best anime tracking apps guide](/blog/best-anime-tracking-apps/) goes deeper on anime-side detail, and [how to track anime in 2026](/blog/best-to-track-anime/) covers rewatches and the manga. **Use MyAnimeList if** the crowd is the point. You want the scores and discussion the whole hobby recognizes, and you can live with ads. **Use AniList if** you want an open API and manga beside the anime, without paying. **Use Simkl if** manual logging is what you keep dropping. ## Common questions ### What is the best Kitsu alternative in 2026? If you want anime on the same shelf as your movies, shows and books, Achriom is the best Kitsu alternative, and it imports your list straight from your Kitsu username. MyAnimeList is the pick for community scale, AniList for an anime and manga list with an open API, and Simkl for automatic tracking of what you stream. ### Can I import my Kitsu list into Achriom? Yes. Open Import in Achriom, find Use Kitsu instead, and enter your Kitsu username. Your anime list comes across without a file, and Achriom can keep it updated daily afterward. The import covers anime only, so manga entries stay behind on Kitsu. ### Is Kitsu still working in 2026? Kitsu's own status page shows its website and API running as of November 4, 2026. The same page lists its iOS App Store and Google Play monitors at 0.000% uptime, and its mobile code on GitHub has not changed since September 2024, so check your phone's store before you rely on an app. ### Is there a Kitsu alternative that also tracks movies and books? Achriom keeps anime beside movies, shows, books, albums, podcasts, games and manga in one library. It is free with no item limit and 10 librarian messages a month, and Pro is $9.99 a month or $99 a year for 200 messages. ### What is the best free Kitsu alternative? Achriom is free with no item limit, MyAnimeList is free with ads, and AniList is free to use with ads and donations behind it. Simkl lists its iPhone companion app as free on the App Store. ### Can I keep my anime list if I leave Kitsu? Yes. Achriom reads your public Kitsu list by username, and from there your anime exports as MAL or AniList XML, so it can move on to MyAnimeList or AniList later.