The Best Letterboxd Alternative for 2026

If you love Letterboxd for films but also track TV shows or anime, Refract is the most complete alternative: it tracks movies, TV, and anime in one unified library, free forever with no ads and no stat paywalls — and it imports your Letterboxd history so you arrive with your films intact.

Why people look for a Letterboxd alternative

Letterboxd earned its reputation as the best film-logging app on the planet. For pure movie fans it remains excellent. But several real limitations push people to look elsewhere:

• Movies only: As of 2026, Letterboxd remains movies-only — TV support is a stated future plan, not a live feature. If you also watch TV shows or anime, you need a second app.
• Stats are paywalled: The free tier shows ads and only provides a yearly Year in Review summary. Personalized annual and all-time stats require Letterboxd Pro ($19/year); the Patron tier is $49/year.
• No anime metadata: Anime films can be logged as movies, but there is no anime-series tracking, no episode-level diary, and no AniList/MAL metadata integration.
• No data portability to cross-trackers: Letterboxd offers a film CSV export, but there is no sync with other trackers, making it hard to consolidate a full watch history.
• Social-first design: The feed, likes, and lists are front and center. Users who prefer a quieter, personal tracker can find the interface noisy.

What Letterboxd still does best

Letterboxd is the gold standard for film logging — the poster-grid diary, the richest film community of any tracker, the culture-defining lists, and the obsessively well-curated reviews. No other app comes close for pure film culture. Refract does not try to replace that community. If your primary need is a social film diary shared with cinephiles, Letterboxd is still the right tool.

Why Refract is the strongest cross-media alternative

Refract was built to do what Letterboxd cannot yet do: track movies and TV shows and anime in one place, free, with no ads and no stat paywalls. The core principles are the same as Letterboxd's best qualities — a clean diary, real watch dates, ratings, personal lists — extended across all the media you actually consume.

• Cross-media in one library: movies, TV shows, and anime together; books and games on the roadmap.
• Dedicated anime metadata: powered by a cross-database engine (TMDB + AniList + MAL) for correct seasons, episode counts, OVAs, and movies.
• Free stats, no paywall: detailed all-time and yearly stats — watch time, genre breakdowns, streaks, ratings distribution — free for every user.
• Zero ads, free forever: no subscription tier, no premium upgrade, no ad interruptions.
• Episode-level diary: log individual episodes with real watch dates and per-episode ratings, not just show-level check-ins.
• Cross-device sync: your full library, progress, ratings, and diary sync instantly across iOS and Android.
• Optional quiet personal tracking: profiles are private by default; make yours public only if you want to.

Feature comparison

Feature	Refract	Letterboxd
Movies	✓ Full tracking	✓ Full tracking
TV shows	✓ Full tracking	— (movies-only as of 2026)
Anime (series + proper metadata)	✓ TMDB + AniList + MAL	— (anime films as movies only)
Books & games	Coming soon	—
Free forever	✓ Always free	✓ Free tier exists
No ads	✓ Zero ads	Ads on free tier
Stats free	✓ All stats free	Paywalled (Pro $19/yr)
Episode-level diary	✓ Per-episode with dates	— (no TV tracking)
Import from Letterboxd	✓ Built-in importer	CSV export only
Cross-device sync	✓ iOS & Android	✓ iOS & Android
Film community & social	Follows, activity feed	✓ Best in class

How to switch from Letterboxd to Refract

Your film history comes with you. The import takes a few minutes.

1. Export your data from Letterboxd — Go to letterboxd.com → Settings → Import & Export → Export Your Data. You'll receive a ZIP with your ratings, diary, watchlist, and lists.
2. Download Refract — Available on iOS and Android (links below).
3. Open the Import screen — In Refract, go to Settings → Import → Letterboxd.
4. Upload your export file — Refract processes it in the background and notifies you when the import is complete.
5. Review your library — Your films, ratings, and diary entries will be there. Now start logging your TV shows too.

Frequently asked questions

Does Refract track TV shows as well as movies?

Yes. Refract tracks movies, TV shows, and anime in a single unified library. You can log episodes, rate seasons, keep a diary with real watch dates, and track your progress on any show — all in the same app as your films.

Can Refract track anime?

Yes. Refract uses a cross-database matching engine (TMDB + AniList + MAL) to give anime the metadata it deserves — correct seasons, episode counts, OVAs, and movies — rather than the partial support you find in most film trackers.

Is Refract free? Are stats free?

Yes, completely free — and that includes stats. There is no subscription tier, no paywall on analytics, and no ads. Detailed stats, your diary, and all tracking features are available to every user at no cost.

Does Refract have ads like Letterboxd's free tier?

No. Refract has zero ads. Letterboxd's free tier is ad-supported; upgrading to Letterboxd Pro ($19/year) removes ads and unlocks annual stats. Refract is ad-free and stats-free for everyone, forever.

Can I import my Letterboxd data into Refract?

Yes. Refract has a built-in Letterboxd importer. Export your data from Letterboxd, then use the Import screen in Refract to bring over your film ratings, watch dates, and diary entries. Refract also imports from TV Time, IMDb, and Trakt.

Is Refract a replacement for Letterboxd?

For cross-media tracking, yes — Refract adds TV shows, anime, and (soon) books and games to the film tracking you already do. For pure film-community logging, Letterboxd's social layer is still the richest around and Refract does not try to replicate it. Refract's edge is having one library for everything you watch, free, with no ads.

Other Letterboxd alternatives worth considering

Refract isn't the only option. Here's an honest look at the most commonly recommended alternatives:

• Letterboxd itself — Still the gold standard for film community. Worth keeping alongside a cross-media tracker if pure cinema logging and social discovery matter to you.
• Serializd — A clean, community-focused TV tracker with a strong social layer. TV-only; not a Letterboxd replacement for films.
• Simkl — Broad media support (TV, movies, anime) with scrobbling and good automation. Interface is more utilitarian; stats require a paid tier.
• Trakt — Long-established, powerful API and scrobbling ecosystem, good for power users. Free tier has limitations; Trakt VIP unlocks additional features.