Continuity
TV Time alternatives, compared honestly
Written by the makers of Continuity, so read with that in mind. The other trackers listed here are good products with real strengths, several are older than mine, and this page says so. Whatever you pick, export your TV Time data first, the deadline is July 15.
| Tracker | TV Time import | Price | Where your data lives | Export back out | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuity | Yes, on your device in seconds | Free | On your device | Any time, one tap | TV Time style layout, keeps badges, rewatches and lifetime stats, no account needed, cannot go down under migration load because there is no import server |
| Simkl | Yes, direct zip import, server side | Free core, optional upgrade | Their servers | Yes, and it syncs with Trakt | The closest like for like TV Time feel, with anime support and auto tracking extensions. Servers have strained under the migration surge, so imports can queue or fail at peak times |
| Refract | Yes, server side | Free | Their servers | Yes | Polished UI that many consider the best looking, optional TV Time like view, very active development and community Discord. Grew 70,000 users overnight during the shutdown week and has struggled under the load |
| Serializd | Yes, server side | Free | Their servers | No export as of this writing | Letterboxd style reviews and diary culture for TV. Reported instability during the migration wave |
| Trakt | Yes, via importers | Free tier, VIP subscription for many features | Their servers | Yes, good data portability | The most mature ecosystem by far, integrates with media servers and dozens of apps. Power users love it, casual TV Time users often find it heavier than they want |
| next-episode.net | Yes, added during the shutdown week | Free with premium option | Their servers | Yes | Running for more than 20 years, a stability record nobody else on this list can claim. Web centric rather than app centric |
Continuity vs Simkl
Simkl is the closest like for like TV Time swap and its anime support is genuinely strong. The differences: Simkl imports your zip on their servers, which have queued and failed at peak times during the migration surge, while Continuity reads the same zip on your device in seconds with no queue possible. Simkl keeps your history on their servers with an optional paid tier on top; Continuity keeps it on your device, free, no account. Choose Simkl if auto tracking browser extensions or anime lists are central to how you watch.
Continuity vs Trakt
Trakt is the most mature ecosystem in tracking and if you run Plex, Kodi or a media server it is the natural center of gravity. Its importer is reported at roughly 95 percent accuracy with older titles needing manual fixes, and several statistics features sit behind the VIP subscription. Continuity imports everything in the zip exactly as TV Time recorded it, keeps lifetime stats and badges free, and asks for no account. Choose Trakt if scrobbling and third party integrations matter more to you than simplicity.
Continuity vs Refract
Refract is widely considered the best looking of the new wave and its community is very active. It grew 70,000 users overnight during the shutdown week and has struggled under that load, because imports and history live on its servers. Continuity cannot have that problem, there is no import server to overwhelm. Choose Refract if a rich social feed is the main thing you miss from TV Time.
Continuity vs Serializd
Serializd brings Letterboxd's diary and review culture to TV and does it well. It is web first, has reported instability during the migration wave and offers no export back out as of this writing, so moving in is easier than moving on. Continuity is built around the watch list and your own data rather than reviews. Choose Serializd if writing about seasons is the point for you.
How to choose
If what you loved about TV Time was the simple watch list, the next episode always on top and your lifetime stats, and what you hated this week was learning your history lived on someone else's server, Continuity was built for exactly that. If you want the prettiest social app and can wait out the growing pains, Refract has earned its fans. If you write reviews, Serializd. If you run Plex or want deep integrations, Trakt. If anime and auto tracking are your center, Simkl. If you want the thing most likely to still exist in 2046, next-episode.
There is no wrong answer as long as you export before July 15. The zip works with all of them.