What is Simkl & How to Use It: Look, keeping track of every random show or movie scattered across a dozen streaming apps is a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Honestly, between losing my place in a crunchyroll binge and forgetting which episode of some obscure Kodi addon I crashed out on last night, my watch history is a total dumpster fire. Enter Simkl.

It’s this nifty, slightly nerdy third-party tracker that basically acts as a brain for your media habits, hooking into everything from Plex and Netflix to Jellyfin and Prime Video. While I’m going to walk through the setup using Kodi—mostly because it’s my personal playground for digital hoarding—the logic carries over to pretty much any platform you’re actually using. It isn’t some polished, corporate “experience,” but it works, and frankly, it’s the only reason I haven’t watched the same season of The Bear three times by accident.

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What is Simkl?

Think of Simkl as that one obsessive, slightly chaotic friend who actually remembers every single anime episode or B-list movie ever touched, acting as a much-needed lifeline when Trakt feels clunky or TV Time just isn’t cutting it. It’s essentially a digital scrapbook for a screen-addicted life, seamlessly stitching together watch histories from a messy sprawl of devices and services so nobody has to manually track progress like it’s 2005.

Honestly, the way it syncs across platforms is a minor miracle for anyone juggling a dozen different logins, providing a centralized hub that—while maybe a bit nerdy—finally stops the “wait, did I already see this?” internal crisis. It’s raw, it’s effective, and frankly, it’s the only way to keep a media obsession from turning into a full-blown organizational disaster.

Simkl 2026 Overview

With Simkl, you can easily keep track of:

• The movies you’ve watched
• The episodes you’ve finished
• The anime series or films you’ve completed

Simkl Performance

Simkl is basically that quietly intense, hyper-organized sidekick that follows every binge session like it’s a sacred mission—logging what got watched, when it happened, and exactly which streaming rabbit hole it came from, without making it a whole production. The best part? It doesn’t act like you need to be a tech wizard to use it—no weird menus, no confusing clutter, no “settings dungeon” where apps go to die. It just sits there with this slick, no-drama interface and lets you do the one thing everyone actually wants: tap “I’ve seen this” and move on with life.

Beyond just being a digital paper trail, the platform digs through those viewing habits to toss out recommendations that—let’s be real—are often way better than the garbage algorithms most streaming giants force-feed us. If something looks remotely interesting, throwing it onto a watchlist takes a heartbeat, turning a chaotic mess of anime and cult classics into a curated library that actually feels manageable. It’s simple, perhaps a bit nerdy in its precision, but it saves us from the soul-crushing void of scrolling aimlessly through a dozen apps for hours.

Simkl Pricing

While many features are available for free, Simkl offers a premium experience through optional subscriptions:

• Pro – $2.91/month
• VIP – $5.83/month
• Lifetime VIP – $149 one-time payment

These plans unlock additional features and customization options.

Simkl Features

Simkl offers a range of useful features for tracking and managing your watch history. Here are some of the key highlights:

• Both free and premium subscription options
• Track your TV shows, movies, and anime with automatic syncing across all your devices
• Compatible with multiple platforms and streaming services
• Personalized content recommendations based on your viewing habits
• Discover new, trending, and popular titles across genres
• Share your watchlists and collections with other users
• Built-in search function to quickly find specific titles
• Import your existing watch history from other platforms like Trakt, Plex, Letterboxd, and IMDb
• The free plan includes ads to support the service

How to Set Up Simkl on Kodi 2026

• Getting this running is actually pretty painless, whether using heavy hitters like Plex and Jellyfin or more niche setups like Stremio, Syncler+, and Weyd. Using Kodi for this walkthrough because it’s a classic, though the logic is basically identical wherever the app lands.
• First, head over to simkl.com and hit Join. It’s the usual drill—toss in an email or just link Google or Apple if laziness is winning today.
• After creating the account, a prompt to import history from Trakt or IMDb usually pops up. Feel free to skip that for now if the goal is just to get moving, then click through the “Start Using Simkl” welcome screens.
• Don’t ignore the email verification.
• Simkl is a bit picky about this, so find that link in the inbox and click it to officially unlock the account.
• Now for the Kodi side: fire it up, hit that gear icon for Settings, and dive into Add-ons.
• Navigate through “Install from repository” to the official Kodi Add-on Repository. It’s tucked away under Services—look for “Simkl TV Tracker” and pull the trigger on the install.
• Once it’s done, a PIN code will pop up on the TV screen like a digital gatekeeper. Grab a phone or laptop, go to simkl.com/pin, and punch that code in to bridge the two worlds.
• A “Login Successful” message should flash on Kodi, meaning the setup is finally over and the automatic tracking can actually start doing the heavy lifting.

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How to Use Simkl 2026

Look, Simkl is basically a lifesaver for anyone who’s tired of losing track of where they left off in a series—it’s got this clean, zero-fuss vibe that actually makes sense. Since we already tackled the Kodi setup (thank god that’s over, right?), it’s time to dive into the fun stuff: dumping your massive watch history into the system and syncing up Plex so you can finally stop guessing which episode is next. Honestly, the dashboard is a bit of a playground for media nerds; you can curate your lists, hoard your favorite titles, and navigate the whole mess without feeling like you need a degree in UI design. It’s not always perfect—sometimes syncing feels like a game of catch—but once those libraries are organized, it’s pure domestic bliss for your inner binge-watcher.

Getting Started with Simkl

Fire up the Simkl site or grab the app on your phone—it’s honestly way more convenient—and make sure you’re actually logged in so you don’t end up shouting at a blank screen. Right now, your dashboard is going to look like a digital ghost town; those “Recently Watched” and “Plan to Watch” slots are depressingly empty, but don’t panic, it’s just because the system hasn’t met your obsession with 90s sitcoms or obscure anime yet. It’s a bit of a blank slate moment, a little haunting but also kind of exciting, waiting for that first massive data dump to actually give the interface some soul. Once that history starts flowing in, the whole thing transforms from a sterile grid into a beautiful, chaotic map of everything you’ve ever binged.

How to Import Watch History

1. Scroll to the bottom of the Simkl homepage and click the Import link.

2. You’ll see a list of services that Simkl supports for importing, including:

   • Trakt

   • AniList

   • IMDb

   • EpisodeCalendar

3. Click the Connect button next to the platform you want to import from.

4. Sign in to your selected service with your credentials.

5. When prompted, click Yes to grant Simkl access to import your watch history.

6. Finally, choose Import all episodes, shows, and movies. Your Simkl account will then update with your viewing history from the connected service.

Manually Add Titles to Your List

If you prefer to manually add content:

1. Use the search bar to find the show, movie, or anime.

2. Click on the title to open its details page.

3. Click Add to Watchlist, then select a list status:

• Completed
• On Hold
• Dropped

Using the Simkl Dashboard

Once your lists are updated, your dashboard will start to show activity under:

• Recently Watched
• My List
• Plan to Watch

You can now track progress on your content. For example, shows you’ve finished will display 100% Watch Progress. You’ll also see other helpful details like:

• Where to watch
• Genre
• Rating
• Last and next aired episode
• Air dates
• Plot summaries

Additionally, user ratings and comments offer insights into what others think about the content.

Discover Trending & Popular Content

To explore trending content:

1. Click the Trending tab on the Simkl menu.

2. Use filters such as:

• Best This Year
• Genres
• Most Watched
• Most Voted

This helps you discover what’s popular or worth watching across different categories.

Social & Profile Features

Simkl also includes social features:

• Customize your profile
• Follow other users
• See shows and movies you’ve rated

These tools make it easy to interact with others, get recommendations, and keep track of your media habits.

Simkl vs Trakt 

Look, if you’re stuck in the middle of the Simkl vs. Trakt debate, you’re basically choosing between a sleek, all-in-one Swiss Army knife and a classic, battle-hardened veteran. Trakt is the old-school king, and while its community is massive, some of the recent price hikes and list limits honestly feel like a punch to the gut for us free users. On the flip side, Simkl is like that nerdy overachiever who actually remembered to include a dedicated anime section and a lifetime sub option—thank God someone finally did. It’s not perfect; the mobile app can be a bit of a “lite” mess compared to Trakt’s polished feel, and sometimes the UI makes you click way more than you’d like just to see an air date. But when you’re trying to sync a chaotic library across Plex, Kodi, and Netflix without losing your mind, these two have very different ways of handling your digital hoarding habits.

Features

Simkl is basically a powerhouse for anyone who takes their screen time way too seriously, packing in detailed progress bars and a release calendar that’s actually readable without a magnifying glass. The real win, though, is how it treats anime—finally, a platform that doesn’t force you to jump through flaming hoops or install sketchy third-party plugins just to log a few episodes of One Piece.

Trakt is fine, sure, and the social “see what your friends are judging you for” aspect is cool, but it feels a bit bare-bones when you realize it treats anime like an afterthought. While Trakt leans on its scrobbling reputation, Simkl feels like it actually understands the modern, chaotic watch habit where recommendations need to be smart, not just generic. It’s a bit nerdy, maybe even a little over-engineered in spots, but having everything—from prestige TV to obscure Japanese imports—in one place without the extra legwork is a total game changer.

Supported Platforms and Integration

Simkl is a total beast when it comes to keeping tabs on your Netflix or YouTube binges, mostly thanks to those browser extensions that feel like a secret weapon—something Trakt inexplicably still hasn’t figured out. It’s got the usual suspects like Kodi and Plex covered, even if the Emby and Jellyfin setups require a bit of plugin-fiddling that might make you want to pull your hair out for a second.

Trakt, on the other hand, is like the popular kid with a thousand friends; its API is everywhere, from Stremio to basically every obscure media app ever built by a bored developer. It’s honestly impressive how Trakt connects to over a hundred services, but the lack of a simple Chrome extension feels like a massive, annoying oversight in 2026. Ultimately, it’s a trade-off: you either go with Trakt for that “it works everywhere” vibe or stick with Simkl because you actually want credit for those three-hour YouTube deep dives without having to manually log a single thing.

Interface and User Experience

Simkl is a breath of fresh air if you’re tired of squinting at cluttered screens; it’s got this sleek, modern vibe that actually keeps your movies and anime in their own damn lanes without making you hunt for a filter. Navigating the dashboard feels like walking into a well-organized library rather than a digital junk drawer, putting your upcoming shows and trending lists right where they belong.

Trakt, while legendary, can honestly feel like a bit of a social media fever dream at first—it’s great once you’re in the groove, but dodging comment sections and user follows just to check a watchlist is a bit much. It’s definitely powerful, especially when you start diving into what friends are rating, but there’s something so much more satisfying about Simkl’s minimalist approach that just lets you get back to the actual watching. Sometimes you just want to track a show without feeling like you’re joining a book club, and that’s where the clean, intuitive layout of Simkl really wins the day.

Data Import and Export

Look, Simkl is basically the “no-drama” friend of the tracking world—it comes loaded with these built-in tools that make dragging your entire watch history over from Trakt, TV Time, or MyAnimeList feel like less of a soul-crushing chore. It’s honestly a relief because you can just suck in all your old data and even spit it back out as a CSV if you’re the type who hoards backups (guilty as charged).

Trakt is… well, it’s a bit more “old school” in its stubbornness; while they finally added some native import options for things like Letterboxd and IMDb recently, it still feels like they’re making you work for it. They’ll let you export your history to a CSV easy enough—mostly so you can take your business elsewhere—but they don’t exactly roll out the red carpet for you to bring your life from other platforms into theirs without a bit of a fight. It’s one of those classic “walled garden” vibes that makes me appreciate Simkl’s open-arms approach to my digital mess even more.

Simkl vs Trakt Free and Premium Plans

Look, when it comes to the money side of things, Simkl is basically that chill friend who doesn’t mind if you’re a bit of a moocher—their free tier lets you track basically everything without hitting a wall. If you’re a power user or just want to feel like a VIP for $5.83 a month (or around $30 a year for Pro), you get the Discord perks and beta toys, but honestly, the coolest part is the “Loyalty” thing where just using the site for 20 days a month unlocks Pro features for free.

It feels like they actually like their users, unlike Trakt, which recently went through this massive $60-a-year price hike that felt like a slap in the face to long-time fans. Trakt’s free tier is starting to feel a bit claustrophobic with that 100-item list limit—which is a nightmare if you’re a digital hoarder like me—and they’ve mostly killed off the legacy discounts that people used to swear by. It’s a classic “you get what you pay for” situation, but right now, Simkl feels way more respectful of your wallet while Trakt is leaning hard into that “premium” price tag whether you like it or not.

• Simkl is feature-rich, especially for anime fans, with strong data import/export and a modern UI.
• Trakt excels at broad platform integration and social features but has more limited native functionality and recent restrictions on free plans.

Your choice depends on your priorities—if you want deeper anime support and flexible data management, Simkl is a great pick. If you value extensive app integrations and social interactions, Trakt may be more suitable.

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Winding Up

Simkl is honestly a total dark horse if you’re looking to escape Trakt’s increasingly annoying restrictions—it’s that rare, user-friendly gem that actually gives you the keys to the kingdom without demanding a credit card up front. Being able to dump all your TV, movie, and anime obsession into one place with zero limits on the free tier feels like a massive win, and that import tool is a lifesaver for anyone too lazy to manually re-log a decade of watch history.

It’s got this nerdy, passionate energy that makes hunting for new releases actually fun rather than a chore, making it the perfect landing spot for anyone who just wants their libraries to behave across different gadgets. Whether you’re a casual binger or a full-blown media hoarder, it’s a seriously solid alternative that doesn’t make you feel like a second-class citizen for not paying a premium. Seriously, if you’ve messed around with it or found some weird quirk I missed, drop a comment below and let’s geek out over whether it’s finally time to ditch the old guard for good.