Simkl is a serious tracker. Big catalog across TV, movies and anime, a website and apps, and a lot of features layered on top. If you want a do everything hub and you do not mind some setup, it is a solid pick. But the two questions we hear most from people leaving TV Time are simpler than that: is it clean and fast to use every day, and does it keep my data mine? On both, Hobi has a clear answer.
The short version: Simkl is broad. Hobi is focused, free to track, and keeps your data portable through Trakt sync.
The short version
| Hobi | Simkl | |
|---|---|---|
| Fast one tap episode marking | Built around it | Yes, inside a busier interface |
| Clean, focused interface | Tracker first, no clutter | Feature dense |
| Ad free experience | Yes | Free tier is ad supported |
| Export your data for free | Via Trakt sync | Export is a VIP feature |
| Show statuses and calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Anime tracking depth | TV and movies focus | Strong, a Simkl specialty |
| Two way Trakt sync | Yes | Its own ecosystem |
| Price to track | Free | Free tier, VIP for more |
Where Simkl shines
If anime is a big part of your watching, Simkl is genuinely strong there, and its catalog across shows, movies and anime is deep. It has been around a while, it has a real web app, and power users who want a lot of knobs to turn will find them. For a certain kind of tracker, more features is exactly the point, and Simkl delivers that.
Where Hobi pulls ahead
- It is clean. The single most common complaint from people leaving older trackers is clutter: popups, extra panels, features they never asked for getting in the way of the one thing they came to do. Hobi is a tracker first. Open it, see what is next, tap to mark it watched, move on.
- No ads in the way. Simkl's free tier is ad supported. Hobi's free experience is not cluttered with ads while you are trying to check off an episode.
- Your data stays portable, for free. This is the one that bites people later. Exporting your library from Simkl is a VIP feature. Hobi syncs with Trakt, an open and exportable standard, so your history is never locked behind a paywall or trapped in one app. After the week TV Time users just had, that matters more than any single feature.
- Reminders that just work. Hobi counts down to every next episode and premiere and notifies you for the shows you choose, with nothing to configure.
So which one?
If you want a maximal, do everything hub and anime is central to your watching, Simkl is a reasonable home. If you want a clean, fast, ad free tracker that keeps your data portable and free to move, that is Hobi. For most people coming from TV Time and looking for that familiar, uncluttered feel, Hobi is the easier landing.
Coming from TV Time? Hobi is the official migration partner for TV Time users. Start with our guide to saving your history before July 15, then get Hobi free on iOS and Android.
