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Cinemaniac: A native alternative to Simkl on mobile
Simkl tracks movies, TV shows, anime, and manga, but its mobile apps are web wrappers. I built Cinemaniac to be a native experience on both iOS and Android, smooth, fast, and designed for your phone, not a browser.
Why Cinemaniac vs Simkl
Native apps, not a web wrapper
Simkl's iOS and Android apps are basically web views. Cinemaniac is built with native frameworks on both platforms, faster, smoother, and designed for mobile.
No account required
Simkl requires an account. With Cinemaniac, you can download and start tracking instantly, no barriers.
Better mobile experience
Cinemaniac's UI was designed for mobile, with smooth animations, simple navigation, and a clean interface. Simkl's mobile experience is limited because it's a web wrapper.
17 languages
Simkl is primarily English-only. Cinemaniac speaks 17 languages, making it accessible to a global audience.
1M+ Downloads
Over a million people use Cinemaniac every day. Simkl has a smaller user community, especially on mobile.
Independently built
Cinemaniac is built and maintained by a single developer who uses the app daily. No company, no investors, one person who cares about the product.
What you get with Cinemaniac
Movie & TV show tracking
Personal ratings from 0 to 10
Custom categories and lists
Watchlist management
Beautiful UI
Multiple themes
No account required (optional sign-in for sync)
Available in 17 languages
Simkl vs Cinemaniac: Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cinemaniac | Simkl |
|---|---|---|
| Movie tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| TV show tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Anime tracking | ✅ (as TV) | ✅ (dedicated) |
| Manga tracking | ❌ | ✅ |
| Native iOS app | ✅ | Web wrapper |
| Native Android app | ✅ | Web wrapper |
| No account required | ✅ | ❌ |
| Number of languages | 17 | Primarily English |
| Where to watch info | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom categories | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sync with streaming services | ❌ | ✅ |
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinemaniac better than Simkl?
They're built differently. Simkl has dedicated anime and manga tracking, plus automatic sync with streaming services like Netflix and Crunchyroll. But Cinemaniac has real native apps on iOS and Android, 17 languages, no account needed, and over a million downloads. If you mainly use your phone and care about app quality, Cinemaniac wins. If you need streaming auto-sync or manga tracking, Simkl has the edge.
What makes Cinemaniac different from Simkl?
The biggest difference is the mobile experience. Simkl's mobile apps are web wrappers, basically a website in an app container. Cinemaniac is built with native frameworks, giving you a responsive experience designed for your phone. Cinemaniac is also in 17 languages, needs no account, and has over 1 million downloads.
Does Cinemaniac track anime like Simkl?
Yes and no. Cinemaniac tracks all TV shows from TMDb, which includes most anime series: you can track them like any other TV show. However, Simkl has a dedicated anime section with features specific to anime tracking (episode-by-episode from anime databases, manga tracking). If you're primarily an anime watcher, Simkl may be more tailored to you. If you watch both anime and regular shows, Cinemaniac handles both fine.
Is Cinemaniac free?
Yes. Cinemaniac is free to download and use, with all core features included. There's an optional Gold tier ($19.99/year) for personalized recommendations. Simkl also has a free tier with optional premium upgrades.
Can I sync Cinemaniac with streaming services?
No. Cinemaniac tells you where to watch content (which streaming platforms have each movie and show), but it doesn't automatically sync your watch history from Netflix, Crunchyroll, or other services. If auto-sync is a must-have, you might use Simkl alongside Cinemaniac.
What languages does Cinemaniac support?
Cinemaniac is available in 17 languages: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Arabic, Ukrainian, and Hebrew.
Do I need an account to use Cinemaniac?
No. You can download Cinemaniac and start tracking movies and TV shows immediately without creating an account. If you want to sync your data across devices, you can optionally sign in with Google or Apple.
Compare Cinemaniac with other trackers
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