Best Movie Tracking Apps for iPhone

IMDb is the best movie tracking app for iPhone users who want the deepest database, comprehensive ratings, and a free watchlist that syncs everywhere. The Amazon-owned database has been the canonical source for film and TV information for decades — every film and show ever made is in there, with cast, crew, plot summaries, trivia, and audience ratings. Compared with Letterboxd, IMDb is database-first rather than community-first. Compared with Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb has audience ratings rather than critic-aggregated scores. Real use case: a casual viewer who wants to look up an actor, add films to a watchlist, check ratings before watching, and pull up trivia or behind-the-scenes information. The 4.79 from 545,702 ratings is the largest user base in the category. Free tier covers all core features. Tradeoff: the interface is dense with ads in the free tier, and reviews trend mainstream (the wisdom of crowds effect — popular films get higher ratings than they often deserve). Best as the universal database every film fan should have installed.

Letterboxd is the best movie tracking app for community-driven film logging — it has become the cultural phenomenon among film enthusiasts since 2011 and now hosts the largest community of serious film fans on the internet. The pitch: log every film you watch with a star rating, write reviews, build themed lists, follow other users, and discover films through the community. Compared with IMDb's database-first approach, Letterboxd is social-first. Compared with Serializd or TV Time, Letterboxd is film-only and doesn't track TV. Real use case: a film enthusiast who watches 2-3 films per week, wants to log and review each one, and discovers new films through curated lists from critics and friends. The 4.82 from 87,996 ratings reflects passionate community adoption. Pro tier unlocks statistics and customization. Tradeoff: Pro features (statistics, custom lists, no ads) require subscription, and the community can be intimidating for casual viewers who don't want to write reviews. Best for users who care about film as an art form rather than entertainment alone.

TV Time is the best TV show tracking app for iPhone users who watch series and want to track episodes, get notified when new episodes drop, and rate every episode they finish. The pitch: log each episode as you watch it, never lose track of where you are in a show, get notifications when shows return from hiatus. Compared with Letterboxd (films only), TV Time specializes in TV. Compared with Trakt, TV Time is more user-friendly and less power-user-focused. Real use case: someone watching 10+ TV shows across multiple streaming services who wants one app to track where they are in each show and what's coming next. The 4.71 from 57,911 ratings reflects strong adoption in the TV-tracking niche. Free tier covers core tracking. Tradeoff: subscription required for advanced statistics and ad-free experience, and some users find the social features more aggressive than needed. Best for TV-heavy viewers who watch shows across multiple services and need unified tracking — the alternative is losing track of which episode you're on in three different shows.

Queue is the best simple movie tracking app for users who want a clean watchlist without community features or database depth. The pitch: build a list of what you want to watch, mark items as watched, browse and filter — nothing more, nothing less. Compared with IMDb's full database approach, Queue is intentionally lightweight. Compared with Letterboxd, Queue avoids the social pressure and community expectations. Real use case: someone who keeps a running list of films to watch later and wants a focused app that doesn't try to be IMDb or Letterboxd. The 4.69 from 11,847 ratings reflects steady adoption among watchlist-focused users. Fully free with ad-supported features and optional ad removal. Tradeoff: the simplicity is the feature — users who want reviews, community, or detailed statistics should pick Letterboxd or IMDb. Best for users overwhelmed by bigger movie apps who want a focused watchlist tool that stays out of the way and just tracks what they want to watch.

Rotten Tomatoes is the best critic-aggregated ratings app for users who make watch decisions based on critic consensus rather than audience ratings. The pitch: see the Tomatometer (critic score) and Audience Score for any film or show, with links to individual critic reviews. Compared with IMDb's audience ratings, Rotten Tomatoes surfaces critic opinion as a separate dimension. Compared with Letterboxd, Rotten Tomatoes is decision-support rather than community logging. Real use case: someone deciding what to watch tonight who wants to check critic consensus before committing two hours. The 4.46 from 16,400 ratings is lower than top picks — many users complain the app has become ad-heavy and over-monetized. Tradeoff: the interface has become cluttered with promotional content for current releases, and the Audience Score has been criticized for review-bombing manipulation on politically charged releases. Best as a decision-support tool used alongside IMDb or Letterboxd rather than a primary tracker.

Serializd is the best TV-show-focused social tracking app for users who want Letterboxd's community model but for TV instead of film. The pitch: log shows and episodes, rate and review, follow other users, build curated TV lists — all of Letterboxd's community features applied to television. Compared with TV Time's tracking-first approach, Serializd is community-first. Compared with Letterboxd (films only), Serializd is the TV equivalent. Real use case: a serious TV watcher who wants to engage with a community of other TV fans, share thoughts on episodes, and discover shows through curated lists. The 4.48 from 998 ratings reflects newer-app status with a smaller but growing user base. Free tier covers core tracking and community features. Tradeoff: smaller community than TV Time means fewer reviews and less list activity on niche shows. Best for users who already love Letterboxd's model and want the same experience for television. Best paired with Letterboxd for fans who treat both mediums as art forms.

Trakt is the best movie tracking app for power users who want automatic watch-history syncing across media servers (Plex, Infuse, Kodi) and streaming integrations. The pitch: never manually log a film or episode again — Trakt detects what you watch and logs it automatically. Compared with TV Time's manual logging, Trakt automates the tracking part. Compared with Letterboxd, Trakt is data-first rather than community-first. Real use case: a Plex user with a large personal media library who wants every episode and film logged automatically as they watch, with detailed statistics about viewing patterns. The 4.09 from 1,146 ratings is the lowest on this list — reviews mention the iOS app lags behind the web experience in polish. Tradeoff: the iOS app is functional but reviewers consistently mention the web app is the primary experience. VIP subscription required for advanced features. Best for users who already invest in self-hosted media (Plex, Infuse, Kodi) and want automatic tracking that other apps can't provide.

Movie Tracker is the best free watchlist-focused movie app for users who want a simple, clean tool to track films they want to watch and films they've completed. The pitch: search films, add to watchlist or watched list, view your collection. Compared with Queue, Movie Tracker has a smaller user base but cleaner search results. Compared with IMDb, Movie Tracker is focused on tracking rather than database depth. Real use case: a casual user who wants to keep track of recommendations from friends and follow through on watching them, without the social overhead of Letterboxd. The 4.62 from 385 ratings reflects newer-app status — small user base but consistent positive reviews. Free tier covers all core features. Tradeoff: smaller user base means slower update cadence and less polished search compared with the bigger players. Best as an alternative to Queue for users who want a free watchlist tracker and prefer one app's interface to another.

Watcht for Trakt is the best Trakt client for users who want a more iOS-native experience than Trakt's official app. The pitch: connect to your Trakt account and get a polished iOS interface for browsing, logging, and tracking. Compared with Trakt's official app (4.09 rating), Watcht offers a cleaner native experience. Compared with using Trakt's web interface, Watcht is mobile-optimized. Real use case: a Trakt user who is frustrated with the official app's iOS polish and wants a better client to access their existing Trakt data. The 4.21 from 221 ratings is the smallest user base on this list — niche third-party-client status. Free tier covers core features. Tradeoff: it requires an existing Trakt account, so it's not a standalone tracker — you need Trakt's back-end working first. Best for committed Trakt users who want better iOS polish than the official app provides. Users new to movie tracking should pick IMDb or Letterboxd instead of going through the Trakt setup overhead.