Simkl
Simkl is a bootstrapped watch-tracking platform that automatically records TV, anime, and movie viewing across streaming services and media servers, serving individual consumers through a freemium subscription model with PRO and VIP tiers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Simkl does
Simkl is a privately held, bootstrapped watch-tracking platform founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York with development operations in Ukraine. The company serves individual consumers who watch TV series, anime, and movies across multiple streaming services and media servers, providing a unified tracking layer that automatically records viewing activity, delivers episode and movie release notifications, and surfaces where-to-watch information globally. Its core product is a web platform at simkl.com with companion iOS, Android, PWA, and Chrome extension clients, plus a Discord bot and a public API (api.simkl.com) that powers a third-party app ecosystem including Wako, Epoch, Sofa Time, Cinematique, and several countdown apps for anime, movies, TV shows, and drama releases.
Under the hood, Simkl ingests content metadata across more than 1.15 million movies, 139,000 TV shows, and 14,700 anime titles, and integrates with Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Stremio, Kodi, Netflix, Crunchyroll, and over 21 import sources including MyAnimeList, Letterboxd, trakt, TV Time, AniList, and IMDB. The platform supports two-way sync with MyAnimeList, automatic scrobbling from media players, iCal calendar export, and AI-powered personalized recommendations based on the user's full watch history. Streaming availability is surfaced through an integration with JustWatch.
Simkl monetizes via a freemium subscription model. The free tier covers basic tracking, 15 default watchlists, and community features. Premium access is sold as PRO ($2.91/month or $34.99/year) and VIP ($5.83/month or $34.99 every six months), with additional SKUs including a Lifetime VIP at $249, an education discount at $2.99/month for verified students and teachers, and a $1/month Supporter add-on. The company has no disclosed external funding and operates with a 1-10 person team, relying on a community-led growth model built around Discord, social media, public feature voting, and a referral program that grants free VIP for inviting friends.
Simkl firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simkl
- Legal name
- Simkl
- Website
- https://simkl.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Simkl is a bootstrapped watch-tracking platform that automatically records TV, anime, and movie viewing across streaming services and media servers, serving individual consumers through a freemium subscription model with PRO and VIP tiers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Simkl industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Tracking Software
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Customer Support, CRM & Retention Tooling (Helpdesk, Churn, Messaging) (MPAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Device & App Lifecycle Management (Build, QA, Release, A/B Testing) (MPAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where Simkl is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Simkl business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Freemium Subscription Model: Core watch tracking is free with basic features. PRO ($2.91/mo annual or $34.99/year) and VIP ($5.83/bi-annual or $34.99/6 months) tiers unlock premium features like ad-free experience, personalized recommendations, custom lists, rewatch tracking, and backup features.
- Lifetime VIP: One-time payment of $249 for lifetime VIP access, providing all VIP perks forever with undying gratitude from the SIMKL team
- Student/Teacher Discount: Educational discount at $2.99/month for verified students and teachers with valid .edu email addresses, lasting up to 2 years
- Supporter Add-on: $1/month supporter add-on that can be stacked with PRO or VIP, providing exclusive badges, Discord roles, and faster path to free PRO upgrades
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Tier - Basic watch tracking |
| Subscription | Annual | PRO - Premium watch tracking experience |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | VIP - Full premium experience |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Lifetime VIP - One-time payment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Student/Teacher Discount |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supporter Add-on |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Simkl product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simkl is a unified watch-tracking platform that automatically logs what individual users watch across TV shows, anime, and movies, then provides episode notifications, AI-driven personalized recommendations, and where-to-watch streaming availability. The core offering is delivered through a freemium web/mobile application with a PRO/VIP/Lifetime VIP/Student/Supporter subscription model, supported by a developer API and integrations with 21+ external services and media servers (Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Stremio, Netflix, Crunchyroll, MyAnimeList, Letterboxd, trakt, etc.).
Product overview
Simkl is a unified watch tracking platform that combines TV shows, anime, and movies into a single service. The core platform (simkl.com) provides automatic tracking, episode notifications, and personalized AI recommendations. The ecosystem includes the Simkl Lists mobile app, Simkl Discord Bot for community interaction, Chrome browser extension for in-browser tracking, and the Simkl API for developer integrations. Third-party apps like Wako, Epoch, Sofa Time, and various countdown timers (Anime, Movies, TV Shows, Drama) extend the platform. Premium access is available through PRO ($2.91/mo) and VIP ($5.83/mo) tiers offering features like AI recommendations, rewatch tracking, Year in Review, custom lists, auto backup to Google Drive, iCal sync, and Watchlists V2 beta. The platform integrates with major media servers (Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi), streaming services (Netflix, Crunchyroll), and supports importing from 21+ services including MyAnimeList, Letterboxd, trakt, and IMDB.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Simkl Core Platform Universal watch tracking platform that automatically tracks TV shows, anime, and movies users watch, provides episode notifications, personalized AI recommendations, and streaming platform discovery across all devices. Sold as a freemium service.
- Simkl Discord Bot Standalone Discord bot product that lets users search TV shows, anime, and movies; share profiles and viewing stats; receive airing notifications; and auto-reply to media links inside Discord servers and DMs.
- Simkl Chrome Extension Browser extension that displays trailers and ratings on Netflix pages, enables sync with Netflix and Crunchyroll, and lets users track titles directly from supported sites.
- Simkl API Public REST/JSON developer API that lets external developers add to watch history, access show/movie metadata, import watch data, and build third-party applications that integrate with the Simkl platform.
- Simkl Lists mobile apps (iOS/Android) Native iOS and Android apps for tracking favorite TV shows, anime, and movies on the go, with full sync to the Simkl web platform.
- Simkl Lists (PWA) Progressive Web App version of Simkl Lists that can be installed to a device's home screen for an app-like experience on any device.
- Streaming Links (JustWatch Integration) Standalone product surface inside Simkl that uses JustWatch data to surface where any movie or TV show is streaming worldwide, including user subscription and budget tracking.
- AI Personalized Recommendations Standalone AI-powered recommendation product that analyzes a user's complete TV/anime/movie watch history to generate personalized suggestions; sold as part of PRO and VIP plans.
- PRO Plan subscription Paid PRO subscription at $2.91/mo (annual) unlocking AI Recommendations, Rewatch Tracking, Watchlists V2 Beta, custom lists, PRO badge, ad-free experience, and private profile.
- VIP Plan subscription Paid VIP subscription at $5.83/mo (twice-yearly billing) including all PRO perks plus VIP-only Discord channel, Year/Month-in-Review, larger custom lists, iCal sync, auto backup to Google Drive/Email, RSS/JSON/CSV export, and two-way MAL sync.
- Lifetime VIP One-time $249 payment granting lifetime access to all VIP perks.
- Student & Teacher Plan Discounted VIP-equivalent subscription at $2.99/month for verified students and teachers with valid .edu email addresses, valid for up to two years.
- Supporter Plan $1/month add-on subscription (stackable with PRO or VIP) granting Supporter badge, special Discord role, and accelerated path to free PRO upgrades.
- Simkl Auto Backup Automated JSON backup product that exports a user's full watch history to Google Drive or email on a recurring schedule; part of the VIP plan.
- Anime Countdown (third-party app) Third-party companion app providing countdown timers for new anime episodes on Android and Web.
- Movies Countdown (third-party app) Third-party companion app for tracking theater premieres and DVD release countdowns on Android and Web.
- TV Shows Countdown (third-party app) Third-party companion app providing TV-series episode and premiere countdown timers on Android and Web.
- Drama Countdown (third-party app) Third-party companion app providing Asian-drama release countdowns on Android and Web.
- Wako (third-party app) Third-party Android/iOS/iPad app for TV, anime, and movie information and tracking with add-ons, integrated with the Simkl platform.
- Epoch (third-party app) Third-party iOS/iPad app for managing, discovering, and tracking favorite TV shows and movies via the Simkl platform.
- Sofa Time (third-party app) Third-party iOS/iPad app for TV-show and movie tracking via the Simkl platform.
- Cinematique (third-party app) Third-party Android app for movie and TV tracking with Trakt, Simkl, and TMDB sync and a privacy-focused design.
- Cinopsys (third-party app) Third-party Android app providing full Simkl sync with TMDB metadata, no ads, and 100% free.
Quantifiable outcome
- Users can track across 1,156,371 Movies, 139,126 TV Shows, and 14,745 Anime titles
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Simkl
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Simkl technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration43 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Simkl partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- JustWatchcoreJustWatch powers Simkl's global streaming links feature, showing users where to watch movies and TV shows across all streaming platforms worldwide. This integration helps users discover availability on their preferred services.
- PlexcorePlex media server integration allows automatic scrobbling of watched content to Simkl, providing seamless tracking for users who manage their media libraries through Plex.
- JellyfincoreJellyfin open-source media server integration enables automatic watch tracking for self-hosted media server users.
- EmbycoreEmby media server integration provides automatic tracking for Emby users, syncing watch history seamlessly.
- MyAnimeList (MAL)coreSimkl offers 2-way sync with MyAnimeList, allowing users to use either platform as interface while keeping both in sync. Also supports MAL XML imports.
- DiscordcoreSimkl has an official Discord bot with slash commands for searching, airing info, profile sharing, and auto-replies to media links. Also has VIP-only Discord channel.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Simkl competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Letterboxd: Letterboxd is the leading social movie tracking and review platform. Simkl imports Letterboxd history and both serve movie enthusiasts, though Letterboxd focuses only on movies while Simkl spans TV/anime/movies.
- Trakt: Trakt is the most direct competitor to Simkl, offering watch tracking for movies and TV shows with a premium subscription tier. User testimonials on Simkl's site explicitly position Simkl as an alternative to Trakt, citing better developer responsiveness and cleaner UX.
- TV Time: TV Time is a popular mobile-first TV show tracking app with social features. Simkl supports importing watch history from TV Time, confirming overlap in use case and target audience of TV show enthusiasts.
- AniList: AniList is a modern anime and manga tracking platform popular with power users. Simkl imports from AniList, and both serve anime enthusiasts with tracking and discovery features.
- Kitsu: Kitsu is an open-source anime tracking platform. Simkl imports from Kitsu, indicating direct overlap in anime tracking use cases and shared community of anime fans.
- BetaSeries: BetaSeries is a European-focused TV and movie tracking platform with social features. Simkl supports import from BetaSeries, indicating direct user overlap and feature parity in the tracking category.
- MyAnimeList: MyAnimeList is the dominant anime and manga tracking platform. Simkl offers 2-way sync with MAL, indicating deep product overlap in anime tracking and shared target audience of anime fans.
Others
- JustWatch: JustWatch is a streaming availability search engine and Simkl's partner powering streaming links globally. While not a direct competitor, JustWatch serves overlapping entertainment discovery needs and provides core infrastructure to Simkl's product.
Broad incumbents
- IMDb: IMDb is the dominant general movie and TV database with watchlist and rating features. Simkl imports IMDb data and both serve as discovery and tracking references for entertainment consumers, though IMDb's scope is far broader.
Emerging players
- Stremio: Stremio is a media center app with add-on ecosystem for streaming content. Simkl integrates with Stremio for automatic tracking and imports from it, indicating overlapping audience of media-server power users.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Simkl social profiles
Digital presenceSimkl financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simkl leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Simkl funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simkl M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Simkl
What does Simkl do?
Simkl is a unified watch-tracking platform that automatically logs what individual users watch across TV shows, anime, and movies, then provides episode notifications, AI-driven personalized recommendations, and where-to-watch streaming availability. The core offering is delivered through a freemium web/mobile application with a PRO/VIP/Lifetime VIP/Student/Supporter subscription model, supported by a developer API and integrations with 21+ external services and media servers (Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Stremio, Netflix, Crunchyroll, MyAnimeList, Letterboxd, trakt, etc.).
Is Simkl a public or private company?
Simkl is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Simkl founded?
Simkl was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Simkl based?
Simkl is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Simkl make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Freemium Subscription Model is the primary driver. The others are lifetime VIP, student/Teacher Discount and supporter Add-on.
Who are Simkl's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Letterboxd, Trakt, TV Time, AniList, Kitsu, BetaSeries and MyAnimeList. JustWatch is listed as an others. IMDb is listed as a broad incumbent. Stremio is listed as an emerging player.
Does Simkl have an API?
Yes. Simkl API enables developers to build apps that extend Simkl's functionality. The API allows adding to watch history, accessing show/movie data, and importing watch data. The API powers multiple third-party apps already available in the Simkl ecosystem. Developer documentation is at api.simkl.com.
What industry is Simkl in?
Simkl's product category is Entertainment Tracking Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAJAM, Customer Support, CRM & Retention Tooling (Helpdesk, Churn, Messaging), with a secondary code of MPAHAJAE, Device & App Lifecycle Management (Build, QA, Release, A/B Testing). Its NAICS code is 5162 and its SIC code is 7370.