shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use AniList?

Not disclosed - anilist.co

Worth it. A free, well-liked anime and manga tracker with a strong community and open API — easy yes for hobbyists. It is not business software: teams and commercial users should look elsewhere.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 20+ public sources; consumer hobby product, not business software. Several snippets were truncated, so confidence is medium.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Anime watchers tracking episodes
  • Manga readers managing reading lists
  • Users wanting community reviews and discovery
  • Developers needing a free anime data API

Not for

  • Teams or businesses wanting a work tool — this is a hobby tracker, full stop
  • Commercial API users — terms allow free use only non-commercial
  • Anyone requiring an official mobile app — none exists, third-party clients only
  • People who need responsive support — bug and moderation complaints recur

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Non-commercial restriction on the API; commercial use is not covered by the free terms

medium

Bug reports persist over time and users describe staff as toxic — support is community-forum only

low

No official app means third-party quality varies; some unofficial apps charge, e.g. $20 lifetime

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free tracking, discovery, and sharing of anime and manga
  • Free public GraphQL API with no key required
  • Reviewers who switched from MyAnimeList rate it better
  • Rich third-party app ecosystem built on its data

Cons

  • No official mobile app; users depend on unofficial clients
  • Recurring user complaints about constant bugs
  • Moderation and staff behavior criticized by long-time users
  • API free for non-commercial use only

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 12 sources - No confirmed vulnerabilities found; site publishes a security page and uses OAuth2, with one unconfirmed community hack report.

official x3review x6security x3
  • Unconfirmed 'Anilist Hacked?' report, A forum thread titled 'Anilist Hacked?' appears to have been removed; no confirmation or details in reviewed sources.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Everything is free; API included
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Praised by MAL switchers, though bug reports exist
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Tracking, discovery, reviews, forums, open GraphQL API
  • Support quality: 2/5. Users cite constant bugs and toxic staff
  • Security posture: 3/5. OAuth2 and security page; one unconfirmed hack report
  • Free Price Core tracking features, no paid tier found
  • Yes Free API GraphQL API free for non-commercial use
  • 13 Trustpilot review count anilist.com — very small sample

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Anime and manga tracking
  • Discovery, reviews, forums
  • GraphQL API, non-commercial use

Security

No confirmed vulnerabilities found; site publishes a security page and uses OAuth2, with one unconfirmed community hack report.

  • Unconfirmed 'Anilist Hacked?' reportA forum thread titled 'Anilist Hacked?' appears to have been removed; no confirmation or details in reviewed sources.10

What users say

Users broadly praise AniList as a better alternative to MyAnimeList, while a vocal minority complains about bugs and staff conduct.

“AniList is good. Better”
The Cart Driver blog review
“AniList is excellent”
Reddit, r/anilist
“Constant bugs and toxic staff have caused AniList to no”
Reddit, r/anilist
Full analysis

Based on 20+ public sources; consumer hobby product, not business software. Several snippets were truncated, so confidence is medium.

Free anime/manga tracker, loved by hobbyists, solid API; no official mobile app and not for business use.

Methodology

Based on 20+ public sources; consumer hobby product, not business software. Several snippets were truncated, so confidence is medium.

Sources

  1. AniList: Track, Discover, Share Anime & Mangaanilist.co
    official
  2. AniList Terms of Usedocs.anilist.co
    official
  3. AniList API Guide: Free Anime & Manga Datafreeapihub.com
    official
  4. AniList vs MyAnimeList in 2026: Which Should You Use?achriom.com
    review
  5. I switched from MyAnimeList to AniList — quick reviewthecartdriver.wordpress.com
    review
  6. Constant bugs and toxic staff — Reddit r/anilistreddit.com
    review
  7. Read Customer Service Reviews of anilist.com — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  8. AniList Product Security Pageanilist.co
    security
  9. AniList API Authentication (OAuth2)docs.anilist.co
    security
  10. Forum Thread: Anilist Hacked?anilist.co
    security
  11. Best AniList Alternatives in 2026achriom.com
    review
  12. AniList Alternatives — AlternativeToalternativeto.net
    review

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