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Should I use MyAnimeList.net?

The world's most active online anime and manga community and database. - myanimelist.net

Worth it. If you watch anime, use it — the core tracker, database, reviews, and community are free and the largest of their kind. Skip it if you need polished UX, responsive support, or a clean security record; AniList and Kitsu are solid substitutes.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~40 public sources; several snippets truncated, so quotes and details are partial.

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
MAL Supporter$2.99/mo

Best for

  • Anime fans tracking watch history
  • Researching what to watch next
  • Community and forum users
  • Manga readers logging chapters

Not for

  • Businesses shopping for team or B2B software — this is consumer-only
  • Privacy-sensitive users uneasy after the 2023 breach
  • Anyone wanting ad-free without paying supporter
  • Users needing polished modern UX — AniList fits better

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

User reported quadruple billing charge with slow support response.

high

May 2023 breach caused multi-day outage; rotate your password.

medium

Ownership churn: sold to Gaudiy (Web3/AI focus); roadmap may change.

low

No one-time payment option; users openly dislike the subscription.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • World's most active anime and manga community and database
  • Core tracking, lists, and reviews cost nothing
  • Official Android app available on Google Play
  • Deep per-title review corpus for research
  • Public API exists for personal projects

Cons

  • May 2023 data breach forced emergency downtime
  • Support responsiveness complaints, including billing errors
  • Review system criticized; troll reviews persist
  • New Web3/AI owner may shift product direction

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/29/2026 - 8 sources - May 2023 breach triggered emergency maintenance; HackerOne response policy exists; no fresh findings in sources reviewed.

official x2review x3security x2news x1
  • May 2023 data breach, Emergency maintenance May 10-12, 2023 after malicious activity; forum threads discuss leaked data.
  • Historical vulnerability reports, OpenBugBounty XSS report marked patched; HackerOne page lists the program.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Core product free; supporter plan $2.99/mo.
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Guess: functional but dated interface; fans manage fine.
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Database, reviews, forums, news, apps, API.
  • Support quality: 2/5. Billing complaints; 'Anybody home?' support thread.
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2023 breach; bug bounty program exists.
  • $2.99/mo Supporter price Annual plan also offered
  • Yes Free tier Tracking, reviews, forums free
  • Gaudiy Inc. Ownership Wholly acquired after Media Do era

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Track anime and manga lists
  • Reviews, forums, news

MAL Supporter

$2.99/mo

  • Supporter perks
  • Annual plan available

Security

May 2023 breach triggered emergency maintenance; HackerOne response policy exists; no fresh findings in sources reviewed.

  • May 2023 data breachEmergency maintenance May 10-12, 2023 after malicious activity; forum threads discuss leaked data.³
  • Historical vulnerability reportsOpenBugBounty XSS report marked patched; HackerOne page lists the program.

What users say

Fans rely on MAL to track and discover anime, but complain about review quality and slow support.

“This anime is not to be missed.”
MAL user review, True Tears
“I have completed every Anime in the MAL ...”
Reddit, r/anime

Alternatives

Compare MyAnimeList.net with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on ~40 public sources; several snippets truncated, so quotes and details are partial.

Free, huge anime tracker and community; great for fans, weak on support and security track record.

Methodology

Based on ~40 public sources; several snippets truncated, so quotes and details are partial.

Sources

  1. MyAnimeList homepagemyanimelist.net
    official
  2. Become a MAL Supportermyanimelist.net
    official
  3. Notice of Emergency Maintenance on May 10, 2023help.myanimelist.net
    security
  4. MyAnimeList HackerOne response policyhackerone.com
    security
  5. Customer Support: Anybody home? - Forumsmyanimelist.net
    review
  6. Trustpilot reviews of myanimelist.nettrustpilot.com
    review
  7. MyAnimeList Wholly Acquired by Gaudiy Inc.reddit.com
    news
  8. Other Anime List Sites - Forumsmyanimelist.net
    review

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