New check

Comparison

MyAnimeList.net vs AniList

MyAnimeList.net and AniList both land on Worth it.

MyAnimeList.net

myanimelist.net

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

If you watch anime, use it . the core tracker, database, reviews, and community are free and the largest of their kind.

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AniList

Worth it

Confidence: Medium

A free, well-liked anime and manga tracker with a strong community and open API . easy yes for hobbyists.

Read the full report

MyAnimeList.net versus AniList
Compare	MyAnimeList.net	AniList
Verdict	Worth it	Worth it
Best for	Anime fans tracking watch history	Anime watchers tracking episodes
Who it's not for	Businesses shopping for team or B2B software . this is consumer-only	Teams or businesses wanting a work tool . this is a hobby tracker, full stop
Privacy	May 2023 breach triggered emergency maintenance; HackerOne response policy exists; no fresh findings in sources reviewed.^³	No confirmed vulnerabilities found; site publishes a security page and uses OAuth2, with one unconfirmed community hack report.
Support quality	Billing complaints; 'Anybody home?' support thread.	Users cite constant bugs and toxic staff
Public sentiment	Fans rely on MAL to track and discover anime, but complain about review quality and slow support.	Users broadly praise AniList as a better alternative to MyAnimeList, while a vocal minority complains about bugs and staff conduct.¹³
Biggest gotcha	User reported quadruple billing charge with slow support response.^⁸	Non-commercial restriction on the API; commercial use is not covered by the free terms¹⁰

Pick MyAnimeList.net when

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

When MyAnimeList.net is not a fit

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

Pick AniList when

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

When AniList is not a fit

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

Sources

MyAnimeList homepagemyanimelist.net
official
Become a MAL Supportermyanimelist.net
official
Notice of Emergency Maintenance on May 10, 2023help.myanimelist.net
security
MyAnimeList HackerOne response policyhackerone.com
security
Customer Support: Anybody home? - Forumsmyanimelist.net
review
Trustpilot reviews of myanimelist.nettrustpilot.com
review
MyAnimeList Wholly Acquired by Gaudiy Inc.reddit.com
news
Other Anime List Sites - Forumsmyanimelist.net
review
AniList: Track, Discover, Share Anime & Mangaanilist.co
official
AniList Terms of Usedocs.anilist.co
official
AniList API Guide: Free Anime & Manga Datafreeapihub.com
official
AniList vs MyAnimeList in 2026: Which Should You Use?achriom.com
review
I switched from MyAnimeList to AniList . quick reviewthecartdriver.wordpress.com
review
Constant bugs and toxic staff . Reddit r/anilistreddit.com
review
Read Customer Service Reviews of anilist.com . Trustpilottrustpilot.com
review
AniList Product Security Pageanilist.co
security