This year’s “most controversial thriller” finally landed on streaming, and the people who care about new movie and TV releases got a fresh reminder that no platform tells you when a title arrives somewhere new. Netflix won’t alert you when something it lost shows up on Max; Prime Video won’t say a film moved to Disney+. The best apps to track new streaming releases on Android handle that aggregation across services, build a watch list, and ping you when a title becomes available in your country. We tested seven, focused on catalogue coverage, watch-list portability, and how accurate the new-arrival alerts actually are.
What to look for in a streaming tracker app
A few features distinguish the picks worth keeping installed.
Service coverage. Netflix, Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, plus regional add-ons. Anything narrower leaves obvious gaps.
Country awareness. Catalogues vary by country. A tracker that doesn’t ask your region serves bad data.
Watch-list portability. Standard exports (CSV, plain text, links) let you migrate without losing five years of marked titles.
Episode tracking for shows. Movies are simple; shows need season-aware tracking and next-episode reminders.
Honest “where to watch” data. Some apps quietly bias the result toward services that pay for placement.
Alerts that actually fire. Push notifications when a title appears on a service you subscribe to is the headline feature. Apps that send daily digests instead miss the timing.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Service coverage | Free plan | Paid tier | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JustWatch | Catalogue and where-to-watch | 100+ services worldwide | Free, ads | None | Strong global coverage |
| Trakt | Power-user tracking | Via integrations | Free | VIP $2.99/mo | Sync across devices and players |
| TV Time | Active show tracking | TV-show focused | Free, ads | Premium $4.99/mo | Episode reactions, watch progress |
| Reelgood | US-first catalogue | US services | Free, ads | Premium $4.99/mo | Universal watch list |
| IMDb | Everything-else database | Information layer | Free, ads | None | Trailers, cast, ratings |
| SeriesGuide | Open-source TV tracker | TV-show focused | Free | Subscription $1.99/mo | F-Droid build, clean UI |
| Letterboxd | Film community | Film catalogue | Free | Pro $19/yr | Best film social layer |
#1. JustWatch, best overall streaming tracker
JustWatch is the global pick. Set your country once, the app crawls Netflix, Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, and dozens of regional services, then tells you exactly where to stream, rent, or buy any title. The “New” tab surfaces this week’s arrivals across every service you marked as your own. Watch-list alerts arrive as push notifications when a title hits one of your services.
Where it falls short: No social features. Filtering by sub-genre is shallow compared to dedicated catalogues. Some niche regional services lag the main set.
Pricing: Free, ad-supported. No paid tier.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web, smart-TVs.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick JustWatch first. It is the cleanest pick for “where do I watch this and what’s new on the services I pay for”.
#2. Trakt, best for power-user tracking
Trakt is the database the rest of the ecosystem talks to. Plex, Kodi, Infuse, Stremio, Letterboxd, and most third-party players push their watched data into Trakt automatically. The Android app surfaces what you’ve watched, what your friends are watching, and a personalised recommendation feed. The “Calendar” view lists every upcoming episode of every show you track.
Where it falls short: Power-user pitch; the UI assumes you have already adopted Plex or similar. The free tier limits some sync features.
Pricing: Free. VIP around $2.99 USD per month removes limits.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Trakt if your media life already touches Plex or Kodi and you want the canonical sync database.
#3. TV Time, best for active show tracking
TV Time is built around the shows you’re currently watching. Mark an episode, the app advances your progress, sends a reminder when the next one airs, and surfaces emoji reactions other viewers left on the same scene. The recommendation engine prioritises shows that match your active queue, not yesterday’s tastes.
Where it falls short: TV-show heavy; the film side is weaker than Letterboxd or IMDb. Free build has ads. Reaction layer is fun for some, noisy for others.
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium around $4.99 USD per month.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick TV Time if you binge serial TV and want progress tracking that nudges you when a new episode drops.
#4. Reelgood, best US-focused universal queue
Reelgood built its reputation on a unified queue: add any movie or show to a single watch list, the app remembers which service it lives on and launches you straight into that app to play it. Coverage is strongest in the US; international support is uneven.
Where it falls short: US-first; some countries see thinner catalogues. Premium tier unlocks advanced filtering and ad removal.
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium around $4.99 USD per month.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Reelgood if you’re in the US and you want one queue that launches the right service for each title.
#5. IMDb, best for cast, ratings, and trailers
IMDb is not a tracker per se, but the watch-list feature is the canonical place to bookmark “I’ll get to this”. The strength is everything else: ratings, full cast, trivia, parental guidance, trailers, and the “where to watch” row that JustWatch licences and embeds in many places.
Where it falls short: Watch list is feature-limited compared to dedicated trackers. Heavy ads. Personalised recommendations are weaker than younger competitors.
Pricing: Free with ads.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick IMDb for the information layer and keep a real tracker for the watch list.
#6. SeriesGuide, best open-source TV tracker
SeriesGuide is the long-running open-source TV tracker for Android, with a clean Material You UI and active maintenance. Track shows, check off episodes, see upcoming releases on a calendar, sync with Trakt for cross-device continuity. F-Droid carries the audited build.
Where it falls short: TV-only; no film coverage. The basic tier is free; full features are behind a small subscription.
Pricing: Free. Subscription around $1.99 USD per month for advanced features.
Platforms: Android.
Download: F-Droid · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick SeriesGuide if you want an open-source TV tracker with optional Trakt sync.
#7. Letterboxd, best for film conversation
Letterboxd is the film community on the internet, and the Android app is a fully-featured client. Rate films, write reviews, follow critics, see lists curated by other users. The “Pro” tier exposes per-service watch links and a couple of analytics views.
Where it falls short: Films only; no TV tracking. The community angle is the point; if you want a silent tracker, this is the wrong app.
Pricing: Free. Pro around $19 USD per year.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Letterboxd for the film social layer. It is the best way to find titles your friends actually liked.
How to pick the right streaming tracker
- If you want one app to handle the global “where to watch” question: JustWatch.
- If your media life already includes Plex or Kodi: Trakt.
- If you live in TV shows and want episode-level tracking: TV Time or SeriesGuide.
- If you’re in the US and want a unified queue: Reelgood.
- If you want information on cast, trivia, and ratings: IMDb.
- If you want a film community: Letterboxd.
A good setup is JustWatch for catalogue and alerts, plus one focused tracker (TV Time for shows, Letterboxd for films). IMDb stays installed for the information lookup.
FAQ
Why doesn’t Netflix tell me when something new arrives?
Streaming services optimise for the titles you watch on their service; they have no incentive to surface a film when it lands on a competitor. Third-party trackers exist because that gap is permanent.
Can a tracker alert me when something lands on a specific service?
Yes. JustWatch and Reelgood both support per-title alerts when a film or show becomes available on a service you marked. Set your country and your subscriptions first.
Will these apps work in my country?
JustWatch and Trakt have the strongest global coverage. Reelgood is US-first. TV Time is global for TV shows. Letterboxd covers films globally.
Can I export my watch list?
Trakt exports cleanly via API and CSV. Letterboxd supports CSV export. JustWatch lets you back up the list via account. IMDb’s export is limited to its own format.
Is there a privacy-friendly tracker that doesn’t sign me into a cloud?
SeriesGuide can run without a Trakt sync, keeping the data local. The trade-off is no cross-device continuity.
What about apps that suggest what to watch tonight?
The recommendation feature in JustWatch and TV Time is the closest. For more personalised picks, see our best apps for tracking PC game deals angle for a similar discovery-app pattern in adjacent media.
