Comparisons
Moviebase vs Showly (2026)
Updated Sep 19, 2026
Last checked 2026-09-19. This page is single-sourced from Moviebase's own comparison page — Showly's own site/store listing was not independently re-checked this pass, a gap disclosed rather than smoothed over.
Moviebase's own framing: "Two ways to organize your next watch." Both apps track, discover, and connect to Trakt — the difference is the everyday arrangement of progress, collections, and title details, not the feature list.
What they have in common
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Both track movies and TV shows and support discovery.
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Both run on Android and iPhone.
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Both connect to Trakt sync.
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Both surface where to watch.
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Both support custom lists.
Where they differ
Layout philosophy
Moviebase keeps a dedicated movie watchlist separate from show-progress screens. Showly organizes everything through collection tabs — shows, movies, watchlist, hidden titles, and lists in one structure, plus progress filters that separate recently watched, upcoming, and on-hold titles.
Source code and publisher
Showly is open source on Android, and per Moviebase's page its "current store publisher is Trakt" — a notable ownership detail, since it means Showly's distribution now runs through the company behind the sync service both apps use. Moviebase is proprietary.
Bringing in history
Moviebase's page frames imports as "selected imports"; Showly's own import path is listed as "verify format" — Moviebase's own comparison page doesn't assert a guaranteed transfer either way.
Paid tiers
Moviebase gates viewing statistics and ad removal behind Moviebase Premium. Showly has its own Showly Premium, and Moviebase's page notes Trakt service entitlements are "separate things to check" from Showly's own premium tier — two different subscriptions to track, not one.
Everyday screens
Per Moviebase's own screen-by-screen comparison: Moviebase's next-episode screen is a show list with progress; Showly's is progress filters across watch states. On watchlists, Moviebase uses one dedicated movie watchlist; Showly uses collection tabs covering movies, shows, watchlist, and hidden titles together.
Which one, if you have to pick
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Pick Moviebase if you want a separate, dedicated movie watchlist distinct from your show-progress view, and you're fine with one subscription (Moviebase Premium) covering the paid extras.
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Pick Showly if you want an open-source Android app built around collection tabs and progress filters, and you're comfortable tracking Trakt and Showly Premium as two separate entitlements.
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Neither settles a shared decision. Progress filters and collection tabs are single-account tools. CouchReel's comparison pages cover the household side directly, if that's the gap you're trying to close.