One thing to know first
Three of the five apps here are published by Trakt, Inc.
The official Trakt app, Rippple and Watcht all appear on the App Store under the Trakt, Inc. developer account. Rippple in particular became an official Trakt app and now ships aligned with Trakt VIP. That reshapes the field: choosing between those three is choosing between three front ends for the same service, made by the same company.
Showtime and wako are the two independent options in this list.
The table
| Showtime | Trakt | Rippple | Watcht | wako | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | SAN JUNIPERO | Trakt, Inc. | Trakt, Inc. | Trakt, Inc. | Independent |
| Minimum iOS | 26.2 | 18.6 | 26.0 | 12.0 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Price | free, with ads | free | free | free | free |
| Paid tier | $1.00 / 1 € per month or $10.00 / 10 € per year | Trakt VIP | Trakt VIP | donations | wako Premium |
| Works without an account | yes, local library | no | no | browsing only | yes, own account |
| Works without Trakt | yes | no | no | no | yes |
| Scrobble or check-in | no | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Trakt social features | read comments, add reactions | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Where to stream | no | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Home Screen widgets | yes, paid | yes | yes | no | no |
| Accessibility declared on the App Store | VoiceOver Voice Control Larger Text Dark Interface Differentiate Without Color Alone Sufficient Contrast |
not declared | not declared | not declared | not declared |
| App size | 21.5 MB | 92.6 MB | 148 MB | 39 MB | 108.9 MB |
Feature rows reflect the apps and their App Store listings as checked on 18 September 2026. Apps change; if you spot something out of date, tell me and I will correct it.
Which one to install
Written the way I would answer it in a forum thread.
- You want everything Trakt can do. Install the official Trakt app, or Rippple if you also use an iPad or a Mac. They are made by the company that runs the service.
- Your iPhone is a few years old. Watcht, which still supports iOS 12, or the official app at 18.6.
- You want automatic tracking while you watch. Anything except Showtime.
- You also watch anime, or want a built-in player. wako.
- You want to open an app, see what to watch next, tick it, and close it. That is what Showtime is for, and it is the only thing it is for.
If you arrived here after TV Time closed, the TV Time alternatives page covers that situation specifically.
