Polygon’s “When will Toy Story 5 be available on streaming?” piece this week is a one-question article that gets searched five-figures-a-day at major release dates. Eight tools below answer the broader version of the question: where did everything on your watchlist go, when, and on which service. The desktop angle matters because a real watchlist lives on a browser tab, not a phone notification.
We tested 8 of the best streaming release tracker apps for desktop in 2026. The brief: which ones cover the major US, UK, and EU services accurately, which ones survive a service catalogue swap (Hulu folding into Disney Plus, Max into HBO Max again), and which ones export the list so it survives the next tool change.
What to look for in a release tracker
Six criteria sort the daily-driver tools from the dead links:
- Service coverage. The list should include the services available in your country.
- Region accuracy. A US-only catalogue is useless in São Paulo.
- Watchlist sync. Browser, mobile, and Smart TV should see the same list.
- Notifications. Date alerts matter, in-app or via email.
- Export. The list should survive the next migration.
- Free vs paid. Most casual use fits in the free tier, deep features cost.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price/mo | Region coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trakt | Cross-device watchlist | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $4.99 | Global |
| JustWatch | Where to watch | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Free | 60+ countries |
| Simkl | Anime + TV + movies | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $2.49 | Global |
| Reelgood | US/UK service finder | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $3.99 | US, UK |
| TV Time | Social tracking | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux (PWA) | Yes | $5/mo | Global |
| Letterboxd | Film-first journalling | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | $19/year | Global |
| Sonarr | Self-hosted TV automation | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Free | Global |
| Radarr | Self-hosted film automation | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | Free | Global |
The apps
1. Trakt, Best for cross-device watchlist
Trakt is the watchlist that talks to every other tool. Browser extension for desktop, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and integrations with Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, Kodi, and Infuse. Mark a show watched in Plex and Trakt knows about it. Add a film to Letterboxd and the Trakt importer can sync it. The free tier covers most use, Trakt VIP adds a few advanced lists and statistics.
Where it falls short: the native desktop experience is the website. The community has built dozens of third-party clients, none of them official.
Pricing: Free. Trakt VIP $4.99/mo, $29.99/year unlocks advanced statistics, more lists, and removes ads.
Platforms: Web, Trakt.tv companion in major media players, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari.
Download: Trakt
Bottom line: The first install for any serious watchlist user.
2. JustWatch, Best for “where do I watch this?”
JustWatch is the search engine for which streaming service carries a given title. Type a film name, see every service in your country that streams it, and what it costs (subscription, rent, buy). The 2025 redesign added a “Sports” tab and the JustWatch Atlas data feed that powers many third-party catalogue tools.
Where it falls short: the watchlist is light. JustWatch is great for “where is this?” and only adequate for “what did I want to watch?”
Pricing: Free. Ad-supported in some regions.
Platforms: Web, browser extensions, Windows, macOS, Linux via browser. Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Download: JustWatch
Bottom line: The fastest way to find which service streams Toy Story 5 once it lands.
3. Simkl, Best for anime, TV, and movies in one list
Simkl is the closest competitor to Trakt and the only one that treats anime as a first-class category instead of an afterthought. The catalogue covers Crunchyroll, HiDive, Netflix’s anime catalogue, and the long tail. The desktop UI is more polished than Trakt’s, the mobile apps are equivalent, and the import-from-Trakt path is one click.
Where it falls short: smaller community than Trakt. Some advanced integrations (Plex Discover, Infuse) prefer Trakt.
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium $2.49/mo, $19.99/year removes ads and unlocks calendar export.
Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux via browser. Mobile apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV.
Download: Simkl
Bottom line: The default for anyone tracking anime alongside Western shows.
4. Reelgood, Best for US and UK service finding
Reelgood is the JustWatch competitor focused on the US and UK markets, with a “Available on My Services” filter that only shows results from services you actually subscribe to. The UI for tracking a watchlist is closer to a streaming-service home screen than a database, which most casual users prefer.
Where it falls short: coverage outside the US and UK is thinner. International users get a worse experience than JustWatch users.
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium $3.99/mo, $39.99/year removes ads and unlocks the watch-history graph.
Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux via browser. Mobile apps.
Download: Reelgood
Bottom line: The right pick for US and UK viewers who want a single watchlist filtered to current subscriptions.
5. TV Time, Best for social-style tracking
TV Time is the TV-show tracker that built a social layer on top of the watchlist. Episode reactions, character popularity, and a community feed run alongside the standard mark-as-watched flow. The desktop experience is via the PWA, which works on Windows, macOS, and Linux from any browser.
Where it falls short: TV-show centric. Films are tracked but the social layer is built around episodes.
Pricing: Free with ads. Premium $5/mo, $32.99/year removes ads and adds offline calendar.
Platforms: Web (PWA installable on Windows, macOS, Linux). Mobile apps for iOS and Android.
Download: TV Time
Bottom line: For viewers who want comments and reactions on every episode.
6. Letterboxd, Best for film-first journalling
Letterboxd is the film-only Goodreads, with a stronger writer community than any other tool on this list. The watchlist works the same way as Trakt’s films section, the difference is the social and journaling layer around the films you have logged. The TV Shows beta arrived in 2025, still tagged as beta in mid-2026.
Where it falls short: TV is still beta. Treat it as a films tool with TV bolted on.
Pricing: Free with limits. Pro $19/year, Patron $49/year remove ads and unlock advanced stats.
Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux via browser. Mobile apps.
Download: Letterboxd
Bottom line: The film community to join if you write more than you scroll.
7. Sonarr, Best for self-hosted TV automation
Sonarr is the self-hosted PVR for TV shows, the “tracker that also downloads.” Add a show, Sonarr watches for new episodes across configured indexers, and queues each new file to a download client. Paired with Plex or Jellyfin it becomes a personal Netflix that never drops a show from the catalogue.
Where it falls short: the legal grey is real. Sonarr’s downloaders default to indexers that prefer not to be named, which the project itself flags as a user responsibility.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker.
Download: Sonarr
Bottom line: The right tool for homelabs that prefer ownership to subscription.
8. Radarr, Best for self-hosted film automation
Radarr is Sonarr’s film counterpart and shares the same UI conventions. Add a film, Radarr watches for the requested quality across indexers, and queues each file to a download client. Both tools sit inside a typical homelab stack alongside Prowlarr (indexer manager), Bazarr (subtitle automation), and Overseerr (request UI).
Where it falls short: same legal-grey notes as Sonarr.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker.
Download: Radarr
Bottom line: The film half of the Sonarr stack. Install both if you install one.
How to pick the right one
If you want a cross-device watchlist that talks to other tools: Trakt.
If you just need to know which service has a film: JustWatch.
If anime is on the list: Simkl.
If you live in the US or UK and want a single subscription-filtered watchlist: Reelgood.
If you write or want to write about films: Letterboxd.
If you run a homelab: Sonarr and Radarr.
Stay on your streaming service’s built-in watchlist if you only use one service. The whole category exists because most viewers use three.
FAQ
When will Toy Story 5 be available on streaming? Disney has not announced a streaming date for Toy Story 5 as of mid-2026. Past Pixar theatrical releases have streamed on Disney Plus roughly three months after theatrical release. JustWatch and Reelgood will surface the date the moment Disney confirms it.
What is the best free streaming tracker? Trakt for cross-device tracking, JustWatch for “where do I watch this?”, Simkl for anime. All three free tiers cover most casual use.
Can I sync Trakt and Letterboxd? Yes, in one direction at a time. Letterboxd-to-Trakt sync exists via third-party tools (TraktBoxd) and the Letterboxd API. Trakt-to-Letterboxd is more manual, the Letterboxd CSV importer accepts a Trakt export.
Is Sonarr legal? Sonarr itself is legal open-source software. The indexers and downloads it points at are the user’s responsibility. Indexer choices range from fully legal usenet providers to private trackers that operate in clearly grey territory.
Does Apple TV+ show up in these trackers? Yes in all of them. JustWatch and Reelgood treat Apple TV+ as a first-class service. Trakt and Simkl track Apple TV+ shows for watchlist purposes. The desktop apps for Apple TV+ remain web-only on Windows and Linux.
