# 3 Best Open Source Alternatives for TV Time

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/tv-time
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for TV Time? Compare 3 verified free and open source alternatives to TV Time (SeriesGuide, Showly, Tonkatsu Box) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## TV Time Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: TV Time
- **Category**: [analytics](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $35/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $420/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $2,100/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $4,200/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for TV Time or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 3 battle-tested open-source alternatives like SeriesGuide.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [SeriesGuide](https://caniforkit.com/fork/seriesguide) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 2.2k | [Compare vs TV Time](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-seriesguide) |
| [Showly](https://caniforkit.com/fork/showly) | Open Source | Open Source | Local | ★ 1.5k | [Compare vs TV Time](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-showly) |
| [Tonkatsu Box](https://caniforkit.com/fork/tonkatsu-box) | Open Source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 602 | [Compare vs TV Time](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-tonkatsu-box) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### SeriesGuide
- **Fork Page**: [SeriesGuide Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/seriesguide)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [TV Time vs SeriesGuide](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-seriesguide)
- **Official Website**: https://www.seriesgui.de/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/UweTrottmann/SeriesGuide/
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Local
- **GitHub Stars**: 2.2k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install
- **Summary**: Android app for tracking TV shows and movies you're watching, have watched, or plan to watch, powered by TMDb data.
- **The Catch vs TV Time**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/UweTrottmann/SeriesGuide/ or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine.

### Showly
- **Fork Page**: [Showly Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/showly)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [TV Time vs Showly](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-showly)
- **Official Website**: https://www.showlyapp.com/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/trakt/showly
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Local
- **GitHub Stars**: 1.5k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: desktop, cross-platform, one-click install
- **Summary**: Android and iOS app for tracking TV shows and movies, managing watchlists, and syncing viewing history with Trakt.tv across devices.
- **The Catch vs TV Time**: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/trakt/showly or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- **Data Storage**: All application data lives locally on your own machine.

### Tonkatsu Box
- **Fork Page**: [Tonkatsu Box Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/tonkatsu-box)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [TV Time vs Tonkatsu Box](https://caniforkit.com/vs/tv-time-vs-tonkatsu-box)
- **Official Website**: https://hacan359.github.io/tonkatsu_box/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/hacan359/tonkatsu_box
- **License**: Open Source
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 602
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Summary**: Cross-platform collection manager for retro games, movies, TV shows, anime, manga, visual novels, and books with tier lists, visual boards, and import/export.
- **The Catch vs TV Time**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed TV Time.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/hacan359/tonkatsu_box or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to TV Time?
The top free alternative to TV Time is SeriesGuide (open source, Open Source). Android app for tracking TV shows and movies you're watching, have watched, or plan to watch, powered by TMDb data. Other popular TV Time replacements include Showly, Tonkatsu Box.

### How much does switching from TV Time to a free alternative save?
TV Time starts at $35/month per seat ($420/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like SeriesGuide saves $2,100 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from TV Time?
While SeriesGuide replaces core TV Time features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

## Related

- [analytics Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/analytics)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)