In short: Key takeaways
- Letterboxd and IMDb are built primarily as solo logging databases with a single star or 10-point score.
- moviemates.social is built in Melbourne specifically for mates who go to the cinema and watch films together.
- Instead of a single star rating, Movie Mates lets you score 10 distinct crafts (like storyline, cinematography, costumes, and soundtrack) plus a cringe factor for an overall score out of 100.
- You can bring your entire watch history over in two minutes using the built-in Letterboxd and IMDb import tool.
| Feature | moviemates.social | Letterboxd | IMDb | Serializd / Trakt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Mates, squads, and cinema nights | Solo film diary and global reviews | Industry database and cast lookup | TV and trakt syncing |
| Rating system | 10 film crafts + cringe factor (score out of 100) | Half-stars out of 5 | Single score out of 10 | Stars out of 5 or 10 |
| Group voting (Group Decisions) | Built in for film, cinema, and session | No native group voting | No | No |
| Digital cinema ticket wallet | Scan barcode and save keepsake stubs | No | No | No |
| Australian cheap Tuesday deals | Live tracker for Hoyts, Event, Village, Dendy, Palace | No | No | No |
| Cost and ads | Free, no subscription, no ads | Free with ads; paid Pro/Patron tiers | Free with ads | Free with paid tiers |
Why one star rating never tells the whole story
Everyone has walked out of the cinema after a film where the script was a mess, yet the cinematography and soundtrack were unforgettable. When an app only gives you five stars, you end up shrugging and giving it three stars, which tells your mates almost nothing about why it is still worth seeing on a big screen.
On moviemates.social, you rate the crafts other apps ignore. You can score storyline, performances, cinematography, set design, costumes, prosthetics and hair and make-up, special effects, soundtrack, enjoyment, LOL factor, and action, plus a separate cringe factor. Your scores combine into a clear rating out of 100, and when your squad rates the same film, you get an S.R.A (Squad Rating Average) so you can see where your mates agreed and where the debate starts.
Solving the Friday night 'what are we watching?' argument
A solo watchlist does not help much when four people are sitting on the couch with different streaming subscriptions and different moods. Most movie apps stop at letting you save a poster to a list.
Movie Mates treats watching films as a group sport. You can spin up a Group Decision where everyone votes on which film, which cinema, and which session suits the crew. If it is just two of you on the couch, the shared taste engine compares what you have both frothed over in the past and surfaces unseen films that match both profiles, tagged with the Australian streaming services you already pay for.
Built for Australian cinema-goers
Most film apps are built in the US and treat cinema trips as an afterthought. Because moviemates.social is made in Melbourne, it knows how Australians actually go to the pictures. The Cinema Deals screen tracks cheap ticket days across Hoyts, Event Cinemas, Village, Dendy, and Palace Cinemas, while the Ticket Wallet lets you scan your booking barcode for the gate and keep a permanent digital stub after the credits roll.
You do not have to start from scratch
Switching or adding a second film app should never mean re-entering hundreds of movies by hand. You can export your zip file from Letterboxd or your CSV list from IMDb and drop it straight into Movie Mates. Your watched films, dates, and star ratings come across cleanly in under two minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Letterboxd for friend groups?
moviemates.social is built specifically for friend groups (your Squad) rather than solo logging. It combines 10-craft film ratings out of 100 with Group Decisions voting, co-curated shared watchlists, side-by-side taste comparisons, and a digital ticket wallet.
Can I import my Letterboxd history into moviemates.social?
Yes. Export your account data zip from Letterboxd (or your ratings CSV from IMDb) and upload it in Settings on moviemates.social. All of your watched films, rating dates, and scores import automatically.
Is moviemates.social free to use?
Yes. moviemates.social is free to use on any device through your web browser or the Android beta app, with no subscription tiers and no advertising.
How does craft-by-craft rating work on Movie Mates?
Instead of picking a single star rating, you can score up to 10 film crafts including storyline, performances, cinematography, costume design, set design, special effects, and soundtrack, plus a cringe factor. The app calculates your overall score out of 100 and turns your verdict into a one-tap share card.
Bringing the Social Magic back to movies.
Rate films across 10 crafts, settle tonight's pick with Group Decisions, keep every cinema stub in your wallet, and spot cheap Tuesday deals across Australia.