justwatch.com

Overview

JustWatch is a streaming guide and search engine that helps users find out where movies and TV shows can be watched legally online. Rather than functioning as a streaming service itself, justwatch.com aggregates availability data from more than 100 video-on-demand and subscription platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Max, Hulu, and Apple TV. Users search for a title and are shown which services carry it, along with pricing, rental or purchase options, and video quality information, before being redirected to the relevant streaming platform to actually watch the content.

The site also lets users build a personal watchlist, browse popular and newly added titles, set up notifications for upcoming releases, and filter content by genre, price, release date, and rating. As of November 2023, the service was reported to be available to users in 139 countries.

History & Background

JustWatch was founded in 2014 and launched publicly in the United States and Germany in February 2015. It was co-founded by David Croyé, Christoph Hoyer, Kevin Hiller, Dominik Raute, Ingke Weimert, and Michael Wilken, a group of entrepreneurs who had previously worked together at Berlin-based tech companies such as kaufDA (a mobile coupon service later sold to media group Axel Springer) and the streaming site MyVideo. David Croyé serves as CEO.

The company was initially funded by its founders and grew steadily, reporting over 10 million users across 38 countries by 2017, and surpassing 30 million users by 2019. In December 2019, JustWatch acquired GoWatchIt, a rival U.S. streaming-aggregation service owned by Plexus Entertainment, which also gave the company its first New York office. By November 2023, JustWatch reported having more than 40 million monthly users across 139 countries.

Products & Services

• A web-based streaming guide for searching movie and TV show availability across providers
• Mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus apps for smart TVs and devices like Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV
• Personalized watchlists synced across devices
• New release alerts and "leaving soon" notifications for tracked titles
• Price-comparison features for rentals and purchases across services
• An API and B2B data offering for industry partners under the JustWatch Media brand

JustWatch is free to use for consumers, and account creation is optional.

Target Audience

JustWatch is designed primarily for "cord cutters" and households with multiple streaming subscriptions who want a single place to find where a specific film or series is available, rather than checking individual apps one by one. Similarweb audience data indicates the site's visitors are 61.41% male, with the largest age group falling between 25 and 34 years old. On the business side, JustWatch Media targets entertainment studios and distributors looking to advertise to movie and TV audiences.

Traffic & Popularity

According to Similarweb data, justwatch.com ranked #1,090 globally and #42 in the Streaming & Online TV category as of April 2026, with its global ranking improving from 1,214 to 1,090 over the prior three months. The site's traffic reportedly increased by roughly 5.46% month-over-month around that period. Organic search is the largest traffic source, accounting for over 71% of desktop visits, followed by direct traffic and referrals. The United States is consistently reported as the site's top traffic-generating country.

Ownership & Company

JustWatch is operated by JustWatch GmbH, a privately held company headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with additional offices reported in Munich, Paris, Rome, London, and New York. The company has raised seed funding from investors including CG Partners and STS Ventures, in addition to founder capital and loans. Employee count estimates from business data providers vary, ranging from roughly 40 staff in its early years to over 100 in more recent profiles.

Monetization

JustWatch operates a twofold business model. The consumer-facing website and apps are free and ad-supported, while the company's primary revenue comes from its B2B arm, JustWatch Media, which runs data-driven advertising and marketing campaigns for entertainment industry clients such as movie studios and distributors, reported to include Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures. This arm uses aggregated user viewing and preference data to help these clients target marketing campaigns more precisely, a practice the company has openly described on its own About page.

Trust & Safety

JustWatch is widely covered by mainstream technology outlets, including The Verge, TechRadar, Gizmodo, and TechCrunch, and is generally described as a legitimate, ad-supported aggregator rather than a source of pirated content — it only links to licensed, legal streaming offers. The app discloses that it may collect data such as device and usage information, and personal details like name or email when voluntarily provided (for example, during account registration). Independent security scans of its mobile apps have not flagged malware or spyware concerns.

Notable Facts

• JustWatch has a dedicated Wikipedia entry describing it as an "international database company"
• The company's co-founders previously built kaufDA, a coupon service sold to Axel Springer in 2011, before starting JustWatch
• Its 2019 acquisition of GoWatchIt was driven largely by interest in the rival's commercial team and U.S. B2B partnerships rather than user base
• JustWatch Media positions the company as both a consumer product and an advertising data business serving major film studios