Apple TV+’s Servant is up for Blu-ray pre-order on December 1, and the collector forums have opinions. Streaming’s constant catalog reshuffling is quietly pushing shows and films back onto disc, and the shelves that were empty two years ago are filling up again. A serious collection needs a serious catalog, both to keep the doubles out of the shopping cart and to lend out episodes without losing track. These are the seven desktop apps we tested for tracking Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and DVD libraries, from a modest 200-disc shelf to one shared across three rooms.
What to look for in a disc collection app
- Barcode scanner. Phone-camera or handheld scanner support that pulls metadata by UPC in seconds.
- Comprehensive scrapers. Multiple metadata sources (TheMovieDB, IMDb, Blu-ray.com) to catch edition variants, box sets, and steelbook releases.
- Format tracking. Distinguish DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD, HD DVD, and steelbook editions.
- Loan management. Note who has which disc so a lent copy doesn’t get bought again.
- Local storage. Your library data should live on your machine, exportable to CSV.
- Cross-device sync. Optional, for households that catalog together.
- No cloud requirement. The library survives a service shutdown.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLZ Movies | The polished cross-device standard | Windows, macOS, Web, mobile | 100 discs | $19.95/year Connect | Mobile barcode scanner + cloud sync |
| tinyMediaManager | Serious collectors who want a media manager on top | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free tier | About $30 one-time Pro | NFO writing for Kodi, Plex, Jellyfin |
| MediaElch | Kodi and Plex households on Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free | Deep art scraping for shelves |
| MyMovies | Windows-native collectors | Windows | Free tier | $19.95/year Deluxe | Full loan tracking and wishlist |
| Movienizer | Windows collectors who want granular fields | Windows | 14-day trial | $39.99 one-time | Custom fields and reports |
| Personal Video Database | Free Windows option with unlimited discs | Windows | Free, open source | Free | Rich custom fields |
| Kodi | Households already running Kodi | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Free | Library sits next to playback |
1. CLZ Movies, best for the polished cross-device standard
CLZ Movies is the standard most collectors settle on. The phone app scans barcodes with the camera and pulls edition-accurate metadata (steelbook, criterion, region) from Collectorz’s own database, which is meaningfully larger than TheMovieDB for physical variants. Desktop and mobile sync through Connect, and the loan tracker sends a reminder when a disc has been out for more than 30 days.
Where it falls short: Free tier caps at 100 discs. Beyond that you’re on the Connect subscription.
Pricing: Free for 100 discs. CLZ Connect at $19.95/year covers unlimited discs across desktop and mobile.
Download: movie.collectorz.com
Bottom line: Pay for CLZ Connect if you collect more than 100 discs and want a mobile scanner that just works.
2. tinyMediaManager, best for serious collectors who want a media manager on top
tinyMediaManager is the tool most Kodi and Jellyfin users pair with their disc library. It writes NFO metadata files next to your rips (or as a standalone catalog), scrapes multiple sources including TheMovieDB and IMDb, and organizes box sets and multi-disc releases correctly. The Pro tier unlocks bulk edits, movie-set editing, and more scrapers.
Where it falls short: The catalog view is designed for media players first, so pure disc tracking (loans, wishlist) is less polished than CLZ.
Pricing: Free tier is fully functional. Pro at about $30 one-time unlocks all scrapers and bulk actions.
Download: tinymediamanager.org
Bottom line: Pick tinyMediaManager if you both rip and shelve. It’s the piece that connects the physical library to Plex or Jellyfin.
3. MediaElch, best for Kodi and Plex households on Linux
MediaElch is the open-source cousin of tinyMediaManager, actively maintained, and the friendliest option for Linux users. It scrapes TMDb, IMDb, and Rotten Tomatoes, produces gorgeous artwork rows for shelf browsing, and writes Kodi-compatible NFO. It’s the disc catalog for people who don’t want to pay anything and don’t mind editing preferences to taste.
Where it falls short: No loan tracking, no wishlist. It’s a media-library manager first, disc catalog second.
Pricing: Free, open source (GPL-3.0).
Download: github.com/Komet/MediaElch/releases
Bottom line: MediaElch is the free Linux answer to tinyMediaManager, ideal if you run Kodi or Plex on the same box.
4. MyMovies, best for Windows-native collectors
MyMovies has been the Windows collector staple for two decades. The Deluxe tier adds full loan tracking, wishlist import from Amazon, and a Windows Media Center-style browsing view that runs cleanly on a big-screen HTPC. Barcode scanning through the phone companion app works with USB and Bluetooth handheld scanners too.
Where it falls short: Windows only. UI leans traditional, the way collectors who started with Excel spreadsheets prefer.
Pricing: Free tier is generous. Deluxe at $19.95/year.
Download: mymovies.dk
Bottom line: Choose MyMovies on Windows if you want loan management and don’t need Mac or Linux clients.
5. Movienizer, best for Windows collectors who want granular fields
Movienizer is the app for the collector who wants custom fields for aspect ratio, mastering studio, disc region, and reference-quality review sources. Report generation covers everything from a printed shelf list to a curated blog-style browseable HTML export. It also handles TV series and shorts as first-class formats, not lumped into “other.”
Where it falls short: Interface is dense. Small screens don’t do it justice.
Pricing: 14-day trial, then $39.99 one-time. Free lifetime updates for one year.
Download: movienizer.com/download
Bottom line: Buy Movienizer if you want an obsessive per-disc metadata catalog and you’re on Windows.
6. Personal Video Database, best for the free Windows option with unlimited discs
Personal Video Database is the free Windows tool that punches above its price. It supports unlimited titles, has a scriptable scraper engine so a knowledgeable user can add new metadata sources, and exports every field to CSV, HTML, or XML. Development has slowed compared to a decade ago, but the existing tool still runs cleanly on Windows 11.
Where it falls short: Design is dated, no companion mobile app, and no active barcode-scanner integration.
Pricing: Free, open source (GPL).
Download: personalvideodb.sourceforge.net
Bottom line: Pick PVD when you want a free Windows tool with unlimited discs and don’t need the mobile flow.
7. Kodi, best for households already running Kodi
Kodi started as a media player and grew a catalog that many collectors use as the front end for their disc library. Skins like Arctic Horizon and Estuary Modified turn the browse into a shelf-style poster wall, and metadata written by tinyMediaManager or MediaElch drops straight into the Kodi database. For living-room disc browsing on a big TV, nothing else on the list looks as good.
Where it falls short: Kodi wasn’t built as a disc-only catalog, so barcode scanning and loan tracking need companion tools.
Pricing: Free, open source.
Download: kodi.tv/download
Bottom line: Use Kodi as the browsing view of a library cataloged by tinyMediaManager or MediaElch.
How to pick the right one
- If you want the standard cross-platform experience: CLZ Movies plus CLZ Connect. Barcode-scan on the phone, browse on desktop.
- If you rip discs and stream them: tinyMediaManager. It manages both the shelf and the rip.
- If you’re on Linux: MediaElch, free and open source.
- If you’re a Windows collector who wants loans and wishlist without a subscription: MyMovies free tier for small libraries, Movienizer one-time for granular fields.
- If your entire family browses discs on the TV: Kodi as the front end, tinyMediaManager or MediaElch feeding the metadata.
- If cost matters more than polish: Personal Video Database gives you unlimited discs for zero dollars.
FAQ
What is the best free Blu-ray collection tracker? tinyMediaManager and MediaElch for cross-platform, Personal Video Database on Windows. All three cover unlimited discs at no cost and support barcode data through phone-app companions or exports.
Can I sync my disc collection across devices? CLZ Movies through the Connect subscription is the smoothest cross-device sync. tinyMediaManager and MediaElch store the catalog as files you can put on a synced drive (Dropbox, Nextcloud, Syncthing).
How do I catalog steelbook and 4K UHD editions? CLZ Movies has the deepest edition metadata for steelbooks and 4K variants. tinyMediaManager and MediaElch support edition tags too, but you may need to enter box-set metadata manually.
Can I share my catalog with friends who want to borrow discs? CLZ Movies has a public share URL for the whole library. tinyMediaManager and Kodi can export to HTML that you host on any static site. For lending workflow, CLZ and MyMovies both track who has what.
Do these apps still get updated in 2026? CLZ Movies, tinyMediaManager, MediaElch, and Kodi are all actively maintained. MyMovies gets steady bug-fix releases. Movienizer and Personal Video Database update less often but still run on current Windows.
