Anime · head-to-head
AniList vs Kitsu
AniList's public GraphQL endpoint at graphql.anilist.co answers anime, manga, and character queries with no authentication at all — confirmed live with an unauthenticated POST that returned a normal GraphQL error payload alongside a wide-open Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * header. OAuth only comes into play for account-scoped actions like updating a user's list; browsing the catalog is free and unmetered beyond a per-minute rate limit.
Kitsu's JSON:API-flavored REST endpoint at kitsu.io/api/edge was confirmed live with an unauthenticated anime listing and an explicit Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * header. Reading the catalog needs no account at all; OAuth is only required for actions tied to a user's own library, and the API itself carries no paid tier.
| AniList | Kitsu | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | OAuth | OAuth |
| Pricing | free | free |
| Formats | JSON | JSON |
| CORS | yes | yes |
| HTTPS | Yes | Yes |