Askarr vs Searcharr in 2026
Askarr and Searcharr compared for people who run Radarr or Sonarr: what each does, what each needs to run, and what to check first.
VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.
Askarr and Searcharr compared for people who run Plex with Radarr or Sonarr: what each does, what each costs, and what to check first.
| Option | Price | Request limit | Works with | Setup approach | Also stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Searcharr | Not published | Not published | Sonarr and Radarr via Telegram [1] | Runs from source or in a container; dependencies from requirements.txt when run from source [1]; Docker is the suggested method [1] | An authenticated user can add admin access by re-authenticating with the admin password [1]; re-authenticating with the regular password does not remove admin access [1]; users add movies to Radarr and series to Sonarr through Telegram [1]; data folder maps to /app/data and log folder to /app/logs in the container [1] [1]; a docker-compose.yml file is provided [1]; requires Python 3.8.3 or later from source [1] |
| Askarr Free [2] | $0 [2] | 10 requests a month [2] | Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [2] | Nothing installed; add as an import list [2] | Request history with live status [2] |
| Askarr Plus [2] | $3.99 a month [2] | 50 requests a month [2] | Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [2] | Nothing installed; add as an import list [2] | Request history with live status [2] |
| Askarr Pro [2] | $6.99 a month [2] | No monthly limit [2] | Your existing Radarr and Sonarr [2] | Nothing installed; add as an import list [2] | Request history with live status [2] |
The short answer
Radarr and Sonarr are the apps that add movies and shows to a home media library, and this page is for people who run them. Searcharr's page describes a bot that runs through Telegram and that users set up with a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and connection details with quality profile IDs for Sonarr and Radarr. [1] Askarr is a hosted website where you search for a title and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [2]
Searcharr is built around running from source or in a container, and running from source needs its dependencies installed from a requirements.txt file. [1] With Askarr nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr, which is a list those apps read your requests from. [2] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [2] You can also try a throwaway demo account. [2]
What Searcharr is built for
Searcharr's page names a bot that works through Telegram, with settings that users are required to update at minimum: a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and connection details with quality profile IDs for Sonarr and Radarr. [1] The page lists those among the settings it says are required. [1]
Running from source needs its dependencies installed from a requirements.txt file. [1]
The page also covers administrator access. It says an authenticated user can add admin access by re-authenticating using the admin password. [1] The page gives that as a separate path to administrator rights. [1]
The facts above are all this page's sources say in the text about what Searcharr does, so check its own pages for anything else you need, such as how it is hosted.
What Askarr is built for
Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. [2]
You search for a movie or show on the Askarr site and request it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [2] If you already have a link, you can paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. [2]
Askarr says it never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [2] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [2] Your request history shows live status on every plan. [2]
Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [2] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing up. [2] Askarr's project file marks its code as private. [2]
Pricing and fees
No price appears in the facts for Searcharr, and no hosting cost or paid plan is published there, so what it costs you to obtain or run is not stated on this page.
Askarr has three plans. [2] [2] [2] The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [2] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [2] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [2] The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [2]
No card fee or other charge from a payment service is stated for Askarr, so that part is not published here. For Searcharr no price of any kind appears, so nothing is published either.
Setting it up with your server
For Searcharr, users are required to update a set of settings at minimum, including a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and connection details with quality profile IDs for Sonarr and Radarr. [1] Running from source also needs its dependencies installed from a requirements.txt file. [1] The facts say little beyond that about connecting to Plex or who hosts the bot, so check its own pages for those steps.
For Askarr, nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [2] That is a list Radarr and Sonarr read your requests from, and you add it once. [2]
A bookmark you run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and the webhook there for you. [2] After that, you request a title on the site and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [2] The claims for Askarr do not mention Plex, so check how your library fits.
Things to check before you choose
Ask how you want titles requested. Searcharr runs as a bot through Telegram, and Askarr is a hosted website. [1] [2] Check whether Telegram suits the people who will make requests.
Ask what running the tool will cost you. Askarr is a hosted website, [2] while no price for Searcharr is published.
Ask who should have administrator access and how that is handled; Searcharr's page covers admin access by re-authenticating with a password. [1] Ask whether you want to cap requests over a month; Askarr's plans set monthly request limits. [2] [2]
Ask whether a demo is available before you commit. Askarr offers a demo account. [2] Ask whether you want a record of when titles were added and downloaded; Askarr shows that. [2] Ask whether Plex is part of your setup, and check each tool's own pages for it.
How to choose
If you want requests made from Telegram, Searcharr's page describes a bot that runs through Telegram with required settings. [1] If you want administrator access guarded by a password, its page says an authenticated user can add admin access by re-authenticating with the admin password. [1]
If you want nothing installed, Askarr's claims say you only add a list in Radarr and Sonarr. [2] If you want to know what the site can reach, Askarr says it never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr. [2] If you want a request page with status that shows when a title was added and downloaded, its claims cover that. [2]
If you want to look first without signing up, Askarr has a demo account. [2] If you want no monthly request limit, Pro has none and costs $6.99 a month. [2] [2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Searcharr free?
No price or paid plan appears in the facts for Searcharr, so what it costs to obtain or run is not published here. Check its own pages before you plan around a total cost.
How much does Askarr cost?
The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [2] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [2] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [2] No card fee is stated for Askarr, so that part is not published. The Pro plan has no monthly request limit. [2]
Does Askarr need anything installed?
Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. [2] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and the webhook there for you. [2] The claims do not describe any other setup step. Askarr is a hosted website. [2]
How does Searcharr process requests?
Searcharr's page describes a bot that works through Telegram, and the required settings include a bot password, a Telegram bot token, and connection details with quality profile IDs for Sonarr and Radarr. [1] Running from source needs its dependencies installed from a requirements.txt file. [1] Check its own pages for the request steps beyond that.
Can Searcharr give users administrator access?
Searcharr's page says an authenticated user can add admin access by re-authenticating using the admin password. [1] The page also gives a different start command for admin access. [1] For how administrator access compares with other tools, check each tool's own pages before relying on the behavior.
The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [2]
Try AskarrSources
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